Toasting the collective spirit of travel retail

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Tomorrow, the Thursday before the TFWA World Exhibition, I would normally depart for Cannes, playing a couple of rounds of golf with industry friends before the show begins.

Like all of us, I probably take – or took – for granted, the enjoyment, conviviality and pleasant surrounds of Cannes. Not any more. I have been visiting the show since 1988 and I would give much to be back there in the company of my team and industry colleagues rather than stuck inside a hospital ward.

Besides being a great environment for doing business, Cannes is all about forging and strengthening friendships. For over 20 years I have been doing just that.

So this year, as you mix with new or old friends, consider the potential transience of it all and raise a glass to the power of friendship, the richness of your surroundings, and the collective spirit of the great industry that we call travel retail.