TFWA to host two-day Singapore networking event

The Tax Free World Association (TFWA) will host a two-day in-person event in Singapore this May.

Last week, the TFWA board said the conference and exhibition scheduled for May would not go ahead because of ongoing concerns related to the pandemic.

However, today (14 March), the TFWA board announced a two-day networking event on 10 and 11 May at the Marina Bay Sands Conference & Exhibition Centre in Singapore.

The event will not have exhibitors or stands but it will offer a networking occasion with workshops and speakers, which will be confirmed in the next few weeks.

Recordings of various talks and workshops will be available after the event, TFWA said, but there are no plans to live-stream the show.

Erik Juul-Mortensen, TFWA president, said: “As time went on we had to realise that it was not possible to gain acceptance from a sufficient number of brands to exhibit, and quite a few brands decided not to travel so couldn’t commit to having a physical stand.

“It got to the point where we had to draw a line sadly, as we realised there wasn’t enough basis for stands to be had.

“But people do want to get together; there is a need for meetings, there are ample facilities to do that over the two days in the hall.”

The event will offer tables that can be booked by brands, who will be able to bring products to show to buyers.

Furthermore, there are plans to have two social networking events in the evenings, which will be dependent on the health regulations in Singapore. Currently, gatherings with food are limited to five people – but larger events are allowed provided masks are worn and food is not served, Aude Bourdier, TFWA vice-president marketing, explained.

John Rimmer, managing director of TFWA, said: “There will be a strong learning component. The key thing is we bring people together and do one-to-one meeting sessions.

“It’s not going to be a conference-style event, it will be quite unique in terms of what we normally do, we’re putting together an event that meets a clear need for the industry to gather.”

TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes

President Juul-Mortensen also commented on the plans for the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes, France, this year.

He said: “TFWA will be back in Cannes from 2 to 6 October this year.

“All delegates will benefit from longer exhibition hours that will be running from 9am-6.30pm and the TFWA Lounge that proved so successful will be operating from 6.30pm. We hope that will facilitate quite a lot of things.

“We do aim to reinstate the full programme of seminars, workshops, and social events at this year’s event and of course all details will be shared as soon as they’re formalised. There are lots of things to look forward to.”