Mark your calendar – the 39th Tax Free World Association (TFWA) World Exhibition & Conference will take place from 29 September to 3 October, 2024, it has been confirmed. 

The event is set to be a showstopper, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the association.

At the closing press conference last Thursday (5 October 2023), TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen hinted that there are “quite a few things” already in the planning stages in the way of celebrations to mark the occasion.

If this year’s fireworks are anything to go by, we can expect the milestone gathering to go with a bang.

What we do know is that the event logo has been designed using AI (stay close to TRBusiness for a sneak peek).

“The association was stared in 1984 and we had the first exhibition in Nice in 1985,” said Juul-Mortensen.

“Forty years is a long time in our industry and TFWA has seen an awful lot in those 40 years, but we are sill here and I like to think that we are stronger and better prepared than ever. So make sure you are here next year to celebrate, with us, the 40th anniversary.”

Key facts from the show last week include 450 exhibiting companies, 92 new exhibitors, 18 official boats in Harbour Village and a total of 25,212 sq m of exhibition space occupied, with extended space on the beach.

The TFWA World Conference attracted 1,762 attendees – the second highest ever recorded in the show’s history.

As reported, the event clocked up 7,385 visitors, up 23% on the 6,017 attendees recorded in 2022.

READ MORE: TFWA WE: 7,385 visitors but total falls short of 2019

“Personally, I had not envisaged that we could reach the levels we have reached both in terms of visitors and delegates, but also in terms of exhibitors,” said Juul-Mortensen.

“We had more space covered by exhibitors than ever before and that in itself I think is quite an achievement and very positive.”

Extending the event through to the Friday once more is something Juul-Mortensen said “is certainly a subject we need to address going forward”.

Farewell John Rimmer; new MD to be announced “shortly”

TFWA Board Members expressed their thanks to John Rimmer, who is stepping down from his role as Managing Director on 30 October.

READ MORE: John Rimmer to step down as MD and depart Tax Free World Association

Juul-Mortensen said the association is “in the process” of announcing an incoming Managing Director.

“We hope to be able to announce something very shortly. It has been an ongoing process and difficult as it may be, we will get there.”

Editor’s comment

By TRBusiness Editorial Director Luke Barras-Hill

Well-liked and highly regarded within industry circles, John Rimmer has been a pillar of TFWA (Tax Free World Association) for many years, playing an influential role in steering the association through the ravages of the pandemic, while strengthening and diversifying its core exhibition & conference activities to the benefit of the entire industry.

The adroit conference moderator and passionate ‘Baggies’ [West Bromwich Albion FC] fan will undoubtedly be missed at TFWA, but his hard work, passion and commitment to the cause means the association is clearly well placed to build on that legacy.

On behalf of us all here at TRBusiness, I’d like to put on record our thanks to John for his candour and integrity in our many media exchanges over the years, including in the face of the proverbial difficult question or two.

We enjoyed raising a glass with him on the Côte d’Azur during this year’s TFWA World Exhibition & Conference and we’ll be tracking his next move with interest.