Double Olympic Gold
Medallist and Chairman of the London Organising Committee for the
Olympic Games Lord Sebastian Coe will make the keynote address
at the opening plenary of the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference
in Cannes on Monday 21st October 2013.
A
legendary middle-distance runner, ‘Seb’ Coe set
eight outdoor and three indoor world records during his career and
won
four Olympic medals including Gold in the 1500 metres in 1980 and in
1984. Following
his retirement from athletics, he was a Conservative Member of the
British Parliament from 1992 to 1997 and became a Life Peer in 2000.
Coe headed the successful London bid to host the 2012 Summer
Olympics, widely considered one of the most successful Summer Games
of all time. Upon their conclusion, he was appointed chairman of the
British Olympic Association in November 2012.
Lord
Coe will address the various challenges involved in bringing to
fruition an extremely complex
business plan, resulting in an unforgettable experience for thousands
of visitors and spectators around the world.
Following him onto the
stage at the Conference, which is themed ‘A Brand New Challenge’,
will be one of the most influential figures in civil aviation: Willie
Walsh, Chief Executive Officer of International Airlines Group,
the holding company of British Airways and Iberia. The former CEO of
Aer Lingus, Willie Walsh started his career as a commercial pilot and
went on to preside over the merger of two of the largest
international airlines in the world.
Thom Rankin, TFWA Vice
President Conferences & Research: “TFWA is delighted to be able
to offer delegates at the 2013 TFWA World Exhibition & Conference
the perspectives of two individuals who are, without question, at the
very top of their game. They have each faced challenges which would
daunt lesser men and have striven to achieve their goals with the
eyes of the world upon them. We are honoured that they have agreed to
speak at our annual conference and to share their unique and, I am
sure, inspiring experiences. I believe I speak for all when I say we
are looking forward to these presentations with great excitement.”
The
third speaker of the morning will be the eminent free-thinker John
Gerzema,
consultant
and
author of The
Athena Doctrine: How Women (And The Men Who Think Like Them) Will
Rule The Future
which
was published
this
spring. The author also of The
Post-Crisis Consumer (2009),
Gerzema is a regular contributor to TED Events,
a global programme of conferences founded in 1984 as a think-tank
for futurists and thought-leaders under
the slogan ‘ideas worth spreading’.
“John Gerzema is
guaranteed to challenge our current notions of the consumer of luxury
goods today,” continued Rankin. “An accomplished academic and
marketer, his wide-ranging presentation is likely to stimulate
considerable debate as we embark on a busy business week.”
Presenting the annual
‘State of the Industry’ address at the Conference will be Erik
Juul-Mortensen, President TFWA, whose considered assessment of
the duty free and travel retail industry, its recent successes,
current challenges and future potential, is valued highly by
delegates at this annual event.
The TFWA World
Exhibition Conference will be moderated by highly respected
journalist Stephen Sackur Presenter of BBC HARDtalk.
All delegates
registered to attend TFWA World Exhibition in the Palais des
Festivals, Cannes (20-25 October 2013) are entitled to participate in
the opening Conference.
Registration for TFWA
World Exhibition & Conference is open at www.tfwa.com.
Ends
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