This annual event showcasing the world's most luxurious brands and held at the Cannes Palais des Festivals, October 22-26, brings together key buyers and suppliers in the travel retail business in a glamorous environment packed with networking opportunities .

Most importantly, it is the place to discover new products - some of which are previewed on the following pages - and be enlightened on critical issues. The opening conference and a programme of workshops promise perspectives on these issues and views from the experts.

Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, is one of the keynote speakers at the TFWA World Exhibition conference, the theme of which is Sixty Years of Duty Free: A New Moon Rising .

TFWA president Erik Juul-Mortensen will open the proceedings with an address entitled The State of the Travel Retail Industry at 60 , followed by Frank O'Connell, president of the European Travel Retail Council, who will give a progress report on the efforts being made by the travel retail sector to ensure that restrictions regarding the onboard carriage of liquids, gels, pastes and aerosols (LAGs) do not prevent duty-free and travel retail sales from continuing at airports. He will also outline some technological solutions which could be employed, and inform the industry of the action required of them to facilitate future duty free and travel retail sales.

Armstrong will then pick up on the conference theme with Life begins at 60: A Starry Future . He will assess progress in aviation and the impact that technology, communications, the environment and security will have on air transport, tourism and, consequently, on the duty-free and travel retail industry

The third speaker is Mary Portas, creative director of Yellow-Door Creative Marketing. Best known from the BBC TV series as Mary, Queen of Shops , she is expected to show that successful retail "is not rocket science" and will show what can be done to revamp a retail operation.

In addition to the conference, three workshops have been scheduled. At the Asia Pacific Breakfast Workshop, Marion Buttler, European director of the Pacific Asia Travel Association, and Sunil Tuli, president of the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association will discuss opportunities, trends and outlooks in Asia Pacific, one of the most dynamic regions for the travel retail industry. Hundreds of brands are already enjoying success in this region but the potential is enormous.

They will be joined by Masato Takamatsu, director and vice president of JTM who will present the results of the Japanese outbound traveller research.

At the end of each day delegates can unwind at TFWA nightclub The Scene, featuring live bands every night. This year the club has an Angels and Demons theme in new venue the Palm Beach.

All details at tfwa.com.