Continued Commitment
Since drawing up its Sustainable Development Charter in 2010, TFWA has championed an environmentally- and socially-responsible approach within the duty-free and travel-retail sector.
This has taken several different forms, from the use of hybrid cars at TFWA events to helping improve the lives of people in need through TFWA Care. In all it does, TFWA strives to ensure its own actions and those of its partners show respect for natural resources and local communities. Below are some recent examples of how this approach has been translated into action.
TFWA World Exhibition 2012
This year saw the introduction of several tools that reduce the need for printed materials. Touchscreens to help visitors navigate the exhibition were successfully trialled at TFWA Asia Pacific Conference & Exhibition and subsequently adopted for TFWA World Exhibition.
A smartphone application likewise featured in Singapore reappeared in Cannes, providing users with exhibitor details, show floorplan and programme previously available only in paper format. Four online tools (the Exhibition Directory, Product Showcase, digital press releases and Online Review) further cut TFWA’s reliance on print, underlining the continued commitment to sustainable development.
TFWA World Exhibition 2011
Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan addressed the 2011 conference on the huge environmental and political challenges facing the world. He explained that companies can contribute greatly to solutions, and that it is in their interests to support the welfare of their communities.
That ethos of pragmatic altruism – with companies finding their own rationale for acting responsibly - is one TFWA believes lies at the heart of sustainability. The association’s focus this year was on recycling and recovery of materials used for signage around the event, and in particular the use of inks with minimal environmental impact. Meanwhile the Palais des Festivals – host venue of TFWA World Exhibition and a key partner – has its own admirable goals. In 2010 it recycled or recovered 60% of on-site waste; by 2012 it hopes to reach 100%.
TFWA World Exhibition 2010
Sustainability was centre stage at the 2010 conference, with Havas Media UK chairman Lord Alan Watson explaining how consumers increasingly demand sustainability credentials from their brands.
A new initiative that year saw TFWA partnering BMW to provide a low carbon emissions car service, using its range of Active Hybrid cars.
TFWA World Exhibition 2009
Even before the TFWA Sustainable Development Charter, the association was committed to social and environmental causes. At TFWA World Exhibition 2009, singer and anti-poverty campaigner Sir Bob Geldof drew awareness to the plight, and potential, of Africa, and the global impact of climate change.
Also that year, TFWA began paperless registration for its events – a process that is both efficient for clients and makes considerable carbon reductions through minimising paper mailings and their associated transport.
