GMT GCC’s publisher Deremi Ajidahun guides us through the fun and fabulosity of 2024’s Monaco Yacht Show and the Tax Free World Association World Exhibition in Cannes.
There’s no better time spent than the European summer on the French Riviera, and that’s why the Monaco Yacht Show and the Cannes TFWA World Exhibition, which are back-to-back, is perhaps one of my favourite times of the year. I love Monaco and I adore Cannes: they’re both so beautiful. And I love to experience both of these — at what are essentially work events — with my family along for the ride. Being able to work while still having my family present is the most joyous privilege. Our journey started off in Monaco, to Cannes, then to Saint Tropez, and then back to Cannes — can you imagine five weeks of this bliss?
We kicked off in Monaco, attending the Monaco Yacht Show. A beautiful event featuring so many amazing yachts, superyachts and even megayachts. There’s no such thing as an inexpensive yacht, but Monaco was full of the most superlative vessels imaginable. Everybody was out and about, decked out as beautifully as the yachts on the marina. It was amazing to experience the Kismet superyacht up close, as earlier in the summer I’d sailed past this astounding vessel. It was only launched in June of 2024, and by August, I’d spotted it moored outside Saint Tropez — and I was stunned. So seeing the Kismet up close was actually, for me, the highlight of the Monaco show. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go on board — I wish we could have! But the time will come.
As we all know, Monaco is a beautiful city and full of beautiful people. The restaurants are full, the food is exquisite and the conversation flows under the night skies. When you’re in a place where the mood is impeccable from dawn to dusk, as it was during our time in Monaco, it’s just a pleasure to be there — what a way to spend the summer.
Then after a jaunt to Saint Tropez, it was on to Cannes and the TFWA World Exhibition – which happens to be my favourite professional show, and has been for quite some time, for a number of reasons. First off, Cannes is one of my favourite cities in the world – it has a colour, a hue all its own. The sky produces a magical blue that you’ll rarely see anywhere else.
And then there’s the TFWA show, which is becoming very much the number one perfume show in the world as well. It has a laid-back feeling, and is very professional because you don’t have the end user as part of the show, so it’s very concentrated. It’s super networking. And what’s even better are the evenings and nights in Cannes – while there’s a lot of work being done, up at the crack of dawn and pushing all the way through, the social activities are also very encouraging, pleasant and upmarket. Even though there was a deluge of rain just before we arrived, Cannes almost always has amazing weather and for us it was absolutely beautiful. The Cannes TFWA World Exhibition is a magical show, I love going there regularly and I’m very happy to be a collaborator with the show itself.
