First man on the moon to be Cannes keynote speaker – 17/08/07

FRANCE. American astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s TFWA World Exhibition conference in Cannes.

Armstrong will deliver his views on the way forward for the aviation industry in a themed talk: “˜Life begins at 60: A Starry Future?’ Duty free celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

“˜One giant leap for mankind’: Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon in 1969, will share his views on the future for the aviation industry.

TFWA said: “Armstrong will cast the eye of an experienced traveller and intrepid explorer over the duty free and travel retail industry. Through his unique perspective on the world, 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 duty free and travel retail.”

After serving as a military aviator and test pilot, Armstrong became an astronaut in 1962. He commanded the Gemini 8 flight in 1966 when he performed the first successful manned docking of two spacecraft. On 20 July 1969, as mission commander of Apollo 11, he descended to the surface of the moon, followed by colleague Buzz Aldrin. Upon touching the surface Armstrong uttered the immortal words “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.

“˜Mary Queen of Shops’: Mary Portas, Creative Director of Yellow Door Creative Marketing (London)

The conference takes place on Monday 22 October. Armstrong will be followed by Mary Portas, Creative Director of Yellow Door Creative Marketing (London).

TFWA said: “Portas will provide constructive criticism on how retailers and brands can improve on current performance. Dubbed “˜Mary Queen of Shops’ following her recent BBC TV shop makeover series, Mary Portas is a well-established retail guru and brand communication specialist.

“An expert in branding, consumer behaviour and retail trends, she is the author of “˜Windows – The Art of Retail Display’ and writes a weekly feature in the Saturday Telegraph magazine, reviewing the state of the UK’s retail offer.”

In addition to the opening conference, TFWA World Exhibition will feature three workshops: