Innovation and Sustainability: Key Takeaways from TFWA 2025

For Creative Spirit, long-standing event partner of the TFWA, this edition held a special significance: the agency oversaw the production and event design of the Innovation Square.

Located at the foot of the Palais des Festivals, this brand-new space introduced a fresh format — morning workshops, expert panels, immersive presentations, and creative networking sessions in the evening.

Our teams, responsible for production, scenography, and on-site activation, envisioned a space designed as a living ecosystem — at the crossroads of design and technology. The goal: to craft a truly immersive event experience, where innovation is felt not only through the content, but also through the staging and human interaction.

Avolta served as the lead partner for this inaugural edition, while Lacoste celebrated the opening with a private evening event — collaborations that perfectly embody the synergy between brand elegance and innovation.

The 2025 edition marked a turning point in the use of immersive technologies and artificial intelligence. Among the highlights, a humanoid robot capable of engaging in real-time dialogue with visitors captured everyone’s attention — a tangible demonstration of the future of experiential retail.

During the opening conference, Philippe Margueritte, President of TFWA, emphasized the industry’s need to mature in its approach to data intelligence and behavioral analysis.

These innovations now go far beyond the simple “wow effect”: they reflect a deeper shift in which the customer experience becomes the core of every innovation strategy. Each technological advance — from interactive sensors and conversational AI to dynamic content and real-time data — aims to better understand, personalize, and enhance the visitor journey.

TFWA Cannes 2025 also placed social and environmental responsibility at the forefront. From the very start, inclusive sporting events — such as blind football and wheelchair rugby — set the tone: innovation now goes hand in hand with genuine human commitment.

Across the exhibition stands, recyclable materials, modular structures, and energy-efficient solutions became the new standard, reflecting a shared ambition to design more responsible and sustainable events.