DAY ONE 24 September 2008

Conference Chair: tbc

9.00 Session One

Online travel in Russia: where is the market heading and how is e-commerce impacting the traditional distribution landscape?

The internet is redefining travel distribution in Russia, with customers buying their travel through an ever-increasing number of sources and channels. In this keynote session, industry experts from leading travel companies, both online and offline, will debate how you should position your company to take maximum advantage of these developments:

• How do Russian consumers buy travel today and how fast is this changing?
• What does the future of online travel in Russia hold? What are the key trends and predictions to watch?
• Direct vs indirect - how do you get the right balance to ensure that you reach the biggest possible audience at the lowest possible cost?
• As a supplier, how to select the right distribution partners and manage them effectively?
• How does the Russian online travel market differ from other countries? What challenges does e-commerce in Russia present?
• Inbound tourism is growing rapidly. How do you market and distribute your travel product to an international audience to ensure your share of this lucrative market?

Speakers for this session include:

• Ms Marina Prikhodko, General Director, AvangarD Ltd - Bookvario Travel System
• Mr Vadim Zelenski , General Director, Zelenski Corporate Travel Solutions
• Ms Anastasia Borisova, FIT Manager Russia, Kuoni Destination Management
• Mr Michael Simon, Area Director Sales & Marketing Eastern Europe, Marriott International, Inc.
• Ms Anna Novikova, Head of Tariffs Online Department, Karlson Tourism

10:40 Coffee Break

11:10 - 12.15 Spotlight on

Hotel Distribution and Marketing Strategies

The online hotel segment in Russia is ripe for growth and consolidation. In this session, leading hotel chains and OTAs will discuss how the market is developing and provide hints and tips on distributing and selling hotels on the web.

• How quickly are hotel bookings coming online in Russia? What are the main opportunities and challenges in this space?
• How should Russian hotels manage their online distribution channels? As a hospitality provider, how should you approach online intermediaries? How do you achieve the right reach/yield balance without losing control?
• Price transparency - what are the dangers of consumers having perfect knowledge of price? Is it beneficial to have consistent pricing across all your distribution channels?
• What new opportunities exist for independent hotels to benefit from the distribution power of the Web? Which intermediaries are in the best position to consolidate the fragmented independent hotel sector? What kind of distribution and marketing opportunities can they provide? And at what cost to the supplier
• How are Russian hotels adapting to changing travel and booking habits? How do you market the hospitality experience in the e-travel space?
• Can international OTAs help you reach a wider audience and bring more foreign travellers to your hotel/resort?

Speakers for this session include:

• Mr Andrew Pyner, Business Development Manager, Expedia Distribution
• Mr Antoine Moubarak, Russia, Baltics, C.I.S & Turkey, Rezidor Hotels
• Ms Julia Mironova, General Director, Horse 21
• Mr Alexey Volov, Director of Global Sales Russia & CIS, InterContinental Hotels Group

12.15 - 13.00 Distribution Technology Session

Establishing travel e-commerce in Russia - overcoming the hurdles in the race for sales online

Whilst the online travel market in Russia is undoubtedly booming, there are many obstacles that stand in the way of success. Already highly competitive and getting more so by the day, Russian online travel is no place for the faint hearted. Security and payment issues make e-commerce in Russia problematic for the under-prepared. In this session, leading Russian and International travel companies will discuss the benefits and pitfalls of doing business online in Russia.

• How well set up is the current financial infrastructure in Russia for dealing with the rapid growth in e-commerce transactions? What changes are needed and how quickly can they be implemented?
• How quickly is credit and debit card penetration increasing in Russia? What alternative payment models are available today and what new developments are expected?
• How many Russians currently have access to broadband and how fast is this growing?
• How comfortable are Russians in using the internet to purchase and pay for travel? What security issues still need to be overcome to boost customer confidence in e-commerce?

Speakers for this session include:

• Mr Pavel Burtcev, Marketing director FOROS
• Ms Anna Shteingart, Head of Research Department, ROMIR

13.00 - 14:15 Lunch break and networking

14:15 - 15.00 Online Marketing

Increase your conversion rates with a more targeted approach to search engine marketing. Search plays a key role in driving more traffic to your website. This session will explore the benefits of search as an online distribution and marketing channel.

• How essential is Search to the survival of your travel business online?
• To what extent do Russian consumers use search engines to find travel information?
• Search engine optimisation vs PPC and CPC marketing - where should you be focussing your online marketing spend?
• How do you measure and track the return on investment from PPC and SEO?
• How to work out the level of incremental business you receive from paid search
• Are travel specific search engines or generic search engines more effective in driving traffic to your site?
• The rise and rise of travel meta search sites - assess the impacts of comparison shopping in the Russian online travel marketplace
• Understand how to use search to exploit the ‘long tail’

Speakers for this session include:

• Mr Vladimir Dolgov, Country Business Manager, Google Russia
• Mr Thomas Thiollier, Director, FSI Travel

15.00 - 16.00 User-generated content

• How will user-generated content and rich media play a role in the future of Russian online travel distribution?
• User-generated content is having far reaching consequences for online travel vendors. How will this phenomenon impact the Russian online travel marketplace?
• What do tech-smart, web-savvy customers expect from travel companies?
• How can your travel company position itself to appeal to tomorrow's sophisticated consumer? Are Web 2.0 tools really enhancing the customer experience?
• Understand the importance of consumer generated media and its role in the purchasing process.
• How can you maximize your opportunities with Use Generated Content Sites? How can you utilize UGC sites as an advertising vehicle?
• How can UGC sites be used to generate content for suppliers and intermediaries?
• Are online communities necessary for success? Should you launch a blog? How do you manage bad reviews?
• Understand how to position your travel company to exploit the ‘long-tail’

Speakers for this session include:

• Mr Robert Campbell, Director, Offexploring
• Mr Stanislav Melnikov, Sales Director, Exat
• Ms Maria Ryazanova, Commercial Director, Adme.ru

16.00 - 16.20 Coffee break

16.20 - 16.50 Understanding the opportunities and challenges of mobile travel marketing and distribution

• The mobile travel opportunity - how real and ready is it?
• Making content ready for mobiles
• What are the key challenges to mobile travel distribution?
• Future trends - the way mobile travel will take shape in Russia

Speakers for this session include:

• Mr Gerry Samuels, Founder and Executive Director, Mobile Travel Technologies
• Mr Dmitry Chuyko, Head of Ecommerce, S7 Group

16.50 - 17.45 Dramatically increase conversions by using effective web analytics

• Why do some users convert and others don't?
• Which traffic source leads to most conversions?
• Verify if site enhancements yielded greater conversions

Speakers for this session include:

• Mr Roman Kokhanovsky, Sales Director, Begun
• Mr Sergey Kedrov, Marketing Department, Spylog

5:45 End of day one - Cocktail Party

DAY TWO, 25 September 2008

9:15 - 10:45 Customer Focus

CRM, Branding and Loyalty Strategies

Which companies and business models are best placed to serve Russia's future traveller? As more and more start-ups enter the marketplace, competition is hotting up. Whilst online travel is growing fast, there is still only a finite number of customers out there. This session will look at the relative merits of the online and offline customer experience and how you can appeal to your target group and keep them coming back to your company again and again. Questions to be addressed include:

• What kind of business model is likely to win the biggest share of market? Is online on its own the best solution? Or is a mix between online and offline the key to success in Russia?
• How are the traditional intermediaries planning to expand their presence in the online marketplace? What is the likelihood of any tie up between offline and online travel agents?
• Is competition in the online travel space benefiting the consumer? How are the key players differentiating themselves and establishing brands that resonate with Russian travellers?
• How important is your brand and how do you measure this?
• Pre-, during and post customer care. How do you maintain service and satisfaction throughout the customer life-cycle?

Speakers for this session include:

• Mr Alexey Krylov, Director, UTS
• Mr Alexander Arutyunov, President, VAO Intourist
• Ms Natalia Barsunova, Head of Tourist Department, Travel City
• Mr George Nikides, CEO, Pososhok.ru

10:45 - 11.15 Coffee Break

11.15 - 12:45 Sector Spotlight

Airline Distribution and Marketing Strategies

The Russian airline industry has witnessed a growth of around 9% per year in the last five years. Low-cost air travel is expanding.

• Air travel currently accounts for the majority of online travel bookings in Russia, making it the key driver in this market. Is this trend likely to continue or will other supplier segments start to gain ground over the next 12 months?
• How are the traditional airlines developing their online strategies? What percentage of their bookings are now made online and how is this predicted to change in the future?
• Will there be a marked shift towards direct online bookings for low cost carriers and traditional carriers? How will this impact on the revenues of online and offline intermediaries?
• With a growing online audience, what are the opportunities for airline websites to sell ancillary products to their direct customers?
• How will rising outbound international travel affect the growth of online air bookings in Russia?

Speakers include:

• Mr Rene Koinzack, Marketing and Pricing Director for Russia and CIS, Lufthansa
• Mr Dmitry Chuyko, Head of Ecommerce, S7 Group
• Ms Julia Mironova, General Director, Horse 21
• Mr. Andrey Tikhobaev, CEO, Teletrain

12.45 - 2.15 Lunch break and networking

2.15 - 3.30 Closing Session

The GDS Debate: What is the future role of the GDS in the distribution of travel in Russia?

• How is the rapid growth of travel e-commerce in Russia affecting the GDS business?
• Are the GDSs in Russia adapting to stay relevant and cost effective in the online travel era?
• Direct connect - how are the GDSs countering the potential negative effect of this on their revenues? Are new revenue streams emerging and if so how do the GDSs in Russia plan to exploit them?
• Do the GDSs still provide value to their airline and agency customers?
• What new products and services are the GDSs offering all sectors of the industry in Russia?

Speakers include:

• Ms Maria Yakushkina, Country Manager, Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Travelport GDS
• Mr Sergey Razarenov, Manager, Product Department, Amadeus Russia
• Ms Sofia Merkulova, Marketing Manager, Sabre Travel Network

3.30 Conference closes