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Travel Distribution Keynote Sessions - 11.00am - Main Auditorium

Our keynote debates deal with the fundamental principles of distribution and give you, the attendee, the most accurate prediction of how travel distribution will evolve in the next 12 months, allowing you to adapt and grow your company. For 2008 we will be running 2 plenary keynote sessions in the main auditorium for all attendees.

KEYNOTE STRATEGY DEBATE - PLENARY SESSION - 20th May: 11.00 - 12.45

Monetising Web 2.0 - Who now controls your customer's online buying behaviour?

  • The way your customer interacts with the web is changing. How can you continue to reach and influence online travelers in a dynamic, user led web 2.0 environment?
  • Social media as a distribution channel - how big can it get?
  • Which companies are set to control your customers and how do you need to work with them to ensure that you get your message to these fast growing, influential audiences?
  • As your customers communicate with each other in increasing frequency and numbers online, how do you become part of this dialogue?
  • Will search advertising retain its dominance over online advertising spend, or should you be diverting your resources into the viral advertising strategies associated with social media sites? Social distribution - are trusted referrals, viral campaigns, widgets and social media applications really the future of web distribution or just passing fads?
  • When things get nasty - how do you deal with negative publicity on the Web and ensure one angry customer doesn't ruin your brand?
  • Daniel Robb, Head of Travel, Google UK
  • Ian McCaig, CEO, lastminute.com
  • Richard Lewis, Industry Expert
  • Tom Griffiths, Founder, gapyear.com
  • Blake Chandlee, UK Director, Facebook

KEYNOTE STRATEGY DEBATE - PLENARY SESSION - 21 May: 11.00 - 12.30

Where to invest - and on what? Which travel products will be making the money next year and how will you be selling them?

Arrival of OTAs, the LCC revolution, Direct 2 consumer bookings, the evolution of search - all have rocked the industry and shifted the balance of power within the travel supply chain. Over the next 12 months, what are travel leaders looking at investing in and who are they looking to partner with?

  • What products will sell next year? Who will you need to sell them?
  • What is going to be the next big change in travel distribution - and how do you prepare for it?
  • Recruitment and retention. As competition for talented employees hots up in the global marketplace, how can you ensure you have the right people on board to exploit these changes?
  • How is the ongoing instability of the US economy likely to affect our business in 2008-09? What should you be doing now to protect your company against a downturn?
  • Is scale the key to success? If so, will the high level consolidations witnessed in 2007 continue in 2008?
  • Research is pointing to a drop in revenue from online travel in the US for the first time. Is Europe likely to follow this trend? Will we really see a dramatic resurgence of the high street travel agent?
  • Where is man in charge of the fastest growing privately owned travel company (boasting 284.23% annual sales growth) going to invest in 2008?
  • Glenn Fogel, MD International, Priceline
  • Brian Pratt, VP e-Commerce EMEA, Starwood
  • Paul Furner, MD, Travel Republic

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