Gold Sponsor:

Sponsored By:

Supporting Partners:

Online Travel Strategies

20-21 May 2008, Business Design Centre, London

Overview

How to distribute and market online is a fundamental skill for any travel company. Web 2.0 has delivered new content that clever travel companies are actively utilising to sell products. You need to understand the opportunities and use the content and channels that sell to your target market. At the same time getting people to your reservation pages is as complicated as ever. As Google's CPC keeps on rising, other channels and search strategies need to be considered. This conference allows you to meet industry leaders who are getting visitors to their booking pages and using the right content to make them buy.

As an attendee you will also be able to attend either of the 2 additional collocated conferences

Online Travel Strategies Agenda

DAY 1 - 20 MAY

9.00 KEYNOTE STRATEGY DEBATE

Indirect vs direct distribution battle - where will the balance of power in the travel supply chain stand for 2008?

  • As suppliers keep growing their direct to consumer business, on what basis should they continue to work with 3rd party sites?
  • Despite Ryanair's insistence on exclusive direct distribution, most travel companies still opt for a multi-channel approach. How do you achieve the right reach/yield balance without losing control?
  • Will 100% direct sales remain a viable strategy - even for Ryanair?
  • Some hotel chains have now reached direct sales of 80%+. How much further can this go and what does this mean for intermediaries?
  • Affiliate partners and OTA white label products are tying up valuable space on major travel supplier sites. Is this really the most profitable way for key branded travel suppliers to use their superior web power? Are we witnessing a shift towards branded supplier sites selling all parts of your trip?
  • Lookers are up but bookers are down - does the OTA business model need to change?
  • Is Expedia's hybrid media model the first step towards it simply becoming a travel advertising platform?
  • Rob Westerman, Director Distribution Strategy, KLM
  • Sinead Finn, Head of Sales and Marketing, Ryanair
  • Cormac Whelan, CEO, Datalex
  • Andrew Rubinacci, VP Distribution Marketing, InterContinental Hotels Group
  • Angus McNab, Business Development Director EMEA, Expedia
  • Jerry Dunn, Distribution Development Manager, easyJet

10.30 COFFEE & NETWORKING

11.00 KEYNOTE STRATEGY DEBATE (PLENARY SESSION)

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, President, Jebel Ali Group Hotels
  • Tom Griffiths, Founder, gapyear.com
  • Blake Chandlee, UK Director, Facebook

12.45 - 14.00 LUNCH & NETWORKING

ONLINE MARKETING TRACK

14.00 PRESENTATIONS AND PANEL

How does your online marketing strategy need to evolve to keep up with changes in Search and consumer behaviour?

  • Learn how to consistently deliver relevant traffic at economical cost levels
  • Google is at the core of your SEO/SEM strategy - is this ever going to change?
  • Understand how to determine where you need to allocate your marketing spend - are you spending too much on paid search?
  • Develop a search engine marketing strategy that not only balances paid and unpaid search, but also considers social search engine marketing as a distinct area
  • Video search optimisation - discover how to use video content to drive qualified traffic to your site
  • Geraldine Calpin, VP Brand Websites, Hilton International
  • Gareth Williams, CEO, Skyscanner
  • Barbara Pezzi, Director Web Marketing & E-commerce, Swissotel Hotels & Resorts
  • Colin Lewis, Head of Sales & Marketing, Aer Arann

DISTRIBUTION TECHNOLOGY TRACK

14.00 PRESENTATIONS AND PANEL

Moderated by John Melchior, Travel & Hotel Consultant

Direct Distribution - Which technologies can help you sell direct to your customers?

  • Customers increasingly expect access to every choice available and at every price point. What technology can be implemented to ensure your search and booking capabilities provide the customer with what they are looking for?
  • Do alternative direct distribution and marketing tools such as widgets and other desktop applications lead to higher conversion rates?
  • Investing in new interoperability technology is essential to stay competitive- ensure you select the essential long term solutions and avoid the short term fads
  • How is supplier packaging evolving and how can it be used to boost ancillary revenue?
  • John Lambe, CTO, OpenJaw Technologies
  • Darin McAuliffe, VP Distribution Solutions, Pegasus Solutions
  • Francois Lebrun, UK and IE Direct Sales Manager, Air France KLM

15.30 COFFEE & NETWORKING

16.00 PRESENTATIONS AND PANEL

Niche Travel and The Long Tail - is the internet really fuelling endless choice and unlimited demand?

  • Do the recent mergers of the big four prove we are moving away from a mass market culture towards an à la carte menu of unlimited choice?
  • Will niche tour operators be able to generate sufficient sales to run stable, profitable, businesses - without having to be part of larger groups?
  • What role do societal conditions and people's changing attitudes towards travel play in the length of the Long Tail?
  • Tom Marchant, Co-Founder, Blacktomato.co.uk
  • Nishma Robb, Group Distribution Director, Travelzest
  • Deirdre Bounds, Founder, i-to-i (part of TUI plc)
  • Mike Stacey, CEO, Groople

16.00 INSIGHT

Web Analytics - Understand your online performance and how it impacts your travel business

Online performance, and particularly high conversion, is core to the future growth strategy of every travel company. Find out how to interpret the many reports and statistics available and more importantly how to feed back this information to the decision-making processes of your sales, distribution, marketing and technology departments.

  • Brian Clifton, Head of Web Analytics, Google

16.30 INSIGHT

Online Fraud: How to ensure you are properly protected

  • Understand how the growth in fraud is impacting the online travel industry
  • Find out what online fraud means to your travel company and how to respond to this growing threat to your business
  • Learn how intelligent planning can mitigate your exposure and reduce the risk of fraud
  • Find out how top airlines and travel companies are responding with real-life case study examples
  • Looking further afield: The Indian experience
  • Tim Sparrow, Consultant Client and Technical Services, Cybersource

17.30 END OF DAY 1 - COCKTAIL PARTY

DAY 2 - 21 MAY

9.00 INNOVATION INITIATIVE:

TRAVEL'S DRAGON'S DEN - THE GRAND FINAL!

  • Where are the world's top travel brains looking to invest?
  • Hear hottest travel business ideas straight from top entrepreneurs as 4 finalists pitch to the biggest financial backers of new business ideas in the industry.

4 travel entrepreneurs (whittled down from a shortlist of 20) will pitch their business plans and receive valuable or critical feedback and maybe even funding from people that invest in and drive new travel businesses.

The Chair:

  • David Scowsill, Chairman, Yuuguu

David is currently on the board of four Private Equity and Venture Capital backed businesses: Chairman of Yuuguu Limited. Vice Chairman World Hotels AG Non-executive Director of VenereNet SpA  and Non-executive Director of On the Beach Holidays. He has been interim Sales and Marketing Director at easyJet airlines, Group Marketing Director at Manchester Airports Group, and CEO of Opodo, the pan-European online travel agency. His executive career includes British Airways, Hilton International and American Airlines.

The Investors (Dragons):

  • Jason Katz, Founder, KP Capital
    UBS's youngest managing director, now runs his own private equity fund devoted to investments in the global leisure sector. Recently acquired Next Generation Clubs Australia for £35m. Jason was involved in the Hilton and Thomas Cook transactions as well as selling lastminute.com to Sabre and Active Hotels to priceline.
  • Hugo Burge, Founder, Howzat Media
    Whilst building Cheapflights into an international flight comparison site, Hugo founded Howzat Media investment fund. Investments include WAYN.com, Zoomf.com, TrustedPlaces.com
  • Gerry Samuels, CEO, Travel Capital
    Gerry co-founded Gradient Solutions that was acquired by The Sabre Group, Inc. Travel Capital invests in companies, with funding requirements ranging from MBO/MBI down to early stage funding. The investment capital is sourced principally from Travel Capital's Founders, and from a network of partners within the institutional private equity world.
  • Dick Porter, co-founder and Director, STA Travel Dick started STA Travel in the seventies and grew it into a US$1.2 Billion organization employing 2600 people in over 90 countries. Now on the STA Travel board he devotes his time to finding and funding start ups that could replicate such a massive growth.
  • John Kent, CEO, youtravel.com
    John has been a serial entrepreneur and has managed to build value both as an executive and as an entrepreneur. John founded youtravel.com in February 2006 and the business is expected to reach a turnover of €70m in its first year of operations. Previous positions include lastminute.com UK MD, Travelbargains.com CEO and Medhotels.com CEO
The Entrepreneurial Finalists:

4 finalists from 20 hopefuls who will be pitching on the 20th May. Check out the website for more information

10.30 COFFEE & NETWORKING

11.00 KEYNOTE STRATEGY DEBATE (PLENARY SESSION)

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 Hotels and Resorts
  • Paul Furner, MD, Travel Republic

12.45 - 14.00 LUNCH & NETWORKING

ONLINE MARKETING TRACK

14.00 PRESENTATIONS AND PANEL

A step by step guide to understanding and exploiting the User-Generated Content and social media phenomenon

  • How do you integrate social media spend into your overall online marketing budget?
  • Understand how to communicate your brand through social media sites and how much it will cost you
  • Should you attempt to create your own community or focus your attention on the established social networks?
  • Mistakes can be costly. How do you measure the ROI of advertising campaigns in a social media environment?
  • How can you monitor and track what is being said about your company online?
  • How can you use user-generated content as an effective feedback mechanism for your product/service/pricing strategies?
  • Jonathan Gillespie, Agency Lead, YouTube
  • Walid Al Saqquaf, Co-Founder & COO, Trusted Places
  • Rod Cuthbert, CEO, Viator
  • Martin Verdon-Roe, Head of Sales UK, Tripadvisor
  • Constandina Milios, Online Marketing Manager, Enjoy England

DISTRIBUTION TECHNOLOGY TRACK

14.00 PRESENTATIONS AND PANEL

Moderated by John Melchior, Travel & Hotel Consultant

Third Party Distribution - which technologies enable suppliers and intermediaries to maintain mutually profitable partnerships?

INTERMEDIARIES:

  • What technologies are essential for travel intermediaries to attract and integrate supplier inventory?
  • How will advances in dynamic packaging technology change the way travel is distributed?
  • How will standardisation of XML and other direct connect technologies develop and what systems do you need to have in place to profit from these changes?

SUPPLIERS:

  • What technologies can best help you to manage distribution of your inventory through multiple channels and partners?
  • How will the re-negotiation of long-term GDS contracts affect the growth of direct connect technology in the travel industry?
  • What part should GDSs play in your distribution strategy?
  • Jerry Dunn, Distribution Development Manager, easyJet
  • Will Owen Hughes, Enterprise Solutions Director, Travelport GDS
  • Cameron Jones, Regional Director for Northern Europe, Expedia
  • Martin Cowley, SVP EMEA, Sabre Travel Network

15.30 - 16.00 COFFEE BREAK

16.00 PRESENTATIONS AND PANEL

Understanding how your customers interact with your company and your brand online

In the race to acquire as much traffic as possible, the importance of the online customer experience is often forgotten. Yet this, sometimes brief experience, has a dramatic effect on your conversion rates.

  • Improving functionality - Usability is key to conversion. Learn how next-generation technologies, such as Ajax, can improve the customer's online experience
  • Learn what other industry websites do to score highly on user experience
  • Know which low cost methods exist to improve your company's ability to improve customer satisfaction
  • Jamie Cole, VP Distribution, Hilton International
  • Tanya Lidstone, Head of User Experience, Oiko
  • Gareth Gaston, MD, OctopusTravel

 

16.00 PRESENTATIONS AND PANEL

Mobile Marketing and Distribution - How to use the mobile channel and how to make it pay

Judge for yourself whether a truly effective mobile distribution strategy exists that can make your product available anywhere, and at anytime.

  • Learn what you need to do to make your online communication mobile friendly
  • What content/functions would be useful to consumers?
  • And what about social networks going mobile? Will this logical step force the industry to take mobile seriously?
  • Christophe Leon, Sales & Marketing Director, Voyages-sncf.com
  • Marcus Casey, Director for Online Sales, Development and Operation, Lufthansa
  • Matt Jerwood, Director of Business Development, WAYN
  • Gerry Samuels, CEO, Mobile Travel Technologies
  • Jason Rivolta, MD, Mobile Trials

17.30 CHAIRMAN'S SUMMARY & END OF CONFERENCE

To request more information about this event click here

Other colocated events include: