Early bird offer to run out for the world’s biggest event for online travel supplier and distributors – save up to £1000!

EyeforTravel’s Travel Distribution Summit Europe 2007 will take place at the Business Design Centre in London 23–24 May.  Hundreds of key decision makers from Europe’s most successful travel companies have already been registered. The event, established 10 years ago is the world’s biggest event for online travel professionals. Spread over 2 days with a bonus 3rd day on 22nd May the summit is designed to get you up to speed on the latest trends and innovations to optimise your travel distribution strategy. A combination of keynote sessions, interactive tracks, organised networking as well as a large exhibition of technology and marketing solutions providers will all be there to give you the in depth knowledge, ideas and market intelligence you need to save money and ensure your company’s success in the turbulent year ahead.

/Early bird prices for this event run out on Friday 20th April.  To book your place today and save £100 (nearly €150) click here to visit the event website.  Alternatively read on to see how you can save up to £1000!

"Great environment to meet fellow industry colleagues with a real opportunity to network and meet new contacts. Informative and insightful presentations"
Georgia-Lee Cleland, VisitBritain

For more information about how your company could benefit from attend the event click here to request a complimentary e-brochure

The event brings together senior representatives from all sectors of the travel industry to discuss key topics including distribution, CRM, online marketing, technology, revenue management and affiliate marketing.  The highly researched programme is full of interactive sessions including keynote speakers on Consumer empowerment, Emerging market, Direct v’s Indirect distribution and afternoon focused tracks on online marketing (including user-generated content), revenue management, distribution technology, CRM, and data management. To see the full agenda and speaker list click here or scroll down for highlights.

Speaker highlights
• Ian McCaig, CEO, lastminute.com
• Dermot Blastland, Managing Director, Mainstream Business, First Choice
• Chris Mottershead, CEO, Travelzest
• Don Birch, CEO, Abacus
• Brian Pratt, VP e-Commerce EMEA, Starwood Resorts & Hotels
• Chris Silcock, VP Revenue and Service Delivery, Hilton International
• Bill Brindle, Technology and Distribution Director, HRG
• Murad Hajeebhoy, VP Lodging & Destination Sevices EMEA, Expedia
• Dimitris Hiotis, Senior Consultant, TUI UK
• Peter Pohlschmidt, Manager E-commerce, Qatar Airways
• Asmundur Sævarsson, E-commerce Manager, Icelandair
• Steve Pinchuk, Corporate VP Revenue Management, Harrah's Entertainment
• Rick Zeni, Head of Revenue Management, Jet Blue
• Neil Simpkin, Digital Marketing Manger, Flybe
• John McEwan, Corporate Director Revenue Strategy, Vail Resorts & Hotels
• Freddy Bodin, Director Revenue Management Department, Accor Hotels Worldwide
• Marc Charron, MD Europe, TripAdvisor
• Teresa Comparato, Senior Manager Loyalty Marketing, Europe, Africa & Middle East, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
• Rod Cuthbert, CEO, Viator
• Chris Loughlin, MD, Travelzoo Europe Ltd.
• Richard Lewis, Managing Director EMEA, Preferred Hotel Group
• Chris Amenechi, Senior Director International, Continental Airlines
• Deep Kalra, CEO, MakeMyTrip.com
• Katherine Gershon, Launch & International Business Development Director, Silverjet
• Siv Forlie, Director Revenue Management EMEA, Hyatt International
• Graham Nichols, VP EMEA, Worldspan
• Kevin Eyres, MD Europe, SideStep
• Adrian Currie, CFO, Booking.com

For a full speaker list click here

Agenda highlights include:

2007 – The Year of Consumer Empowerment?

The power dynamic in the online environment is changing, with a marked shift towards the consumer. Travel consumers are exchanging more information and exerting much greater influence over online content - from travel blogs to social networking, they are driving change. The next stage in the evolution of the online travel environment will be defined by the ability of your travel company to react to these expectations and meet the needs of these sophisticated customers. These changes are not confined to a geographical region or specific demographic and are predicted to cascade across Europe; from the most to the least sophisticated users.

The Delicate Balance between Direct v’s Indirect – what factors will define the future distribution landscape?

The cost of distribution through intermediaries, unworkable commission structures and improved technology have led to a continuous rise in direct-to-consumer sales by travel suppliers. Is this trend likely to continue in the future, further disintermediating the market? And as the market matures and growth slows down, how can you make sure your distribution and marketing efforts stand out from the crowd and successfully retain the consumer? Is your strategy robust enough to survive future market changes? As suppliers are working on increasing direct business from consumers, on what basis should they continue to work with 3rd party sites?

Venturing into New territory – understand how to exploit the vast profit potential of the world’s fastest growing markets

As emerging markets turn into the economic growth centres of the 21st century, forward looking travel companies have begun to pursue aggressive expansion abroad - particularly in the vast markets of China and India. In this session, senior executives from some of the world's leading travel players will debate the distribution, marketing and brand strategies needed to establish your business as a success story in these high potential, but high risk, regions.

Scale vs Specialisation - how do you get the balance right to future proof your travel organisation and ensure long term success?

2006 again saw dramatic changes in the travel distribution landscape. The end of the year in particular was dominated by high profile buy-outs, mergers and take-overs which could have a profound impact on your travel business. In 2007 this trend has continued with the merger of tour operator giants Thomas Cook and MyTravel. In this session, industry leaders will share their views on what these changes mean for you, and debate how to create the optimal mix of scale and specialisation to drive your business forward

To see the full agenda click here

"Well organised - lots to take back and share with key colleagues. I wish I'd brought more of my colleagues with me"
Jerry Proctor, Cola Hotels

*Save £1000* - For a limited time only, EyeforTravel is offering one FREE place worth £1000 for every four places booked. Register yourself and four colleagues before Friday 13th April, and get 5 passes for the price of 4! To find out more and to take advantage of this offer call Patrycja on +44(0)207 375 7216 or James on +44(0)207 375 7551.

As the afternoon tracks run concurrently, we strongly advise that you bring your colleagues to take full advantage of all the information on offer. Contact James +44(0)207 375 7551 for more information.

To Register:

To register for individual passes online* click here
Alternatively Contact:
James (+44(0)207 375 7551) james@eyefortravel.com
Patrycja (+44(0)207 375 7216) patb@eyefortravel.com

*Please note that group discounts are not available online

For general enquiries regarding the event please contact gina@eyefortravel.com or call +44(0)207 375 7197