Phocuswright, the travel industry research authority, begins the fourth annual Phocuswright Europe this May.ÊThe two-day conference will be held May 16-18, and kicks off with an opening-night reception on May 16.
For the first time, the event takes place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, at the historic Beurs van Berlage and will feature travel innovators, executive keynotes, panel discussions and debates, as well as exhibition and networking opportunities.
Building on the success of last years’ conference Ð which gathered over 400 attendees Ð Phocuswright Europe this year brings together 500 European travel leaders to network, learn and build strategic partnerships with the industry’s most influential leaders, innovators and visionary thinkers. Registration is still open at www.phocuswrighteurope.com/attend/pricing.
Topic discussions include Europe’s hotel distribution, the strengths of local online travel agencies, digital holiday distribution, what lessons Europe can learn from the Asia Pacific market, how emerging technologies changing traveller interactions, and, of course, innovation in travel technology.
Phocuswright Europe places the most informed and dynamic speakers in the spotlight, with a keynote from Peter Verhoeven of Booking.com, and executive interviews with Cyril-Pierre Ranque and Johan Svanstrom of Expedia, Olivier Gremillon of Airbnb, Gilles Despas of Thomas Cook Group, and Paul English of Lola.
“We are excited to be in Amsterdam for our fourth installment of Phocuswright Europe,” said Phocuswright’s President, Simon Lehmann. “Amsterdam is a hotbed of technology companies and start-ups, making it the perfect location for Europe’s premier travel technology conference. Prepare for great sessions and even greater networking opportunities with the region’s most influential travel professionals.”
Phocuswright Europe will feature three key events: Battleground, Center Stage and workshops, as well as an awards program, exhibit hall and numerous networking events.
Battleground (May 17): Selected companies (exclusively from Europe) reveal the travel industry’s latest innovations through onstage demonstrations of their technologies and tools. Attendees have open access to the innovators and are encouraged to connect and provide feedback throughout the event.
Centre Stage (May 17-18): Phocuswright analysts probe Europe’s travel luminaries about what’s next on the horizon and delve for the inside story on some of the industry’s most noteworthy developments. Center Stage contains a mixture of one-on-one interviews, keynote addresses, roundtable discussions and Phocuswright’s signature “Talkback”.
Workshops (May 17): Industry leaders present a range of dynamic, educational content via interactive workshops. Sponsors take the lead in tailoring the content, along with Phocuswright’s expert guidance. The presentations are efficient, thought provoking and insightful.
