Registrations for the free-to-attend seminar program and concurrent exhibition, on from 21-22 August at Sydney’s Darling Harbour, are now open.
Event Director David Paterson, of organiser Exhibitions & Trade Fairs, said, “Travel is a very fluid industry. It’s impossible for businesses to stay up to date on every trend, so our seminar topics and speakers were chosen as a direct result of research into what type of information the industry said it wants and needs. We’ve also made sure sessions will specifically address key issues across the sectors, with day one focusing on Mobile and Luxury, and day two on the MICE sector.”
Mr Paterson said most people realise networking is really important, yet research shows that 75% of people’s existing networks don’t actually support the results they need.
“Networking strategist Julia Palmer, who’s Chief Executive of Relatus, will lead a session on ‘The Art of Networking’ and her focus is very much on the value of face-to-face interactions. Julia’s inspiring interactive workshop session will be all about how to align your networking activities with your business objectives, teaching people how to position themselves in professional networks and build their relational capabilities to maximise what she calls ‘the human advantage’.”
Mr Paterson said the fact that food was increasingly a factor driving destination choice is a fascinating trend.
“Research that came out of the 2016 World Food Travel Association Food Travel Monitor shows ‘food tourists’ are more likely to consider food and drink when selecting a destination. They’re also more likely to believe that food and drink experiences help in understanding local culture.
“So we’re really pleased to have Holly Galbraith, a food and tourism marketer, to present and share her insights and marketing tips on better understanding and communicating with the food tourist. Holly is also Australia’s first Certified Ambassador to the World Food Travel Association.”
Mr Paterson said business travel was another changing area.
“To delve into this, we’ll have an expert in the field: Bond Leung, who’s the Business Travel Lead for Airbnb across Australia and New Zealand, to talk about ‘Airbnb for Work’.
“More business travellers are looking for unique accommodation that’s similar to the authentic experiences they have in their leisure travel. By using Airbnb for work, people can ‘get under the skin’ of a city by understanding its culture, and really be able to find its hidden gems through the locals as well as just by living in the neighbourhood.”
He said this session will look at Airbnb’s innovative new offerings for business travel. “It will also be great for travel managers and travel professionals to learn more about the Airbnb for Work dashboard that gives more visibility to the entire employee travel experience.”
And to reflect increasing interest, a panel discussion led by Neil Rodgers, Leigh Matthews and Simone Clarke will be held on Ethical & Responsible Tourism.
Neil Rodgers is the MD of Adventure World, the brand behind the not-for-profit Treadright Foundation, which banned more than 60 types of single-use plastic items such as straws, stir sticks, water bottles, plastic bags and cutlery, from its 40 offices worldwide.
Leigh Matthews founded ALTO Global Consulting and the ReThink Orphanages Network. He’s been instrumental in working to secure orphanage trafficking and tourism in the Australian Government’s recommended Modern Slavery Act.
Simone Clarke is from World Animal Protection. She’s a sustainability, corporate responsibility and ‘for-purpose’ executive who is passionate about social impact, animal welfare, ethical consumption and the long-term sustainability and viability of our planet, achieved through multi stakeholder collaboration, innovation and enabling technologies.
Mr Paterson said, “Because all our sessions are dealing with the latest information, they’re expected to be at capacity, so I encourage people to register now so they don’t miss out.”
Free registration is now open for the 2018 Travel Industry Exhibition, http://travelindustryexpo.com.au.
Date: 21-22 August. New location: Dockside Darling Harbour, Sydney.
