2019 Agenda: Wednesday, 16 October 2019 | Thursday, 17 October 2019 | Friday, 18 October 2019

Day 1 : Wednesday, 16 October 2019

 

Level 3 | Begonia 3010A/B

9:00 AM – 9:10 AM

Organiser’s Opening Remarks

Dr. Christian Göke, Chief Executive Officer, Messe Berlin GmbH

9:10 AM – 9:20 AM

Guest of Honour’s Opening Remarks

Mr. Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry & Ministry of Education, Republic of Singapore

9:20 AM – 9:30 AM

Guest of Honour’s Opening Remarks

Mr. Michael Müller, The Governing Mayor of Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany

9:30 AM – 10:10 AM

Get to the heart of today’s complex travel issues with the expertise and vision that only industry leaders can provide. Join us for keynote presentations and panel discussion, where leaders of major travel industry companies and related partners outline what it takes to succeed, and how they are planning to keep succeeding as the industry continues to move forward. Find out their thoughts on what the major game changers will be, how they are continuing to innovate their business models to remain competitive and their plans for the future of the travel industry.

09:30 - 09:50: Keynote Presentation 1: Delivering the Connected Trip

Today's travelers live in a mobile world, where everything from consuming media to listening music to social interactions to payments take place via their smartphone. Nowhere is this more true than in Asia-Pacific where now, more than ever, travel brands must rethink how to engage with and adapt to customer needs. With Booking.com's mission to empower people to experience the world, the company is uniquely positioned to remove even more friction for its customers by evolving its products and innovating our technology to create the most memorable and seamless experience at every step of the journey.

Angel Llull Mancas, Vice President & Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Booking.com

09:50 - 10:10: Keynote Presentation 2: Driving Asia’s next digital revolution  

Abraham Thomas, Vice President, Strategic Projects, IBM Asia Pacific

10:10 AM - 10:30 AM

ITB Asia 2019 Buyer's Briefing

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Transforming Travel in a world of Mobile, Data and AI

What will disrupt and change the way we travel and do business? How are technologies transforming products, enabling a seamless customer journey, as well as empowering employees for greater efficiency and creativity?

Vijay Anand, Worldwide Sales & Distribution, VP Travel, Transportation & Hospitality - Asia Pacific, China, Japan, IBM

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

The "New" Destination Marketing

As travellers are becoming more technologically-savvy, distracted and consequently more demanding, destination marketing professionals and travel agencies are brainstorming the new strategies – from vertical marketing, AI-powered personalisation, Vlog and more – to break through the marketing clutters and capture the consumers’ attention.

Join Trip.com in this session as we explore some of the newest and most innovative ideas to promote your destinations.

Edison Chen, General Manager of Ctrip Destination Marketing, Trip.com

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

C-Suite Talk | The rise of lifestyle brands in travel

Why are brands like Apple, Disney and Nike among the world's most valuable? Because they are able to embody a lifestyle, offering consumers access to an emotional connection that goes well beyond their product offering. 

As more travel companies look to redefine their offerings around the lifestyle brand concept, often with limited resources to do so, what strategies will they use to grow and thrive? 

Join Jonathan Ye, Vice-President, Global Marketing of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts and Jessica Beaton, General Manager of Dentsu X as they share how travel marketers can respond and drive engaging lifestyle brands. 

SPEAKERS:

  • Jonathan Ye, Vice-President, Global Marketing, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts
  • Jessica Beaton, General Manager, Dentsu X

12:00 PM - 12:20 PM

Happiness Lunch Talk | Happiness, Without Seeking It

Happiness has been the subject of intense interest throughout human history. Research has shown that happiness has a positive influence on health, productivity and even stress reduction. However, the search for happiness could also put us on rollercoaster ride. Could there be something more than just feeling happy? Kathirasan K will enlighten us about Happiness from a Mindfulness perspective.

Kathirasan K, Founder of Centre for Mindfulness & Director of Positive Performance

12:20 PM - 12:40 PM

Happiness Lunch Talk RISE to your highest heights

We all have limitless potential, but it doesn’t always feel like it. Not when assignments are fraught with setbacks, workloads are high, and motivation is low. The biggest thing that stands in our way of maximizing our experiences and success is us! So, how can you continually shift your mindset, so you can put your best foot forward? It’s a matter of shaking any disempowering thoughts and re-engaging with positivity to override any self-doubt, procrastination or lack of motivation. This keynote shares a simple 4-step process, that can be applied immediately, on how you can conquer the inner game, so the outer can follow and lead down a path of natural success each time.

Anji Hallewell, Southeast Asia’s Leading Self-Mastery & Performance Coach, Professional Speaker, Trainer, Author, WomenLines Influencer and Founder of Natural Genius Academy

12:40 PM - 13:00 PM

Happiness Lunch Talk | From Google to Flowers: Where happiness hides and how to find it

Steven Feiner, Co-Founder & CEO of A Better Florist, contributing author at TechCrunch, Huffington Post, Forbes, Tech In Asia, e27, ex-Googler and strategy consultant hoping to change the world one smile at a time

13:00 PM - 13:30 PM

Wellness tourism: Escape to Travel or Travelling to Escape? What we know and don’t know about our daily psychological adaptation

We are often plagued by life’s stressors and bombarded with demands on a day-to-day, that we may need that quick getaway. These getaways are often ways in which we rejuvenate and reengage with ourselves, and possibly fit to return to our lives ready for the next round. However, sometimes these quick getaways are more than what we’d thought or bargained for. For instance, we need to take a trip out of the country to actually give ourselves the permission to have a break or holiday. What is your style of managing your life? Take some time out of your day-to-day to hear a bit more about our thoughtful, emotional and behavioural responses, and how they get to us implicitly or unconsciously, from a psychological perspective.

Dr. Shawn Ee, MAPS., MSPS., Clinical Psychologist & Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist, The Psychology Practice

13:30 PM - 14:00 PM

The Future of Tech Panel

New technology continues to shape the way that people think and shop for travel. 

Airlines across the globe are massively investing in innovation that will upscale their business model, while travel agencies are looking to technology that will aggregate content and evolve their customer experience to reflect their changing expectations. Experts from across the travel ecosystem will come together to talk about the hottest topics in travel, including distribution transformation, operational efficiency, revenue growth, and will address how technology is revolutionizing the traveler’s journey of tomorrow.

The session would cover:

  • Deep-dive into the mindset of today’s travellers, and how they leverage technology
  • On overview of emerging technologies, and which is believed to have the biggest impact
  • What measures are travel companies adopting to stay relevant
  • The dynamics of distribution

PANELLISTS:

  • Bindu Bhatia, Managing Director, CWT Asia Pacific, CWT
  • Joanne Sully, Vice President & Regional General Manger, Australia & Southeast Asia, AMEX GBT - American Express Global Business Travel
  • Christian Suwarna, CEO of Traveloka Experience, Traveloka
  • Ru Yi, Area General Manager - Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Ctrip International

MODERATOR:

  • Brett Thorstad, Vice President, Sabre Travel Network Asia Pacific
14:00 PM - 14:30 PM

14:30 PM - 15:00 PM

C-Suite Talk | Fireside Chat: Hotel 2.0: What will the hotel of the future be like?

What will the hotel of the future be like? It is clear that digital technologies are shifting the power towards the consumer. Hoteliers ought to force themselves to rethink the hotel and room design, guest services and experiences.

SPEAKERS:

  • Anchalika Kijkanakorn, Managing Director & Founder, AKARYN Hotel Group (AHG)
  • Deniz Tekerek, CEO, Portier Technologies

MODERATOR:

  • Jeff Pan, CEO, Flymya

15:00 PM - 15:30 PM

Hotels & Tech: Coliving – an alternative accommodation class

Just as challenging as it is for Airbnb to offer more hotel-like options, it seems in some ways even more daunting for hotel companies to start offering more Airbnb-like accommodations and create new products. How can hospitality companies reinvent, innovate and create new product lines to capture new market trends?

Mindy Teo, Deputy Managing Director of lyf, The Ascott Limited

15:30 PM - 16:00 PM

Airlines & Travel Distribution: The digital airlines

In January 2018, Singapore Airlines (SIA) launched its Digital Innovation Blueprint. The objective is too catalyse digital opportunities and enhance Singapore’s development as a travel and aviation hub in the region.

  • How is SIA nurturing digital aviation and travel technology start-ups, SMEs and broader communities of partners in adjacent industries?
  • How does SIA define a real purpose for its Digital Transformation and get significant adoption across the organisation?
  • How to measure real business impact of Digital Innovation
  • What are the main obstacles, challenges and how to face and overcome them?

Jerome Thil, Vice President, Digital Innovation, Singapore Airlines

16:00 PM - 16:30 PM

Best practice in applying customer data to better serve travellers

All aspects of travel from flight to hotel are increasingly booked online. Whilst travel companies struggle to utilise the information they already have on their customers to shape their marketing offerings, travellers are frequently targeted with irrelevant travel marketing information, little of which is tailored to their requirements. 

Andrew Cowen and Trevor Spinks, with backgrounds in leading roles at a variety of Asia's most innovative airlines and travel companies, will explain how best practice travel companies are solving this issue, including the state of the industry and 7 digital advertising trends for travel.

SPEAKERS:

  • Andrew Cowen, Managing Partner, Genki International Partners
  • Trevor Spinks, Senior Director, Audience Strategy & Development, Sojern
  • Colman Ho, Vice President, Group Marketing, Century City Holdings
  • Hui Joo Hwee, Head, Market Insights & Planning, Mango Aviation Services

16:30 PM - 17:00 PM

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Insights & Ideas | Future of corporate travel in Asia

Current business travel solutions are designed for large corporations and traditional business travellers. The unmanaged travel space in Asia, which is increasingly dominated by millennials, needs a simpler and more flexible solution: one that keeps costs low, allows a level of flexibility for business travellers and gathers all data and expenses into a single, easy-to-use interface.

SPEAKERS:

  • Prashant Kirtane, Founder & CEO, Travelstop
  • Altaf Dhamani, Co-Founder & CPO, Travelstop
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

What do women corporate travelers want? Are airlines, hotels and travel providers ready for the opportunity in this growing segment?

The number of female business travelers is sky-rocketing, accounting for nearly 40% of all business travel in the US. In Asia, Amadeus forecasts some 18 million women will travel on business in 2020, up four-fold from 2011. However, only 21% of companies have revisited their travel programs to address the risks, needs and preferences of women who travel on business, according to a recent GBTA study. Where is the disconnect? And how can travel providers gain market share by addressing this underserved market?

SPEAKERS:

  • Tina Di Cicco, CEO & Co-Founder, LARGA.PH
  • Vicki Parris, Senior Director of Customer Experience, Asia, FCM Travel Solutions
  • Kim Liew, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing, Mandarin Oriental Group

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

The rise of the Middle Kingdom in business travel

China is forecast to become the world’s largest corporate travel market imminently. Combining western best practices, homegrown technological advances and having domestic regulatory considerations, the market is a complex hybrid that forms its own uniqueness. This session will explore the key trends and technology shaping China’s corporate travel development, and will look to predict how both corporations, as well as travellers, will handle and experience corporate travel in the coming few years.

Dr. Carl Jones, Vice President, Head of Travel, Asia-Pacific and Greater China, SAP Concur

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Taking global trends in travel management and applying them in Asia: A buyer, supplier and TMC perspective

In a global world is it enough to just focus on local trends. Is it possible to make sure that your business is prepared for what is coming next by learning from other markets even though their customers have differing needs? What are the global trends that are emerging in corporate travel and will soon come to the Asia region? How can you prepare for them from a buyer, TMC and supplier perspective. What needs to change in our thinking to be able to think global but act local. Who and where can we learn from to benefit from their mistakes and learnings?

SPEAKERS:

  • David Hughes, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, UNIGLOBE Travel International
  • Ronnie Lau, General Manager, Commercial & Operations, Holiday Tours & Travel (Singapore)

12:30 PM - 13:00 PM

Insights & Ideas | The Future of Business Travel

In today’s world business travelers want choice, price transparency and personalization. At the same time, corporations want better value from travel spend. Business travel agencies must adapt to this evolving environment, delivering a service that helps their customers and travelers get the most out of business travel.

Renaud Nicolle will present a report that looks into the future of business travel and lead a panel discussion with Phil Rasmussen, Managing Director of Kudos Travel Technology and KKenji Mirassou, Director, Global Sales Asia-Pacific of Egencia to understand which technology trends they think will have a significant impact on the sector.

HOST:

  • Renaud Nicolle, Vice President Business Travel, Asia Pacific, Amadeus

SPEAKERS:

  • Phil Rasmussen, Managing Director, Kudos Travel Technology
  • Kenji Mirassou, Director, Global Sales Asia-Pacific, Egencia

13:00 PM - 13:30 PM

Belonging, at work

The business of employee engagement that corporate traveller managers need to know.

Belonging is a fundamental human need. It’s the feeling of being accepted, included, respected, and making a contribution. While many businesses understand the need for belonging, research shows they don’t always know how to foster it. Belonging at work also impacts employee engagement and subsequently the performance of companies. For companies with frequent travellers, supporting this need to belong, no matter where someone is in the world is even more critical. This presentation will inspire you to think of ways to foster belonging within your organization.

Alvan Aiau Yong, Regional Lead, Airbnb for Work

13:30 PM - 14:00 PM

Bold thoughts | Reimagining corporate transport in the digital age

What do changing traveller tastes mean for corporates looking to manage their ground transport and can they offer a solution that meets duty of care requirements as well as saving money?

Dileep Kannan, Regional Director - Grab for Business, Grab

14:00 PM - 14:30 PM

Swipe right for the perfect match: Making your TMC a travel partner, not just a supplier

You expect the best from your workers, and want your suppliers to work equally hard on your behalf, so why not treat your TMC as a business partner rather than a supplier? Drawing on real-life data and case studies, we chart the path to success, from creating the right environment, to choosing and contracting the right TMC for your organisation, delivering best-in-class experiences for bookers & travellers, to setting realistic goals and managing the TMC relationship.

Bertrand Saillet, Managing Director, FCM Travel Solutions Asia

14:30 PM - 15:00 PM

The Intersection of Technology and Human Touch

Today's traveller expects shopping, booking, and service at a moment's notice across multiple touch points including mobile, messaging, voice, desktop, and more. With these expectations, it's clear that the world of travel management no longer fits cleanly into the buckets of online and offline. We find ourselves at the exciting evolution of travel in Ubiquitous Booking and Digital Care, two areas that have sweeping impact on the way travelers interact with their travel programs, and the way travel programs are created, facilitated, and serviced. As we explore each, we'll see leading edge, high tech capabilities with the powerful backing of people that can provide the global, omni channel experiences travelers are looking for.

Mark McSpadden, Vice President, Global Product Strategy & Experience, American Express Global Business Travel

15:00 PM - 15:30 PM

Airlines in corporate travel

Levend Arisoy, General Manager, Turkish Airlines

15:30 PM - 16:00 PM

The flight desk for Google, Intrepid, and Remote Year: Thriving in travel through partnerships

Yes, since 2012 AirTreks has managed flights for the Google Associate Project Managers (APM) program - proof that strategic partnerships are the best way to grow, manage, and sustain a successful business. Learn the system used by AirTreks to find the right partners and easily integrate so everyone wins - your clients, your team, and your partnership.

Dale Thomas Vaughn, Vice President, AirTreks 

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Creative sources of revenue in the competitive travel booking industry

The hotel booking industry is one of the most competitive in the world. The market is very saturated and competitive, making hotel distributors reduce their margins in order to stay competitive. Hotelmize uses Big-Data and machine learning technologies to reinventing how global hotel booking resellers grow their business by using the principles of capital market trading in the hotel booking industry by providing an innovative approach for revenue optimization and yield management.

Omry Litvak, COO, Hotelmize

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Making Virtual Travel real: Revolutionizing the way of booking by delivering hotels to guests

When we say Virtual Reality (VR) most people think of gaming-based solutions. However, VR is also a powerful marketing tool for businesses (partially thanks to its perception as entertainment). In VR you deliver your message to your customer's emotions, shape their desires and create dreams. Using VR technology effectively will enable brand to provide this real experience anytime and anywhere. How can hospitality industry be among the first ones to benefit from VR?

SPEAKERS:

  • Anna Agafonova, General Manager, VResorts 
  • Kartiman, General Manager Indonesia, VResorts

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Travel 2020 – Innovations and new trends

Looking into the future of travel requires us to get familiarised with how technology changes travel, but also how those technologies change consumers.
 
What would be the new standards of experiences consumers will look for? What the next generation, beyond Millennials and Gen-Z, expectations will be? How travel, and hotel, will evolve? What are the new travel hacks and would they eventually be the new norms?

In this fireside chat, we'll try to review these questions and more, and understand what's the future holds for the travel industry.

SPEAKERS:

  • Gil Harel, CCO, Splitty
  • Nikhil Manchharam, Managing Director, Development Asia, YOTEL
  • Rom Hendler, CEO & Founder, Innovel Travel Tech

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Expert strategies to increase conversions

69% of hoteliers are committed to driving more direct bookings (*). Are you one of them? Join TripAdvisor this session to hear top tips to help you maximise your direct bookings and drive conversion. Plus get exclusive insights into the latest products, tools and features available on the world’s largest travel site.

(*) Independent Hotel Show & Avvio Direct Booking Survey 2019 

Jobellyn Catud, Senior Manager, Customer Success – APAC, TripAdvisor

12:30 PM - 13:00 PM

Welcome to the age of convergence

Customer expectations are changing, driven by the digitalization and automation of the world. Data is being generated at an ever increasing speed and technology is moving to the cloud. A new area of convergence is upon us. With traditional lines of demarcation getting blurred, the revenue management function is transforming. What does the role of the revenue strategist look like to remain effective in tomorrow’s competitive environment?

Klaus Kohlmayr, Chief Evangelist, IDeaS Revenue Solutions 

13:00 PM - 13:30 PM

SCA & Travel: How new regulatory changes in Europe might affect your customers

To try and rein in fraud, the European Economic Area (EEA) implemented Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) as of September 14th. This means that any online transaction in which both the acquiring and issuing bank are within the EEA, must be authenticated. Given the complexity of the travel ecosystem, this could create a significant challenge for Travel suppliers. Join Eric Liebman, Global Head of Travel from Ingenico, as we discuss who will be affected, what is means to your Travel business and recommendations on how to make sure your business is ready for SCA.

Eric Liebman, Global Head of Travel, Ingenico ePayments

13:30 PM - 14:00 PM

How to ace property management in a world of rising guest expectations

In this discussion, Yoav Tourel of Guesty will cover how property managers can elevate their vacation rental businesses to meet increasing guest expectations, with the end goal being positive guest experiences, 5-star reviews, and ultimately, return guests. From relying on tech solutions that automate tasks and streamline operations in order to save time and boost revenue, to blurring the lines between a hotel and Airbnb stay, to implementing upselling tactics to provide guests with local experiences, this keynote will ensure audience members leave with tangible takeaways to take their short-term rental business to the next level.

Yoav Tourel, Managing Director of APAC, Guesty

14:00 PM - 14:30 PM

Tourism Innovation & Tech Awards from Taiwan (R.O.C.): Introduce travel social platform-Funliday

Funliday is a travel social platform that makes your trip easier, helps you and your travel companions to manage your trips, finds local attractions and travel journals. Funliday provides thousands of travel journals, you can easily explore all of the journals you are interested in and simply add them to the itinerary. You can also organize schedules and routes, as well as co-editing with travel companions.

Willie Huang, CEO, Funliday

14:30 PM - 15:00 PM

Future-proofing for transformative tourism experience and businesses

How can the tourism industry prepare for the future, and set itself up for success? From developing tech stacks to grooming next-generation solutions – hear how the Singapore Tourism Board is driving innovation to propel tourism businesses and create transformative visitor experiences.

Poh Chi Chuan, Director, Digital Transformation, Singapore Tourism Board

15:00 PM - 15:30 PM

Is staying connected while travelling really THAT important?

Duh... YES!

A recent study shows that of all things international travellers worry most about leaving behind on their holiday, FAMILY comes on the 2nd place (?!) behind the mobile phone…
Even so, 15% of travellers are not using their mobiles phones at all during their trip, as they are less than impressed over the options avail today to stay connected?

What if with the new innovative travel tech solutions available we can keep them connected without the hassle and worries? Let us enlighten you!

Bahadir Ozdemir, CEO / Co-Founder, Airalo

15:30 PM - 16:00 PM

Looking ahead: where is hotel supply ramping up in Asia?

STR’s guide to destination performance and hotel developments, with insights into pipeline projects and booming renovations in the Asia Pacific region.

Bernard Kee, Regional Manager, Southeast Asia, STR

16:00 PM - 16:30 PM

Reinventing digital travel with in-video machine learning: How to offer more values to customers than just a lower price

With such a plethora of digital travel sites and apps, creating a real differentiation is becoming difficult. Yes, price is always a good place to start, but it is no longer enough to obtain user loyalty. Even user experiences titled “Hassle-Free”, “Effortless”, “Uncomplicated” - are not enough. User consumption habits are changing, and with user attention span dropping as short as 8 seconds – we need to change with them. The digital travel landscape is in need of a face lift, that will turn the entire trip cycle - into FUN, EXCITING, and COMMUNAL experiences. This session will provide tips and ideas as to obtaining user retention and long-term loyalty, by providing him/her added values beyond price comparisons and reviews.

Yosi Golan, Co-Founder & CTO, SeeVoov

16:30 PM - 17:00 PM

How's the new generation of traveling?

In this fast-paced keynote, Cloudbeds will share insights on trends in and changes to customer behavior focusing on young travelers. First, the session will define the audience by sharing critical attributes of the next generation (Generation Z) followed by diving into their specific travel behavior. What expectations do they have? What products and services are successful? Finally, we will finish by showcasing the best practices adopted by hosts, hostellers, and hoteliers to engage successfully with this growing audience.

SPEAKERS:

  • Maica La’O, Regional Manager - Asia Pacific, Cloudbeds
  • France Mendoza, General Manager, Bambam Hostel Palawa

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Latest Asian travel trends 2019 and forecast 2020

IPK International presents at the ITB Asia Conference the latest Asian travel trends for the first eight months of 2019 and a forecast for 2020. All information is based on IPK’s World Travel Monitor®, the world’s most comprehensive tourism database on European, Arabian, Asian, North and South American outbound travelers covering more than 90% of the international travel demand. The World Travel Monitor® with around 500.000 interviews in over 60 countries has established itself as the largest continuous tourism study of its kind.

Julia Muehlberger, Senior Research & Marketing Consultant, IPK International

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Deal Sites, Tours & Activities | Digital tour distribution - How to get the most for your brand via OTAs

Selling travel online is a rapidly evolving undertaking. Ranking algorithms, recommendation systems, customer sentiment analysis and automated conversion techniques are but a few of the areas OTA’s focus on to optimise the online sales funnel.

This presentation will look at the key stages of online sales and provide insights and data behind how an OTA continually improves the offering to customers for each. These stages include the inspiration phase, research, booking and post-booking support. The information provided will be underpinned by discussion on what this means for travel providers and how they consider their approach to distribution systems.

Brendan Roberts, Global Head of Business Development, TourRadar

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Deal Sites, Tours & Activities Growing your Destination’s Tours and Activities market

An Attractions Pass tool that delivers benefits for all stakeholders; for consumers experiencing the best of destination by way of a single ticket or ‘pass offering unparalleled flexibility, convenience, choice and savings; for tourism boards a tangible mechanism to demonstrate the impact of tourism marketing campaigns to drive length of stay and engagement/spend; for tourism operators increased visitation driving higher revenues and non-dilutive core business of selling individual tickets; and for resellers a higher value single transaction and aggregation of many difficult to sell lower value items into single product. Understanding these dynamics has driven our engagement with the broader tourism industry partnering with both government tourism organisations and tour and attraction operators globally to drive incremental visitation, spend and time in destination.

Joost Timmer, Managing Director, iVenture Card

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

Deal Sites, Tours & Activities What experiences can learn from hotel distribution

After years of dependence on OTAs and third parties, hotel brands are starting to take control of their direct booking channel. By contrast, the experiences industry, is dominated by direct bookings. But the OTAs are fighting hard to get a piece of the action and experience operators need to be careful not to give up too much in exchange for these sales. In this session, we'll explore what happened with hotels and how the experience industry can avoid the same pitfalls.

Stephen Joyce, CEO, Rezgo

12:30 PM - 13:00 PM

Deal Sites, Tours & Activities Looking beyond the GDS: Its impacts on Multicity Travel

Several online travel agencies and traditional travel agencies are starting to move beyond the traditional queries carried out in GDSs, doing everything from Virtual Interlining, shopping across multiple PCCs/GDSs, integrating LCC content, or breaking up itineraries into open-jaws and one-ways. We will explore the impact of these new search methods on pricing and customer service as well as what customer segments they work best for.

Andres Collart, CEO,
Trip Ninja

13:00 PM - 13:30 PM

Applying big data to destination marketing & making it meaningful

Since many destination marketing organizations (DMOs) operate high in the sales funnel and don’t handle the point of sale, collecting and using data in a meaningful way is a challenge. Pressure from stakeholders and management to deliver ROI makes data more important than ever for planning and campaign analysis. We will look at a case study into Tourism Western Australia that uses big data to analyse trends and market behaviour then apply these learnings to develop campaign strategies to drive awareness and growth. As well as setting performance metrics and measuring ROI.

SPEAKERS:

  • Sarah Griffin, Head of Destination Marketing APAC, Travelport (co-presentation with client)
  • Ava Ang, Country Manager, Singapore/ Malaysia, Tourism Western Australia

13:30 PM - 14:00 PM

Perfecting your digital brand and growing your following

We’ve all heard stories about SME’s and startups have that rocketed to success on a shoestring budget using a clever digital strategy and wondered, “Why can’t I do that?” In this presentation Veteran travel blogger and digital agency CEO Matt Gibson shares most effective -- but least understood -- tips from himself and his influencer network for creating a brand that’s ready to catch fire and setting it alight with a focused, low-cost digital strategy. This talk will be followed up with a more in-depth exploration of digital growth strategies.

Matt Gibson, CEO, UpThink

14:00 PM - 14:30 PM

Tourism investment strategies for DMOs: Learning through SAT case study

The session will explore how tourism boards and DMOs can maximize ROI. Vivek will be sharing Grail's proprietary Tourism Investment Framework. As part of the discussion, he will be presenting a case study alongside their long-time client, South African Tourism (SAT).

SPEAKERS:

  • Vivek Neb, Managing Director, Grail Insights
  • Bashni Muthaya, Chief Strategy Officer & CMO, South African Tourism

14:30 PM - 15:00 PM

A frictionless future in travel

Businesses are always promising things “now”. But rarely these promises actually mean “now” – they’re merely the beginning of a tedious consumer journey. Every additional step or delay is a chance for customers to abandon their purchase journey. This is friction. This session uncovers the top friction points encountered by consumers in the travel industry and what marketers can do to ease the frictions.

Cecilia LV, APAC Travel, Facebook

15:00 PM - 15:30 PM

Insights, Ideas and Inspirations to win an engaged travel audience on Twitter

At this session Twitter will unveil travel trends and insights all travel marketers in Asia Pacific should know and share inspirations, ideas and best practices to help your brand connect with an engaged and receptive travel audience. A must-attend session for marketers looking to build relevance for your travel brands and connect with your engaged travel audience, whether you're a hotel, airlines and tourism board brand.

SPEAKERS:

  • Martyn U’ren, Head of Research, Asia Pacific and MENA, Twitter
  • Rachit Uppal, Industry Head (South Asia), Twitter
15:30 PM - 16:00 PM

16:00 PM - 16:30 PM

The NEW membership economy: How to engage users and boost loyalty for your travel app

In the new membership economy, travel companies are increasingly challenged with how to keep customers engaged with their travel apps over time. Please join David Bochsler Managing Director, APJ Region at Leanplum who will discuss with you tips and tricks on how to continuously engage your customers through your travel apps. In addition, David will share how other top brand travel companies have implemented multi-channel strategies that have successfully driven both customer loyalty and revenue growth.

David Bochsler, Managing Director, APJ Region, Leanplum

16:30 PM - 17:00 PM

The intersection of data and creativity: Building cutting-edge destination marketing campaigns

Destinations marketers are increasingly looking for the right balance of data and creativity that will help capture, inspire and convert potential travelers. But how should the insights gleaned from data change the way we view creativity, and what opportunities do they reveal? In this session, Expedia Group Media Solutions will discuss the intersection of data and creativity for the travel industry and what it takes to captivate and inspire travelers. Attendees will walk away with insights and best practices for delivering a consumer experience rooted in both data and creativity, along with specific examples of how data and insights have helped destinations build truly creative, engaging campaigns.

Wendy Olson Killion, Global Vice President, Expedia Group Media Solutions

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Unpacking the Muslim Traveller: Behind the lens of a Muslim Vlogger

Sujimy Mohamad, a veteran in the Malay Muslim media industry locally and regionally, has documented numerous vlogs as he travelled to countries within and beyond Asia. In his decades of experience, he has created content to share his knowledge and expertise in areas such as travel, food, culture and human interest stories. He believes that discovering the world and creating content should never compromise your ability to carry out your religious duties as a Muslim. In this sharing, he will address the common concerns of a Muslim traveller, how to overcome them and lastly, how to share the beauty of the world with your audience.

Sujimy Mohamad, Marketing Consultant & Content Creator, Screenbox

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

What makes the Halal tourism sector so attractive for investors?

Fazal Bahardeen, Founder & CEO, CrescentRating & HalalTrip

12:00 PM - 12:30 PM

7 ways to make Muslim travellers love your destination

Do you have a beautiful hotel or resort? Maybe a diverse and welcoming destination or an attraction to die for, but you just can’t entice Muslim’s to visit? Join this session as we discover 7 ways to make Muslim travellers flock to your product. From the transformation of the online halal travel space to showing off on Instagram, these are 7 tips you won’t want to miss.

Nabeel Shariff, Director, Rihaala

12:30 PM - 13:00 PM

How to build a Muslim-friendly tour environment: A case study of National Alishan Scenic Area, Taiwan

Ustaz.Ishag Shiao-Chi, Ma, Chairman and General Consultant (former Imam of Taipei Grand Mosque), International Muslim Tourism Industry Development Ass. and Taiwan INHART Halal Certification Authority

13:00 PM - 14:00 PM

How DMOs can leverage the potential of Muslim tourism: The dos and don'ts and best practice case studies

Muslim tourism is set to generate $183 billion by 2020 - and APAC tourism boards are leading the way when it comes to developing resources and infrastructure to cater for these travellers.

Discover what tourism board strategies are working to attract Muslim tourists in a presentation by Hannah Pearson of Pear Anderson, and then get a deeper insight from the first-hand experience of DMOs in a panel discussion on their journey to attract more Muslim tourists.

This panel discussion will include representatives from Tourism New Zealand amongst others, and will be chaired by Faeez Fadhilillah, founder of Tripfez, a Muslim-focused OTA, and an expert on Muslim tourism. There will also be an opportunity for Q&A.

PRESENTER: Hannah Pearson, Director, Pear Anderson

PANELLISTS:

  • Erica Annuar, Content Head – Malaysia, HolidayMe 
  • Steven Dixon, Regional Manager, South & South-East Asia, Tourism New Zealand
  • Ava Ang, Country Manager, Singapore/ Malaysia, Tourism Western Australia

MODERATOR: 

  • Faeez Fadhlillah, CEO & Co-Founder, Tripfez and Salam Standard
14:00 PM - 15:00 PM

Conference session by CrescentRating

14:00-14:30: Understanding the Digital Generation: Gen Z

The focus has always been on Muslim Millennials but little is known about Gen Zs - the youngest and upcoming segment. Unlike the previous generations, they are digital natives. They are not Millennials and want different things and experiences. What are their travel motivations? How has digital shaped their travel preferences and consumption?

SPEAKERS:

  • Nur Hazirah Jamaluddin, Content Manager, HalalTrip
  • Barkathunnisha D/O Abu Bakar, Founder and Principal Consultant, Elevated Consultancy

14:30-15:00: The Rise of Muslim Women Travelers

More women are traveling than in the past and disrupting the travel industry. Along with this global trend of proliferation of female travelers, Muslim women too are joining the bandwagon – traveling alone, with their family and/or with their female companions. What are the key drivers to Muslim female travel? What does this mean for businesses in the Halal Travel industry?

SPEAKERS:

  • Raudha Zaini, Marketing Manager, HalalTrip
  • Siti Khatijah Aziz (Kat Aziz), Creative Director, Women of Haya
15:00 PM - 16:00 PM

The Modern Muslim Millennial

They're young, they're Muslim, they have a passport, a dream and high expectations. 

Are you ready to meet the demands of the first generation of Muslim traveller to demand more than halal labelling at the buffet?

SPEAKERS:

  • Nazirah Ashari, Strategy Director, TBWA Kuala Lumpur
  • Steve Walls, Disruption Guy, TBWA Worldwide
16:00 PM - 17:00 PM

Panel: Digital marketing: Reaching the modern Muslim traveller

With an estimated market value of USD300B by 2026, the Muslim travel market is a segment that brands cannot afford to ignore.

Fuelled by a young generation of smart, tech-savvy and curious adventurers, this market is highly accessible via digital marketing.

How can travel businesses reach this burgeoning and highly lucrative Muslim demographic? What are the leading brands in our industry doing to catch the Halal wave?

HOST: 

  • Winnie Tan, CEO & Founder, TripZilla

PANELLISTS:

  • Irwan Ismail, Marketing Manager, Malindo Air
  • Harasha Bafana, Director, Adam & Hawa Network
  • Jamie Chua, Group Marketing Communications Director, Bay Hotels & Resorts
  • Sadat Osman, Senior Editor, HalaZilla

For MICE Show Asia's Agenda, please click here.


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