Now that travel companies are realising they have to fall in love with technology to stay competitive, a trip to the 2007 Travel Technology Show looks like the ultimate Valentine gift for the travel professional in your life.
Taking place at Earl’s Court 2 in London on February 13-14, the event will showcase 120 providers of travel technology services and solutions to more than 3,000 visitors.
Alongside this, a comprehensive seminar programme offers ideas and opinions from a range of leading technology experts.
Those interested in attending can register free by going to traveltechnologyshow.com, where tickets for the seminars can also be purchased. To help you make the most of your time, Travel Weekly has picked out some of the highlights.
Get mobile
The ‘Get Mobile’ seminar will focus on the e-commerce and marketing potential of mobile devices. Speakers include Mobile Travel Technologies executive director Paschal Nee and B2B digital product manager for Lonely Planet Matt Gibb, who will give advice on how to use the technology to increase sales, generate revenue and build customer relationships.
Who should attend? Anyone interested in exploiting the potential of mobile phones.
Date and time: Tuesday February 13, 9:45-11:00 in seminar room one.
Travel 2.0
Web 2.0 is the term for a trend that sees the Internet used for social networking and content creation by users. Airfares distribution specialist TelMe, which has a stand at the event, says its new eWorldShopper solution is one of the first ‘Travel 2.0’ products to hit the market. This is because it allows travel professionals in a closed user group to share net fare deals. In the same way a video loaded on to YouTube.com in Lincolnshire can make headlines in Los Angeles, so a fare negotiated in Seoul can be viewed and sold in Southampton.
Who should attend? Anyone wanting to find the best air fare.
Date and time: Stand D42 throughout the event.
Technology dispatches from the aviation industry
As some of the world’s leading airports brace themselves for an increase in passenger traffic, the future of the aviation industry depends on technology. The panel for this seminar includes IBM’s self-service solutions manager John Howes and Delta.com general manager Thomas Brandt, who will report on new developments in check-in facilities and airport security technologies, and how these will affect travellers and travel companies alike.
Who should attend? Anyone who is interested in long-term planning for clients.
Date and time: Tuesday February 13, 12:45-14:00 in seminar room two.
Free technology advice
Visitors to TTS 2007 will be able to get free technology tips at the advice centre, located opposite seminar room two. It will be manned by consultants from one of the UK’s leading travel technology consultancies, Equinus. You can book an appointment by e-mailing technologyshow@equinus.com. Alternatively, just turn up on the day.
Who should attend? Anyone who has a technology issue they need solving.
Date and time: Any time over the two days.
Telephony convergence
The telecommunications industry is being revolutionised as cost-effective new products begin to alter the way we interact. This seminar will see Skype’s UK manager Alistair Shrimpton and Pro Eq’s managing director John Pickles describe the business potential of Voice-over-IP and demonstrate how it can bring large savings to travel companies.
Who should attend? Any travel company wanting to cut its phone bill.
Date and time: Wednesday February 14, 9:45-11:00 in seminar room one.
Web analytics
Drop in on Nedstat, a company that reports on Internet users’ behaviour, and provides information that can make online operations more effective and accountable. The company has more than 100 clients and will be using the show to present the results of the first Nedstat Travel Sector Statistics report, which assesses the performance of leading UK travel websites.
Who should attend? Anyone who wants to understand Internet users.
Date and time: Any time over the two days at stand A33.
Online mapping
Microsoft Virtual Earth technology specialist Johannes Kebeck and Multimap founder Sean Phelan will be among the speakers addressing the hot topic of online mapping technologies. Find out how easy it is to incorporate interactive maps into your website, how this technology is evolving, and how it is moving into the mobile space.
Who should attend? Those wanting to learn about one of the hottest technologies currently online.
Date and time: Wednesday February 14, 11:15-12:30 in seminar room one.
Booking technology
Visit the Powersoft stand to see demonstrations of its two flagship products, TSContent and TSTravel. TSContent is a CMS web product that allows travel companies to put customised booking engines and deal searches onto their website. TSTravel is a Windows-based travel booking system, which facilitates standard viewdata, and accommodation and car hire searches, together with searches for all low-cost, charter and scheduled flights, returning one set of results for comparison.
Who should attend? Agents that want to improve their website or see the latest in booking systems.
Date and time: Any time over the two days at stand C14.
Future travel technology trends
Thomson corporate responsibility manager Kimberley Kay and Worldspan European vice-president Graham Nichols will be looking at the future of the travel industry in a world being revolutionised by technology. They will also discuss what measures businesses will need to put in place to compete and try to offer realistic solutions to product distribution problems and the impact travel will have on the environment.
Who should attend? Agents who want to stay a step ahead.
Date and time: Wednesday February 14, 12:45-14:00 in seminar room one.