The Advantage Travel Partnership has announced two further keynote speakers for its forthcoming conference in Benidorm, as well as the themes for the conference workshops.
Mark Palmer, travel editor of The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, and professor Trevor Williams, former chief economist at Lloyds Bank, will headline the conference’s main opening plenary.
The conference will be at the luxury Melia Villaitana in Benidorm (May 20-23).
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Palmer, a Fleet Street veteran, has nearly 40 years of national newspaper experience. He has worked in New York, and in the UK at the Evening Standard, Sunday Telegraph, Daily Express and the Daily Mail.
As well as travel, he oversees the property, interiors, motoring and gardening pages.
Professor Williams is an economist who previously served as chief economist at Lloyds Bank for more than a decade.
He worked for the civil service before being an economist in the City for more than 30 years. Now he rotates as the chair of the Institute of Economic Affairs’ Shadow Monetary Policy Committee.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, Advantage chief executive, said: “We are absolutely delighted that both Mark and Trevor have accepted our invitation to speak at this year’s conference.
“Mark has a great grasp on what UK consumers are looking for from their travel experiences and will talk about the increasingly important role that he sees travel agents playing.
“He will also give his views on why he feels that travel is so important in today’s world and the associated benefits.
“Trevor will explore the current trends, particularly in the leisure and business travel sectors, and what they mean to individuals and organisations, as well as demystify the complex world of economics making it easy to understand.
“He will also share his thoughts on the effects of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic and the recovery of the economy in the aftermath.”
The conference will feature seven workshops with topics that were chosen by the Advantage member steering group. They include:
• The Travel Industry Talent Contest: A look at how members can bring Modern Apprentices into their business to fill resource gaps and enhance their team plus explore how training programmes can develop and motivate existing staff.
• You’re Hired! Facilitated by a recruitment expert, members will learn the tricks of the trade, and look at ways to motivate their staff, ensuring they want to stay and grow.
• Closing the Net on Fraudsters: Members will explore different types of fraud affecting the industry and look at the prevention tools and tactics they can use to lessen the risk.
• Marketing Hacks to Boost Your Business: A deep dive into the marketing tools and support available to members and look at some quick wins to boost new enquiries.
• A ‘Leisurely’ Approach to Maximising Income: This will highlight ways members can generate more income from their existing leisure sales.
• How Can TMCs Seize the Day in This Post-pandemic Era? Delegates will hear from travel buyers and bookers with travel programmes of different sizes.
• Looking for a MICE New Revenue Stream? Members look at how, without having a dedicated MICE team, they can still create client stickiness and support requests that meet the requirements of a hybrid working environment.