Eyefortravel - Travel Distribution Middle East (2008)

The Middle East’s only event for distribution, marketing and technology executives!

Travel Distribution Middle East 2008 17th - 18th June 2008, Jumeriah Beach Hotel, Dubai

Reach more customers and Maximise your sales with an effective distribution STRATEGY • REACH NEW CUSTOMERS - by building your online presence and understanding your regional consumer behaviour

Hear from these top travel companies

• INCREASE YOUR SALES open up new markets and identify profitable new opportunities • STRENGTHEN YOUR BRAND observe how the key players have grown so rapidly and how you can replicate their success • EXPAND YOUR INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE - by forming the right global distribution partnerships • MAXIMISE YOUR PROFITS by selling the right product at the right price in your cheapest distribution channels • EXPLOIT YOUR E-COMMERCE POTENTIAL by understanding how to develop a comprehensive online marketing and distribution strategy

SEE INSIDE for full event details

To register call +44 (0) 207 375 7597

The event that shows you how to triumph online in the Middle East Can you afford to miss out on the world’s fastest growing travel market? Take part in this agenda-setting event to discover how to cash in on the Middle East’s travel boom – and fully exploit the profit potential. The Middle Eastern travel industry is set to see over $3.2 trillion worth of investment within the next ten years. Already the UAE has become the world’s premier luxury destination. And now other Middle Eastern destinations are queuing to follow in its lucrative footsteps. However, whilst the opportunities are huge, the challenges and obstacles should not be underestimated. In order to succeed, you need to first master the skill of effectively targeting your potential customers – both globally and regionally – and fully understand what they want from you. But that’s not all. You must also make the correct business decisions and identify the long-term partnerships that will ensure your business thrives in this highly competitive and culturally diverse region. The good news for you and your company, is that there is no longer any need to master the learning curve through trial and error. Instead, high quality help is at hand.

We invite you to join the 200+ top travel professionals who will be attending the inaugural Travel Distribution Middle East event. Quite simply, this is the meeting place for everyone who is determined to profit from the region’s tourism explosion. Organised by EyeforTravel, the industry’s most renowned international information portal, this event gives you the vital knowledge and market intelligence you need to enhance and update your business strategies for 2008 – and beyond:

Exploiting Inbound Demand: How new distribution channels can help you reach out to a global customer base. Poor and underdeveloped technology in some parts of the Middle East continues to be a massive issue. That’s why we’ll place strong emphasis on steps you can take to access and develop already successful markets, reach out

internationally ,and provide information to new – and distant –markets. This is your chance to examine companies that have already expanded internationally and successfully use online distribution to create a wealth of revenue across the markets that only a few years ago would have been almost impossible to target. You’ll learn what works well – and what should be avoided at all costs.

Exploiting Outbound & Domestic Demand: Understand how to target and sell more to the growing Middle East travel market. Understand how the purchasing travel consumer is changing, and how to adapt to these developments. Our expert speakers will also make sure you’re fully up-to-speed with the importance of language based interfaces. You’ll discover why it’s so vital to develop Arabic interfaces – and the pivotal role they can play in your future regional travel distribution campaigns. And again, you will be able to meet and hear from the companies that are already blazing a trail in this area, and learn what they plan to do next.

An Agenda that is guaranteed to be relevant to your current professional concerns, with important topics and issues covered in details. Anyone can organise a conference on travel distribution. And many do. But unlike others, we understand your needs – and have the skill and experience to produce an event that is refreshingly different. If you’ve attended our events before (we run successful conferences all around the world), you know how carefully our agendas are researched. We spend months talking to people in the travel industry, to ensure that the businesscritical issues that are uppermost in your mind right now are examined in-depth, with cutting-edge, incisive analysis.

The only Middle Eastern Conference to deliver real world experiences and solutions that you can apply to your own business: Cut your distribution costs and increase revenues as soon as you’re back in the office!

When you come to examine the Conference Agenda, you’ll see our events do away with classroom theory, and concentrate instead on giving you valuable insights into practical, proven travel distribution solutions, plus the expert advice you need to succeed – and rise above the competition. And because of our track record as the world’s No. 1 provider of travel distribution events, we are able to attract a calibre of speakers that others can only dream of. Everything you learn will come directly from industry leaders and major figures, assuring you of a treasure trove of solid fact and expert insights that is simply not available from any other source.

The knowledge, tools and cuttingedge market intelligence that will drive your business forward and teach you how to cash in on the coming wave of opportunity. At the end of two fascinating – and inspiring – days, you’ll leave Travel Distribution Middle East with: • A roadmap for action: A clear idea of steps you must start taking right away to ensure your business is destined to prosper in this dynamic and lucrative region • Practical, in-depth knowledge: A full understanding of how to design and implement effective distribution and marketing strategies that SELL • Competitive analysis: Benchmarks that show you what leading travel players – online and offline – are achieving in the Middle East, and what you need to do to get amongst the leaders • High quality contacts: This is a fantastic networking event, and you are guaranteed to meet future partners who will help take your business to the next level

We look forward to seeing you in Dubai, 17th – 18th June 2008. Put the dates in your diary today! Reserve your place now to ensure you are in the conference hall, and not left on the waiting list.

Book Early and Save US$400

Secure your place NOW and save as much as US$400 DAY 1 - June 17th 2008 Registration

The changing face of travel distribution in the Middle East - Position your company for maximum growth When examining the Middle Eastern Market, certain areas are obviously booming. However there are still many, perhaps more subtle untapped opportunities existing within the region. Find out how to identify and profitably exploit them. • With a $3.63 trillion leisure investment how can the growth of the Middle Eastern travel industry be expected to develop over the next 10 years? • Evaluate the booming success of the corporate market, how can this success be applied to the leisure market and see distribution improved? • New hotel companies are increasing revenues by up to 25% yearly. Identify potential growth opportunities within the Middle Eastern online travel market and look at how maintaining supply and demand is achievable in the near future • With Dubai flourishing and Abu Dhabi looking to double its visitor numbers from 1.3m to 3m in 9 years, in coming years • Will technological advancements change the buying method of Middle Eastern consumers and how will this affect the future travel trade? Bob Gilbert, President and CEO, HSMAI Richard Lewis, President, Jebel Ali International Hotels Clement Wong, Travel and Toursim Manager EMEA, Euromonitor Coffee Break

Evaluating and examining Middle Eastern online consumer behaviour As with all regions, varying levels of technology and consumer comfort effect the online travel industry. To what extent is this the case across the M.E?

Direct vs Indirect Distribution and Sales Cutting distribution costs whilst expanding your reach, is a hugely important factor to the growth and strength of your company. Find out how to create a cost effective multi channel strategy • With the shift to online distribution and direct sales, what effect will this have on the power of the GDS and what impact will this have on operating costs? • Examine how easy is it for suppliers to sell directly to the consumer and increase profits from doing so • Identify and eliminate unproductive online distribution costs • A shift to direct online bookings is inevitable, but when will this happen and how can you ensure your product is positioned to benefit from this change in consumer behaviour? • How will current travel relationships between suppliers, GDSs and wholesalers change, with the introduction and shift to greater online business? Who will benefit the most? • Understand how to build trust in a market where most consumers want a ticket in their hands by encouraging the market to spend online Sathis Aravinda, e-Distribution Manager, Rotana Hotels Suites and Resorts Nanda Kumar Pillai, Distribution Manager, Eithad Airways Camille Olivere, Vice President for Global E-commerce Channel Distribution but still part of, Travelport Coffee Break

Identify and overcome the challenges of E-commerce So you have identified the challenges of E-commerce! Now hear the techniques that you can implement to overcome them and grow your brand • Evaluate the importance of an Arabic booking interface, and its role in growing online booking numbers • Find out how to deal with a multilingual market. Does translation software increase efficiency as well as lower costs?

• Explore exactly how many Middle Eastern consumers are buying online. With an estimated 2% of travel bookings coming from the internet, what obstacles are preventing people from booking online and how can these be overcome?

• Examine the available online payment partners and how the current technology can benefit you

• As companies like Gulf Air start to move towards 100% online sales, understand how the consumer can be captured and conditioned to book online

• Discover the online security measures that are in place to ease the mind of the consumer

• Examine the current wealth and income trends. How are they likely to evolve? • How important is online trust and loyalty to the Middle Eastern consumer? Walter La Faro, Director of Market Management, Expedia Duncan Bramwell, VP of Sales, Distribution and E-commerce, Revenue-Performance Lunch

• How developed is the current financial infrastructure in the Middle East for dealing with e-commerce transactions?

• Explore portals and interfaces, and how the importance of familiarisation encourages and establishes online use • Understand web search technology and how it will affect and increase direct sales if used correctly • Look at how inventory technology can change the productivity of your company as well as increase distribution Haroon Abdullah, Managing Director, Travelmart Andrew Pozniak, Director E-commerce, Google Networking party

Call TODAY on +44 (0) 207 375 7597

Contact us for details on Group Bookings DAY 2 - June 18th 2008 Offline Vs Online Marketing and Sales With the majority of sales coming from offline channels, moving into the online space successfully is not easy. Some companies will flourish while others will fail – hear how you can become one of the winners. • Examine the importance of a clear brand strategy to increase consumer awareness • Identify the most efficient marketing channels, increase loyalty and build product awareness. • Drive the consumer online, will offline sales become a thing of the past? • Discover the marketing tactics that are working and learn how your business can profit from them • Ensure your offline strategies are complementing your online marketing campaigns • What simple steps are guaranteed to tempt your existing customers to book online?

Hotel distribution - reach your customers and maximise profits The hotel sector is growing so rapidly within Dubai alone that it will only be a matter of time before other Middle Eastern regions will be able to harness the same opportunities • With 30,000 hotel rooms expected in Dubai alone, will future supply exceed current demand? How do businesses plan on reaching consumers as well as maximising profits? • Hear the importance of balancing GDS, online and 3rd party sales channels to maximise profitability • In a global market place dominated by brands such as Hilton and Mariott, how do you position your hotel to increase direct sales and maximise revenue? • How can small and medium size hotels create and maintain a strong web presence with such fierce competition from the larger chains?

• Which marketing channels are the most cost effective yet still offer the greatest coverage?

• With rapid growth in Middle Eastern hotels, what distribution channels will be essential for the continued success of this sector?

• Discover how to market and display your travel experience within the e-travel space

• How can hotels manage price across all channels and how can they be overcome?

Michael Marshal, Corporate Vice President, Rotana Hotels and Resorts

Ananya Narayan, Senior Vice President Global Strategy, Preferred Hotel Group

Kristie Goshow, Group Director E-business, Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts

Romain Saada, Director of Revenue Management, Shangri La Hotels and Resorts

Coffee Break

Airline distribution - maximise distribution through all channels Middle Eastern airlines are part of what is seen as a boom within its own sector. Is this growth sustainable and how is Airline E-commerce driving online consumer behaviour. • Discover the distribution tactics that will boost In and Outbound passenger numbers

End of conference

Ample Networking Opportunities End your information-packed first day at our NETWORKING PARTY. All attendees, speakers and exhibitors are invited to attend. It is the ideal place to catch up with old friends, make valuable new contacts and chat with experts.

• Major businesses like Emirates are rapidly growing, and have boomed over the last15 years- Investigate what drives their development • With the Middle East spending more on new planes, for example Emirates alone purchasing 55 A380’s, will the industry create enough business over the next few years to warrant a gross outlay of such substantial amounts? • Are low cost airlines reshaping the market and what effect do they have on the larger companies? What opportunities have risen from this? • How can airlines encourage their customers to go direct to their websites yet still ensure a profitable working partnership with intermediaries?

In addition, our ONLINE CONTACT CENTRE will allow you to organise meetings in advance and touch base with those crucial contacts and will remain open for two weeks following the event enabling you to make the most of your limited time.

Dr Israel Borovich, Chairman of the board, EL AL Airlines Peter Pohlschmidt, Manager of E-commerce, Qatar Airways AK Nizar, Head of Commercial, Air Arabia Lunch

Or register ONLINE: www.eyefortravel.com/tdme

Fax this page back NOW to +44 (0) 207 375 7576 Early t Discoun d ir B

SAVE $400

Travel Distribution Middle East 2008

d before if booke pril h 11t A

17th - 18th June 2008, Jumeriah Beach Hotel, Dubai

5 Easy Ways To Register FOR THE CONFERENCE Phone: Call Paul Lane on +44 (0) 207 375 7597 Fax:

This form to +44 (0) 207 375 7576

EMAIL:

[email protected]

*

WEB:

www.eyefortravel.com/tdme

Mail:

EyeforTravel Conference Booking, Customer Services, 7-9 Fashion Street, London, E1 6PX, UK

1. Select your ticket options Please tick the package price box you require below:

Super Early Bird (Register by 11th April)

3. PAYMENT Early Bird Rate (Register by 16th May)

Full Price

If you wish to be invoiced please leave this section blank and submit your request. Card Type:

GOLD Includes: • Full conference pass • CD-rom of conference presentations and audio

US $1200

US $1400

US $1600

Amex

Visa

Mastercard

Name on card: Card Number:

SILVER

US $900

Includes: • Full conference pass

US $1100

US $1300

Expiry Date: Security Code:

SAVE $400

SAVE $200

2. ADD YOUR CONTACT DETAILS

(The card security code is a unique three or four-digit number printed on your debit/credit card. The number is not embossed on the card so that it cannot be printed on receipts - making it difficult for anyone other than the genuine cardholder to know it.)

Date and Venue 17-18 June 2008, Jumeriah Beach Hotel, Dubai

Mr / Mrs / Ms / Dr:

First Name:

Hotel Discounts We have arranged hotel discounts at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel (Prices start at 1000 AED for a single and 1100 AED for a double). Once you register we will send you full prices and information.

Last Name: Job Title: Company: Email:

Terms & Conditions

Telephone: Address: City: Country:

State / Province:

Postcode:

All conference places are fully transferable without any charge.Cancellations received before 5pm (GMT) time on 16th May 2008 will not incur a penalty (credit card registrations are subject to a 5% administration fee). If written confirmation of a cancellation is not received before 16th May 2008, we will be obliged to charge the full fee. Please note - you must inform the conference desk in writing of any cancellations on: [email protected] The organisers reserve the right to make changes to the program without notice.

Register now at www.eyefortravel.com/tdme

Register online now and save US$400! Early t Discoun d ir B

SAVE $400

Travel Distribution Middle East 2008

d before if booke pril h 11t A

17th - 18th June 2008, Jumeriah Beach Hotel, Dubai

5 reasons to attend

Hear from these top industry experts

1 2

Focusing on the issues that are important to YOU:

Bob Gilbert, President and CEO, HSMAI

We’ve spent the last few months speaking and listening to what it is that you want and need to hear to stay ahead of your competitors in the Middle Eastern travel market. As a result we know that our conference agenda is not just relevant and insightful but essential to your distribution, marketing and pricing needs.

Walter La Faro, Director of Market Management, Expedia Duncan Bramwell, VP of Sales, Distribution and E-commerce, Revenue-Performance Sathis Aravinda, e-Distribution Manager, Rotana Hotels Suites and Resorts

Networking: The Middle Eastern Travel Distribution Conference provides you with the perfect opportunity to network and meet with your industry peers who are facing the same complex challenges as you. It is the ideal place to establish, cement and renew partnerships that are essential to the success of your business. Furthermore, the exhibition allows you to meet with leading providers of cutting-edge travel products and solutions, saving you both time and money.

Nanda Kumar Pillai, Distribution Manager, Eithad Airways

High Quality Speakers:

Andrew Pozniak, Director E-commerce, Google

This event brings together over 25 experts in travel distribution from the most influential Middle Eastern and international travel companies. These dynamic speakers will share their wealth of experience, knowledge and expert predictions with you, to ensure that you profit from their vision and take away essential best practise.

Michael Marshal, Corporate Vice President, Rotana Hotels and Resorts

Interactive Discussions:

Peter Pohlschmidt, Manager of E-commerce, Qatar Airways

3 4 5

Have your say and get your essential questions answered with in-depth panel debates and interactive Q and A sessions. This is your chance to learn from and talk to the experts in the industry. Take away business-critical advice on how to push your company forward in 2008 and expert predictions on the future market place.

Group Discounts: Come along to the Conference with your team and make substantial savings on your ticket price. Not only will you receive an expert briefing, but your team will also be able to take away real-life approaches that stretch right across your business.

Camille Olivere, Vice President for Global E-commerce Channel Distribution but still part of, Travel port Haroon Abdullah, Managing Director, Travelmart

Kristie Goshow, Group Director E-business, Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts Dr Israel Borovich, Chairman, EL AL Airlines

Ananya Narayan, Senior Vice President Global Strategy, Preferred Hotel Group Romain Saada, Director of Revenue Management, Shangri La Hotels and Resorts Richard Lewis, President, Jebel Ali International Hotels Clement Wong, Travel and Tourism Manager EMEA, Euromonitor AK Nizar, Head of Commercial, Air Arabia

5 Easy Ways To Register FOR THE CONFERENCe Phone: Call Paul Lane on +44 (0) 207 375 7597 Fax:

This form to +44 (0) 207 375 7576

EMAIL:

[email protected]

*

WEB:

www.eyefortravel.com/tdme

Mail:

EyeforTravel Conference Booking, Customer Services, 7-9 Fashion Street, London, E1 6PX, UK

Book Early and Save US$400!