WIT 2009: TOUGH LOVE

Tough times. Tough love. A new reality. A time where everything must be challenged. No more, this is how it used to be. More of, this is how it is and will be. A time for opportunities, smart ideas and real solutions.

Come share the love.



DAY ONE, OCT 20, 2009
Ballroom 2, Level 2, Suntec Convention Centre
7.30-8.30 Registration
8.30-8.45 Opening
8.45-9.30 Coffee with KP Ho, Executive Chairman, Banyan Tree Holdings

WIT 2009 starts with a 15/20-minute perk-me-up interview with one of Asia's most charismatic and respected business leaders, whose influence extends well beyond travel and tourism. In this one-on-one with Yeoh Siew Hoon, KP Ho will share lessons learnt from a tough year in which brands like his have not been spared, his opinions of a changing Asia and a changed world and his views of the future.

This will be followed by a panel featuring Audience With The CEOs, Part 1
  • Ho Kwon Ping, Executive Chairman, Banyan Tree Holdings
  • Michael Issenberg, Chairman & COO, Accor Asia Pacific
  • Hans Lerch, Vice Chairman, Hotelplan, Switzerland
  • Wu Hai, CEO, Orange Hotel Group, China

Who’s thrived? Who has not? And what will come out of the wash as the global financial crisis takes its toll on the Asia Pacific tourism landscape? What are the things we can no longer take for granted? And what are some of the things that must change? A no-holds-barred discussion with CEOs from some of travel’s most influential travel companies that will set the stage for discussion for WIT 2009.
9.30-10.15 Web Triple X – the big picture, from three perspectives. Sponsored by Singapore Tourism Board

A Web Without Walls – Ram Badrinathan, General Manager-Asia Pacific, PhoCusWright Inc

One of Asia Pacific's leading watchers of the online landscape shares his vision of the future – a scenario in which the status quo is challenged, in which the power of the brand is diminished and in which collaboration takes on a whole new meaning. A presentation that will inspire, challenge and make you think about your business model and how it fits into this new future. (Listen to Ram's podcast) His presentation will then set the stage for for a panel discussion featuring:


Mark Inkster, Managing Director, Microsoft Online Services Group, Southeast Asia
He speaks French, German and Mandarin. He's worked in Hewlett Packard, eBay and Yahoo! He's also an entrepreneur, starting a Chinese travel social networking site, xiqilai.com, in 2006. And now he's running Microsoft Online business in Southeast Asia, Mark Inkster shares his view of the online landscape in Asia, the key trends that are unfolding, his experience of China and lessons learnt, his perspective of social media and a whole lot more.

Timothy O'Neil Dunne, Managing Partner, T2 Impact
He analyses, tracks and executes and he also finds time to blog. If there is someone who is up on the latest trends in travel distribution and technology, it's Timothy O'Neil Dunne who's cast his eagle eye over this space for the last 30 years. Timothy's also one of the founder nodes of TNooz, the new global media brand that focuses on technology, digital distribution, media and marketing, web strategy, start-ups and financing in the travel sector. Never shy of stirring controversial thought, he will dissect the online travel landscape and shares his ideas on what works, what doesn't and what could work in future.
10.15-10.45 Transit Cafe Break, brought to you by Singapore Tourism Board
10.45-11.40 Stormy Skies, Part 1

Amid the stormy skies, how are airlines managing their business? Profits have plunged, revenues are dropping, customers have become increasingly fickle and price-driven, new channels have emerged. What's an airline to do? This session will feature a one-on-one interview, followed by a panel discussion, moderated by Gordon Locke, Vice President, Airline Marketing & Strategy, Sabre Airline Solutions & Sabre Travel Network.

Coffee with Dr Amin Khan, Senior General Manager, Network & Revenue Management, Malaysia Airlines

Panel:
  • Chong Phit Lian, CEO, Jetstar Asia
  • Darren Wright, General Manager, Australia, AirAsia X (Hear Darren's Podcast)
  • Gerry Oh, Regional Vice President, South-east Asia & Australasia, Jet Airways (India)
  • Peter Wiesner, Senior Vice President-Marketing, Bangkok Airways
  • Anya Zhao, Marketing Director, Ecommerce, Air China
• Catch Stormy Skies, Part 2 at WIT Ideas Lab
11.40-12.30 The Online Chat Room, Part 1 A series of one-on-one interviews and ending in a cross-chat and who knows, everyone asking questions of one another. After all, that’s what happens in a chat room.
  • Robbie Cooke, CEO, The Wotif Group
  • Richard Noon, CEO, Webjet
  • Adrian Currie, Chairman, Agoda
Moderators: Brett Henry, Vice President Marketing, Abacus International & Yeoh Siew Hoon
12.30-13.30 Transit Cafe Lunch Break
13.30-13.50
 Coffee with Don & Scott
Bring your coffee in for this session and listen to two industry veterans share some hometruths about the industry. Don Birch comes with knowledge of the airline and GDS business, from his career with Cathay Pacific and Abacus, and he's also dabbled in the online travel space with a start-up of his own. Scott Blume ran ZUJI for several years and before that, was himself a travel entrepreneur. You could say no one knows Asia better than these two men combined, so come prepared to listen and ask questions in this open-format session. (Listen to Don's podcast)
13.50-14.40 The WIT Start-Up Pitch

The WIT Start-Up Pitch returns for the second time. Three finalists will pitch their ideas in five minutes each to the audience and our panel of investor judges in this session.

* The winner of this Start-Up Pitch will be given assistance by Stream Global to position themselves to receive a Singapore government grant worth S$50,000 in the Interactive Digital Media space.

Judges:

  • William Liu, Chairman, Stream Global
  • Lim Kim Hai, Executive Chairman, Regional Express Airlines
  • Dennis Melka, East Pacific Capital
  • Michael Yap, Deputy CEO, Media Development Authority
14.40-15.25
 Land of the Tough Yen

Moderator: Aya Aso, CEO, Agora Hospitalities, Japan

A look into the land that is possibly the most progressive in terms of online and mobile adoption yet the most difficult of markets to understand and penetrate. Some of Japan’s biggest online players will share their stories and insights into the Japanese online travel market during one of the most challenging times facing Japanese tourism.

  • Masashi Okatake, President, Rakuten Travel, Inc
  • Suguru Tomizuka, Company President, RECRUIT Co. Ltd., Travel Information Company
15.25-16.10




 Taming The Social Media Beast: Is It All About Twitter, and What About Search?

Consumer habits are changing. They are talking and sharing, and they are searching. This is changing the way people shop and buy travel. This session brings it all together – from social media to search.

First, a presentation by someone who does nothing but listen to the conversations out there, and tracks them.

Morris Sim, CEO, Circos.com, will look at the phenomenon social media has become, what are some of the ideas out there and offer his reasons as to why social media works better than search in marketing and brand-building.

It will be followed immediately by a panel discussion looking at search and social media and examining the role each piece plays in the online jigsaw puzzle.
  • Fritz Demopoulos, CEO, Qunar
  • Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Travel, Automotive, Vertical Retail Sales, Google Southeast Asia
  • Robbie Hills, CEO, GroupM Search Asia Pacific
  • Vikas Gulati, Vice President Asia Pacific, Sprice
  • Morris Sim, CEO, Circos.com

Moderator: Yeoh Siew Hoon
16.10-16.40
 Transit Cafe Break
16.40-17.20 Tough Love Hotel
  • Patrick Andres, Managing Director, SynXis Asia Pacific
  • Romain Roulleau, Senior VP Ecommerce, Accor Worldwide
  • Roland Jegge, Vice President-Asia, WORLDHOTELS
  • Grant Colquhoun, Director of Hotels, Travelocity Asia/Pacific
  • Frank Trampert, Executive Vice President-Revenue Generation, Asia Pacific, Carlson Hotels Worldwide
Moderator: Erik Munoz, Vice President-Sales, Asia Pacific & Middle East, Hospitality, Softbrands & Yeoh Siew Hoon
What's happening to the hospitality distribution mix as hoteliers grapple with rising supply and plummeting demand? Do the rules of the game change? Is rate parity insanity? Are partnerships challenged? Is there an optimal channel mix? This panel will debate the questions in a format designed to bring out the passion and fire in participants.
17.20-18.00




 Tough Love: Audience with the CEOs, Part 2
Intermediaries are always the first to feel the heat in a downturn as suppliers step up their efforts to cut distribution costs. How are the travel technology enablers and providers changing their game to increase their value in the food chain?
  • Simon Nowroz, Managing Director Asia, Travelport GDS
  • Robert Bailey, President & CEO, Abacus International
  • Ric Leutwyler, President, Utell & Chief Marketing Officer, Pegasus Solutions
  • Richard Wiegmann, Managing Director, Trust International
  • Gordon Locke, Vice President, Airline Marketing & Strategy, Sabre Airline Solutions & Sabre Travel Network
Co-moderators: Yeoh Siew Hoon & Martin Symes, CEO, Wego

18.00-18.45 The Online Chat Room, Part 2
  • Roshan Mendis, President, ZUJI/Regional Vice President, Travelocity Asia Pacific
  • Jens Uwe Parkitny, Managing Director-Expedia Affiliate Network
  • Dhruv Shringi, CEO, Yatra Online, India

The second in a series of one-on-one interviews and ending in a cross-chat and who knows, everyone asking questions of one another. After all, that’s what happens in a chat room.

Moderators: Yeoh Siew Hoon & Ram Badrinathan
18.45
 Day One ends; time for the annual WORLDHOTELS party at Home Club, Riverwalk

Note: Programme correct at time of publication and is subject to change.