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| Thursday, 16 April 2009 00:00 | |
WIT*E, Inspiration and Mentoring, 30 April 2009WIT*e is a new initiative from WIT-Web In Travel. WIT*e is a series of three micro events that will lead up to the main conference held 20-23 October 2009. The first WIT* event kicks off on 30 April 2009 at 6pm. To date, some 80 people have pre-registered for the event. WIT*e is about inspiration and mentoring. The programme, from 6-9.30pm, will feature one hour of inspiration, couple of hours of mentoring and networking in a unique bazaar-like atmosphere and lots of food & drinks to keep the inspiration flowing. Nigel Roberts, President, Marina Bay Sands will be interviewed, one on one, by the Web In Travel producer and well known journalist, Yeoh Siew Hoon. After that, Ms Yeoh will moderate a panel discussion featuring a hand-picked list of mentors – Robin Yap, Regional Director-Asia, Insight Vacations; Jeannette Ho, Vice President-Marketing & Sales, Raffles Hotels & Resorts; and Shashank Nigam, Founder & CEO, Simpliflying. Yap is an industry veteran in the tour operating business and knows the travel agency business back to front as well as sideways. Jeannette Ho is not only a familiar face in hospitality circles but a well-respected one and she will have lots of stories to share, we are sure, in her climb up the ladder to the top echelons of one of Asia’s leading hotel brands. Shashank is a relative newcomer to the industry but his story is one worth sharing – how a hobby became a business became a passion for the Singapore Management University graduate. Plus there will be a special kick-off by Bruce Hancock, Director of Operations/Development, Asian Oasis, Thailand. Bruce is marathon man, coach, trainer, adventurer rolled in one and he will be helping us unleash energy for the night. After all, we all know, without energy, there can be no inspiration or mentoring. Sponsors and Partners The event is sponsored by Sabre Airline Solutions, Accor Asia Pacific, Travelport, Geek Terminal, TMS Asia Pacific, Jetstar Asia and partnered by HSMAI Asia Pacific. Others who wish to sponsor a mentoring table may do so for $1,000. Who should attend? Marketing, Sales and Technology folk from the travel, hospitality and technology industries. We particularly encourage students and young industry colleagues to attend for the mentoring sessions. Event Details: 6-9.30pm: April 30 Cinnamon Room, Level 5, Novotel Clarke Quay Entrance fee: S$20 (includes drinks, food and inspiration) Facebook event address: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=77871054918 Please contact Vera Lye This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; tel: +6597467377 for more information. To register, please email Illka Gobius at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; tel: +65 9105 8268. - ENDS - Media Contact: Illka Gobius This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it tel +65 9105 8268 ABOUT WEB IN TRAVEL Fly to Web In Travel 2009 and save $100’s! Low airfares and hotel rates are compelling reasons to attend WIT-Web In Travel and ITB Asia With airfares at an all time low, it is the perfect time to make the decision to attend WIT-Web In Travel (WIT), Asia’s leading travel distribution, marketing and technology conference, which will be held on the 20-21st of October. Happening alongside WIT is ITB Asia, Oct 21-23, and with our one ticket buys all policy, you can attend both the conference and trade show. Singapore Airlines has very low international fares from most destinations. Los Angeles return to Singapore is USD1000; from London £532; from Japan, ¥42,000 and from Australia a low A$493 from Perth. Martin Kelly of Bluewater Press in Sydney, who runs TravelTECH and No Vacancy events in Australia, has just purchased his airline tickets to fly to WIT, which occurs on the 20-21st of October this year. “I booked on Qantas and paid just A$750 for a return fare, including all charges and saved $450 off normal prices.” “Hotel rates in Singapore have also come down from the highs of last year and delegates will enjoy very attractive rates this year,” said WIT Producer, Yeoh Siew Hoon. In 2009, the theme of WIT is “Tough Love”. WIT 2009 will feature a programme packed with relevant content to inspire you with ideas to compete and survive during challenging times. up to 60 speakers will come together to share, discuss and debate ideas, trends, best practices of marketing travel in an online environment, set in a creative programme format designed to challenge and inspire. Speakers confirmed for the event include Michael Peschardt of Peschardt’s People on BBC World and Gordon Locke, Vice President, Airline Marketing & Strategy for Sabre Airline Solutions/Sabre Travel Network who returns for the second year running. For a full list of speakers, please refer to the end of this article. WIT delegates booking by August 31 pay the early bird rate of US$688 and will get access to the full range of events taking place at ITB Asia. To learn more about WIT, visit www.webintravel.com. Confirmed Speakers for WIT 2009: • Michael Peschardt, Peschardt’s People, BBC World • Gordon Locke, Vice President, Airline Marketing & Strategy, Sabre Airline Solutions/Sabre Travel Network • Robbie Cooke, CEO, Wotif Group • Lim Kim Hai, Executive Chairman, Regional Express Airlines, Australia • Dennis Melka, CEO, Tune Hotels • William Liu, Chairman, Stream Global • Azran Osman Rani, CEO, AirAsia X • Richard Noon, CEO, Webjet • John Fearon, Head of Marketing, Asia Rooms • Adrian Currie, CEO, Agoda • Jens Uwe Parkitny, Managing Director, Expedia Affiliate Network • Timothy Hughes, HotelClub.com • Ram Badrinathan, General Manager-Asia Pacific, PhoCusWright Inc • Chong Phit Lian, CEO, Jetstar Asia • Apo Demirtas, Chief Marketing Officer, Jumeirah Group • Brad Holman, Managing Director-Asia Pacific, Travelport GDS • Patrick Andres, Managing Director, SynXis Asia Pacific • Nigel Roberts, President, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore • Romain Rolleau, Head of E-Commerce, Accor Worldwide • Maria Taylor, Vice President-Distribution, Accor Asia Pacific • Ric Leutwyler, Chief Marketing Officer, Pegasus Solutions & CEO, Utell • Robert Bailey, President & CEO, Abacus International • Brett Henry, Vice President, Agency Marketing, Abacus International • Martin Symes, CEO, Wego • Don Birch, CEO, China Opportunity • Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, Managing Partner, T2 Impact • Joel Brandon-Bravo, General Manager, Frommer’s Unlimited • Chananya Phataraprasit, CEO, Asian Oasis/Circle of Asia • Aya Aso, CEO, Agora Hospitality, Japan • Morris Sim, CEO, Brand Karma • Sam Flemming, CIC, China • Shashank Nigam, CEO/Co-founder, Simpliflying - ENDS - Media Contact: Illka Gobius pr@illkagobius.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it tel +65 9105 8268 ABOUT WEB IN TRAVEL WIT-Web In Travel is Asia’s leading travel distribution, marketing and technology conference. 2009 is the fifth year the conference will be run. It was started by journalist Yeoh Siew Hoon. It won the Most Innovative Marketing Initiative in the Singapore Business Events Awards 2008 organised by the Singapore Tourism Board. WIT is different to traditional conferences in terms of content, delivery and attitude. The content is deep, rich and meaningful. The delivery is varied, diverse and impactful. The conference has an attitude that challenges speakers to be at their best – no sales speeches and platitudes, but provoking and thinking – and delegates to question, discuss, debate and challenge. With each WIT, the conversation gets better and the discussion more interactive. In 2007, WIT introduced questions by SMS and allowed audience voting by SMS as well for best debators, best speakers and best pitches. In 2009, we take our presence further. We are using Web 2.0 technology to reach out to an ever widening network of colleagues with similar passion, engaging them through Facebook, Twitter, blogs, newsletters and micro events, WIT*e – Inspiration & Mentoring networking forums, leading up to the main conference to be held on the 20 -23 October, 2009 at Suntec City in Singapore. WIT-Web In Travel 2007 won the “Most Innovative Marketing Initiative” at the Singapore Business Events Awards awarded in August 2008. For more information, please visit http://www.webintravel.com. |
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