Just about a week ago, the first WIT Indonesia in Pullman Hotel, Central Park, Jakarta was held and as one of the ‘observers’ – and I’m pretty sure half of delegates who came were first-timers – I found it was an eye-opening experience in terms of not only what I learnt about online travel but also in how an event can be put together.
I had only been to one other WIT event, which was in Singapore last October. And while I wouldn’t say I am a very experienced observer, in my humble opinion, I feel that unlike other conferences I’ve attended, WIT always makes and leaves an impression – a witty one.
Many other conferences, especially when done in a hotel ballroom or convention center, almost always have the same atmosphere: too formal, cold, boring, even though the topic is not, and most of the sessions are delivered the same old way with presentation slides that have too much text and are too small for people to read.
WIT however, from beginning to end, has the ‘wit’ factor. So what’s that? I think other than the meticulously selected collection of speakers and topics to ensure you learn stuff, it’s the other aspects that make WIT unique.
• WIT is about discovering the trend.
You have the prominent names in the industry on stage. They deliver their expertise in a concise manner – tons of data, sneak peeks into what their companies are doing, hints on what is happening, and what is hot on the online travel industry scene.
• It is also about the delivery.
Sessions are kept short. Presentations are no more than 15 minutes to give them focus. It’s all straight to the point, no unnecessary stuff. Panels are no more than 45 minutes, with four or five speakers discussing a topic. 
(Below, the hospitality panel, moderated by Jack Tan (left), with Satria Pinandita, Sabre Hospitality Solutions (centre) and Agnes Tan of Accor Asia.
• It is about the melting pot.
WIT attracts many elements from the industry – not only hoteliers, airlines, or OTAs but you also find media, venture capitalists, bankers, government officials. You should sit with people you don’t know and discuss sessions – it helps you gain new perspectives.
Apart from the sessions, it’s the other touches that add a fun element to WIT.
• The ‘bang’ opening
Be it a band or dance performance, they always have something to set you in the mood. The opening acts as an appetizer to give you a hint on what the whole day will taste like. The Saman dance performance which opened WIT Indonesia for example – it brought out the whole “Hot.Hebat.Heboh” feeling, don’t you think?
• The songs
We know most of the time, session transitions during conference tend to be clumsy or awkward. Remember those lousy old instrumental songs anyone hardly ever knows the title of? This is not the case at WIT! They always have a pumped-up song for you to enjoy (or at least to hum to), much like an MTV-style music award (minus the confetti, that is).
• The social cues
As the host and moderator, Siew Hoon always knows how to bring out the best in each session. Questions from the floor sent to @WebinTravel or her cellphone number is one of her ways to engage with participants. Whenever there’s a chance, a live-tweet screen will be shown, so the audience’s thoughts are captured for all to see.
• The after party.
Cocktails and chit-chat, what else could you ask? This is the time when delegates should mingle and expand their network. The variety of participants is satisfaction-guarantee. Where else could you meet the established industry leaders and the newbies with the same level of interest in the future of the online travel industry?
So, any of you WIT first-timer, what do you guys think?
