With the dawn of a new year, we ask a few of our industry leaders for what they felt was most over-hyped in the year that was, their prediction for 2016 and for good measure, we asked them their one wish for WIT.
Timothy Hughes, Vice President Marketing, Agoda
1. Most over-hyped trend of 2015
Upper Funnel Content
2. Biggest trend to watch in 2016
Chat apps
3. The one thing most companies will get wrong in 2016
Staff retention and happiness
4. The one big opportunity for 2016
Chinese demand
5. One thing you’d like to see WIT do in 2016
Crack 500 attendees
Frederick Demopoulos, CEO, Queen’s Road Capital, Hong Kong
1. Most over-hyped trend of 2015
Big data
2. Biggest trend to watch in 2016
Local tours & activities
3. The one thing most companies will get wrong in 2016
Mobile
4. The one big opportunity for 2016
India
5. One thing you’d like to see WIT do in 2016
out-of-the-box thinking
Kei Shibata, CEO, Venture Republic, Japan
1. Most over-hyped trend of 2015
Some crazy startup valuations/fundings
2. Biggest trend to watch in 2016
Private accommodation – We may start seeing a real penetration in many markets.
3. The one thing most companies will get wrong in 2016
Many may realise that app is not all there is to their mobile strategy and mobile browser is underestimated.
4. The one big opportunity for 2016
Targeting travellers in destination (with optimised content on mobile.)
5. One thing you’d like to see WIT do in 2016
More in-depth geographical coverage – Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Myanmar.
Louise Daley, Executive Vice President & CFO, Asia Pacific, Accor Hotels
1. Most over-hyped trend of 2015
Apple Watch
2. Biggest trend to watch in 2016
Social as a Sales channel
3. The one thing most companies will get wrong in 2016
Continue to email clients
4. The one big opportunity for 2016
Clubs/memberships
5. One thing you’d like to see WIT do in 2016
Condense to one day
Timothy O’Neil Dunne, Managing Parther, T2Impact
1. Most over-hyped trend of 2015
Mobile – Mobile is more expensive to deliver. It is less rewarding. It is tough to work with. A lot of people are stretching the truth with regard to mobile. Doesn’t mean its not important – of course it is. But don’t expect the behavior of Mobile to mirror Web
2. Biggest trend to watch in 2016
Payments will finally get a bit better.
3. The one thing most companies will get wrong in 2016
Unicorns
4. The one big opportunity for 2016
Fixing airline distribution
5. One thing you’d like to see WIT do in 2016
Succession
