This is the very best seminar at WTM 2013: "Desktop is dead, long live mobile!"
Today I’m speaking at World Travel Market 2013, the world’s largest and very best travel exhibition hosted at ExCel London. This will be the third WTM I’ve attended, if memory serves. Last year was a blur of meetings, videos, interviews and ridiculously late nights. I should definitely have booked a hotel.
This year is a little more civilised!
I’m hosting the “Desktop is dead, long live mobile!” seminar. It’s taking place in the South Gallery Rooms (15 and 16) from 3.30pm-4.30pm. The seminar with feature a presentation from Andrew Cocker, Chief Marketing Officer of industry success story Skyscanner, followed by a panel discussion featuring mobile luminaries Ben Smith (Wireless Worker) and Rafe Blandford (All About Media Group).
Yes. I’ve managed to rope them in! I’ve managed to get them in one place. Goodness knows how I’ve done it! Andrew is usually on a plane flying over China or America, somewhere. Blandford is rarely in the country at the moment being flown around by countless leading mobile device manufacturers wanting his opinions and I am routinely getting emails from Ben when he’s on a military base consulting for some very serious people somewhere in the North American tundra.
I’ve seen the first draft of Andrew’s Skyscanner presentation and it’s a corker. It will explain the mobile trend that is sadly not resonating with many in the travel world quite yet. There’s going to be a bloodbath at some point given the amount of business that depends on middlemen who (for better, or worse) will be erased by new technology. Witness, for example, buying a ticket for a theme park, or booking a taxi to the airport — most of this business goes through third-fourth-or-fifth parties before it gets to the consumer at the moment. That’s all set to change when you download the theme park app and buy directly.
After Andrew’s presentation, I’m going to ask him to join Ben and Rafe for a panel discussion on the mobile travel industry. I’m particularly excited to be able to expose the travel world to the minds of Ben and Rafe. Having them spar together with Andrew is going to be a sight to behold. But it’s not just about the panel, I’m hopeful that the audience will deliver countless challenging questions and comments.
If you’d like to come along and watch, you can. You’ll need to be super quick though.
Time: 15:30-16:30
Location: ExCel London, South Gallery Rooms 15 & 16
Website: http://www.wtmlondon.com
Registration link: here (free)
Now, registration is free of charge — provided you register *online*. If you turn up at ExCel in the Docklands, they’ll charge you £55 +VAT for entry. Theoretically you could potentially register online as you’re standing outside… with your mobile or tablet… but don’t quote me.
It would be excellent to see you there.
You can follow World Travel Market at wtm_london.
Andrew is on @mrcocker, Ben is @bensmithuk and Blandford is @rafeblandford. I’m @ew4n.
