2020 Program

After successfully sparking discussions and actions around Women's Leadership in the travel technology space, Phocuswright broadens the focus at Phocuswright Europe Online 2020 to discuss Diversity in Leadership. In addition to exploring the gender gap, we will evolve our conversations to explore topics around diversity, anti-bias and allyship, recruitment and more.

Expedia Group believes allyship is a catalyst for change, whether it is engaging in the conversation, developing your own mindset or the mindset of others, and ultimately being part of a culture where everyone is welcome and feels they can succeed. Expedia Group defines "ally" as any person who wants to take action for the equality of a marginalized group that they're not a part of, and they credit the video “5 Tips for Being an Ally” featuring @chescaleigh for this definition. And while "ally" is traditionally used as a noun, we now need to think about it as a verb. Allyship isn’t an identity, but an action. By being an ally, and specifically by understanding your own privilege and actively taking action to support others, you can create more inclusive workspaces and communities. In other words, being an ally is something you do ... and not something you are. And the best part? Allyship is something that everyone can practice. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.

Get ready for fresh ideas! Phocuswright's Innovation Platform features some of travel's newest innovations.

Reinventing air distribution: empowering stakeholders to reduce costs and regain governance.

Increase profitability 35%+: Fully automated algorithms use big data and machine learning techniques to efficiently and effectively price-predict and analyze bookings to achieve the lowest costs and highest profits.

Convert more users into buyers by removing the hassle from group booking with Gamitee's collaborative browsing plug-in.

OCUS offers brands a complete photography solution anytime, anywhere in the world to drive engagement and boost revenue - all while scaling your business.

Prontopia supports city resilience with a platform that makes travel stress free, and helps seniors live safely at home.

Iomob is building the Internet of Mobility (IoM): Enabling users of any IOM-connected app to discover, route, book and pay for any IOM-connected mobility device (public, private, shared, autonomous).

Learn how hotel chains and distribution partners have digitized their meetings and events sales with MeetingPackage software.

Millions of halal-conscious families search hotels by halal food, no alcohol, and pool, beach or spa for ladies' or family use.

You saw the pitches and heard the Dragons’ immediate reactions. Now these keen observers give their take on the biggest trends, promising players and what’s next for online travel innovation and investment.

Hear from travel tech startup Pluto on how it’s meeting the current moment through new product offerings and its pledge for antiracism, diversity and inclusion.

Find out the winners of Summit and Launch!

Dig deeper into the technologies presented during Summit and Launch and have an "in person" chat with the innovators. Each company will have a virtual meeting room that attendees can join during this segment.

Participate in intimate, off-record roundtable discussions based on your business interests, moderated by industry experts and Phocuswright analysts.

Air travel has been shaken to its core, and new safety measures and guidelines have sparked only a partial recovery. What else must be done to overcome passenger (and corporations‘) health concerns throughout the journey? Top experts discuss airline recovery, shifting trends, new standards, technical innovations and effective ways to reinstall confidence in flying.

Destinations are vying for travelers’ trust with hygiene certifications and safety protocols. What’s working – and where – to attract the first wave of travelers to destinations outside their backyards? One of the industry's wisest data suppliers identifies pockets of growth and travel's future trajectory.

Take a break from Center Stage and network with your fellow attendees, Phocuswright analysts and speakers.

In 2020, companies have been forced to adapt at record speed, and those that are best equipped to transform their operations have been companies with digital agility at the core. In this laid-back and open conversation, we'll hear from the CEO Germany & Eastern Europe at Majorel, one of the leading disruptive BPOs, about resilience and innovation's interconnectivity. Join this breakout session to learn how top organizations have been preparing themselves for whatever the next decade throws at us, without compromising world-class CX.

As the travel industry looks toward recovery, the best way to navigate the path forward is by working closely and collaboratively across the entire industry and understanding the attitudes and motivations of those who will be looking to travel again soon. Through Expedia Group’s proprietary first-party data and custom research, Expedia Group Media Solutions explores European and international traveler intent and sentiment for planned and future leisure travel, revealing opportunities for advertisers to connect with travelers as they dream, consider, and book their next trip. Walk away with insight into changing traveler needs and considerations, along with the messages, campaign creative and policies that will best engage travelers and help Europe capture demand when the time is right.

Take a break from Center Stage and network with your fellow attendees, Phocuswright analysts and speakers.

The managing partner of Festive Road, a leading voice on gender in the workplace, speaks about social norms, lessons learned and the quest for equality.

Travelers are aching to get away – but with stipulations. Who will they trust most when it comes to lodging? Will they seek a secluded cabin in the countryside or a known and trusted hotel brand? Most likely party size, location and other factors will dictate the accommodations – find out how in this debate-style session.

From day tours to lengthy adventures, tour providers have offered generations of travelers with unique and structured experiences. Will tour operators be left behind or find a new purpose? And will the world of connected local tours and activities revive completely?

Grab a cocktail and take a break from business (or not) with your newfound friends from across the industry.

The story of Covid-19 has been one of many parts in Asia. And WiT has been at the forefront of following that story since the start of the outbreak, as it moved from Wuhan, China to Singapore and then everywhere. In this curated session, we plot the pandemic’s impact in the region, the recovery, the changes it has wrought in consumer behavior and the entire e-commerce landscape in the region and why the next era of travel in Asia will look very different.

Where are the pockets of recovery? Clearly, it is first in the markets with domestic travel possibilities. What are the trends being seen and where are the pockets of opportunities being seen for travel brands, suppliers and startups across markets in Asia?

There’s no doubt that consumer behavior has seen major shifts in the time of coronavirus. Being confined to home brings out changes - when people are forced to do something, they do it - and years of thinking of doing it were compressed into months of actually doing it. In this session, we put the spotlight on what changes in consumer behavior Covid-19 has brought to a region that was already dynamic and changing. Which behaviors will stick and which will not? Will super apps rise up even more powerful or will travel platforms be able to adapt quickly to thrive better?

Are leisure travelers ready to travel again? What barriers need to be overcome to restore their confidence in traveling? What behavioral changes can the industry expect to see post-COVID and will they be persistent? Phocuswright’s primary research in five major European markets explores travelers’ sentiment, motivations and attitudes in a changing landscape, and offers pointers on what travel providers can do to encourage them to venture out.

The pause in travel has set the stage for innovation, but not all ideas will come to light. As new solutions are created and old business models wash away, is the landscape forever changed? Some of Europe's smartest investors share their views on the state of startups, the climate for raising capital, and how to pick the winners in travel's next era.

In what promises to be a fascinating discussion, this panel of travel payment experts will share their unique perspectives on how payments are key to success in the post-COVID era. Discussion points include: the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the travel industry and how payments plays a critical role in its resurgence, how streamlining payments efficiencies enables travel companies to save money and focus on their core business and rebuild their reputations, how new payment channels can improve cashflow and reduce losses, how efficient payment channels ensure more conversions, how leveraging payments data analytics fuels conversion and reduces fraud.

Take a break from Center Stage and network with your fellow attendees, Phocuswright analysts and speakers.

The air is cleaner and the birds are singing. Some are calling for a permanent change in behavior as we witness an improved environment with fewer people traveling. Has the coronavirus pause signaled a new direction for travel and sustainability? As the industry restarts, how can we find a balance?

Is the travel industry prepared to transport the next decade of global travelers? Travelers are now looking for unique solutions that respond to their budgets and health concerns, but are also sustainable and off the beaten path. What does this mean for the connected trip and the future of mobility? Find out how travel companies are responding to these new demands during the crisis and beyond.

Grab a cocktail and take a break from business (or not) with your newfound friends from across the industry.