The nation’s most influential travel industry leaders are converging at the Travel Commerce Conference & Expo 2004 (TravelCom), the travel industry’s defining event for marketing and distribution strategies, to offer their viewpoints on issues shaping the future of the travel industry, as well as to generate lively discussions among conference participants. TravelCom will be held April 19-21 in New York City.
“TravelCom 2004 is the only travel conference created for the industry, by the industry,” said Henry Harteveldt, co-chairperson of TravelCom 2004 and vice president, Travel Research, Forrester Research. “TravelCom helps to set the industry’s agenda for the year, because it focuses on the two critical factors that drive travel commerce: marketing and distribution. Travel executives won’t win by focusing on the Internet alone, and they’ll certainly fail by zeroing in on only one aspect of their business. TravelCom gives its delegates the 360-degree perspective they need to win.”

The conference will address challenges facing all segments of the travel industry, making this a can’t-miss event for anyone whose business involves travel. Influential industry executives and representatives will engage in interactive discussions tackling the issues that travel providers encounter daily. Topics include:

—Value vs. Price: What Do These Mean in a Wal-Mart World?—The rise of value-priced brands in the travel industry has had an enormous impact. Low-cost and premium supplier executives will discuss which strategies are appropriate when faced with price-based competition.

—Winning the Battle of the Multi-Channel Shopper—The impact of multi-channel shopping is felt throughout the industry and affects everything from pricing strategies to customer service. Executives will discuss what strategies must be developed and applied to win the battle.

—The Next Round of Upheaval in Corporate Travel—Will Web agencies have the same disruptive impact in business travel as they had in leisure? Top executives from the world’s three largest online and two largest “traditional” business travel providers will discuss how each side is evolving and positioning themselves for success in 2004 and 2005.

—The Overwhelmed Consumer: Surround-Sound Branding and the Abundance of Choice—Consumers are exposed to more than 5,000 advertising or other commercial messages a day. Industry experts will speak about the right way to “break through the clutter” and gain travelers’ attention.

With more than 70 industry leaders speaking, TravelCom 2004 stands out as the most comprehensive source of information regarding all segments of offline and online travel. The conference brings industry competitors together and creates a forum for them to speak openly on challenges that face the travel industry today and tomorrow.

Following is a sneak peek of some of the speakers’ viewpoints that will be highlighted during sessions:

—On the topic of “Value vs. Price,” Ron Cole, Vice President, Sales, America West Airlines, comments: “The price of travel has never been a bigger component or consideration in determining value. Gone are the days of corporate travelers and travel managers paying $2000 for a walk up transcontinental round trip. This change in thinking has helped to set the stage for an interesting battle between legacy and low fare, low cost carriers.”

—Discussing the topic of “Winning the Battle of the Multi-Channel Shopper,” Tim Claydon, senior vice president, sales, marketing & IT, JetBlue Airways, remarks: “The popularity of multi-channel shopping is an issue that has revolutionized the travel industry. Travel providers have to be willing to rethink the status quo of how they have run their businesses and adapt to new consumer demands or risk being left behind.”

Complete speaker roster, event information and registration forms can be found at www.travelcomexpo.com
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