“I don’t feel guilty eating Kettle Chips” and “Loyalty is a busted flush” were just two of the quotes from speakers at the Annual Tourism Society conference in Nottingham on Friday 16th June 2006.Ten specialist speakers covered seminars and workshops ranging from the Henley Centre Headlight Vision outlining major shifts in consumer trends, the Chief Operating Officer from Travelodge on the drivers and strategy that has made it the leading no-frills brand, to the creation of new destination branding looking particularly at Experience Nottinghamshire.

Developments in digital and on-line marketing, including viral marketing, state-of-the-art reviews of segmentation and customer relations management were also covered.

Victor Middleton, OBE, FTS a former Chairman of the Tourism Society and internationally known tourism-marketing author noted: “The consensus is that a marketing revolution is happening now.

It is a sea change that reflects shifts in customer affluence, knowledge and expectations and the digital and Internet developments that have empowered customers in ways previously impossible.

We are witnessing a shift of power in marketing exchanges away from producers toward consumers. It changes for ever the traditional producer approach to marketing and provides massive opportunities to businesses and destinations that understand what is happening and adapt their business operations to compete.”
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