Travel Technology Initiative’s Spring conference is tackling the subject of Web 2.0, which has been seen by some as a significant threat to the industry.  At the ABTA Convention last November, Dragon’s Den star Doug Richard warned travel companies that one of the biggest threats to their business could come from Web 2.0 travel community, WAYN.

Director and co-founder of WAYN, Jerome Touze, will be speaking at the conference and will explain how his and other community sites are not a threat but actually offer the industry a fantastic opportunity.  With investors such as Brent Hoberman and David Soskin (Cheapflights) investing in WAYN, it is destined to become a significant industry player.  Other speakers confirmed for the event are:

- Tim Wright, Managing Director, HyperTech Solutions UK. 

- Geoff Cantello, Sales Director, TeaLeaf Technology

- Jan Oetjen, Media Consultant and former Managing Director, Travelocity Germany

- Madeleine Wood, Business Development Manager, Spannerworks, who will discuss how search will evolve in a Web 2.0 world

- Simon McDermott, Chief Executive, Attentio SA, a new company set-up to monitor its clients’ presence on Web 2.0 sites

- Frosti Sigurjonsson, Chief Executive Officer of flights booking site, dohop

- Rohit Talwar, Chief Executive Officer, FastFuture, a consultant specialising in predicting future trends

- Michael Rhodes, Web Development Manager, Leger Holidays, who has been instrumental in transforming this coach tour operator into a successful online business.

The conference, which is scheduled for Tuesday 24 April in London, is being sponsored by HyperTech Solutions and TeaLeaf Technology.

Tony Allen, Chairman of TTI, stated, “Web 2.0 is set to have a major impact on the travel industry, second only to the advent of the Internet itself.  We have developed this conference to give those who attend a really good feel for how they can continue to prosper in a Web 2.0 world”

The event is free to TTI members, just £125 for members of trade organisations such as ABTA and AITO and £295 for others.  Full details can be downloaded from www.tti.org/conference where delegates can also register.
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