Analysts estimate that over 1/3 of all e-commerce transactions are now attributable to travel.
Despite the noticeable downturn in the American e-commerce market, in just one month, March 2001, it was estimated that a massive $1.03 billion was spent on online travel - a growth of almost 60% on the March 2000 figure.
With this in mind, over 400 travel industry leaders will gather at EyeforTravel USA East 2001 in New Orleans to hear from senior executives from companies such as Southwest Airlines, Travelocity, Expedia, United Airlines, US Airways, Radisson Hotels and Resorts, Bass Hotels and Resorts, JetBlue Airways, Best Western International, Hotwire, Priceline, Alaska Airlines, American Express and Cendant. The event is taking place from September 10-12 at the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans and will be EyeforTravel’s 6th US show since February 1999.
Conference proceedings begin on September 10, with keynote addresses from Eric Speck, Group President, Travel Distribution, Sabre; Jean Paul Nichols, CMO Hotels Division, Cendant; Michael Kistner, CIO, Best Western International and David Neeleman, CEO, JetBlue Airways. After lunch, the conference splits into three vertical tracks where a combination of hard-hitting case studies and interactive debates will tackle the key issues affecting e-travel sales and new distribution in the industry.
Day 2 opens with four more keynote presentations from Karl Peterson, Co-Founder and CEO, Hotwire; Chris McAndrews, SVP, Travelocity and Kevin Krone, VP Interactive Marketing, Southwest Airlines. These case studies will then be followed by a debate on how the sales and distribution of air tickets online is changing, and the future implications for different sectors of the industry. In the afternoon, the conference splits again into the three tracks focusing on web marketing and CRM, developments in technology and new business strategies.
“This is an incredibly exciting time for the industry. Online travel has bucked the general trend in e-commerce transactions and is in an enviable position to exploit future markets”, said event director Simon Carkeek.
Running alongside the conference on both days, there will also be a free dedicated exhibition, allowing delegates to meet with travel technology specialists and consultants to wise up on the latest developments, do business and form new partnerships.
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