Guess who’s speaking at the World Travel Mart 2013! It is a leading global event for the travel industry, but more than the travel experts, there is buzz about speakers from social media giants Facebook and Google. In particular, I am looking forward to hear what Lee McCabe, Facebook head of travel, has to say at the WTM Travel Tech Show, about the rapid growth of travel technology in the hospitality industry. McCabe is said to have recently revealed that 70 percent of Facebook users update their status and post pictures while on a holiday. How does this impact travel companies, and more importantly, the small and mid-sized hotels looking to capture extra market share through focused advertising platforms?
I am also keen to listen to Sarah McDonald, Google industry head for tour operators, as she takes the center stage, and learn more about Google’s recent plans to integrate search with meta-search and introduce ultra-fast travel products. Now, how is that going to impact an industry still in the throes of early technology adoption? That is an interesting proposition. More importantly, will it contribute towards our continued efforts to position Hotelogix as the de facto face for the fast-changing future of hotel technology?
Finally, bloggers are the ultimate icing on the social media cake at WTM 2013. The Travel Tech Show will see some top bloggers dish out how blogging impacts bookings; how one can discover their digital storytelling self; and, whether it is possible to effectively measure travel blogger ROI.
Indeed, with financial downturn looking seemingly slow, new demand for travel technology is soon going to spike up. Hotelogix has performed well during the recession, and is keen to exhibit the new and more robust Hotelogix platform and build on the current customer base.
We are looking forward to showcase to our existing and prospective customers, partners, and peers how Hotelogix takes cloud-based hotel management to a whole new level of ease, security, and reliability.