Choosing a reservation system is not easy. As business models converge and technology develops how you choose a tech partner requires careful research and planning. Just Google “Reservations Systems” - there are a bewildering number of suppliers and what

Published: 26 Apr 2006

Choosing a reservation system is not easy. As business models converge and technology develops how you choose a tech partner requires careful research and planning. Just Google “Reservations Systems” - there are a bewildering number of suppliers and what

To find out more go to www.eyefortravel.com/tds2006/visitor/seminar_reservationtech.shtml

It also seems that every system offers a particular area of expertise. Some boast about handling mare varied content, others emphasize that their system allows you to apply revenue management practices, others talk about sourcing more inventory, or tracking your marketing spend or allowing you to better control all your sales channels or… I could go on, but in the end the difficulty facing you is how are you going to decide on a system that could be with you for the foreseeable future at a time when so much in travel distribution is changing.

Well here at EyeforTravel we may have a way to help. All tour operators and agents are welcome to attend (for free) our 1 day “Reservation System Technology for the Travel Industry Conference”. It takes place this June 6th at the Travel Distribution Summit at the Business Design Centre in London. We have a wide range of system suppliers talking about why they think their system is the best as well as tour operators and independent consultants who are there to help you judge.

The full agenda is at the bottom of this page so to see who is speaking and what’s being debated scroll down.

But it’s not just this free information packed conference that should get you sign up. In total we are running 40+ seminars and conferences over the 5-6 of June. Most are free and all our focused on key issues within Travel Distribution and range from to sell effectively on eBay to how to manage your PPC and SEO operations to how to identify new potential distribution partners.

But the seminars are only a small part of this event. We have 80 exhibitors all showcasing their web marketing, pricing or connectivity products and all offering you the vital chance to lower your distribution and marketing costs whilst increasing the effectiveness of your sales and building a more profitable business.

However the main reason you need to register for the Travel Distribution Summit are the thousands of top travel executives who will be attending. These are all senior execs who control the distribution of billions of pounds worth of travel product. Once you have the right technology and strategy in place you need the third vital element of successful travel distribution… you need partners. If you are a hotel, airline or other travel supplier you need to find intermediaries who can help you reach you target market more effectively. If you are a travel agent or tour operator you need to source better inventory. This is what this event is all about. Travel executives meeting, learning, networking and forming distribution deals. To help you ensure this event is profitable when you register will have 5 free days of access to the online networking system. This is a valuable opportunity to arrange meetings and ensure you have profitable 2 days. (Attendees to our paid for executive conference have 20 days pre event access and 30 days post event access.)

To register for the free expo and the conference below, or one of the other 40 or so seminars go to www.eyefortravel.com/tds2006/visitor/seminar_booking.asp

Reservation System Technology for the Travel Industry Conference

Part of the Travel Distribution Summit, Business Design Centre, London, June 6 2006

Which tour operator reservation system provider should you work with to ensure top inventory, top sales content and all at the lowest price?

Agenda – Each session will consist with a brief 15 minute presentation Q+A. Tour operator speakers are generally there to ask the hard questions and to pin down the suppliers.

9:10 Sell through multiple sales channels

As the travel industry gets better connected so the ability for you to sell your product through even more channels grows. Discover how your reservation system can support your sales and reservation process though your website, through an agent (over the phone or face to face), 3rd party white label sites, meta-search engines and other online distributors.

Ed Spiers, Director, Anite

Anuj Gupta, CEO, Final Quadrant Solutions

1O:00 Next generation connectivity

what would be the ideal booking platform in 2008 and how can you access even more sources of inventory – Advances in connectivity have enabled tour operators to gain access to even more inventory. Systems are now looking to scan low cost airline sites to give your consultants the knowledge to help them sell more destination packages. Plus with GDS deregulation how long will it be before the GDS’s (and their newly arrived alternatives) offer tour operators affordable access to scheduled flights both to buy and when times are hard to sell? But what are the legal implications of selling a non bonded flight and who should you partner with to ensure you can access the inventory you need at an affordable price.

David Friderici, eCommerce Director, Hitchhiker

Mark Bradbury, Director Of Business Development, RWA

Mark Thompson, Channels Director, First Choice

11:15 Coffee

12:00 The Tour Operator Dilemma: Merging old-fashioned service with modern technology

There are approx. 200,000 agents and operators in Europe. The fall-off rate in the UK alone is alarming, with a decline of 18% in the number of travel businesses since 1989.

Tour operators who have grown successful businesses based on good old-fashioned customer service are faced with the challenges of online competition. Has the instant gratification from the big online retailers become synonymous with customer service of our modern standards? Does the cost of competing in this market prohibit the chance of survival? Is there a business model to retain and increase your customer base by upholding your standard of service?

Sean McCann: Golf Tour Operator, Director and Founder of GlobeTrack Tour Operator Software.

Lunch

2:00 Target your marketing and maximize the effectiveness of any marketing spend

Advertising is not cheap. You need to know what works and what doesn’t. You could save thousands if you could track bookings, brochure requests or even simple enquiries back to the original source. Attend to discover which Reservations systems with computer - telephone integrated technology allows you to track print, search and direct mail marketing activity.

Helen Bonner, MD, Web Applications UK Ltd

2:30 Maximise your revenues by applying proven profit making revenue management techniques

Systems suppliers say that if you build into your reservation system real time channel management, dynamic pricing and dynamic product sourcing it will ensure you have effective profit optimisation. The system will enable you to decide which distribution channels are most profitable – at which price and through which source. But is it that simple? How should you manage your external supplier links? Can you really manage price and inventory by channel? What are the benefits and risks?

Steve Marchant, MD, Netpricing

3:00 Find the best reservation system for you

In our “Great Reservation System Debate” – 6 leading systems suppliers have 10 minutes to say why their system is best and just as importantly where they are investing their R&D money to ensure it always will be. Following this system snap shot you are invited to challenge their assumptions though our Q+A session. Attending this session is the most cost and time effective way to find out which technology works best with your reservation business process.

Thomas Birkel, Director Sales, Hitchhiker

Steve Marchant, MD, Netpricing

Ed Spiers, Director Anite

Mark Bradbury, Bussiness Development, RWA

Ed Whiting Product Director, Comtec

Helen Bonner, Web Applications

Roberto Dea Ray, President, Dolphin Dynamics

This event is free to attend if you are a travel agent, tour operator or travel supplier.

Reserve Your Place go to www.eyefortravel.com/tds2006/visitor/seminar_reservationtech.shtml

To reserve your place click here

Interested in Speaking?

To speak contact Tim Gunstone - email tim@eyefortravel.com or call + 44 (0) 207 3757557