Some of the brightest brains in PR and cleverest marketeers in the business will share their expertise on Day 3 of WTM London and Travel Forward to help delegates make sense of the way ahead as the world starts to open up again.
PRs and marketeers won’t want to miss Revive and Thrive: Tourism PR in a Post-Pandemic World on the morning of Wednesday 3 November.
The session will discuss how the global pandemic influenced the travel industry and how it is planning to come back stronger than ever, with input from some of the world’s premier tourism boards and PR agencies.
Delegates will hear how PR agencies and tourism departments have tailored their campaigns to stay relevant during a time of unprecedented upheaval; how November’s COP26 UN Climate Change Conference will resonate across the travel industry and what this means for the futures of tourism boards and PR agencies.
It will be moderated by networker, strategist, and creative thinker Frank Marr, Chairman of PRCA Travel and Tourism Group and Director, AM+A Marketing and Media Relations, the company behind numerous world-class, award-winning campaigns.
Frank Marr, AM+A Marketing and Media Relations, said:
“It’s clearly been a challenging time for tourism. However, as tourism leaders and communicators we’re all in a position to be able to look at what is going on around us and create positive change with our actions. For example, the climate crisis, we can all help push for a greener future. When the tourism sector recovers, the industry will have a duty to look at how it will act responsibly. If we can make green tourism an essential element of our work, then we can be part of the solution.
“That is why we’re bringing together leading PR agencies and tourist organisations to discuss future tactics and ideas on how the industry can work together to improve.”
The event will be in two parts, with part one consisting of a panel of PR leaders and part two with a panel discussion from tourism boards from across the globe.
Joining the conversation will be PR experts including Caroline Moultrie, Managing Director of MMGY Hills Balfour; Jules Ugo, CEO of Lotus PR group; Sarah Long, Senior Partner at FINN Partners and Sofia Panayiotaki, CEO of PRM Global Ltd.
Also on the panel will be Alka Winter, Vice President, Destination Marketing & Communications at Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority and Tracy Halliwell, Director of Tourism and Convention Bureau at London & Partners; Tine Murn, CEO and Founder of Mindbrand UK, which provides representation and consultancy to various foreign government departments, tourist boards, airlines, and private sector industries; Kimarli Fernando, Chairperson of Sri Lanka Tourism; and Molly Castano, Public Relations Manager, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Revive and Thrive: Tourism PR in a Post-Pandemic World takes place on Wednesday 3 November from 10:30 to 12:30, in the Press Conference Room – International Media Centre (Stand ME170).
The session will conclude with a networking opportunity.
Marketing
In the afternoon, leading marketeers will come together to uncover how they’re reacting to the current challenges, and what they’ve done over the last year to overcome them.
Delegates will hear from the experts how they’ve shifted their focus and reallocated their own time and resources to adapt to the ‘new normal’, and the surprising trends they’ve observed from the businesses they’ve been navigating through the storm.
The debate will kick off with The Future of Travel Marketing: Through the lens of where we are and where we need to go, hearing from Marcus Murphy, Co-founder and CEO at The Five Percent and one of the top marketers in the world, who will share an overview of the current state of marketing, what is changing, and what has evolved during an unprecedented year of change.
Marcus, who has put the marketing session together, will share a ground-breaking method that’s replacing traditional marketing funnels around the world. Not only will delegates be informed but will also walk away with a holistic marketing plan that will be a roadmap for business success in 2022 and beyond.
Session 2 is entitled: Marketing Trends You Can’t Afford To Ignore: What’s working, what’s not, and tactics to supercharge your marketing.
All will be revealed by speaker Oliver Billson, Founder of Oliver Billson Marketing. In session 3, a panel of industry experts will outline What’s working, what’s not, and predictions.
Looking into their crystal balls will be: Martin Johnson, Co-founder and Director, Latin Routes and Polar Routes; Jamie Lee-Abtar, Founder of 2219 Media and Florian Valmy-Devillers, Business Development Manager at McKenzie Gayle Limited/Caribbean Tourism Organisation UK & Europe.
In Session 4: Keys To Building A Trusted Brand In A Post-pandemic World, another expert, Re Perez, CEO and Founder of Branding for the People will share his knowledge, as someone who is the ‘unseen hand behind some of the biggest brands on the planet’.
That will be followed by a closing keynote speech by Marcus Murphy, Co-founder and CEO, The Five Percent.
The marketing sessions take place on the Travel Forward Stage on Wednesday 3 November from 14:00-15:00.
WTM London Exhibition Director Simon Press said:
“Great PR and marketing have long been essential for destinations and companies in the travel and tourism sector to stand out in the
crowd. Now, more than ever, PRs and marketeers will be instrumental in navigating businesses out of the COVID pandemic and these not-to-be-missed sessions will be vital for anyone who wants to ensure their restart plans are implemented to the max.”
