Northstar

TRAVEL WEEKLY ASIA I T B A S I A S H O W D A I L I E S www.travelweekly-asia.com 4 17 OC TOBER 2018 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1. The show reflects healthy numbers, with over 1,000 exhibitors and a 12% increase in buyers to maintain its 1:1 buyer- seller ratio. "In the last three years, ITB Asia has grown significantly and in order to keep up with the growth in exhibitors, we have also increased our buyers' numbers, ensuring that both quantity and quality are delivered to our customers," says Leung. Content and size grow hand in hand to create a compelling format that addresses industry concerns and aims to meet ROIs Pitched this year as '6 conferences. 1 platform', ITB Asia's conference programme has beefed up in a big way. Importantly, delegates are being engaged differently this year, with all these 'conference sessions' being spread out, more are also being held on the show floor, making it more time-efficient for attendees to go from session to buyer appointment. This breakaway from the traditional conference programme format enriches the show floor engagement. Leung says, "With these six key areas within the conference, our attendees are able to find topics and speakers that are interesting for them personally and professionally. Our conference focuses on different key segments such as MICE & Corporate, Muslim Travel, C-suites, Destinations and Travel & Tech. Topics such as artificial intelligence, blockchain and biometrics have been included this year to look at how they will affect and change the industry." Beyond just talking about technology as disruptors, ITB Asia's sessions look at how technology can be the antidote to industry woes. C-suite fireside discussions create the sparks to get started. "Today, we are seeing entirely new trips, from space tourism to expedition- style vessels to discover the Arctic. Virtual and augmented reality content can widen access to these exclusive and unique experiences, offering customers a test-drive, before they pay the hefty price for the trips. "And while automation has already happened in the back end of travel, from inventory to reservation and transactions, AI will not stop there. Consider the potential in travel for automated personalisation. We could have digital concierges like Siri and Alexa, but for travel, or even self-driving cars," shares Leung. Given this tech-driven backdrop in the travel industry, it is only right to conclude that the events bringing together these industry players will also evolve as well. Leung acknowledges this and shares that "as an organiser, we also forsee that we will be integrating new technology into our operations and integrating such technology to enhance customer experience." Love 'em or hate 'em – but they are here to stay. Pretty soon, novel high-tech ways of experiencing travel and events will be upon us, if not already there in other parts of the world. So let's get ready to enjoy the ride. "Today, we are seeing entirely new trips, from space tourism to expedition-style vessels to discover the Arctic." – KATRINA LEUNG, MANAGING DIRECTOR, MESSE BERLIN (SINGAPORE) WIT: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Spearheading the discussion on adapting to travel industry developments was Robert Rosenstein, co-founder and chairman, Agoda. Rosenstein shared how the accommodations booking 'monster' is constantly kept on its toes, especially as new and well-funded players enter the market. "The companies in our space, we're very experimental. We're trying to see how we can share customers," he said. One example of these experiments is Expedia's US$350 million investment in Traveloka in 2017, and both companies took the stage to share their experience. "Expedia is a well-oiled machine. For example, they not only know how to do customer service, but they do it in a cost-efficient way," says Henry Hendrawan, group CFO of Traveloka. On the other hand, Greg Schulze, senior vice president, commercial strategy & services, Expedia Group praised Traveloka's knowledge of the Southeast Asian market. TOP THREE WIT STARTUP PITCH FINALISTS NAMED WiT Startup Pitch 2018 has narrowed its search for the Startup of the Year. After the first round of virtual judging, top 12 semi-finalists were invited to make a live pitch at the WiT 2018 Bootcamp held at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Singapore. Moving on to the next round of competition are: BookMeBus: creating an ecosystem around transportation in South Asia CarePod: first-class safety and care for pet air travel Split: instalment payments for travel A winner will be announced October 17 at the Grand Finals for the WIT Startup People's Choice Award. WiT Startup Pitch 2018 is a collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1. Powered up to engage Indeed, Traveloka is even working on offering consumer loans to customers in Indonesia. Henry Hendrawan says, "We're looking at actual consumer needs; credit card penetration in Indonesia is very low. A lot of bookings are last-minute because people don't have access to credit. So we're trying to solve that." Companies that have the curiosity and courage to experiment – like the WiT Startup Pitch finalists – can look forward to plenty of challenges and rewards. Yeoh urges the industry to be proactive in being disruptive

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