PhoCusWright@ITB 2009

This year's PhoCusWright@ITB program and speakers explain travel technology in business terms for business people. Sales, marketing and business development professionals in the travel, tourism and hospitality industry learn how to leverage advancements in technology for revenue gains, margin improvements and operational efficiencies. The conference theme, "Expanding E-Travel Across Europe," makes travel technology relevant for everybody! Attendance affords a rare opportunity to gain insight into simplifying the complex world of travel technology and exploiting industry dynamics for competitive advantage. PhoCusWright@ITB allows attendees to take refuge from the hectic, sometimes over-stimulating ITB experience and accomplish even more while in Berlin.

11-12 March 2009 once again proved a winning combination of PhoCusWright's Bloggers Summit and PhoCusWright@ITB with a full room at both and much activity.

There was so much Twitter activity going on during the Bloggers Summit workshops that the tag #itb09 (which was used by everyone following the proceedings) hit as high as number 5 on the top twitter posts—ahead of Michael Jackson and the iPhone.
Throughout the two days, the bloggers in attendance were busy clicking away on their keyboards posting to Twitter and their blogs.
Attendees may access the PhoCusWright@ITB speaker presentations here. Please refer to the playbill for the password.
Read Philip Wolf, President and CEO, PhoCusWright Inc.'s Welcome speech
(12 March 2009).

EXPANDING E-TRAVEL ACROSS EUROPE
The last several years witnessed fundamental shifts from the supply and demand sides of the many markets comprising Europe’s travel industry. New technologies, new travelers and new challenges combine to create unprecedented new opportunities.

Today, more than a quarter (28%) of European travel is booked online, and posed to surpass one-third by 2010, according to research figures from PhoCusWright’s European Online Travel Overview Fourth Edition. European online total gross bookings are projected to grow by more than 15% over the next two years, surpassing €90 billion in 2010. And, 70% of travelers say they are interested in buying travel online in the next 12 months, according to PhoCusWright’s European Consumer Travel Trends Survey.

Technology’s ongoing impact on travel distribution – planning, sharing, purchasing, memorializing – is so significant that the entire program is dedicated to the potential of confluent forces: technology and business. This year’s conference theme, “Expanding E-Travel Across Europe,” focuses on how business objectives are achieved (directly or indirectly) through good technology execution. Getting technology right is mission critical to travel, tourism and hospitality success.

PhoCusWright@ITB is part of the ITB Convention. The ITB Convention is comprised of several segments featuring high-ranking speakers and panel guests from business and politics. More information about the ITB Convention is available. In 2008, ITB Berlin attracted 177,891 visitors and 11,147 exhibitors.