Four Days. Two Events. One Conference.

CENTER STAGE
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, November 13, 14 and 15, 2007

BRAVING THE LONG TAIL
Planning and purchasing behavior is undergoing significant change, evidenced by travelers who are now taking control and finding/creating the perfect trip, not just the cheapest trip. Customers communicating with customers has triggered an unprecedented social networking phenomenon and a resurgence in the Long Tail economy.

The Long Tail debunks the old 80/20 rule or Pareto principle. Defending an 80/20 strategy is getting risky; so is automatically dismissing the value of low volume products, under-the-radar channels, small customer groups and obscure key words. In the Long Tail, embracing niches wins because they cumulatively outnumber or outweigh higher frequency plays. Big companies are successfully harvesting lots of little things while "Davids" are beating "Goliaths" because the size of a reputation matters more than the size of a marketing budget. The alleged “leveling of the playing field” that was supposed to have occurred in the 1.0 world has finally come into its own. Little guys compete on the merits of the products and services, not the size of their marketing budgets. Big guys are all of a sudden at increased risk if they ignore too many little things.

Wired magazine editor-in-chief Chris Anderson, coiner of the term "the Long Tail," reset the stage when he said, "The Long Tail is about selling less of more."

The PhoCusWright Conference is dedicated to unlocking potential by recognizing the interplay of new forces in the marketplace such as the Long Tail. This conference embodies how all types of travel, tourism and hospitality companies - young and old, large and small - can differentiate themselves in our vast, dynamic space.

Read PhoCusWright's president and CEO Philip Wolf's description of how Travel 2.0 has triggered a resurgence in the Long Tail ecomony.

COMMODITIZATION IS A DARK FOE
Travel industry players work very hard to differentiate themselves and resist commoditization. At PhoCusWright, we feel the same way about travel industry conferences.

All conferences are the same, right? WRONG! For 14 years, PhoCusWright events have provided unsurpassed content, inspired dialogue and a more valuable experience because we respect our clients' time. By providing superior production value, professional event operations, attentive service, excellent meals and social networking opportunities, clients gain unique access to travel, tourism and hospitality industry leadership. We hold our customers' needs (attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers) in high regard and dedicate ourselves to a productive and stimulating time out of the office. We have adopted a product development approach on a 12-month planning cycle. We obsess about continuous innovation and insist that the brilliant ideas on stage find their way into the actual conference experience.

In an industry mired in a sea-of-same, we strive to produce a conference that's changing conferences.

BUZZ IS PALPABLE
All in all, prominent travel, tourism and hospitality executives will engage, debate and define the ever-evolving reality of travel commerce. As thousands have witnessed over the many years PhoCusWright has produced this event, buzz is palpable. In many ways, this gathering is the most prominent travel industry event of the year. Unlike so many other travel events, it's a needle-moving time where fluff and politics step aside, making way for the business intricacies and powerful transformations that create value.

EXPECTATIONS ARE ENORMOUS
Forming the centerpiece of this event are senior level speakers; they are among the most renowned in the travel, tourism and hospitality industries. Attendees come from around the industry and around the world, comprising the most savvy, connected and demanding audience at any travel industry event. Media and financial analyst coverage is always significant.

FRESH IDEAS, INCREDIBLE ENERGY AND SERIOUS BUSINESS WILL PREVAIL
PhoCusWright analysts run the show on the Center Stage like a live research project. Being a travel industry strategy and research company, we know the people and understand the issues like no one else. We leverage our expertise and interviewing skills to uncover truths, probe for clarity and reject sales pitches. Our audience also questions the speakers like no other conference allows - challenging them and providing their own insights.

Industry leaders with provocative messages will discuss:

How Travel 2.0 has fostered Long Tail economics
The impacts of Long Tail economics on travel planning behavior - and how successful companies will respond
Growth strategies in an increasingly dynamic distribution marketplace
How to get things right in the world's largest industry…an industry simultaneously laden with uncanny upside while fraught with historic hurdles, unconventional competition and new rules
Connecting with and engaging tomorrow's customers while sustaining relationships with today's customers
Mastering the mix of the many things at play inside the executive suite, especially those things that keep them awake at 3:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. alike

Registration for the Center Stage event also includes admittance to the Workshops, Network Exchange, Tuesday's Center Stage Gala Reception (sponsored by the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate), and Wedesday's Cocktail Reception (sponsored by TripAdvisor) and Moonlight Bash (sponsored by Google).

Photo courtesy of VRX Studios Inc.