Innovation: Summit and Launch preview

Starting at 11:00 AM EST on November 12, The Phocuswright Conference Online 2020 will feature some of the most forward-thinking startups and established companies, while helping fellow attendees acquire new knowledge and identify breakthrough innovation and its impact on travel.

10 Summit and 4 Launch demonstrators will present their products to a live audience of judges, investors and attendees.

The 2020 Phocuswright Innovation: Summit companies were chosen from PhocusWire's Hot 25 Startups for 2021 collection. Those selected have demonstrated their ability to survive the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and are considered well-positioned, able to thrive and make a difference in the recovery process in their respective sectors and/or regions.

Here are the product descriptions of the 10 Summit companies:

Air Doctor

Travelers who need medical attention or a specialist consultation end up getting treatment at high-cost hospitals and ER centers. We would like to avoid that, especially in the pandemic situation. Air Doctor makes medical care accessible globally to any traveler or expat by connecting them to a local private practitioner. This improves the customer journey, empowers private doctors and reduces costs all in one without lowering any standards of quality or service they are used to.

BeRightBack

With the travel industry becoming hyper-fragmented over the last 20 years, consumers are facing a real paradox of choice, which has turned a simple weekend break into 10 hours of planning and research for the consumers.

CheKin

CheKin helps property and hotel managers digitalize and automate all the steps of the check-in process, from the moment when the guests make the reservation until the check-out is done. Our product automates the way hosts:

• Capture the guest data and all legal requirements for each country
• Send guests data to authorities
• Collect all kind of payments
• Verify the identity of their guests
• Give access to the property

Kyte

Kyte Direct Connect is a modern REST/JSON API incorporating content from both NDC and LCC carriers and supporting full product content and functionality. Product is targeted at airlines and travel retailers who want a robust, fully functional technical solution while maintaining their direct commercial relationships.

Smooss

Smooss will launch the first solution to reaccommodate disrupted customers on any carrier, whatever the transport mode (plane, train, bus ...) with two airline partners.

• Solving the issue of rebooking on carriers not hosted on the same reservation systems
• Giving passengers the ability to select their preferred alternative, in compliance with Air Passenger Rights
• Powering a clearing-house feature, through which carriers can dynamically negotiate disruption fares with other carriers

Tripkicks

Tripkicks integrates into corporate booking tools to provide travelers with actionable insights for trips, guidance on appropriate spend and behavior, and an enhanced traveler experience. It focuses on improving traveler confidence by empowering the traveler with everything needed to keep them safe and more informed. The result is an optimized booking experience with enhanced communication and guidance for the traveler.

Trueface

Trueface's products align into three categories, all of which run entirely on client infrastructure to ensure the highest level of data security and privacy.

1. Developer solutions: Trueface SDKs and dockerized APIs empower teams to build computer vision into their products.
2. Trueface Access Control: Enhances security and provides a touchless admission system.
3. Trueface Biosecurity: Equips businesses with systematic temperature readings, social distancing awareness and PPE compliance in order to reopen responsibly and build back customer confidence.

Volara

Voice-based contactless guest and customer engagement solutions.

Vouch

Vouch's digital concierge is an automated guest-services liaison that streamlines operations to focus on high-impact activities and improve hotel experiences for guests. The AI-powered platform allows guests to make housekeeping requests, room service ordering and booking of facility use ahead of time. Integrated directly to widely used hospitality systems and accessed through guests' personal devices, it reduces human intervention without the need for guests to download an app.

Wayaj

Hotel-branded stay and transportation CFC Engine(TM) integrated with the hotel website. The platform aggregates and distributes local and international carbon offset projects to all participating hotels globally. Hotel guests can calculate their stay/trip carbon emissions, then offset it by purchasing a selected project which gives an instant certificate memorializing their participation in protecting the planet.

See the full profiles of the 10 companies that made the cut, plus the 4 Launch companies here.

Register now to start streaming Summit and Launch (starts today - November 12 - at 11:00 AM EST).

Center Stage starts next week (November 17-19)! There's still time to see all of the content and tickets include on-demand session video. Register now.