Register now for first TravelMole conference

Senior industry figures have agreed to speak at the first TravelMole debate next month. TravelMole Fast Conferences are new high profile debates on the travel industry’s hottest topics. The first event on 16 March in London is entitled ‘Up in the Air – The Future of Selling Flights’ focussing on the future relationship between airlines, travel agents and GDSs. The debate tackles the crucial issue of air ticket distribution and asks what is the future for the trade and GDSs. The event comes amid commission cutting by airlines and GDSs dramatically rethinking their commercial models. This opening event brings together some of the key forces driving change in the market. The panelists are: *Ian Heywood, British Airways head of corporate sales. *Ian Reynolds, ABTA chief executive. *David Brown, Sabre UK, Ireland & Nordic region director. *Martin Tyler-Bennett, Worldspan EMEA and Asia airline distribution, hosting & IT solutions director. *Richard Lovell, Guild of Business Travel Agents chairman and Carlson Wagonlit executive vice-president EMEA. Moderator for the debate is Jeremy Skidmore, a regular TravelMole columnist and former editor of Travel Weekly. The launch event will be staged at the Thistle Hotel, Bloomsbury in London on March 16 from 15.00-19.00. The standard delegate fee is £175 plus VAT with £50 off for the first 10 registrations. TravelMole’s second Fast Conference on the subject of sustainable tourism is planned for May 11 in London. Register online at www.travelmole.com/fastconferences, call +44 (0)20 7691 3292 or email [email protected]