Stelios, Hoberman, Breakwell among top speakers for PhoCusWright conference

Fifteen key European travel industry executives have been lined up for PhoCusWright’s executive conference in Paris next month.

The conference programme on September 26-27 is to address the issues, challenges and competitive forces that dominate and influence the travel industry, according to the travel, tourism and hospitality research firm.

PhoCusWright research indicates that the online leisure and unmanaged business travel market in Europe is expected to surpass €28.6 billion in 2005, up nearly 50% from the €19.2 billion achieved in 2004.

Similar rates of growth are expected for 2006, bringing the size of the market up to €41.6 billion, nearly double the current market size.

The results of PhoCusWright research, in which 18,000 consumers across 18 countries were surveyed to determine online travel shopping and buying behaviour in key European markets, will be announced at the Paris conference.

Main speakers lined up for the conference include:

·        Jean-Marc Espalioux, Chairman and CEO, Accor

·        Andrew Phillipps, CEO, Active Hotels Ltd. (a priceline.com company)

·        David Jones, executive vice president, commercial, Amadeus

·        Charles Petruccelli, president, global travel services, American Express

·        David Radcliffe, CEO, Business Travel International

·        Richard Lovell, chief operating officer, EMEA, Carlson Wagonlit Travel

·        Ronen Stauber, president and CEO, consumer travel and GTA hotels, international markets, Cendant Travel Distribution Services

·        David Soskin, CEO, Cheapflights

·        Stelios Haji-Ioannou, chairman, easyGroup

·        Simon Breakwell, president, IAC Travel International, Expedia

·        Ian Carter, chief executive, Hilton International

·        Brent Hoberman, co-Founder and CEO, lastminute.com

·        Simon Vincent, CEO, Opodo

·        Sebastian Escarrer, vice chairman and CEO, Sol Melia

·        Marc Hildebrand, president and CEO, TQ3 Travel Solutions

“Unlike traditional conferences, there is no formalised programme. While discussing subjects they consider crucial to their businesses, the speakers also provide timely and candid responses to critical issues facing the industry in general,” PhoCusWright said.

Discussions will focus on challenges and innovations in selling travel, tourism and hospitality products and services to corporate and leisure markets worldwide.

PhoCusWright president and CEO Philip Wolf said: “Today’s tourism industry is celebrating record high growth while fraught with historic hurdles, unconventional competition and new game rules.”

*Information on registration is available at www.phocuswright.com/events or tel: +44 207 526 4550 ext.500 in the UK.

Report by Phil Davies