PhoCusWright has finalized the agenda for TRAVDEX, the only information forum for technology professionals in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. The agenda for the two-day event, held May 5-6 in Dallas, features 15 sessions with more than 50 presenters and panelists – all technology executives and professionals from leading travel-related companies. Community activities – ranging from multiple networking to a real-time conference blog – will help technology professionals connect and interact with peers throughout the conference.

"The travel industry is the largest e-commerce-based business in the world," said John Bray, travel technology advisor for PhoCusWright and vice president of travel and hospitality for Sapient. "Technology drives this business and is the foundation for today's competitive advantage. TRAVDEX is the only event exclusively focused on technology - where technologists, not marketers, are front and center."

The TRAVDEX agenda covers all aspects of travel technology including the products, design and implementation challenges, investment costs, and standardization issues. Real-life applications – such as booking engines, dynamic packaging, real-time inventory, and standardized content repositories – are among the topics analyzed and debated.

Representative TRAVDEX sessions include:

  • "Hold the Presses: Technology Saves the Travel Agent." Senior technology executives from TRX and the Sabre Travel Network discuss technology products and applications that can give travel agents, reservationists, and other call center personnel a competitive advantage over online buying channels.
  • "Packaging, Packaging, Packaging." Technology executives from Accovia, National Leisure Group, and Datalex will debate the strengths, weaknesses, and differentiators of their packaging products and services.
  • "For Hotels, the Cash is in the Cache." Expedia, Sabre, and Cendant have all recently implemented caching solutions for real-time inventory access. These solutions represent major investments and incorporate significant innovation. Technologists will discuss the under-the-cover details of these solutions and how they compare and contrast.
"Just as important as the agenda's content is the agenda's structure," said Philip Wolf, CEO of PhoCusWright. "Talkbackers, instigators, and panelists are paired with each presentation to spark debate and ask the tough questions. The auditorium is also wired so audience members can ask questions and post comments real time. Our objective is to provide a forum where the good, bad, and ugly can be discussed frankly and openly."

"And to ensure separation of fact from sales pitches, we've scheduled, five-minute 'infomercials,' delivered by conference sponsors, for product endorsements. This gives vendors a chance to present their products, but keeps the agenda focused on the technology realities."

Recognized technology experts, as well as emerging innovators, are among the TRAVDEX presenters and panelists.

  • Frank Day, CTO of Pegasus Solutions and a relative newcomer to the industry, will bring fresh perspective to discussions on hospitality technology.
  • David Anderson, senior vice president and CIO of Spirit Airlines, will discuss how cost-efficient and innovative technologies have contributed to Spirit's market success.
  • Tim Stanley, vice president of information technology for Harrah's, will share the positives and pitfalls of real-world CRM implementations and how Harrah's CRM solution has delivered measurable business results.

"Too often, technology innovation gets lost in the day-to-day business of any company. TRAVDEX offers participants a rare opportunity to think outside the box and to critically assess how their IT organizations compare to others in the business," said Bray. "Our focus on warts-and-all reality will keep discussions grounded and offer practical insights that professionals can take back to the job."

TRAVDEX also includes a vendor fair, with exhibitions by companies such as Datalex, ITA Software, Pegasus, and Bowstreet, which will be introducing the Syndication Factory, a next-generation product that could change the way suppliers provide reservation access within partner sites.

Registration for TRAVDEX, held at the Cityplace conference facility in Dallas, is US$1,195 for those registering by April 15, $1,395 thereafter. Employees from PhoCusWright Channel subscribing companies receive a $100 discount; those companies registering five individuals also receive discounts. For more information and a complete agenda, call 888 603-5343 x500 (+44 (0)207 526 4550 x500 outside the U.S. and Canada) or visit www.travdex.com.

About PhoCusWright - PhoCusWright Inc. is an independent travel, tourism and hospitality research firm, specializing in consumer, business and competitive intelligence. The company conducts and publishes primary work focused on strategic assessment and segment forecasting; it also produces a series of high-profile executive conferences. With pioneering roots in sizing the market's notable online sector, clients now emanate from six continents across all facets of the industry's value chain and they use PhoCusWright's information on a daily basis.

Philip C. Wolf
860-350-4084
Phocuswright

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