Preview of next week's AITO and AITO Agents’ joint overseas conference 2012

June 7, 2012 - PRLog -- Next week’s conference will take place in Madeira in Portugal (14-17 June, 2012), offering AITO tour operators and agents the opportunity to address the biggest issues currently affecting the travel sector

Sponsored by the Portuguese National Tourist Office and the Madeira Promotion Bureau, the conference will be held in Funchal, the capital of Madeira, and will see an engaging mix of big-name speakers from both inside and outside the travel industry.

All speaker sessions will include input from AITO members and business partners, encouraging questions and lively audience interaction throughout.

Chairman of AITO, Derek Moore, says: “These vital speaker sessions will allow delegates to return to their offices with practical ideas to implement straight away, helping them to stay ahead of the game. The sessions will cover an array of hot topics such as the state of the economy, ATOL reform, Flight Plus, customer management in the future, how to enter the global market successfully and ‘change management’ principles.”

High-profile speakers will include:

Deirdre Bounds – successful ethical entrepreneur, bestselling author and founder of i-to-i.com. Deidre started up a business from her bedsit and turned it into the world’s biggest gap-year travel company in just ten years. Deirdre will reflect on what the 'indies' can do and what the PLCs can't.

Hugh Morgan – Managing Director of Monarch Travel Group, with 43 years’ experience in the tour operator industry. Hugh has also held director-level positions at Thomas Cook and Intasun Holidays and his determination to challenge, drive and deliver has earned him a place on ABTA’s board of directors.

Allister Frost – the former Head of Digital Marketing Strategy for Microsoft now works as a consultant specialising in re-engineering how brands use social media to achieve their business goals. He will discuss how he helps companies to transition from simply broadcasting advertising messages to engaging in a two-way conversation with their customers and prospects.
 
Steve Keenan – the former online travel editor of The Sunday Times and co-founder of travelperspective.co.uk - a digital editorial consultancy offering advice on social media, video and website development. Steve knows all about current digital travel trends and how to get travel companies noticed online.

Julian Hall and Richard Brown – of the award-winning financial services company, Bestinvest. Julian (Investment Director) and Richard (Head of Business Development) will be looking at the world economy and its impact on travel and tourism.

Tim Byrne – Founding Partner of The Management Alliance, which provides help, direction and advice to companies that are looking for their next move forward. Tony will deliver a presentation entitled: ‘To grow or not to grow? That is the question!’

AITO tour operators and agents will also take part in ‘speed-dating’ at a giant marketplace during the conference, allowing operators to update agent partners on product offerings. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and ABTA will be in attendance in order to answer questions about ATOL Reform, explaining the processes involved for travel companies to move forward on a daily operational basis.  

Delegates will have the chance to explore Madeira during the conference, including some of its hidden gems. A city tour of Funchal will visit local farmers’ markets, historical landmarks and the colourful Botanical Gardens, all finished off with a tasting at a local wine cellar. For those after something a little more adventurous, a Jeep tour will reveal the deep valleys and dramatic mountains not far from the city, while a whale and dolphin watching trip, accompanied by a team of marine biologists, promises to be an unforgettable experience.

Follow the conference action live on Twitter by connecting with AITO (@AITOHQ) and AITO Agents (@AitoAgents) and following the hashtag #aito2012.  

For more information about Madeira and Portugal, go to www.visitmadeira.pt and www.visitportugal.com

Ends – 7 June 2012

Notes for editors:

1. AITO (www.aito.com) has 145 specialist tour operators within its membership, jointly carrying in the region of 800,000 passengers annually.

2. AITO Specialist Travel Agents (www.aitoagents.com) represents 100-plus of the leading independent travel agencies in the UK – all fully independent, and all in the front line of the travel industry.

Press: For more information on AITO and AITO Specialist Travel Agents, please call Sue Ockwell or Stephanie Reed on 020 8891 4440 or email s.ockwell@travelpr.co.uk or s.reed@travelpr.co.uk