CONTRIBUTORS In The Know with Gostelow
Mary Gostelow is owner-editor of the unique and influential monthly Gostelow Report and is also the Editor-at-Large of
www.WOW.travel, the online magazine of Kiwi Collection INC.
Mary also shares her unique insights via ‘Gostelow LIVE’ distributed daily from both ILTM events – including all the latest news and views from the show floor.
Oh such worthwhile memories of Cannes, December 2011… Fairmont’s new President Jennifer Fox revelled in the networking and extremely positive atmosphere, and Silversea veteran Steve Odell found it so excellent he has already signed for even bigger presence December 2012. Back home in Colombia, Carmen Otero de Millán, Sofitel Cartagena Santa Clara, agrees it was ‘fantastic’ (she got plenty of exercise as she worked the Cartagena de Indias destination stand and, upstairs, Sofitel). Otero is, incidentally, seeing Brazilian business double year-on-year – talking of which, since returning from ILTM, São Paulo social media guru Amadeu Castanho is telling ‘everyone’ that ILTM is the one place to find out what is new. He is happy he took sneakers to rush from one meeting to another.
Yes, ILTM saw six-inch Louboutins replaced by trainers as enthusiastic buyers, many pulling wheelie bags for all those brochures, traipsed miles-of-aisles. There were more buyers than ever, a total of 1,268 – IHG’s Glenn Carroll says their quality was unsurpassed. There was also an increase in exhibitors, to a total of 1,265 (both figures were four percent up on 2010’s tally). This meant that ILTM saw a staggering 49,214 fixed appointments, and since it is buyers who move to stationary exhibitors, thank goodness aisles seemed better signposted than ever.
Nomadic Expeditions’ charismatic Mongolian boss Jalsa Urubshurow wanted even more meeting spots. ILTM certainly exceeded his expectations, and what he loved most was that everyone had strong passion for travel, with inspiring thirst for adventure. First-timer Russell Durnell, of Versace on Australia’s Gold Coast, said unlike other shows he did not have a single dud meeting and another novice – to ILTM, that is – Stephen White, Auckland-based Exclusive Travel Group, reports that all his meetings were 100 percent worthwhile.
Long-time supporter Nikheel Advani, Grace Bay Club in Turks & Caicos, says that even before the event closed he had a minimum of six confirmed mega- bookings. The biggest exhibitor, with 72 hotels and resorts on its stand, was The Leading Hotels of the World. Leading’s Ted Teng says, with his characteristic grin, that he hopes to make that a hundred.
20
THEINSIDER
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20