MARKETPLACE Hundreds of travel trade buyers and suppliers connected at the Leonardo
Global Travel Marketplace brings industry together at London event
G
lobal Travel Marketplace was hailed a success as travel communities
“built emotional connections” during the three-day event. David Benitez, head of
events development at organiser Jacobs Media Group, praised the relationships built during the meetings and workshops, and highlighted the value of people meeting in person instead of on a Zoom call. The event saw delegates including
travel agents, tour operators, tourist boards and partners connect through one-to-one meetings, experiences and interactive content sessions. Benitez said: “In the travel trade,
we talk about all these amazing experiences and look at beautiful pictures of faraway destinations, but we rarely get to experience anything ourselves.
David Atkin
It’s about bringing
travel communities together. We are B2B but also human to human – we musn’t forget that
“That’s why we wanted this event
to be different to other trade shows where people just listen to a panel and look at their phones – we wanted people to share experiences together. “It’s so important for people to
connect in person so they can share knowledge and build an emotional connection, which means they are more likely to remember what they talked about and follow up on it. “GTM is about bringing different
travel communities together and allowing them to learn from each other and find synergies.”
David Benitez
He added: “We are B2B but we
are also human to human, and we mustn’t forget that.” Daniela Wagner, group business development director at JMG, said:
“The foundation of this event is bringing people together to meet each other in person and form meaningful connections, which is the show’s ultimate unique selling point.”
Businesses urged to update crisis strategies
The travel industry must “control controllables” and plan for the future, according to speakers at the conference. David Atkin, managing director of
occupational health and safety firm Sanderson Phillips, warned business owners that the procedures they put in place for crisis management must be kept up to date to avoid repeating mistakes made during the pandemic, when some business’s lack of a crisis policy had left staff unsure what to do. He referenced the results of a survey
conducted by Deloitte in 2018, which showed 84% of companies said they had crisis plans in place.
He then revealed the results of a
separate survey conducted by PwC in 2021, which showed 95% of business leaders said their crisis management capabilities needed improvement. “Planning is really important, and a
safety management plan is key,” he said. “You don’t realise the value of your
crisis management strategy until a crisis occurs, which is why it is so important to do a simulation so all your staff know their roles if the worst does happen. “The most important thing to do is
plan, plan, plan. The travel industry has had such a tough time and organisations need to be prepared for the future.”
16
13 OCTOBER 2022
travelweekly.co.uk
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