Latest news with #WTMLondon
Trade Arabia
13 hours ago
- Business
- Trade Arabia
WTM London 2025 set to be the largest in its 45-year history
WTM London 2025 is on track to become the largest and most influential edition in its 45-year history, driven by surging global demand in travel and the continued expansion of Excel London. Set for November 4 to 6, the event builds on 2024's success, which saw an 11% rise in qualified buyers and 34,000+ pre-scheduled meetings taking place. The 2024 launch of the Capital Hall and Auditorium level at Excel London, marked a major capacity boost, welcoming more exhibitors and elevating the visitor experience. Now, with an additional 25,000 sq m being introduced in 2025— a 25% expansion of Excel, WTM London 2025 is poised to grow once more, with increased space, enhanced content, and deeper high-level engagement. The expansion allows WTM London to introduce WTM Trend Fest – a brand-new cultural programme spotlighting immersive global experiences from across the globe. Expanding on the events commitment to leading travel trends, WTM Trend Fest offers exhibitors the chance to showcase activations on a new cultural stage. With themes spanning wellness, pop culture, gastronomy, sport, and adventure, opportunities include live performances, sponsorship, themed activations, and daily presentations. Over 4,000 exhibitors took part in WTM London 2024 — an 8% increase on 2023 — spanning everything from destinations and experiences to transport, accommodation, and tech solutions. Early indicators suggest record-breaking growth for 2025. Continuing to elevate the exhibitor experience, WTM London will debut its live TV channel next year, WTM TV, designed to educate, engage, and connect audiences. With guaranteed visibility across the venue and online, WTM TV offers partners and attendees with a new level of insight and access to the show. The event's influence continues to expand at the policy level, drawing over 50 Tourism Ministers in 2024—a 12% increase from the previous year. The 2025 Ministers' Summit at WTM, held in association with UN Tourism and the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), will showcase its most impactful lineup to date. Organisers are already forecasting even greater participation in 2025. The show this year will be led by newly appointed Event Director, Chris Carter-Chapman, who brings strong ambitions to work with industry partners and attendees to help further cement WTM London's position as the most influential travel event in the world. Chris comments: 'Although we're still early in the planning and promotion cycle, all indicators suggest WTM London 2025 will be a landmark edition—already tracking significantly ahead of 2024. With the next phase of Excel London's expansion underway, we're unlocking unprecedented opportunities for exhibitors, content, and visitor experiences at a scale never seen before. 'Our partnership with Excel London is central to WTM London's ability to grow and innovate, Together, we're creating a dynamic platform that reinforces the Capital's status as the epicentre of global travel and tourism dialogue.' 'WTM London is proud of its legacy — but we're firmly focused on the future,' Chris concluded. 'We're evolving faster than ever before to meet the expectations of a global audience, and 2025 will set a bold new benchmark for what this event can deliver.' WTM London will yet again be working with their Conference Advisory Team who will help curate the shows market-leading Conference Programme. The panel compromises of: · Uwern Jong, Experientialist®-in-Chief at OutThere · Mark Frary, Author, Writer and Consultant · Matthew Gardiner, Director of Travel Massive and Senior Vice President at FINN Partners · Tina Charisma, Director and Founder of the Charisma Campaign · Tina O'Dwyer, Founder & CEO of The Tourism Space · Timothy O'Neil-Dunne, President at T2Impact LLC
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Network Effect And How Trade Shows Help Businesses Achieve Sustainable Growth
Sanjay Ghare is a technologist and founder of Vervotech, a SaaS-based accommodation data provider. He also founded Techspian. The network effect occurs when the value of a product or service increases as more people use it. As per a study by James Currier, a four-time CEO and Silicon Valley VC, network effects alone have contributed to about 70% of all value (in USD) created by technology firms since 1994. If I were to oversimplify it, network effects are one of the most critical levers of value creation in today's digital world. The phenomenon works and helps other industries, such as travel, media and communications. As someone who works at the intersection of travel and technology, I have seen how trade shows have become a unique amplifier of the network effect, and it's very democratic. Businesses of all sizes and segments benefit from it. I will attempt to argue why this is the case in this article, as well as cite some examples from my industry that support this line of thought. To put it simply, networks are interconnected systems of people or things. Networks are an integral part of our lives, and around you, everywhere, from your internet fiber and highways to social media, it's the internet of human brains. Network effects emerge when the value of a business or product grows with each additional user or increased usage. For instance, when another customer joins, they enhance the experience for existing customers. To illustrate it further, consider a marketplace like Amazon: It has more value if it has 1 million sellers as opposed to 10,000 sellers; the end users will have more options, and sellers will have more customers. Trade shows, per se, are living examples of network effects. A trade show is essentially a temporary network or community: It brings together exhibitors, buyers, industry experts, thought leaders and media under one roof. The value of a trade show to any one participant increases as more participants join. Each additional exhibitor means attendees have more to see and learn; each additional attendee or buyer is a new potential customer or partner for exhibitors. This mutual gain encourages even more people to participate, creating a virtuous cycle like an online but face-to-face platform. For example, at the Consumer Electronics Show, major technology companies showcase their offerings while connecting with potential partners and investors. A budding startup might meet a significant electronics manufacturer interested in integrating technology into existing products. In my industry, events like the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai and the World Travel Market in London use network effects to fuel the travel industry's growth. WTM, for example, promotes the expansion of the global travel industry with events across multiple continents. Nearly 50,000 travel professionals, government officials and journalists attend WTM London each year, resulting in over £3.71 billion in travel industry contracts being signed during the event. The connections formed at trade shows form a unique quartet or loop that drives sustainable growth for businesses. • More Eyeballs: Businesses gain new contacts at every event they attend and strengthen existing relationships. • Increased Participation: As networks grow in size and value, more businesses look to participate in future trade shows. • Market Leadership: Companies that consistently use trade shows to position themselves are able to market themselves as industry leaders. • Sustained Growth: The net effect of all these interactions translates into long-term business growth. Businesses can use the incredible proposition of the network effect, which works for everyone individually and as part of a larger, interconnected ecosystem. It's not a game where only the big fish win. Trade shows, in particular, are one of the rare arenas where the playing field is level. Here, a small startup with a bold idea can stand alongside industry leaders, share its vision, build relations and create value for their businesses that might otherwise take years to develop. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Observer
08-02-2025
- Business
- Observer
Oman unveils 2025 global tourism promotion plan
MUSCAT: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has launched its 2025 promotional strategy, aiming to enhance Oman's presence in international markets through major tourism exhibitions and mobile workshops in key regions. Haitham bin Mohammed al Ghassani, Director General of Tourism Promotion, emphasised the significance of international events in positioning Oman as a premier travel destination. Following a strong presence at Spain's FITUR, Oman will now participate in Germany's ITB Berlin, the world's largest travel trade show. Oman's tourism delegation will engage with major global travel companies to boost visitor numbers and investment in the sector. The plan includes participation in 15 international exhibitions across Europe, Asia, and the US, including ATM Dubai, ITB Asia Singapore, and WTM London. Additionally, Oman will organise targeted promotional workshops in the GCC, East Asia, and Europe to strengthen ties with industry partners, promote Omani tourism products, and attract strategic investments. These efforts align with Oman Vision 2040's goal of diversifying the economy through a robust tourism sector. — ONA
