HotelClub Bright Light In Dark Days at Orbitz

Events

Bookings are now open for TRAVELtech 2008 - Australia's leading online travel marketing, distribution and tech event. This year's theme is the open-ended Year of Living Dangerously?

It can be taken a couple of ways ... the obvious: oil, inflation, interest rates and marketing costs up - challenges ahead.

But it's also a question, and the good news is there's increasing evidence the online channel may be the place consumers turn at times like these.

Find out more at TRAVELtech 2008.

Confirmed speakers are listed below, while the latest program has just been posted - it's packed with industry leaders and topical content.

Malcolm Auld, Principal, Malcolm Auld Direct
Scott Blume, President Travelocity Asia Pacific
James Cassidy, General Manager Travel, Fairfax Digital
Clementina Clive-Ponsonby-Fane, Head of Travel, Health and Lifestyle, ninemsn
Mark Frawley, Managing Director, Roamfree Group
Brad Gurrie, General Manager, Travelzoo
Claire Hatton, Head of Travel, Google
Tim Harcourt, Chief Economist, Austrade
Arthur Hoffman, Managing Director, Expedia - APAC
Martin Kelly, Director, Travel Trends
Sue Klose, Director of Corporate Development, News Digital Media
Gordon Locke, VP Airline Marketing & Strategy, Sabre Airline Solutions
Simon Monk, Chief Executive Officer, World Nomads
Richard Noon, Chief Executive Officer, Webjet
Dan Russell, Director, Cleancruising.com
Darin Walters, Managing Director, Jetabroad.com
Michael Walmsley, General Manager - Competitive Intelligence and Search Marketing Services

TRAVELtech, founded in 1999, focusses on the latest online travel marketing and web-based innovations.

It has a well-established reputation for delivering relevant, high-quality content and excellent networking - more than 300 delegates attended in 2007.

If you have any questions, suggestions or would like to sponsor, please call Martin Kelly on (612) 9882-1575.

Please visit the TRAVELtech photo gallery to see some photographs from the 2007 event.

Sponsors include:

Program and Further Details...
Book TRAVELtech now

Search Engine Room Australia - Sydney, October 7, 2008

INFORMATIVE, educational, provocative and sometimes controversial, Search Engine Room is the leading event for Australasia's rapidly-growing search industry.

Founded in 2004, Search Engine Room is locally owned and operated.

It's held annually in Australia and New Zealand, attracting widespread industry support, and has a reputation for quality content, excellent event management and staging.

The program focus is on respected, well-connected speakers delivering topical, relevant information.

Search engine optimisation and marketing is well-covered, while broader industry issues are also addressed through interviews with leading search industry figures.

There are case studies and debates, plus panels led by informed journos.

Audience interaction is encouraged and Search Engine Room always makes an effort to be forward-looking, tracking the latest search and digital trends.

Consumers are also given the once-over, enabling delegates to gain a better understanding of their customers.

This format has great appeal and delegates come from around the country.

Apart from search marketers, marketing managers, e-commerce managers, online business owners, senior management, digital media executives and agency types predominate.

Companies large and small from diverse industries are represented, including travel.

Some have been in the game for years, others are just starting out.

If all this sounds interesting, and may like to attend a Search Engine Room conference, please subscribe to Search Engine Room News, which is packed with original content and comes out every five or so weeks.

If you have any questions, please call Martin Kelly on 612-9882-1575.

www.searchengineroom.com.au

A RECORD crowd attended the second No Vacancy acommodation industry conference in Sydney recently.

It was a great day featuring industry leaders, panels, case studies, presentations and debate.

There was a touch of controversy with hard questions asked - and answered.

Program topics included online distribution, consumer trends, channel and yield management, carbon offsetting, star ratings, modern marketing tactics, pricing, social media strategies and plenty more.

No Vacancy will return in 2009 - please sign up for the TravelTrends.biz newsletter if you'd like further details.

No Vacancy 2008 Wrap

By Martin Kelly, Editor, Travel Trends

Australian-based accommodation booker HotelClub has emerged as a rare bright light for the struggling Orbitz online business, which is losing money at an increasing rate - US$15m in the first quarter 2008 compared with US$10m for the same period in 2007. However, HotelClub, which also operates the RatesToGo website, increased gross bookings by 31% over the previous year, and did particularly well in in Australia with 55% growth. Japan was also strong.

Orbitz is a stock market play 48% owned by Travelport, the travel conglomerate created by venture capitalists The Blackstone Group. Since listing, Orbitz, which was saddled with an awful lot of debt, has been a failure on just about every level, though it does own a decent business or two, and has even managed to under-perform the initial low expectations. Investors who bought the stock have been hammered – it’s now trading slightly above US$7 after listing for more than US$14 last year. Apart from HotelClub it also owns ebookers and Orbitz.com. Travel Trends: May 12, 2008

TRAVEL TRENDS - INCORPORATING TRAVELTECH AND NOVACANCY

Events