A PANEL of CEO-level industry experts, figure heads and economists will join the first ALTM Ultratravel Forum at this year’s show.
The debate will focus on the subject ‘Is China/Asia-Pacific set to become the world’s largest market for luxury travel?’
The ALTM Ultratravel Forum will open this year’s exhibition and take place on June 14 from 4 to 6 pm at the Shanghai Centre Theatre at the Portman Ritz-Carlton complex in Shanghai. It is exclusively open to all participants of ALTM 2010.
The forum will start with a presentation of the results of an exclusive piece of quantative and qualitative research undertaken by Reed Travel Exhibitions and TTG Asia. Then the debates begin – firstly with an insight into the current economic trends in the marketplace and what, if any effect, they will have on the luxury travel industry in the near future. Charles Goddard, editorial director, Asia of the Economist intelligence unit, and Nick Debnam, partner in charge, consumer markets of KPMG China, will lead this debate.
Goddard will speak on the industry and economic development in the Asia-Pacific region and Debnam will present findings of KPMG’s latest research on the luxury industry in China and how it may affect the luxury travel market.
They will then be joined by high-level industry figureheads from both suppliers and buyers of luxury travel in China and the Asia-Pacific region including Reena Ho-Phang, managing director of BrandStory, Kent Zhu, group director of sales and marketing Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, and Naysla Edwards, director of travel benefits, membership travel services, world markets, American Express International.
This panel session will be moderated by Graham Boynton, the editor of Ultratravel magazine and travel editor of the Daily Telegraph newspaper – the UK’s best-selling upmarket daily newspaper which has world-renowned coverage and expertise in travel.
“The region, its economics and the influence it has on the rest of the world are powerful subjects and our exclusive buyers and sellers of luxury travel will find it the ideal forum to challenge, seek knowledge and information as well as participate in the question time available at the close of the debates. We feel this opening event will give a rare insight into the luxury travel industry for all those involved,” says Debbie Joslin, event director ALTM and ILTM.