International speaker line-up for first event
The luxury travel industry’s annual presentation of The ULTRAs – Ultimate Luxury Travel Related Awards – will for the first time be preceded by the Ultratravel Forum - a full day of speaker presentations, discussion panels and interviews involving influential figures from the global luxury travel industry. Taking place at The Dorchester Hotel in London on Monday 20 May, the event will be a unique opportunity for those in the industry to hear from the leaders of some of the world’s biggest travel brands about their insight and perspective on current and future issues.
Nick Perry, Chairman of Ultratravel said: “In the current economic climate, when the industry is experiencing numerous challenges and changes, we wanted to deliver an event where participants can engage with industry leaders and network with peers. We have created the Ultratravel Forum for London, to coincide with The ULTRAs presentations, which always attracts an international audience and one that can now not only celebrate, but also engage in some valuable exchanges and interaction among the industry’s leaders from around the world.
“We are delighted with the level of speakers already confirmed and we are planning for the Ultratravel Forum to be both thought-provoking and insightful with issues raised that affect all our businesses. The Q&As at the end of each session will give all delegates the opportunity to make sure the topics close to their hearts are covered.”
The day will begin with the Ultratravel Forum and its theme “The Latest in Luxury – Identifying Tomorrow’s Trends”. All of the sessions will include the opportunity for attendees to ask questions of the experts and senior figures represented at the Forum. Confirmed speakers so far include: Dhiren Fonseca, one of the founders of Expedia and currently the Chief Commercial Officer of Expedia Inc.; Daniel Franklin, the Executive Editor of The Economist; Gerald Lawless, President and CEO of Jumeirah Group, Jennifer Fox, President of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Henry Mason, Global Head of Research and Managing Partner of trendwatching.com. The Forum will also feature a Presidents' Panel where major travel companies will discuss how the industry is meeting the needs of todays premium customers, research presentations and a session of contributions from well-known luxury travellers.
The day will conclude with the annual ULTRAs. Registration is now open at www.ultratravelforum.com
