Travel Is Your Business

A riveting, illuminating, and personal experience battling COVID-19 the last 3 weeks from Patrick Bosworth, CEO of Royalton Investment and Founder of Duetto. The young, typically healthy entrepreneur details to guest-host Karen Moon how he managed through his toughest moments in isolation at home, and the mindfulness practice that continues to give him strength. Royalton Investment is a luxury holding company with operations across Europe and the Middle East, and assets across Yachting, Real Estate, Hospitality, and Technology.

Jason Schulweis, SVP and Head of Brand Partnerships and Integrated Marketing for Morning Brew,  offers crucial insights about current trends within media and marketing due to the impact of COVID-19, how marketers can authentically connect with consumers, and the importance of brand purpose in the face of this new reality.

Aside from the physical health risks stoked by COVID-19, there's another byproduct of the pandemic that's potentially terrifying: the social impact of isolation and quarantines. Given the number of people directed and electing to work from home, social distancing becomes both a personal challenge as well as an important business concern. From London, Julia Hobsbawm (social entrepreneur and author of The Simplicity Principle) shares important insights, strategy, and perspective, along with useful plays, for business leaders facing the realities of social distancing amongst their workforce and customers.

How do you protect on-demand or gig workers, their fleets, and their customers, during the COVID-19 crisis? How can companies like Postmates, which rely on going workers for their business model, succeed and survive, what particular concerns and considerations are in play, and what happens as restaurants and other suppliers close and face hard times? Vikrum Aiyer, Vice President of Public Policy & Strategic Communications at Postmates and Former Obama White House Senior Advisor, joins from San Francisco with perspective, insights, solutions, and a go-to enter to the playbook.

If trying to keep the doors to a business open isn’t challenging enough, especially when you don’t know how long you have to do it for, diligent consideration of the productivity, safety, care, morale, and profitability of your employees may be even more daunting. Dr. John Sullivan (internationally known Human Resources thought-leader from the Silicon Valley and Professor at San Francisco State) and Celeste Thompson (Chief People Officer/Founder at TRIBE Human Resources Consulting) join from California and New Jersey to walk through some crucial Human Resources concerns and considerations in the new business realities of COVID-19.

Wendy Liebmann, Founder, CEO, and Chief Shopper of WSL Strategic Retail, shares critical considerations for brands and retailers to manage the new realities of a retail landscape during and after the COVID-19 crisis.

Modobag is the world’s first motorized, smart and connected carry-on that gets you to your destination up to three times faster than walking. CMO Tim Ryan offers insight into one of the most innovative and exciting advancements to hit the travel industry since rolling suitcases were introduced in the 1970's, on location at CES 2020.

How do the world’s leading travel companies approach emerging technology companies coming to market right now? Moreover -- what do they see as the biggest opportunities, and how do you balance that with proving out partnerships with these startups to the rest of the organization? It's an important, and complex topic to explore. The good news? Nicola Poirier (Senior Manager, Strategy & Business Development at Expedia Group) and Kerri Zeil (Head of Amadeus for Startups) share everything on the travel innovation spectrum - from blue ocean opportunities to how to shop an idea and concept internally at an enterprise company. Buckle up!

If you shop for a flight online today, you’ll notice a wide range of options available to you. From seat selection to presentation of hotel and rental car options after booking, it seems like the traveler’s booking experience has become more and more holistic. Yet, there are many opportunities to grow. What has driven this trend in the last 5 years? Ancillaries packaging, New Distribution Capability, emerging technologies, and more. Senior travel executives Werner Georg Kunz-Cho (Co-CEO, Chief Human Resource Officer of Fareportal) and Alexandra Arguelles (Vice President, Online Travel Group of Amadeus North America) share what makes the holistic shopping cart window of today -- and tomorrow.

As the global travel industry continues to advance its technology infrastructure to meet the needs of modern travelers, new challenges make way for the need for new solutions. Two leading travel industry experts, Jay Richmond (Head of Business Travel Group, North America) and Kerri Zeil (Head of Amadeus for Startups) of Amadeus, discuss with host John Matson how to distinguish between disrupting the industry, and just conforming to new technologies. It's a deep dive into what's on the horizon and how to nurture innovation from within a global enterprise travel brand, including how to manage travel content at scale and how NDC will impact aspects of the travel industry beyond airlines.

Data. It continues to be a huge topic for any brand to tackle. And of course that includes travel. But the jump from gathering data to turning it into action is another. Two leading travel experts, Ella Schreiber of Hopper and Shameem Ahmed of Amadeus, share how they are leveraging data science and machine learning to maximize user acquisition and conversion. From the aspects of traveler data that are the most useful for certain aspects of buyer behavior, to deploying data science across a large organization, this is also a look at how industries leaders make data a priority and an opportunity for market growth and international expansion.

A Reverse Pitch - heads of leading corporate innovation programs at travel brands share their companies' approaches to making partnership work between a startup and an enterprise company. 

The hospitality industry is diverse, fragmented and involves a lot of stakeholders. At Voyage HQ's Travel Disruption Summit in NY, Javier Egipciaco (the Managing Director of the innovative boutique hotel brand Arla) and Kelsey Recht, the CEO of VenueBook (a platform driving dynamic bookings of event spaces), debated on the importance of hospitality brands working together to deliver a better experience for the customer. 

The genesis of online booking for activities has turned tourism into the Wild West for online travel brands. In this recap from VoyagerHQ's 2019 Travel Disruption Summit, CEOs of some of the industry's most influential brands, including Foursquare and Lonely Planet, discuss changes in booking experiences and what they mean for the traveler. PANEL: Jeff Glueck (CEO of Foursquare), Luis Cabrera (CEO of Lonely Planet), and Shane Mayer (Head of Partnerships, GetYourGuide)

Telling location-centered stories around the world, including articles, videos, photography, illustration and animation, with an in-house creative and editorial teams work with a global network of freelance creators -- Alex Shebar, Director of Experiences for Culture Trip, joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studio. In this episode: It’s Bess’ last show! She’s going to get her Masters from Stanford. Alex talks about how travelers are looking for different experiences. It’s not just the Louvre, it’s the stuff the locals know about, and the way to access that information is through content. What sets Culture Trip apart from the countless other travel blogs that have been around even longer? The secret is in the amazing community of content creators all over the world that they’ve been able to put together. The travel responsibility trend. People are being very conscious about the kind of traveling they’re doing, who are the people, what’s the culture you’re becoming a part of when you visit? Alex’s snack - pickles from the pickle guys! He went there with his fiancé on a local experience tour, and loved it. A little bit about Alex - from Boston, went to journalism school, but quickly found out he hated being one after working the night shift and showing up to crime scenes alone in the middle of the night. He was in Cincinnati, and started organizing public screenings of the top 100 films of all time, which blew up, Yelp contacted him to be a community manager, then worked for Bumble before landing at Culture Trip. Turning content into experience. Culture Trip has the users, they can create partnerships all over the world. Getting users excited about content they want to be a part of, and then giving them the opportunity to book it. Alex wants Culture Trip to be a household name, and would love to work with the Met or MOMA or the London Zoo, as well as weirder smaller tours. What does Alex miss most from Boston? Believe it or not it’s the sort of touristy places: Legal Seafood, Neptune House. Bess shares a final thought - she’s really optimistic about the travel industry. There are so many great companies starting out and she feels theres even more opportunity out there to go big and off the wall.

How can you scale cool? True personalization in travel. Leiti Hsu, Cofounder of Journy (an AI-enabled, expert-curated modern travel planning service that personalizes your trip planning, including bookings and reservations), show host, and food connector, joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studio. Journy uses humans, who do their jobs better with tech? Leiti and Susan (her cofounder) are the Yin and the Yang. They met dancing on speakers in Shanghai, while both traveling, and they become travel buddies. Traditional travel agencies still have humans doing things a computer can do better. Journy uses technology so that their humans can spend 80% of their time doing things only humans can do - planning amazing trips. Journy is for all! You can be on a budget or go for an ultimate luxury experience. Either way, Journy knows their customer extremely well. Learn about QQ! A texture that Taiwanese and other asian cultures love. Think boba in bubble tea - like al dente but squishier. Leiti saw the end of media as we knew it as Gourmet Magazine folded, and now surprisingly Journy has become a big of a media company. An unexpected brand Journy has worked with is 23 and Me. They gave away 23 DNA kits and planned the trips for those people back to their ancestors’ countries. Leiti’s home away from home travel-wise is San Sebastain. It’s the Taiwan of Europe! It’s like paradise with really good food. After Leiti’s mom was diagnosed with stage 4 non-smoking lung cancer, she created her dream restaurant pop-up. A hole in the wall Taiwanese beef noodle soup spot, called Tsu Soup.

Azim Barodawala, CEO of Volantio (technology that helps airlines maximize unit revenues and decrease costs through greater capacity utilization, while providing customers with better predictability and control over their travel journey) joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studio.

What could the hotel industry learn by several putting leaders in hotel tech in one room? Recently, VoyagerHQ hosted executives from ALICE, Uplift and Travel Tripper — in partnership with the robust Cornell Hotel Society community—in front of a live audience for a useful and relevant discussion with many takeaways for everyone in the hotel industry— from independent boutiques to major chains—on how innovation plays a crucial role in the  path forward to improve guest experience and stay competitive. The Speakers: Alissa Hendel: SVP Strategic Partnerships & Brands @ ALICE Alissa joined ALICE in January as SVP Strategic Partnerships & Brands. Since graduating from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration she spent the past 12 years at Sabre Hospitality Solutions where she served in various leadership roles, including VP Strategic Sales for North America and VP Business Development for Enterprise Accounts. Alissa currently sits on the Dean’s Council of Young Alumni for the Hotel School and also serves as a Regional Vice President for the Cornell Hotel Society. Tom Botts: Chief Commercial Officer @ Uplift Tom joined Uplift from Miraval Group, where he served as SVP and CMO, ultimately successfully selling the brand and resorts to Hyatt Hotels. Prior to Uplift, Tom held executive positions across the airline, hotel, and online intermediary industries, including at Denihan Hospitality, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and Hotwire.com. Tom was also the co-founder and managing partner of Hudson Crossing, LLC. Tom sits on the board of directors or advisory boards of several companies, including Adara Media, Duetto Research, Hudson Crossing, and Rocketmiles (acquired by Priceline). He holds a BS in Logistics and Marketing from the University of Missouri. Steffan Berelowitz: VP of Digital Platforms @ Travel Tripper Steffan is the VP of Digital Platforms at Travel Tripper and Pegasus Solutions where he oversees the website and digital marketing services for hotel customers. A pioneer in all things web and mobile, Steffan has spent more than 20 years in online services and technology. He was formerly founder of Bluetrain.io, a website platform acquired by Travel Tripper in 2015. Prior to Bluetrain.io, Steffan founded Bit Group, one of Boston's top 10 digital web agencies, implementing more than 350 web sites for 150 companies including Cisco, Dell, EMC, two divisions of GE, as well as other prominent B2C organizations. Moderated by: James Nannos:  James is an experienced hospitality tech leader with a track record in securing strategic partnerships, motivating high sales output, and streamlining internal operations for maximum efficiency and profitability. James is also a (retired) Captain, Troop Commander, and OEF-Kuwait Veteran in the PA Army National Guard, where most recently he commanded a 96-person Cavalry Troop. James currently sits / volunteers on the Cornell Hotel Society Alumni Board.  Sponsors: Cornell Hotel Society: Founded in 1925, CHS NYC is the oldest, largest, and most active regional alumni chapter of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. The Chapter's primary goal is to provide a forum of educational and networking opportunities for its members to achieve both their career and personal goals. The Chapter organizes roughly a dozen engaging, high-profile events a year for alumni and students and has raised over $100,000 for scholarships and endowments that are routed exclusively back to the School of Hotel Administration. Voyager HQ: Voyager HQ is the startup club for the global travel, tourism, and hospitality industry, bringing together entrepreneurs, corporate partners, and investors to create the future of travel experiences. With over 1,500 startup members around the world, Voyager HQ provides the community with connections, events, and coworking space curated for the travel industry.

The millennial generation is traveling more than ever before, looking for community, location, and curation. Selina has designed unique hotel co-living, co-working spaces around these needs. Digital nomads are embracing this new traveling lifestyle in droves. Selina is thinking about topics like loyalty and technology for the next generation of hospitality. Rachele Caserza, Director of Global Strategy for Selina, joins Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studio.

A fireside chat on innovation between representatives of two of the most forward thinking travel groups… Rashesh Jethi (SVP Engineering for Americas & Head of Innovation for Airlines for the world’s largest GDS, Amadeus) and Bess Chapman (Operating Principal for JetBlue Technology Ventures) discuss travel tech infrastructure, innovation, and possibilities at the Travel Disruption Summit presented by Voyager HQ, and sponsored by Amadeus and Fareportal. In this episode: What AI means for the travel industry How everything has changed with hyper-cheap hyper-computing Used to depend on massive investments for AI, and now it simply requires a lot of data and smart people How machine learning sit on top of that, what it means when airlines and other travel business starts really knowing customers Machine learning is one discipline of AI, and it means you feed computer data, makes sense of data, make more personalized recommendations, much potential in marketing How it is a challenge that many players are at different maturity in technology stacks Many are moving to open APIs to encourage growth and innovation PHOTO CREDIT: EVA CRUZ, CROUCHING TIGER LLC Regulation issues an inhibitor to innovation, but most regulation is to keep us safe Be respectful of regulation that’s there GDPR an example What it means that not all travel providers can keep up with changes at the same pace Antiquated innovation all around The biggest white space for disruption in airports Why airports will be the malls of the future Airports can be an oasis of commerce and relaxation Prescreening and biometrics, making screening fast track, frictionless Identifying you as a traveler, then providing you a contextual experience and a reference to what is available around you Amadeus believes in tapping into the creative energy of anyone, supporting innovation Overhyped technology (personal opinion) is blockchain Bags as a huge white space, RFID, and more How NDC change Amadeus’ current setup, and the next evolution in standard with a lot of interest from customers AR and VR in the travel space, ideal use-cases, and why they could just become another screen we get used to Using VR to book trips and for in-flight entertainment, shopping, training – and what are the challenges? A lot of opportunity for companies to help other companies make money What is looked for by Amadeus venture fund PHOTO CREDIT: EVA CRUZ, CROUCHING TIGER LLC

Designing customer experience in travel... Liliana Petrova, Director of Customer experience at JetBlue Airways, Visionary, Strategist, Customer Experience Professional and Blogger, joins John Matson, Bess Chapman, and Pavan Bahl in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser. In this episode: Liliana Petrova on designing for Experience is like a multi-phase cake What is movement, Technology design, how to achieve movement as fast and seamless as possible How people will feel about the brand and interactions Why the experience designer needs to be a vision thinker and can’t design in increments Facial recognition, and why with some brands it is like having a same experience like prison or the subway, and determining that will never happen like that with JetBlue as an experience Delight comes from the elements and when it works to one’s standards Designing experience is like being like a conductor of an orchestra Innovation is not building new things, but finding connections that didn’t exists before between existing things Getting a sophisticated program up in just four months Will airports be the player of the future they are today? The quest to eliminate waiting time with bags and taking away levels of friction How airports could transform from being simply a processing center, and therefore offer a chance to give you joy Other brands doing it right, and those doing it wrong — Milan train system can do better Every customer has their own version of an emotional reaction — but engineering things like efficiency can create emotional experiences, creating value Being driven by making the world a different place, making life easier Liking things that stretch when it is implausible Why the Hyperloop is exciting How Petrova moved from financial analyst to design The baseline of customer experience is process and strategy, making connections and seeing all channels of marketing And hard work How enterprise brands can’t preserve everything with scale Innovation is not the end goal, it’s a way to be relevant to the customer The alignment in the interest of the future costumer Credit cards and miles/points/rewards Petrova on being Bulgarian and a view at her work and the American ecosystem, and having perspective Why Abraham Lincoln was amazing An intuitive move and coming to America, having two “homes”, being a citizen of the world Doingcxright.com

Merchandising content platform for flight shopping… Robert Albert, CEO of Routehappy (the industry standard for airline rich content, acquired by ATPCO) joins John Matson and Nick Vivion in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser. In this episode: The most commonly desired amenity in travel: seat, then WiFi Selling a singular vision when pitching/building Routehappy How it is not actually all about price An entire ecommerce category that’s comeditized, we all about the experience from that moment on Explaining products and services customers are happier, and the industry does better How it was obvious to him that every customer needed this Why Albert feels it has felt like spreading a religion, every meeting is positive, but not necessarily a priority all the time It is an organic experience, brick by brick building the path forward for the company and the recognition of the need How the pace of building the company has helped them build it right, solving a complex problem, and why the company is ready for prime time now and can solve global differentiation problem in flight shopping Why GDS’s didn’t solve this prior Sales cycles in travel vs. funds for startups Massive network effect, explaining the story and getting airlines and distributers to align on the story and potential impact How hard Albert and team worked building the company, holding twenty five meetings a week while traveling, making good product decisions that got companies interested Originally Routehappy was about consumer flight reviews, then built APIs of data, and operating lean Happy and cheap as a product compass How Routehappy’s solution was now described as being able to enable the industry with better data, and that resulted in the first serious ways people were paying attention Moving from B to C to B to B as a pivot Pineapple chunks, and why this Australian treat was the snack, and the meaning How Routehappy was recently acquired by ATPCO, software that manages the world’s airfares UTA rich context (universal ticket attribute) Becoming the “Switzerland of rich content”, how Routehappy can now deliver on the thing they said they were doing for seven years Overall vision as the next gen storefront, how it is time to modernize flight shopping, how indirect channels can and should transform, and coming together with the “how” The happy empire and the tip of the iceberg Albert’s parental inspiration for travel

Online Travel Agencies with Fareportal and CheapOair… Sam Jain (bio), CEO/Founder of Fareportal, CheapOair and OneTravel.com, Board Chairman of Voyager HQ, joins Peter Crysdale (Co-Founder of ReCorp), Pavan Bahl (CEO of Open Source Business), Rob Sanchez (COO of Open Source Business), and Marc Raco (CPO of Open Source Business) for the first episode of Travel Is Your Business podcast. Taking initiative to fill a gap, customer service, and introducing technology In one of his few in-depth interviews ever, Jain covers why he started CheapOair to fill a gap in current digital online travel space, and because of the lack large contact center presence. How his background in business-to-business and customer service led to creating a digital online travel agency with a customer service focus, now the only OTA today with a toll free number on every web page, and more than 2,000 travel agents full time. Turning a 4k debt on AmEx card into a huge business by trying to solve a dysfunction. his “coming to America” story inspired by a family jewelry business, an idea sparked by working a year for no money at a small travel agency, and buying tickets from wholesalers, the two worlds of published fares and consolidated wholesale net traded flights. The impact of Jain introducing technology with simple databases, and pivoting into an ecommerce business. Getting into the business with a model as a flight focused OTA, and providing a great user experience with a three step booking path and strong customer service, going up against four established players, and the complexity of the processes and transactions, such as 80,000 schedule changes per month. Learning from pivots, user experience, and Voyager Jain assertion that ecommerce is not complex when focused on product and having a depth of knowledge on one’s vertical, bootstrapping CheapOair as a pivot to go directly to the customer, a prior failed pivot, and lessons learned when getting into the hotel space. The importance of keeping focus on a core product and knowledge, and defending against OTA’s with cheaper flights with diversity of channels. How the entire seamless user experience is important from the beginning to post-transaction, and keeping target on getting repeat visitors to lower acquisition costs, New technologies and the space being innovated, the new ability to book Amtrak, and focusing on mobile first. The Voyager incubator co-working space as an eyes and ears on innovation, looking at artificial intelligence, the value of the startup mindset, and a determination to tap into that talent pool. Monkey commerce, dealing fruit, and global travels The personal questions of Off the Beaten Path travels to Mathura, India, witnesses monkey commerce, dreams of a fruity excuse to go to Honolulu, and enjoys pizza in Nepal.

A mobility provider that has changed the way over 100 million people have traveled -- FlixBus is now taking on the US...Joanna Patterson, Head of Business Development for FlixBus (a unique combination of tech startup, e-commerce platform and sustainable transportation company) joins Marc Raco and Anthony DeRico. How we need more intercity bus travel Bus travel hasn’t innovated quickly, other players haven’t brought technology that makes it better for consumer, and how FlixBus does take a fragmented industry and makes it better to help more people get places A main player in Europe, hoping to be main player in US A few different clicks you can track buses, buses are well maintained, there is a better experience including plugs, wifi, clean, Charter bus operators typically are partners Allows bus companies its to enter the line run business because they don't have to setup a full business model and infrastructure FlixBus in the US trying to convince people to take buses for the first time Being a game changer is a combination of things: great mobile experience and good experience being on the bus, using data to optimize pricing and the network Skewing toward millennials and college students The physical touchpoint with the customer is a driver Being a hand in hand partner in the success ion bus operators The nature of the partnership Important that partners can provide the customer with a good experience Technological capabilities are not important because FlixBus has that capability How treating customers well is very important Management and training of drivers and their interaction with customers  including on the "mobility partner portal" Does maple flavored salmon jerky meet expectations? #NOTICETHEBUSES

Data as a roadmap to innovation, development and customer success for enterprise companies in the travel industry with XenoDATA Partners… Taylor Culver , Founder of XenoDATA Partners (a boutique management consulting firm partnering with you on making data strategy successful), and his associate Michael McDowell, join Marc Raco and Anthony DeRico in the MouthMedia Network studio powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: A vertical agnostic company Why travel has a special place in Taylor and Michael’s hearts – traveling 40-50 countries Data is a strategic asset Learning from working at Hertz on the corporate development team Talent in work force is versed in data and can really able to ask the right questions What needs help now with data in the travel space? Enterprise issues in legacy systems Transferring data back and forth to shape experiences downstream Opportunities to utilize data points in during the experience, not just online – such as between the taking of ticket to the time you’e in the seat of a plane The integrated nature of Hertz communication, customer feedback, and dynamic feedback Genesis of the. company Opportunity – enterprise customers get the most value out of their data The $40B niche industry – car rentals, and opportunities to disrupt

AirAsia has an eye on how technology innovation can disrupt the areas of the travel industry… When you’re the largest airline in a country, with more than 100 million passengers last year and ranked this year by Forbes the best low cost airline in Asia, you’re going to know a lot about what your customers need and want. You’ll know about their behavior throughout their journey with you, and how you can grow as a customer and as an ever increasingly relevant player.In the travel industry. AirAsia Group is taking that experience and running—(or flying)—with it. With an eye on how technology innovation can disrupt the areas of the travel industry Air Asia is eyeing for expansion, and to be of value to other industry players— (and even other industries).themyour brand Aireen Omar, AirAsia Deputy Group CEO (Technology and Digital), joins John Matson and Bess Chapman for a discussion on why the airline has made a meaningful play into venture funding and startups, a search for talent worldwide, and investing in unicorns. Recorded in the MouthMedia Network studio powered by Sennheiser. In this episode: Data is invaluable What makes an airline stand out—how you make a customer feel, the right kind of services and products, as seamless sand possible And branding is important, seeking a fun and enjoyable way to consume it Understanding needs and wants, and helping them discover what they don’t know they want Redbeat Ventures, embracing technology, and how AirAsia has a. lot of data, and has discovered the behavior of passengers AirAsia wanting to seek for talent all over the world, and find solutions and disrupt the travel industry they want to expand to, and be of value to other industry players (and perhaps other industries as well) The resulting venture fund and separate and off balance sheet, to invest in unicorns around the world The wide range of who be in the fund, including lifestyle companies The beauty of how AirAsia can work with startups, given the 100M+ passengers per year The likely impact of an economy shift on the business

Collaborative technology to the global airline industry that enables its customers to improve the pace and quality of aircraft maintenance, leading to significant productivity gains, lowered costs and improved safety… Tripp Higgins, VP of Business Development, and Andy Hakes, Founder/CEO, of AireXpert (tech ops event control), joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in theMouthMedia Network studio powered by Sennheiser. In this episode: Room for improvement in great communication with people out at airplanes and between travel companies and those people A lot of people working in adjacent roles who don’t work together and a lot situations develop on the fly Barriers – outsourcing, fragmentation of indie companies that don’t share resources Airlines relying on outsourced vendors, lack of training, very little standardization for communication AireXpert is a communication channel that creates a standardized link, that allows people to communicate in same space, on the fly How AireXpert’s business started Everyone has the same pains The difficulty of raising money in Buffalo NY, and needing capital to hire great talent How being in small market has challenges and opportunities Hot dogs! The sales cycle of approaching an airline Raising funds and the venture landscape in Buffalo Whether the AireXpert executives feel less or more safe now with airlines The exhilaration of taking in the arrival at a new destination

If you had an hour to sit with someone who helped build the fastest growing travel media company in the industry – what could you learn? From user-generated content, to the shift of the mobile-first environment and how trends have drastically shifted in travel, along with travel management companies, the joys of  traveling with family, and why not to take your eye off the ball in the travel industry… Anthony Derico, Business Mentor / Advisor for Quake Capital Partners and Business Consultant / Advisor to Voyager HQ,  and former VP/Head of Sales for Skift and Skift table, joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studio powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: The move to mobile as the biggest travel shift The next biggest shift? The cellphone as a tool of travel Skiplagged for finding cheap flights Influencer content and maintaining an authentic voice, and how everyone is an influencer when they travel and share on social media Making travel more accessible is a market share Does travel have a homogeny problem to get that instagrammable moment? The effect on business travel Why people travel for business, the many layers of that decision making, and a possible game changer to focus on Working for your snack Creating amazing experiences as a brand, and really executing events that can leave an impression The impact of the rise of startup culture on travel Why travel as a benefit should be core to a business How trade publications can get real stories in travel, and then thoughts on content that stands out Inspiring children with meaningful travel destinations and experiences that make an impact

Acquiring and retaining hospitality customers with surprise-and-delight rewards… James Nannos, Director of Hotel Sales & Partnerships for Stay Wanderful (a direct booking tool to increase guest conversion and provide surprise- and-delight rewards) joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studio powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: How independent hospitality brands should think about retaining customers Independent hospitality chains don’t have a powerful distribution network Tangible guest rewards, differentiated experiences to guests, and then continuing conversation after the fact How can independents get in there and make a difference Most prefer experiences and benefits to points, most won’t get value out of points Personalizing small but highly perceived value rewards Most want to choose rewards If Stay Wanderful is in many properties, how that helps still customers choose a specific property Raising the bar of service won’t dilute the opportunity Stay Wanderful makes it look like a hotel is giving you the rewards, like a white label solution for that hotel The only business where customers are sleeping in palace of business—you must capture them while they are there Independent properties fighting uphill battle A fee-for-success model The importance of fining out the real decision-maker of a hospitality property or brand Why hotels are operating off of antiquating systems, integrating into an old tech stack The helpfulness of the Cornell network The impact of military methodology and experience on entrepreneurialism and how it connects with hotel business

Why the original travel app is partnered with so many brands and integrated into so much technology… Kristen Vasan, Director of Strategic Platform Partnerships for Foursquare (a technology company that enriches consumer experiences and informs business decisions through a deep understanding of location intelligence), joins John Matson in the MouthMedia Network studio powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: The state of personalization in the travel industry, gained some momentum Foursquare was previously thought as a social networking app, but is a contextually aware location platform that sits on top of some of the biggest brands’ tech Can build a contextually aware map of where people go People comparing brands to one another are looking at how technological experiences compare to one another The risk of becoming the best tech company instead of best service Going from the check in app for locations,and how Foursquare  pivoted to become a huge player in the enterprise location space How their API plays into geo-locations for images and social media The goal to give marketers the ability to “bake” location tech, to know where you’ve stopped, see the venue where you are, and “tap you on the shoulder” Giving people the ability to be present and enjoy life, and only use phone when it matters most How Foursquare reached 1 billion consumers Brands building loyalty, having an understanding of offline behavior, a lot is still left to be done in that space How business travel is different than personal travel Seeing location trails of consumers and telling stories about where they go People look to Foursquare as the original travel app Are travel startups able to use Foursquare’s SDK and try to iterate on it Foursquare’s database of over 105M places globally you can ingest and share with world And  — a volcano

Organizing business trips 90% faster, 30% cheaper via AI with a human touch… Filip Maksymilian Bloch (CEO) and Daniel Flynn (Business Development Manager) of Hotailors (a next-gen AI-powered travel platform  allowing organization of corporate travel faster, at a lower cost) join John Matson in the MouthMedia Network studio powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: What does Hotailors see changing in corporate travel bookings? Hotailors wants to treat your employees right Who’s driving the change in corporate travel? Identifying and relating to the pain of being a traveler Trimming down the “waste time” spent booking a trip SMD vs Enterprise Winning the market and becoming a unicorn Sizing up the market How Filip and Dan met Narrow Domain Intelligence vs General Form Intelligence Applying AI to the travel space Where Filip sees AI succeeding and thriving How Artificial Intelligence will help travel be better, smarter, cheaper, faster, and more comfortable The competition in the travel AI space Hotailor’s hybrid approach to travel – Merging A.I. efficiency with human touch by employing a network of 3,000 travel agents across the globe Building a product so good, customers won’t want to leave – the key is to be faster and more robust Hotailor’s approach to product research and development How Hotailor built a network of 3,000 travel agents across the globe The early struggles and mistakes made while growing Hotailors Where Filip believes AI will be used and where he wants to see it utilized Filip’s upbringing running hotels with his parents

The growth of Brussels Airlines in the Americas.. Andrea Bonaiuto, Marketing Manager for The Americas with Eurowings Group, joins John Matson and Bess Chapman  in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: The most effective B-to-B and B-to-C channels for Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, depending on gaol and purpose Having a smaller budget, acting in startup style in the Americas Working two brands Brussels has three points of departure in North America, but Eurowings has seven gateways in North America Local targeted events, getting people who haven’t travelled to a destination before, acquiring new customers, strategic partnerships Tomorrowland as the largest music festival in Belgium, seeking to create  a seamless customer journey experience and  related experiences, with live DJs at 30,000 ft A fun activation, working with United Airlines Gate parties Keeping customer loyalty when the customer may not be interacting directly with brand, consistency, quality service and experiences, and staying in front of customer The deal with airline food, and how at 30,000 feet your taste buds change, t more he need to add more sodium Business class menus created at a high culinary level The “bleisure” markets How promoting airlines is constantly changing with digital opportunities and new platforms Virtual reality at a lot of events, experiencing what the inside of cabin and business class is like

An eCommerce fraud protection solution that protects travel companies… Dean Locke, Head of Business Development at Riskified (the world’s leading eCommerce fraud-prevention company, trusted by hundreds of global brands – from luxury fashion houses and retail chains, to gift card and ticket marketplaces), joins John Matson and Bess Chapman  in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: Travel as a high-ticket item, attractive to fraudsters because they can sell per transaction Smaller margins mean magnification of chargebacks How fraud happens Gift cards are highly targeted When revenue streams must shut down due to fraud A Cakeboss treat Being received in the travel space The shift to digital payment, and preparing for cryptocurrencies Indicators of risky transactions The tech scene in NYC

How does one of the world’s oldest and largest international tourism companies think about innovation? Jared Alster, Vice President of Marketing for Cox & Kings (offering customized private and group travel tours to India, Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Antarctica, Australia, and the Middle East), joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: Marketing to Americans outbound Domestic vs. international UK and Australia, different mindset than US, people brought up to be travelers. Brand loyalty largely non existent in the US Challenges of multi-day tour packages When operators makes sense in US – i.e. national parks US is largely a road trip approach B to C focus Being like a travel advisor Designing a site for clarity and purpose instead of for design’s sake More opportunity with people in later years than the past Reaching down as well into small luxury groups Government incentives, bodies rely on operators and agents for CTA to book a trip, may impact what regions are strategically focused on at a time Centralized content the last shoe to fall in industry

A visionary executive and experienced senior revenue and strategy leader in the commercial airline business offers insight into what has turned the aviation industry on its head again  and again over the last 30 years… Marty St. George, EVP of Commercial and Planning for JetBlue Airways, joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser. Note that Bess Chapman is interviewing Marty St. George only in the capacity as a podcast host – she also works for JetBlue Technology Ventures, a subsidiary of JetBlue.In the episode: Marty’s history with JetBlue and the Airline industry JetBlue focus cities and outlook on growth The fascination with bankruptcy and what he’s learned from it Changing with the times and evolving to meet demand; From down turn to profits, low cost to premium How customers will always dictate and pick what business model suites them JetBlue training; everyone from baggage handlers to vice presidents share the experience The future of the Airline industry Maintaining the upstart attitude at a larger scale An anecdote about Mint, and a “missed” business opportunity The 5 core values of JetBlue and the secret sixth White Leather 90s What JetBlue is doing to future proof for recessions The business vs leisure argument; which is more important A love for building networks and the competitive nature it brings out Data, from the new ways aircraft manufacturers are collecting it inflight to the need for protection The mass amounts of data that are available to due regulations The need for airlines to be more customer focused, and restructuring CRMs Viewing JetBlue as a service business and not an operator Overseeing JetBlue ventures; outside the box solutions from outside heads Wouldn’t it be great to have a solution for Air-Traffic Control and the weather? Identifying a business problem, and finding the means to properly address it The future of JetBlue, 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years down the road, and what Marty thought JetBlue would be doing now, 10 years ago Hush Puppies and PBRs, a guide to outlasting “hipness” Doubling down on successes Improved Airline safety and JetBlue’s brand new 220 aircraft Marty’s love for all things Boston, Necco, The Patriots, The Sox, and the small city charm

Discovering  locations around the world by horseback riding and other adventure activities with local people… Darley Newman (travel expert, published author and the host, writer and producer of Equitrekking, the Emmy-Award winning PBS TV series, and Travels with Darley on PBS, Create TV and on AOL, MSN Travel, Huffington Post, Amazon and over 2000 partner sites) joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studio powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: Botswana Salt pans and stargazing Discovering experts, keeping track of them for use indifferent locations Complicated logistics involved Horses and their personalities Getting charged by an elephant Being a safari guide Finding the right guides Less remote areas are still unique on horseback Something connects people because of horses Why horses are therapeutic for both mind and body Starting the show, how Darley manifested it, a background in journalism and behind the scenes How she started with a website and some videos Horses are a vehicle to get to know people and places Creating a second show, “Travels with Darley”, started short form, and the many places to distribute content Curating content for the right platform How a trip-planning business came organically out of the show The aspect of ecotourism aspect What’s next, and the one place Darley would like to travel to next (because of the food…)

A luggage shipping platform leveraging existing logistics networks, and including options such as doorstep pickup and additional coverage, with LugLess… Brian Altomare,  Director of Business Development for LugLess (a next generaton luggage shipping service), joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: The first low-cost alternative to luggage and baggage shipping fees, start at the door, not at baggage clam Being friends to airlines With airlines, it is possible to be an asset The opportunity for partnerships How LugLess doesn’t need operational help Being in stealth beta mode for 12 months, with consistent growth New brand, positioning, model Can be an asset to any OTA with a booking engine Making agreements with hotels, airlines and OTAs, or direct to consumer API not a feature, it’s a tool Friction  – the effort to bring and do it ahead of time Can increase service Most are economy travelers with convenience Insurance considerations, relationships with FedEx and UPS and DHL Low-price shipping several bags, dynamic pricing A mass travel economy play LugLess is a platform to do something for less and more convenient Strangest things shipped Why LugLess is currently domestic only Shark Tank and how it changed LugLess, why LugLess gutted everything, rebuilt Low-cost, API, drop-off Brian on making fun of himself in articles Why LugLess didn’t rebrand Turning negative press into a positive Staying healthy when traveling Feeling at home when abroad

The next-generation gifting platform offering a smart, easy way to gift air travel… Fernando Camara, Co-Founder and CEO of Skyhour (creating the ultimate air travel currency that powers travel across platforms and industries), joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: Gifting travel, inspiring friends to become better people, inspiring people to go to new places and get new points of view, make an impact in their lives, travel is the best thing you can do How it started, a friend wanted to travel $140B on gift cards and less than 1% is spent on travel The goal of connecting giting and air travel industries Offering flight hours for $60/hour, and the ability to apply to virtually any airline The opportunity to crowdfund a flight Being able to sell tickets without dates or destinations Like creating a new currency Getting around liabilities in some restrictions The money goes to escrow accounts — if you don’t use the hours, the money goes back to person you gifted to Works with Sabre for accessing the inventory of airlines Being a JetBlue Technology Ventures portfolio company Potential partnerships with hotel chains, clothing brands, etc. Camara’s other companies in digital marketing, real estate, then told a friend about the Skyhour idea, and how he needed someone to help build product, and thinking about hiring agency and agency (which loved it so much, sold the company and brought best the guys in to work on it) Why New York is the best place to launch company in the US A $5.5M seed round, working on Series A Raised an initial round starting with cold calls Seasonality, ebb and flow—flight frequency varies but people give all year round Dealing with gift card restrictions Only make money when people book a flight Time between buying and booking, prompting booking and re-gifting actions

Flexible, scalable cloud-based enterprise software solutions for the Reservation and Ticketing Management (RTM) space… Tal Shalit, Founder & CEO of Betterez (a leading reservations and ticketing management solution specifically designed to address the needs of travel, transportation and admissions companies, and part of the JetBlue Technology Ventures portfolio) joins John Matson (VoyagerHQ) and Bess Chapman (JetBlue Technology Ventures) in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: How Shalit used to work with Porter Airlines Learnings for bus industry – originally built a reservation system for small airlines Customers bus brands B to B, or B to B to C End to end reservation system, and how acquiring brands Selling the vision as assembling components Omnichannel experience for operators Getting going on any channel you need help with An intelligent way to set it and forget it and adjust over time An overlap for airlines Potential for air to bus to cruise, seamless customer journey Considering the volume of bookings and speed through any operator How the bus industry doesn’t have the legacy infrastructure that airline or rail has — so you can leapfrog over that and jump to mobile and latest tech faster, big opportunity The economic downturn has a positive impact on bus travel, although a downturn doesn’t stop people from moving and traveling The bus of the future, experiences An engine to sell tickets, reconciliation RTM (reservation and ticket management) – many crossover opportunities, building something flexible, even for events, can get into the market even with attractions to medical equipment reservations

Guiding consumer insights to build audiences, optimize marketing campaigns, collect data, and utilize life moments… Eric Bamberger, SVP of Hospitality for IgnitionOne (an award-winning Customer Intelligence Platform enabling marketers to understand, value and engage with their customers in real-time), joins “Fashion Is Your Business” podcast hosts Pavan Bahl and Marc Raco on location at the IgnitionOne Summit in New York.In this episode: Data has always been important to travel and other lifestyle industries Bigger companies operating with legacy systems, making consumer insights difficult Department of hospitality, organizing data, making it effective with clients IgnitionOne has a fundamental understanding of the customer journey First party data – the data a company can personally aggregate from their site, most companies don’t even know what to do with this data much less integrating third party data Connecting with CRM files Starting with cookies, using tags, create a scoring algorithm Processing in real time, which gives a leg up on others Working primarily with enterprise customers, larger hotel chains Reading macrotrends, such as oil and gas mining in Texas relating with a hotel occupancy standpoint, adjusting strategies to react on trend data Messaging vs. using data to drive direct bookings Loyalty is less important, more about saving money IgnitionOne’s proprietary scoring algorithm, custom machine learning algorithm for each customer, get high accuracy prediction on propensity to convert, which then leads to bidding decisions Platform, ads, the spend used defending brands—-generic type key words for searches Everything can be an acquisition channel with the right conversion strategy Ad experiences in personalization Considering trends in social platform use related to driving spend and conversion, and searching for all inventory sources The relevance of apps New data impacts each consumer visit, various sources of info for strategy in connecting uniquely to that person The wins in digital marketing that are possible with real effort

Streamlining the interaction between event organizers and venues… Kelsey Recht, CEO/Founder of VenueBook (a platform offering event venues that you can search, discover and book), joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: A look at the meeting and events industry and what drives growth Despite digital, no substitute for in-person meetings, companies are hosting more events, but the types are changing Different ways people thinking about meetings, how the travel industry has to adapt to changing landscape VenueBooks’s user acquisition The influx of accidental event planners Circumventing issues with inventory side Becoming skilled at helping venues skew inventory toward what is most in demand The attention to better experiences A focus on top notch booking experience overall, a very sophisticated platform How VenuBook conversion rate is at 20% Availability and pricing are generally the biggest friction. Transparent pricing helps Customers are in the market 45 days in advance of event, booking around 30 days in advance Traditional hotel chains have dropped commissions with the promise of better tech tools Making it easier/faster to book event spaces for planners and venues Venues are top of funnel Spinning up in new cities and with new venues, helping people think of spaces as venue spaces, giving hotels ideas for selling inventory they wouldn’t think of

Virgin and its mission of changing (travel) business for good… Allison Daniels, Investment Manager at Virgin (a leading international investment group and one of the world’s most recognised and respected brands), joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: Changing business for good Taking mundane experience or pain point and turning it into something better Making things better from sustainability to safety videos Capital intensive investment strategy, legacy and opportunistic Taking people to the next frontier Virgin Voyages  – new cruise business Whensuper-expericed people live and breathe the Virgin ethos and lead a new initiative A new way to cruise in a sector hungry for disruption, integrate health and wellness and a beautiful ship designed in part by known designers on land, making ship work for customers, technology plays a big part A lot more to be revealed about the ships, and the ecosystem on how the ships are built and limited suppliers How new technology and innovation can allow Virgin to make new experiences available Opening more hotels, how fit in voyage ecosystem Hotels have distinguishing elements making them feel very “Virgin”, such a club that makes it feel like a members club All rooms are chambers Ships can sail where the hotels are, an entire Virgin experience Virgin loyalty program, and creating a structured Virgin ecosystem Making venture investments into innovation that have synergy to the general Virgin portfolio such as Ring How offerings are changing because you have to do better for the customer has lasted in the industry People now know what Virgin stands for Brands to admire

Day-use hotel rooms with early check-in as a hospitality marketing and revenue hack… Yannis Moati, CEO of Hotels by Day (gives travelers a comfortable daytime hotel room for half the price of an overnight stay), joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: The biggest opportunity hotel revenue management – the idea of reimagining a hotel Revenue management is a new science, becoming complex New orthodoxies in hotel revenue creation being developed regularly Conversation has changed from disinterest to wanting to discuss A niche play in nascent sector Flexibility of hotel consumption, responding to an on demand society A rigid check-in/out schedule doesn’t work for today’s society Protocol, tech, marketing funnel to become more flexible one step at a time, because it’s a big operation Hotels don’t see this as hourly play – more like a block of time Types of hotels that Hotels by Day works with, segmenting customer base based on hotels they have Sweet spot are 4 stars, then 3 stars, then 2 stars if they have a record of accomplishment Customer acquisition is costly A marketing hack to acquire new customers Growing organically Experience is the key in a day stay Being on Shark Tank Why Hotels by Day will be the winners by allowing hospitality to join when they are ready Barely scratched surface of possible demand, giving it time to grow Part of sharing economy, using idle space and making use of it in a different way Technology doesn’t allow flexibility and agility to follow trends of modern society in hospitality, don’t have the right tools And the reinvigoration of the soul by the sea The main drive of being able to help people

The real story behind WiFi on flights with Viasat… Chris Dankberg, who runs Partnerships for Viasat (a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected) joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: How Viasat is about solving really hard problems Why WiFi is slow on flights Prior to 5 years ago,ViaSat was about WiFi via satellite for government and private air services People got used to texting and checking sites that were urgent for destination (weather, hotels, etc.) The growth of market for Viasat’s tech , high capacity satellites over different frequency bands enabled differently, market wasn’t ready Why WiFi on planes is so expensive Allocating capacity on an as-needed basis Unprecented bandwidth economics The abiity that you could hand off seamlessly from ground to air started being palatable The opportunity waited for Viasat to launch a satellite Demand wasn’t forecasted correctly, so there wasn’t enough supply for demand Started with business travelers with expense accounts Battery life on laptops got better, people started using phones Something not considered was that the whole plane would use wifi Tech is evolving, organizing data on what is important to customers how they used it Second and third screen use and solving that need Pain point – trains – slower with more tunnels, different angle to sky On the early side of making online video streaming real with companies like Amazon Disconnecting when traveling because of little kids demanding full attention Trips that changed Dankberg’s life, created big decisions

The state of travel, the explosion of travel technology, venture capital, and the future of the industry from the perspective of investors in the travel space… Thomas Sparico, Founder/Managing Partner of Brand New Matter and Gillian Morris, Founder of HitList [Episode 33] join John Matson, Bess Chapman, and guest host Brandon McKenzie for a MouthMedia Network Live event recorded in front of a live audience at Experience by Knotel, an interactive space located in the heart of Noho in New York City (666 Broadway) designed to showcase the experience of working in a flexible, adaptable, always energized environment. Sponsored by Knotel – Your agile business deserves an agile space. Knotel will find, customize, and operate your ideal office while you focus on your business. Discover more at www.knotel.com In this episode: The fundraising landscape in travel, how it feels like someone else is getting all the money A lot of investors have been burned in the travel industry Location matters such as NY vs. SF Knowing where to look, right people to talk to B-to-B, B-to-C , and is B-to-C is the graveyard? Liking people, liking business, taking data drven justifiable approach Developing strategic and meaningful relationships What Brand New Matter looks for in a company and founders Strategic vs. nonstrategic money Taking dumb money and how it affects a cap table Q and A Thomas Sparico is the Founder & Managing Partner of Brand New Matter (BNM) Ventures. BNM Ventures invests in pre-seed and seed stage companies. His current investments include Leaflink, Bizly, VenueBook, Seatboost, AirportSherpa, LYNQ, Beachy and Buster. He is an advisor to several travel industry companies including Rocketrip and Curacity. Tom is a career entrepreneur, inventor, operator and investor with 22 years of experience. He was part of the founding team at priceline.com and a named inventor on over 100 patents at Walker Digital Corp. He was the founder and CEO of Internet Travel Enterprises, led the acquisition and turnaround of Hickory Travel and the turnaround and subsequent sale of ECS to Onyx Centersource. Gillian Morris is the founder and CEO of Hitlist, named one of the 50 Best Apps of 2016 by TIME. Before entering the start-up world, Gillian worked as a consultant, journalist, and educator in Turkey, China, the Gulf states, and Syria. Her work has appeared in/on the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Buzzfeed, CNN, CNBC, TechCrunch, The Next Web, and LifeHacker. She is a proud mentor with the School of Leadership Afghanistan and Gaza Sky Geeks and serves on the board of Data4America, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank dedicated to bringing data and conversations to advance the understanding of policy.    

Lithium battery-powered travel… Ned Horneffer, Director of Business Development for Romeo Power Technology (creators of the world’s most energy-dense battery packs) joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studio powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: Romeo Power Technology is counting on that electrical is the future of transportation Electrification will take over all forms of transportation, batteries tech will increase The challenge of being able to retrofit vehicle with batteries Startups can move quickly, they are really sold on lithium and electrification Larger players, the secret is to find out how serious they are Developing and getting a proof of concept for a fleet of vehicles Regional transportation need so great, could affect regulation Will technology affect consumer behavior, or will consumer need push technology development and adoption Will people know how to handle it? Flying cars Influencing regulation as a brand UL certification important How battery power for aircraft can open up airports with noise restrictions Marine sector is off and running Norwegian strength Battery-run cruise ships? The danger of batteries and fires Level of confidence in safety, tech is at a point that if you build batteries the right way they will never explode, single cell fault tolerance and pack construction avoid chain reactions Punctures are a primary danger Transportation is a means to an end Appreciating the world is big when things go wrong with travel

A fireside chat on innovation between representatives of two of the most forward thinking travel groups… Rashesh Jethi (SVP Engineering for Americas & Head of Innovation for Airlines for the world’s largest GDS, Amadeus) and Bess Chapman (Operating Principal for JetBlue Technology Ventures) discuss travel tech infrastructure, innovation, and possibilities at the Travel Disruption Summit presented by Voyager HQ, and sponsored by Amadeus and Fareportal.In this episode: What AI means for the travel industry How everything has changed with hyper-cheap hyper-computing Used to depend on massive investments for AI, and now it simply requires a lot of data and smart people How machine learning sit on top of that, what it means when airlines and other travel business starts really knowing customers Machine learning is one discipline of AI, and it means you feed computer data, makes sense of data, make more personalized recommendations, much potential in marketing How it is a challenge that many players are at different maturity in technology stacks Many are moving to open APIs to encourage growth and innovation Regulation issues an inhibitor to innovation, but most regulation is to keep us safe Be respectful of regulation that’s there GDPR an example What it means that not all travel providers can keep up with changes at the same pace Antiquated innovation all around The biggest white space for disruption in airports Why airports will be the malls of the future Airports can be an oasis of commerce and relaxation Prescreening and biometrics, making screening fast track, frictionless Identifying you as a traveler, then providing you a contextual experience and a reference to what is available around you Amadeus believes in tapping into the creative energy of anyone, supporting innovation Overhyped technology (personal opinion) is blockchain Bags as a huge white space, RFID, and more How NDC change Amadeus’ current setup, and the next evolution in standard with a lot of interest from customers AR and VR in the travel space, ideal use-cases, and why they could just become another screen we get used to Using VR to book trips and for in-flight entertainment, shopping, training – and what are the challenges? A lot of opportunity for companies to help other companies make money What is looked for by Amadeus venture fund

All inclusive, authentic and immersive experiences in Tanzania… Justa Lujwangana, founder of Curious on Tanzania (unforgettable, immersive, transformative experiences in Tanzania curated and led by locals), joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia  Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: Justa Lujwangana on being curious means search, dig deeper, not just a typical visit Putting together guest logistics Also an operator Impetus of company, out of her own curiosities about her homeland Africa offering lot of experiential marketing, like archeology, and big venue space bring South African experience alive Having a team across the world while working from NYC Giving back to local economy, building something sustainable Experiences such as ooking classes, dancing, meeting one of more than 120 tribes Zanzabar beach Marketing strategies Giraffe as a must-see animal Curious on Tanzania is run by proud Tanzanians working together who are committed to leading and creating comprehensive, thematic travel experiences that make a positive, sustained difference to destinations and local people throughout Tanzania. They call this experiential travel – travel that goes deeper into the lives of those whom we all visit, and creates lasting relationships and true cultural exchange.

Creative tactics and best business practices for hotels… Andrea Martinez, President of Boom Hospitality (a hospitality consultancy firm helping boutique hotels, independent hotels, and F&B operations, open, grow, or convert their businesses with the use of creative tactics and best business practices) joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: The crucial need to properly understand your market Boom Hospitality working mostly with boutique and out-of-the-box hotels Tech in modern hospitality is so important, but not every guest is the same, simplicity is important Mirrors with digital concierge, interactive maps, fun, equipped with things guests want and will use The need to only adapt tech in a way you can adapt The boutique traveler is looking for something very specific Martinez is living a dream job, started in non profits How we make development/construction more sustainable, less destructive on the environment and actually help the environment Building a hotel within a mountain in a way that doesn’t hurt things around it How it is important that social media and marketing about a project must be part of the conversation from the beginning and a priority, design, construction management guest experience, PR Special cookies Martinez is obsessed with for a snack An approach to driving to a hotel or a destination? Methods of discovery – seeing online, Instagram, website, how common each method is People wanting to go somewhere they saw and then researched The need to be careful about defining local experiences Bringing true authentic local experiences by partnering with and creating alliances with local destinations Martinez’s experience in Latin America, Florida, bigger cities in US, Toronto Politics plays a big role in how one develops because permits are different

Partnering with the No. 1 travel technology partner, Amadeus, dedicated to helping travel companies launch, grow and succeed… Kerri Zeil, Head of Amadeus for Startups, Online Travel Group, Amadeus North America, Inc. (the leading provider of IT solutions to the global tourism and travel industry — Amadeus for Startups provides technology, expertise and guidance to support travel startups throughout their journey) joins John Matson in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: Zeil reveals the substantial work Amadeus does in travel and understanding what startups need and what brands like Amadeus can do to help Globalizing the startup program, how Zeil is in charge of the Americas How Amadeus has a lot to offer, expertise, tech, info from customers already supported, how Amadeus can grow its own business through startups No specific business model is larger than the next Travel tech startups offer opportunities to scale and provide value Amadeus originally looked at the program narrow lens, and it has has gown enormously The program has grown year after year, created a partner community to add value, each program looked at uniquely, providing value across the board Expertise in various areas of travel and working to harness that, and how internal partners want to help Help startups launch at scale High quality startups coming into the program and being able to be choosier to come in and can rise to the top, while helping virtually anyone coming in the door How Amadeus doesn’t invest or take equity When Amadeus cannot help some companies with APIs or tech solutions, but that company might fall into the area of venture partnerships and then introduce to that internal partner Looking for companies even outside of core values, but can find ways to plug in that can enhance the business, that can bring value within tech stacks, exploring blockchain a bit, in-destination activity, Axa as a great startup story, another is Freebird (a very unique idea) which developed into a partner with Amadeus Is there a secret sauce possible at Amadeus for working with startups (think white glove approach) Amadeus is located in Spain, how it interacts with the Americas Pitching in front of The Dragons Den Getting calls from around the world from people who want to help How Amadeus created a blueprint for people for this program to work globally, leaders of company started to recognize this is happening everywhere, Bankok and Singapore are big spots A cultural shift Commonality across startups, enthusiasm, the travel industry as a whole isn’t an industry to get into, infrastructure moves at snails pace, complicated and regulated, can be frustrating and difficult to understand, in a discovery phase for info and data to be even do diligence on Amadeus’ part, give startups some hope The industry has attention on, and is engaging, startups to help dig out from technological past, recognizing the need for advancement Why the travel industry is likely in for the long haul in commitment and funding, albeit cautious and focused approach, at a crossroads of the old travel industries and innovators The need to not disrupt cash cow at companies while getting out of same things that keep happening – that’s the right path Continuing to shape the future of travel

Health food and wellness content for travelers… Corey Angelo, Founder/CEO of Wanderfuel (carefully curated, seasonally rotating boxes of organic products alongside lifestyle content that educates and supports well-being while traveling) joins John Matson and Bess Chapman in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser.In this episode: How wellness touches us at all times, taking care of yourself Educating people with a great content experience, and how it makes travel better Bringing together healthy snack and amenity kits in environmentally friendly packaging Wanderfuel‘s core ethos includes nourish, relax, detox Meditation, podcasts, intent to become like a Netflix-like safe list of things tailored for type and length of travel The biggest wellness snafu on the road and being disconnected from regular wellness routines, committing to rituals and practices each day Maintaining rituals on the road Something about being on the road where you let go of being healthiest — how do you get people to carry it with you? Coaching yourself, how you’ll feel after, and combining it with interesting and fun content experiences The travel industry is investing in its consumer Working closely to scale offering including with American Airlines, wellness zones in major airports, livening up atmospheres, and working with strong partners Angelo’s “Zen place”, and pole vaulting Inspiration and a moment of exhale when training for a marathon The moment it all clicked Staying curious, exploring more