TRADE AND BUSINESS TOURISM EVENTS

Seminars | 19 & 20.01.15

INTRODUCTION

WORKING WITHTHE TRAVEL TRADE

WORKING WITH THE TRAVEL TRADE

Who’s Who?

• Incoming Tour Operators

• Tour Operators & Wholesalers

• Web-based Agents

• Ground Handlers

• Group Travel Organisers

• Coach Operators

• Incentive Houses

• Travel Agents

Ideas for how to identify potential contacts

• Review your own database and leads from previous activities

• Look at VW’s operator search on the travel trade website www.traveltrade.visitwales.com

• Visit VB’s industry site – www.visitbritain.org. Look at the Insights and Statistics section, request market travel trade directories and sign up for their fortnightly enews.

• Useful websites: www.ukinbound.co.uk www.etoa.orgwww.coachtourismcouncil.co.uk

WORKING WITH THE TRAVEL TRADE

Attending Workshops & Events - checklist

• Arrive in good time.

• Ensure that your desk/stand is manned at all times

• If you are attending an appointment led workshop please respect the timetable.

• Do your homework and prepare yourself

• If you know who you are meeting in advance, do some research on that company

• You don’t need lots of literature. Business cards are the most important item. Buyers will have lots of appointments and won’t want to carry lots of material.

• USBs with your company information is useful e.g. brochures, itineraries, images, press releases.

WORKING WITH THE TRAVEL TRADE

Attending Workshops & Events – checklist cont’d

• Don’t forget to have your rates to hand, including any special group rates, commission / net rates (i.e. 10% commission) etc.

• If you are an accommodation provider, think about whether you can offer an allocation of rooms and if so on what release basis.

• Sample itineraries are useful if applicable.

• If you are offering anything special for groups make sure you have the details

• A good way to highlight your product is by showing a presentation. Include lots of images. It’s best shown on an ipad or laptop but if you don’t have this facility take a print-out in a presentation folder.

WORKING WITH THE TRAVEL TRADE

Attending Workshops & Events – checklist cont’d

• Take advantage of other networking opportunities e.g. coffee breaks, lunches, drinks, evening events.

• Have an ‘elevator speech’ in mind (the top things you would want someone to take from your conversation with them)

• Think about what else is in your area – bring along itinerary ideas.

• If you have an opportunity to be kept informed e.g. enews, remember to ask if they want to receive.

• Take pens, paper and stapler

WORKING WITH THE TRAVEL TRADE

EXHIBITOR PLANS

EXHIBITOR PLANS

• Your key messages• What do you hope to achieve?• New developments• Promotions 2015/16• Individual partner priorities• PR case studies • Location plans• Stand Visuals

SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS

Explore GB Ascot Racecourse

25 & 26 February 2015

EXPLOREGB

• ExploreGB is VisitBritain’s brand new, flagship event providing Great British & Irish tourism suppliers and destinations with an invaluable opportunity to meet and do business with up to c260 hosted international travel buyers from up to 37 countries.

• ExploreGB will be a two-day workshop filled with pre-scheduled, one-to-one appointments. An evening networking dinner on the Wednesday night and a programme of seminars covering a variety of useful topics.

• Each supplier will have a desk and there will be a dedicated Wales area, there will be 12 partners + 3 Visit Wales desks.

EXPLOREGB

Visit Wales will sponsor day one at ExploreGB.

It is an opportunity to create an enhanced presence at the event.

Includes:

Panels with Wales imagery

Welsh themed morning and afternoon breaks

Wales information desks at the breaks

Welsh themed lunch

Branded menus

SCHEDULEWEDNESDAY 25 FEBRUARY

8:00 – 10:00 Transfers from hotels to Ascot Racecourse10:00 – 11:24 Appointment Session 111:24 – 11:48 Morning Coffee Break11:48 – 13:00 Appointment Session 213:00 – 14:00 Lunch – Level 414:00 – 15:48 Appointment Session 314:00 – 14:48 Seminar 1 – Developed Long-haul Markets15:48 – 16:12 Afternoon Coffee Break16:12 – 18:00 Appointment Session 416:12 – 17:12 Seminar 2 – Emerging Long-haul Markets (hotels are a short journey away so you will go straight from the day to evening event, dress code is business attire)

18:00 – 19:00 Drinks Reception – Lower Pavilion19:00 – 19:30 Gala Dinner – Upper Pavilion21:00 – 22:30 Transfers back to hotels

SCHEDULE

THURSDAY 26 FEBRUARY

08:00 – 09:30 Transfers from hotels to Ascot Racecourse09:30 – 10:54 Appointment Session 510:54 – 11:18 Morning Coffee Break11:18 – 12:30 Appointment Session 611:18 – 12:30 Seminar 3 - European12:30 – 13:30 Lunch – Level 413:30 – 16:06 Appointment Session 716:06 Close of Workshop

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

• Buyers are mainly international, and many have at least a ‘business English’ language understanding.

• If you are meeting Asian operators, it is advisable to observe their business card etiquette.

• For your meetings, have a presentation about your product, either paper or on an iPad. Ensure that you have your travel trade rates!

EXPLOREGB

Staff attending Visit Wales Desks at workshop

• Judith Newton

• Claire Carew

• Julie Perkins

In addition

• Clare Dwight

• Tracey Rogers

• Robert Lewis Jones

We are staying at The Hilton Braknell Hotel

APPOINTMENTSExploreGB

APPOINTMENT PREPARATION

• You will have up to 50 appointments over 2 days

• Each meeting will be c13 minutes

• Both buyers and suppliers are able to request meetings

• Visit Wales will be targeting buyers from our key markets (North America, Germany, China, Japan and India) and our best prospects.

• Look out for webinars organised by VisitBritain to assist with preparation for the event.

• The system will remain open until 17:00 on Monday 26 January. Provisional list of appointments sent to delegates 9 February.

• To access the selection process, please follow the link below:

• http://events.visitbritain.com/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x13472f18e

APPOINTMENTS

Important Information Request

• VisitBritain are holding webinars to the 260 buyers attending Explore GB on 4, 5 February

• The National Tourist Boards will be presenting their destinations to the buyers

• Visit Wales need to know if any of our workshop/exhibition partners have anything newsworthy for the Travel Trade for 2015/16 and beyond

• Please let us have brief copy and an image if possible by 23 January – send to carl@cambrensis.uk.com

Best of Britain and Ireland NEC Birmingham

11 & 12 March 2015

USEFUL INFOMRATION

STAND HEADER & GRAPHICS

HEADER (23rd Jan)• The header panels have a maximum of characters of 34

(this must include spaces) BOBI add the stand number to this fascia name board.

GRAPHICS (9th Feb)• Big images (1 image works better)• No bullet points• If using logo – position top right

USEFUL INFOMRATION

GETTING THERE• Hall 8, Birmingham NEC, B40 1NT.• Parking £10 per day.• Exhibition pack will be sent out end of February by

Cambrensis with full instructions.

STANDS• Visit Wales stand number: A71• Meeting Area: C82

USEFUL INFORMATION

ACCESS

USEFUL INFORMATION

DELIVERIES

Deliveries must be clearly marked with a contact name, company name and stand number. Please note that deliveries during the open period can only be made from 0800hrs until 30 minutes before the show opens. Please ensure all packages are addressed to:

“Your stand name & number”Best of Britain & Ireland

Hall 8, The NECBirmingham

B40 1NT

If an exhibitor is unable to be onsite to receive a delivery, the official logistics/freight forwarding company will take receipt of the goods for a charge.

USEFUL INFORMATION

INSURANCE / HEALTH AND SAFETY

• Make sure that your public liability insurance is updated to cover the show attendance, electrics etc

• Please Note: If you have any Exhibiting Partners on your stand, you must be aware that the main stand holder is fully responsible for themselves and any additional Exhibiting Partners. By signing the declaration section within the Health and Safety Form (Form 1/Form 1A) you are confirming that you understand this accountability whilst at Best of Britain & Ireland.

• Please return Health & Safety form by January 30th.

EXHIBITOR ZONE www.bobievent.com/exhibit/exhibitor-zone

Allows you access to the following:

• Exhibitor Manual & Forms• Shell Scheme Specification• Order Exhibitor Badges• Order Data Scanners• Opening and closing times• Show Guide Information – Free of Charge Company

Description• Rules and Regulations• Marketing & PR Information

VIP LUNCH

11 March

12:30pm

Visit Wales Zone A71

*1 person from each partner stand will be able to join the VIP lunch. It is important that one person is covering the stand as the VIP lunch is for hosted buyers only and there will be other people visiting the stands at the same time.*

EXTRAS TO REMEMBER

• Business cards

• Ipad or presenter

• USBs – including brochures, leaflets, updates, press releases, images etc

• Mobile phones/iPads and chargers

• Pen, paper for note-making

• Stapler

• Wi-Fi is provided free of charge

• Accommodation: Staff staying at Ramada Encore

DEADLINES

30th January Health & Safety Form & Show Guide Information

30th January Submit company details on exhibitor zone

23rd January Stand header name (34 characters)

9th February Stand graphics

20th February Submit PR stories to VisitWales

APPOINTMENTSBest of Britain and Ireland

COMPETITION, PROMOTIONS AND

GIVEAWAYS

COMPETITION, PROMOTIONS

& GIVEAWAYS

• What do partners have to offer?

• Need to be aware that food and drink requires licensing

• How do we exploit any competition for maximum advantage?

• How do we measure the value of any giveaways?

DATA COLLECTION AND EVALUATION

DATA COLLECTION & EVALUATION

• How are we to measure success?

• Hard copy as well as scanner and digital capture

• Data cleansing provided

• Proactive follow up of contacts made to gauge business value of exhibiting

ANYQUESTIONS?