Reflections & analysis about innovation, technology, startups, investing, healthcare, and more .... with a focus on Minnesota, Land of 10,000 Lakes. Blogging continuously since 2005.

Tag: Flyspy (Page 2 of 3)

RealTravel Is Real (Web 2.0) Deal

Okay, you’re not gonna believe this, but the next company that inspired me to write a blog post I learned later is also headed by a surfer! Swear I did not plan this… Hey, what can I say? Surfers are really into travel. Ken Leeder is his name, and he’s the CEO of the most Web-too-oh-ified travel company I’ve seen so far here, RealTravel. I had a chance to chat with his director of marketing, Christina Brzica yesterday. [It’s early morning Wednesday now, the last day of the conference.] RealTravel is a pretty cool site, and a very good-looking one, too — featuring travel blogs, recommendations, trip planning, forums, search by destination or tags (activities), travel deals, and more. Realtravel

Some of you may remember that RealTravel, headquartered in Los Altos, CA, actually launched at the O’Reilly Web 2.0 Conference last year. They appear to have made some nice progress since then. Christina tells me they’re now approaching 2 million page views and 200,000 unique visitors per month. “Our number of contributors [as in user-generated content] is in the tens of thousands,” she said, “and we’re now measuring blog posts in the hundreds of thousands.”

The company does all this with only seven employees, which is pretty amazing. Talk about a great example of the latest Internet-startup credo, “Get big cheap,” huh? I also learned the firm’s chairman in Michael Tanne of social search site Wink.

Christina tells me that RealTravel just announced a partnership with SideStep (scroll down to see Press Releases), which will be noticeable on SideStep’s site in a couple of months. The firm has other partners as well, including Frommer’s.

In addition, last week RealTravel introduced a recommendation tool, whereby the site “interviews” you to learn about your interests and then suggests trips you’d like.

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Turning Tourists Into Travelers

Just heard a speaker I have to blog about: Rod Cuthbert, CEO of Viator — an Aussie surfer who gave a really great talk (easily the best so far this first day). There’s a difference between the terms “tourist” and “traveler,” said Rod, who splits his time between Bondi Beach, Sydney, and his company’s US office in San Francisco. Viatorbanner “Travelers want to experience their destination, not just visit it,” he said. “They want to understand the local culture.”

Rod’s firm (the name is Latin for traveler) was actually founded in 1995, so he’s been coming to this conference for many years. It fits — Aussies are some of the world’s biggest travelers. Viator raised an additional $6 million in Series B financing a year ago, led by Carlyle Venture Partners, with participation by Technology Venture Partners, putting the total the firm has raised at $10 million.

Rod said that most important thing when people travel is what they plan to do when they get there — destination activities — not the “mechanics” that so much of the travel industry is focused on (flights, hotel rooms, rental cars). “Teach your customers the ‘Art of Travel’,” he said, referring to the title of a book he recommends.

“Getting people hooked on travel is perfectly legal,” he said. “And true travelers will travel even when prices are high. They need to! They generate more revenue for you.” In the on-stage interview following (see photo), he talked about the “power of anticipation” and how travel sites need to appreciate this mentality of the true traveler. Viatorrodcuthbert_1

Viator is a comprehensive online resource for travelers to plan “the things you do when you get there,” featuring more than 4,500 destination activities in 450 cities in 75 countries. It helps travelers with a variety of tastes and preferences to research, plan, and book their trips. The company has 3,500 affiliates, including Priceline, Travelocity, Opodo.com, SideStep, Zuji, AirFrance.com, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Sydney and London.

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Travel 2.0: ‘Social Networking Floodgates Have Opened’

So said Phil Wolf, CEO of PhocusWright, in kicking off his firm’s 13th annual executive travel conference. “Travel 2.0 is soon to become accepted practice. Last November, we celebrated Travel 1.0’s swan song. It started in ’95 was dominated by price,” he said. “Now we have other factors like consumer collaboration, recommendations from friends, and friends of friends.” Of the price factor, he made a significant point: “It’s now about complete transparenecy in data and pricing — which is code for ‘truth’.”

Wolf noted that ony 10% of online travelers now belong to an online community site to help them plan their trips. But he ended his opening remarks with this prediction: “Interaction with others will expand exponentially.”

I thought the bump music that came up loud at this point hit the mark: “Break on Through to the Other Side” by The Doors…who, incidentally, became famous not far from here. [Jim Morrison, you still rock…]

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Early Notes from the Travel 2.0 Conference

Well, the sun’s not up yet in Tinsel Town [no, I haven’t been up all night!], but I thought I’d do a quick blog post before I get to the opening session. After stopping to have lunch yesterday with PureVideo Networks in El Segundo on my way up the 405, I made it to the very crowded, gleaming Renaissance Hollywood Hotel (near the Hollywood Bowl) yesterday about 2:00 for registration at PhocusWright’s annual travel-industry confab. What a mob! Close to 900 turned out, huge lines, and the hotel was sold out weeks ago. Other press in attendance includes BusinessWeek, Reuters, USA Today, The Internet Traveler, and about 16 travel-industry press. Blog coverage? Some press may be blogging live, but I appear to be the only pure blogger listed. I would have expected more at an event that’s largely about how Web 2.0 is affecting travel. Well, I’ll try to uphold my end of things…

I see sponsors of the event include Google (14 people here), Yahoo (16), and AOL (7). Also having good representation, as one would expect, are mega travel powers American Express (24), as well as Minneota’s own Carlson Companies (5), which includes folks from Carlson Leisure Travel, Carlson Hotels, and Carlson Wagonlit Travel, whose CEO is speaking this morning.

Why so much attention focused on travel? Well, I’m learning it’s one humongous space. The event’s producers call it “the world’s largest industry,” and I see Jupiter Research just released projections that would appear to back that up. It says online travel will hit $85 billion this year, and $128 billion by 2011. That big enough for ya?

Stand by for my onsite posts. The wi-fi here appears to be good.

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Travel 2.0 – I’m Breathless!

Regarding the conference I’ll be blogging from next weekPhocuswrightconf How can one not be enthusiastic after reading this update I received a few days ago from the event producers?

(beginning of excerpt)

Well, it’s just one week to show time in Hollywood, California!

At PhoCusWright, we are passionate about creating a unique conference in an industry mired in a “sea of same.” By producing a conference that’s changing conferences, we are fighting commoditization just like you and delivering a differentiated product along the way. Thank you for joining us in this quest to challenge the status quo.

Next week, The PhoCusWright Executive Conference will be the most notable yet in the event’s illustrious 13-year history for several reasons: record attendance, an unrivaled speaker roster that spans all aspects of our industry’s value chain; highly motivated and demanding attendees; and a tested, pioneering conference format that unveils what’s on prominent travel, tourism and hospitality executives’ minds, and a new “2.0 conference experience.” You’ll find yourself immersed in the strategic center of the world’s largest industry — surrounded by the heads of major suppliers, distributors and influencers.

This business trip is your key to the unvarnished truth about the vetted, the vexed and the victorious as “Travel 2.0 Confronts the Establishment.”

Overview and About PhoCusWright
For over a decade, PhoCusWright events have provided a more valuable experience because our analysts run the show. We leverage our travel industry expertise and interviewing skills to uncover truths, probe for clarity and reject sales pitches. Our clients (attendees, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers) know that we respect their time by providing superior production value, professional event operations, excellent meals and social networking opportunities with unique access to peers and industry leadership. The PhoCusWright Executive Conference on November 13-15 will be three special days dedicated to fresh ideas, expansive thinking, incredible energy and uncommon community.

PhoCusWright Inc. is an independent travel, tourism and hospitality research firm specializing in consumer, business and competitive intelligence. The company produces consumer, market and industry research, provides strategic consulting services and stages a series of high-profile conferences in the U.S. and Europe.

Conference Program and Agenda
At last year’s Executive Conference, we witnessed Travel 1.0’s swan song. Since then, the Travel 2.0 floodgates have opened with empowered consumers taking charge. It’s a positive, advancing force holding great promise for our industry.

Travel 2.0 – our industry’s collective application of Web 2.0 – embodies how companies can differentiate themselves in a vast, dynamic travel distribution marketplace. It challenges status-quo travel planning behavior. Travelers are now keen to take control and find/create the perfect trip, not just the cheapest trip.

The conference theme is huge: “Travel 2.0 Confronts the Establishment.” Content and conversation center on a unique collection of leadership and topics. The non-stop program is very busy by design and the format exposes attendees to a rare experience. Pithy and provocative commentary triumph.

PhoCusWright attendees (that’s you!) enjoy a reputation for asking savvy, deep-digging questions and not letting go without real answers. Don’t be shy! Our analyst team, armed with a cache of questions, draws the best out of everyone! With a relentless quest for meaningful debate and a probing perseverance for clear answers, together we will expose the very issues that have a vise-like grip on senior executives’ minds.

Be prepared for the unexpected!

New This Year
New this year, attendees are empowered to control their own conference destiny. Just as Travel 2.0 enables consumers to create their perfect trip, The PhoCusWright Executive Conference enables attendees to customize their perfect conference experience. For example, the Attendee Empowerment Heat Map (available at www.phocuswright.com/conferences/heatmap) illustrates your ability to control how much content vs. work you choose to focus on at any time and anywhere. Whether you soak up content in the theater, multitask in the cafe with headsets or camp out in the satellite theater, not only will you learn about Travel 2.0, you will live it!

Also new this year: real-time electronic question board, attendee headsets to listen anywhere, satellite theatre, 80 – person café, sponsored workshops, “VC Talk”, myphocuswright.com and more.

Back by popular demand: WiFi, live blog, open exhibition showcase, I-mag projection that beams several different types of screens at different locations. Whoever is speaking — pundit on stage or attendee in row 38 — appears live on the screens, including subtitles with name and affiliation.

Dream Demographics
Wonder who you will be seated next to? Your strategic partner. Your big investor. Your hottest prospect. Your next key hire. Your awaited acquirer. Your biggest competitor. You’re not dreaming.

It’s very much prime time for our marketplace. We are proud to showcase industry heavyweights from the traditional as well as the online sector; from corporate, meeting and leisure camps; from the supply as well as the distribution side; from discount to luxury; from media and transaction vantages; from North America to Asia; and from Wall Street’s to Main Street’s perspective. We understand the people you interact with matter the most so we have lured an incomparable target audience you can’t miss.

In this fertile environment, millions of dollars of deals get done… and then some. Relationships are cemented. Leads are qualified. Paths are paved. Hires are secured. By joining your peers from around the world, you will shape your point-of-view, hone your strategy, fill your sales pipeline and cultivate business like never before.

The Bottom Line
That’s why we’re all congregating next week at The PhoCusWright Executive Conference to confront what’s next and profit from a keener understanding. Unrivaled insight, healthy debate, critical corroboration, peer talkback, audience grilling, credible forecasts, powerful thinking… even a better night’s sleep.

The PhoCusWright Executive Conference will be “a needle-moving” three days where clarity reigns supreme and buzz is palpable. You are among an unparalleled group: savvy, connected, demanding and poised to do business. Thank you for coming. We look forward to seeing you and to your participation.

Be ready to stand up and speak out. Travel 2.0 is confronting the establishment, and so will you!

(end of excerpt)

As I said, breathless! I’m getting pumped about this thing. And I haven’t even followed the online travel industry all that much to date….Flyspylogo_2except via my own personal experiences as an avid user of these services for my frequent personal and business travel. I’m especially looking forward to the talk to be given by Rob Metcalf, founder of Minneapolis-based Flyspy.

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