Specialist ticketing company Encore Tickets is expecting to agree a whopping £5 million worth of new business deals generated from negotiations at World Travel Market 2013, the leading global event for the travel industry.
The lucrative deals come from new clients and new business development, said John Wales, Chief Executive of London-based Encore Tickets.
“We have three new accounts to conclude, estimated be worth at least £400k each,” he added, revealing that they are with an airline, an online travel agency, and a retail partner.
Having attended WTM since 1987, Wales sees the event as an essential part of the travel trade calendar – and feels that WTM 2013 was “much better” than the past couple of years, thanks to brighter economic forecasts and the legacy of the London Olympics.
Furthermore, he feels the constant positive Royal Family-related PR generated from the marriage of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Queen’s Jubilee and the birth of Prince George has put London and the UK at the forefront of the minds of global tourists.
“The quality of buyers was very good and generally buyers were very bullish about 2014 business prospects,” Wales said.
“We planned appointments in advance with overseas clients and prospects – these went very well and our scheduled appointments with the sales team ensured that contracts were renewed, business developed or new clients signed.”
Encore Tickets took a team of 12 to WTM 2013, which generated more than 100 business leads, added Wales.
As well as the sales successes, and the chance to contract new products, the event provided a great platform for PR.
Press releases were sent out in advance of WTM, highlighting the re-launch of the company’s trade website – MyEncore.co.uk – and other activities planned by Encore Tickets for the event.
Wales commented: “The new and improved booking system now includes translation into Mandarin, Japanese and Korean languages, enabling more non-English speaking operators to book tickets directly on MyEncore.co.uk. It was very well received at WTM.”
Furthermore, 600 people attended Encore Tickets’ WTM party at The Café de Paris, with the cast of The Bodyguard and The Commitments “raising the roof with live performances” after they finished their shows in London’s West End.
“WTM is the biggest marketing investment of the year and also represents the biggest return on investment for new business,” Wales concluded.
Reed Travel Exhibitions, Senior Director, World Travel Market, Simon Press said: “It’s great to hear such a success story from WTM 2013, and it echoes the sentiments we are hearing from across our range of exhibitors.
“WTM 2013 will generate more than £2bn in business deals for those attending, which would be a record for WTM.
“Encore’s achievements reflect the wider success story of WTM 2013, which saw more than 50,000 delegates attend over the four days (Monday 4 – Thursday 7 November) – a 5% increase on WTM 2012.”
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About World Travel Market
World Travel Market, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry.
More than 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international press, embark on ExCeL – London every November to network, negotiate and discover the latest industry opinion and trends at WTM.
WTM, now in its 35th year, is the event where the travel industry conducts and concludes its deals.
WTM 2013 generated more than £2 billion of travel industry contracts, revealed independent research by Fusion Communications.
WTM is owned by the world’s leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions (RE), which organises a other portfolio’s of travel industry events including IBTM Events, the world’s leading showcases for the meetings and events industry and International Luxury Travel Market events.
In 2013, RE held more than 500 events in 40 countries bringing together more than six million people from around the world generating billions of dollars in business.
Reed Exhibitions
Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) is the world’s leading provider of exhibitions in the travel and tourism industry, with a wide-ranging portfolio of 21 international events in 14 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa.
Its market-leading, business-to-business events cover all elements of travel and tourism, including leisure travel, luxury travel, meetings, events, incentives and business travel, as well as golf, ski and spa travel.
RTE is part of Reed Exhibitions.