International Ski Travel Market (ISTM), the premier event for the b2b ski travel industry, which sits under the WTM Portfolio, is rebranding to WTM connect Ski as it continues to follow the same unique format of the newly launched WTM connect events.
WTM Portfolio’s specialist two day B2B Ski event will take place on 14 – 15 March 2016, at the Aqua Dome, Ötztal, Austria and will continue to offer an exclusive one-to-one opportunity for ski resorts, tourist boards, private sector ski properties and inbound ski travel suppliers to meet with outbound ski travel buyers.
As the ski travel industry continues to tackle political and economic challenges, the opportunity to meet centrally with peers and colleagues is absolutely key in terms of business development and knowledge sharing. Last year’s event witnessed a record number of attendees (180), a 15% increase on 2014 from 20 countries, representing 50 resorts from across Europe and North America and buyers from across Europe, North America and the Middle East.
All WTM connect Ski buyers are carefully selected based on industry relevance, expertise and purchasing responsibility, replicating the rigorous qualification process seen at many other WTM Portfolio events.
WTM connect Ski attracts top quality buyers form the Ski travel industry from TUI, Hotelplan and Thomas Cook to niche agents, operators and private travel arrangers from established and emerging market stall looking to network, negotiate and sign business deals over the two days.
The re-brand follows on from the launch of WTM connect Asia which will take place in Penang Malaysia and WTM connect China taking place in Sanya, Hainan Island, both one-to-one events, that will take place in May 2016.
WTM Portfolio, Director, Craig Moyes, commented: “The newly launched WTM connect events, which act as the perfect platform for one-to-one business led meetings, truly fits with what ISTM achieves. The rebrand of ISTM to WTM connect Ski is vital to keep the WTM Portfolio consistent moving forward.
“WTM connects are targeted events for exhibitors to meet with hand-picked buyers. The WTM Portfolio will facilitate more than $7 billion in travel industry business deals in 2015, and WTM connect Ski will contribute significantly and help to increase this in 2016.”
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WTM Portfolio
The World Travel Market Portfolio is comprised of the leading leisure travel events in the world; World Travel Market in London, WTM Latin America in Sao Paulo, WTM Africa in Cape Town and Arabian Travel Market in Dubai.
The WTM Portfolio’s events are attended by the global travel and tourism industry’s senior executives to conduct business deals and discover the latest research, insight and opinion.
In 2014, the WTM Portfolio facilitated around $7 billion in industry deals from negotiations between the more than 15,000 buyers, 9,500 exhibitors (1,500 main stand holders and 8,000 stand sharers) in attendance of its four events.
WTM is owned by the worldʼs leading events organiser Reed Exhibitions.
About Reed Exhibitions
Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events organiser, with over 500 events in 43 countries. In 2014 Reed brought together over seven million event participants from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Africa and organised by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of the RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.
Contacts:
Paul Nelson,
WTM Portfolio Press and PR Manager
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8910 7032
Nicole Collett,
WTM Portfolio Press and PR Executive
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8910 783