Registration is open until 15 March and limited to 30 places
Entrepreneurs in the travel industry will have a special opportunity at this year’s WTM Latin America. In a partnership with Campus Party, this year’s event is reserving space for 12 start-up companies that will be able to present their projects at this 8th edition of the show. Registration to take part in the challenge is open until 4 March, although places will be limited to 30 participating companies.
There are two phases to the challenge. The first phase involves selecting the 12 start-up companies that will take part in WTM Latin America and present their projects to a judging committee during the event.
Companies interested in registering for the Travel Forward Start-up Hub challenge must complete the form at this link and satisfy one of the following profiles. Requirements: companies in the pre-operational phase of a business (still unregistered and not billing customers) that have a prototype or beta version of a viable product; or companies that are already operating (they have a corporate taxpayer’s ID number – CNPJ) and that have been established for a maximum of five years, that already have, or are developing, a technology-based solution (web/software/hardware/mobile) and that focus on the travel industry.
The names of the companies selected to exhibit in the innovation area at WTM Latin America will be announced on 16 March.
During the event, the start-ups that have been selected will have a space to exhibit their products and, at the end of each of the first two days, they will defend their project to mentors of the Advisory Council and market influencers. Six start-ups a day will make a five-minute (maximum) presentation when they must explain the commercial aspects of their business, its differentials and its scalability.
The three winners of the challenge will be announced on the last day of the show. The prize for winning this second phase will be an invitation to exhibit at Campus Party and five tickets to participate in the event.
Ney Neto, director of business development and innovation at the MCI Group, stresses how important it is for start-ups to be provided with this space within the main tourism business event in Latin America. “We’ve already gone past the stage of imagining the impacts that new business models or disruptive innovations have on the tourism industry. Now’s the time to build bridges between the industry and the companies that emerged in the digital age. Promoting access to start-ups and their proposals is one of the best ways of developing the tourism segment, and in this context WTM’s initiative to introduce these entrepreneurs to the public visiting the event strengthens the entire travel production chain and creates a lot of business opportunities.”
More information on the selection process can be found in the rules and regulations of the challenge. Those interested in taking part should publish information about the product/service and provide an access link to the information and a summary of the business model that is up to 280 words long. Those companies that do not have a logo need to create one.
The director of WTM Latin America, Luciane Leite, explains that the initiative to bring the start-up public into the event is a reflection of the way the market is evolving and an action model that has already been tried and tested and very well evaluated in London. “We look for positive references in the market and, in particular, in our London event, which is the biggest in the world in B2B tourism. We’re also aware of the importance and impact that technology and innovation have on our sector. Opening up space for these companies to present their proposals and take part in this challenge is a very positive stimulus for the market as a whole; we’re creating a showcase for new solutions”, she concludes.
WTM Latin America
31 March, 1 and 2 April 2020
Expo Center Norte – Rua José Bernardo Pinto, 333 – Vila Guilherme, São Paulo
For further information: https://latinamerica.wtm.com/