WTM Virtual platform, the exciting, new virtual arena for this year’s WTM London and London Travel Week, is now live and open for all registered delegates to create professional and business profiles; connect with exhibitors, trade, media and buyers; pre-scheduled meetings, and select unmissable conference sessions.
WTM Virtual will be live until 25 November, allowing attendees to familiarise themselves with the platform before the show kicks off and catch up on any missed content once the virtual exhibition is over. Meetings can only be conducted during the three days of the show, which starts on 9 November.
WTM Virtual takes place on 9-11 November and will offer travel professionals the opportunity to come together to recover, rebuild and innovate the travel industry.
The platform will embrace one-to-one meetings and networking events between Buyers, Exhibitors, Trade Professionals and Media and over 50 Conference sessions across WTM Virtual, Travel Forward Virtual and London Travel Week on-demand videos.
London Travel Week will kick start the opening of WTM Virtual on 30 October from 10:00-12:00 (GMT) with the Future of Travel Marketing, a tailored marketing session hosted by top marketing experts revealing how they’re reacting to the current challenges, and what they’re planning to do over the next 18 months.
London Travel Week will also host six Speed Networking sessions so that exhibitors, brands and destinations can meet before the WTM Virtual show and form business connections. The week will also provide the perfect forum to celebrate the achievements of those in the travel and tourism industry through virtual awards ceremonies such as the World Travel Leaders’ Awards and the Responsible Tourism Awards.
In addition, the first day of the show will bring together the largest annual gathering of tourism ministers in the world.
The UNWTO, WTTC and WTM Ministers’ Summit, will feature a day-long think-tank on Monday 9 November. The Summit will present an opportunity for ministers, leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts to share their experiences and plans for recovery in a post-pandemic world.
On day two, the WTM Virtual will host the ITIC Tourism Investment Summit, designed to help recover businesses and restore travellers’ confidence after the COVID-19 pandemic. The high-level Summit will discuss the financial strategies, future of travel and tourism industry, its challenges, opportunities, and mechanisms to put in place to aid its successful recovery.
The virtual show will also feature Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair Group, and Robin Hayes, CEO of US carrier JetBlue, who will take part in separate Aviation Updates with highly respected aviation expert John Strickland. This will be the first time that both CEOs have appeared at a WTM Q&A session.
The Responsible Tourism Programme will include seminars taking place at WTM Virtual Responsible Tourism Theatre on the 10 and 11 November. Sessions include Racism in Tourism, happening on Wednesday from 14:00-15:00, and Can We Make Tourism Better? taking place on the same day from 17:00-18:00.
WTM London’s Senior Director Simon Press said:
“We’re delighted to announce that WTM Virtual platform is now live and can be accessed by thousands of travel trade professionals from around the globe.
“Having WTM Virtual platform live three weeks before the virtual event takes place means that travel trade professionals, exhibitors, media, buyers and Ministers will have enough time to connect, organise their schedule, set up meetings, favourite conferences and get familiar with the platform.
“Our main objective has always been into the creation of a unique, large-scale digital gathering platform to connect the travel industry, facilitate business transactions, and provide opportunities for business growth.
“WTM Virtual will enable the travel industry to network and learn about this new consumer environment. We want to come together to recover, rebuild and innovate the travel industry.”
Access the registration form: https://london.wtm.com/en/visit/Visitor-registration/