October 23, 2013 by Angie Ng

WIT Conference – Day 2

WIT Conference 2013
Theme: The Asia Factor
Venue: Suntec Convention Centre

DAY 2 Programme: October 23, 2013

08.45     Opening & Scene Setting
Kick-off to the final Day.

09.00     Track #3: Players Changing Asia & Travel
The Asia Factor is not just about global companies entering the region to establish their presence and network but it’s also about Asia-based brands putting down roots and expanding beyond the region. This track looks at the home-grown players that are changing travel in the region
Facilitator: Yeoh Siew Hoon, Editor & Founder, Web In Travel

COFFEE WITH WINNIE CHIU
The President and Executive Director of Dorsett Hospitality International  shares her plans to grow the family business and how she’ll embrace “The Asia Factor” in her mission to build a global hospitality company for the future.

LOW COST EFFECT
No other factor has been more responsible for changing customer behaviour and transforming travel in Asia than low cost airlines. In this session, we look at the low cost effect and how it will continue to fuel travel and change customer behaviour.Azran Osman Rani, CEO, AirAsiaX
Campbell Wilson, CEO, Scoot Mark Lankester, CEO, Tune Hotels  Martin Symes, Vice President, Marketing, Abacus International
Alan Tan, Professor of Aviation Law, National University of Singapore Hyuk Park, Head of Planning, Jeju Air

10.10     Track #3: Players Changing Asia & Travel Part 2
Facilitator & Moderator: Morris Sim, CEO, Circos Brand Karma
Continuing Track #3, the following sessions will delve into how “The Asia Factor” figures into the hottest topic in business strategy today – how to market to Asians and in Asia.

▪  Say Hello to the 5th P
The 4Ps of Marketing, introduced in 1960, have been the bedrock of marketing and have taught companies that Product, Price, Placement and Promotion are the levers a brand should use to create a winning marketing strategy. However, some 50-plus years later, the dizzying changes in consumer behavior necessitate an update to the model. Welcome ‘People’, the 5th P.

▪  Insights into People as the Asia Factor
Before we can understand how the 5th P plays out in the new marketing paradigm, it’s worthwhile to gain some insights into who they are and what they do before, during, and after trips. This presentation will summarise the latest market research done on Asian travelers and provide context on what the 5th P is all about.
Emilie Couton, Director of Hotel Solutions Asia Pacific, ACCOR
Now we dive into the components of the new marketing paradigm with expert panels.

▪  The Asia Factor in Product
Product is all about the customer experience. This time, it’s led by a revolution in consumer reviews, both public and private. Reviews cover experiences from the minutiae through the life changing (and sometimes, lifesaving). With channels fragmenting, rich media exploding, how far will user generated content go to shape travellers’ wants and expectations? How are suppliers responding to this wave of opinions and demands? Finally, with new search models delivering rankings by specific customer touchpoints, how will social media hijack the product expectations from brand marketers?
Benjamin Jost, CEO, TrustYou
Emilie Couton, Director of Hotel Solutions Asia Pacific, ACCOR Kittisak (Kitt) Pattamasaevi, VP Sales and Marketing, Montara Hospitality Group
RJ Friedlander, CEO, ReviewPro

▪  The Asia Factor in Pricing
Pricing centers squarely on Revenue Management. How does the Asia Factor make new rules in using pricing as a lever? Are there pricing assumptions that are no longer valid? With more supply than demand in many places and increases in very last minute booking, how will revenue management evolve? How does one do forecasting and budgeting for the year in this dynamic context?
Grahame Tate, Managing Director Asia Pacific, IDeaS
Jeannette Ho, VP Revenue Management & Distribution, Fairmont Raffles Hotel International
Stefan Wolf, Senior VP, Revenue & Distribution Strategy, Onyx Hospitality Group, Thailand
Traci Mercer, VP Market Management, Asia Pacific, Expedia Lodging Partner Services 

11:15     Break

11.45     Track #3: Players Changing Asia & Travel Part 3
Facilitator & Moderator: Morris Sim, CEO, Circos Brand Karma

▪  The Asia Factor in Placement
Placement is all about the distribution channels where consumers shop. A wave of changes has occurred worldwide, and Asia is leading the pack. For brands, virality is the new world order, but can they get to customers directly? For intermediaries, traditional and emerging, how will they satisfy the demands of suppliers who are getting more vocal about getting prime exposure? Join us for a quick-paced view, and debate, into the drivers and outcomes that are fundamentally changing the Placement lever for marketers.
Andrew Cox, VP, Business Development 
Asia Pacific, Sabre Hospitality Solutions
Chris Gribble, VP & GM of Hospitality Solutions, INFOR Hospitality, Asia Pacific and the Middle East
Lawrence Kuok, Manager, Digital Marketing, Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Patrick Andres, Regional Managing Director and VP Asia, Travelport
Sean Seah, Managing Director, Travel, Groupon 

▪  The Asia Factor in Promotion & Loyalty
This final session weaves it all together. The world of brand building has changed beyond recognition from when the 4Ps were first introduced. Consumers are being bombarded; new brands are built, some last, a lot wither away. Old brands have to reinvent and the key metric is “engagement.” How do you build a brand for a world ruled by People? First, a case study, and then we get into a panel that ties brand building to loyalty. Where do loyal customers come from in the new Asia? Do they even exist anymore? What are the new ideas being tried? Does loyalty even matter, or is it just a cost that accrues liability on the balance sheet? This session provides insights straight from some of Asia’s hottest brand builders and loyalty makers and watchers.
Nick Baker, Executive General Manager, Consumer Marketing, Tourism Australia
Frank Lin, CEO & Co-founder, myALN, China
Louise Daley, CEO, Accor Advantage Plus
Timothy Hughes, VP Marketing, Agoda
Naomi Mizumura, Vice President, Consumer Cards, American Express

12.55     Wrap-up of Track #3: Players Changing Asia and Travel

13.00     Lunch

14:00     Coffee with Deep Kalra
His was the biggest success story in online travel in Asia when his company went public on NASDAQ on August 13, 2010. How has its fortunes changed since then? How has it had to adapt to increased competition and challenges in the Indian market? And what are its plans to expand beyond India beyond the acquisition of hoteltravel.com? In this conversation with Yeoh Siew Hoon, CEO, Deep Kalra shares the MakeMyTrip story.

14.20     Track #4: New Frontiers
Facilitator: Yeoh Siew Hoon, & Founder, Web In Travel
The Asia Factor is full of new frontiers for those bold enough to take them on. Whether you define them by national boundaries or special interests, the region holds promise for the bold and innovative.

SEIZING THE MOMENT: Stephan Ekbergh, CEO, Travelstart, is taking his business from Africa to the Middle East and with an eventual eye on Asia. What does it take to be a pioneer, to dare to seize the moment, to break down walls?

UNCOVERING THE INDONESIAN TRAVEL STORY Moderated by Brett Henry, Vice President Commercial, Abacus International, this panel will dive into the trends driving the hottest South-east Asian market and the issues holding back online and ecommerce traction from the perspectives of local experts and investors.

Fritz Demopoulos, CEO, Queen’s Road Capital
Ferry Unardi, Co-founder and Managing Director at Traveloka.com
Gaery Undarsa, Managing Director, PT Global Tiket Network
Hans Ebenhahn, CEO & Founder, Nusatrip.com
Kei Shibata, , Venture Republic, Singapore

EYE ON MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA: It’s the next frontier for Asia-based companies looking to grow. In this session, we pick up key insights from leading players from a region that’s woken up to all things online.

Cengiz Degirmenci, Online Sales & Marketing Manager, Turkish Airlines
Mohamad Ibrahim Masri, Managing Director, Middle East and North Africa, Wego
Terry Kane, Head of Digital Strategy, Jumeirah Group

RISE OF THE SILVER SURFERS: Asia’s not all about youths. It also has one of the most rapidly ageing societies, and these customers have time and money, and lusty appetites for travel. And guess what, they spend a lot of time online too. Understand their customer journey and what you can do to tap into this mega-dollar market.
Kim Walker, CEO & Founder, Silver Group

THE SUPERHEROES PITCH, ROUND 1
If I were a superhero, this would be the new frontier I’d want to break in travel. Our team of superheroes choose the frontier they want to breach and make their case in 3 minutes each. You cheer for your hero.
Benjamin Jost, CEO & Co-founder, TrustYou
Bonamy Grimes, Co-founder & Director, Skyscanner

16:00     Break

16:30    Track #4: New Frontiers, Part 2
CRACKING THE DATA CODE
Big or small, data has the ability to help you deliver value to your customers, if you know how to use it smartly. In this session, learn about how it can be applied to online travel businesses.
Christian Bartens, Founder & Director, Datalicious Pty Ltd

SUPERHEROES PITCH, ROUND 2
Our team of superheroes continues their pitch on the new frontier they want to breach in travel. You cheer for your hero.
Brett Henry, Vice President, Commercial, Abacus International
Fiona Rankine, CEO, Asian Palette
Patrick Andres, Vice President and Regional Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Travelport 

16:50    WIT Developer & Designer Challenge / WITovation Awards 2013
Unveiling The Winners of the WIT Developer & Designer Challenge and our WITovation Award winners.

17:20     WIT Start-up Pitch
Powered by Abacus Ventures

Our finalists for the WIT Start-Up Pitch present their ideas in 3 minutes each. The winner will be determined by our panel of judges.