JUSTIN FLEMING, PRESIDENT NEW VISION Graham Boynton from the Telegraph and economist George Magnus. Friday morning will fi nish on a high with comic Sanjeev Bhaskhar offering insights into his travels in India. This is preceded by senior environmentalist Jonathan Porritt on how climate change will continue to affect the industry today. Doug McWilliams will also examine other social and economic threats to business, in a session entitled ‘The X-Factor’. Formal networking sessions have been scheduled in the Talk Zone, and more time has been scheduled for informal networking by starting the Convention Centre sessions at 10.00 and fi nishing at 16.30. Delegates will be thoroughly entertained. This year there will be a Mega Beach Party, preceded by a cocktail party in each of the convention hotels so that delegates can meet fellow guests staying in the same accommodation. While on Thursday night, delegates can make the most of private events, followed by a Late-Night Cabaret that will celebrate 10 years of ABTA Magazine. Full information on all of the above can be found on the convention website, www.thetravelconvention.com THIS YEAR’S TRAVEL Convention has been repositioned and renamed, to support its vision to be the trade association for the travel industry of the future. All business sessions will have a travelindustry focus, and speakers will be grilled by BBC Radio 2 broadcaster and Panorama frontman, Jeremy Vine. The business sessions kick off with the most powerful duo in the UK’s holiday industry: Manny Fontenla-Novoa, chief executive of Thomas Cook, and Peter Long, from TUI Travel. Other powerful insights into growing businesses and current trends will also be provided on the fi rst day by the Distribution Revolution session — a panel debate on customer loyalty led by Malcolm Preston, partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers, and marketing guru, Clive Humby. On Thursday 29 November, Riding the Wave will provide delegates with an essential session on Web 2.0 from Microsoft’s Mel Carson and Kevin May, editor of Travolution Magazine. Masterclasses will explore the practicalities of the new ATOL levy, the growth of cruise, and vital tips for entrepreneurs. A session on the wealth of luxury travel will be led by WE’RE FINALLY HERE in Tenerife, at the premier travel industry event. My condolences to those of you who couldn’t make it this year, but we’ll be aiming to give you a taste of what’s on offer here by issuing regular podcasts and ABTA Todays throughout the event. We’ve really concentrated this year on making the business sessions as relevant and as useful as we could. From the two largest ABTA Members’ CEOs opening the sessions to Jonathan Porritt, a leading authority on green issues, on the fi nal day, it would be hard to think of a stronger speaker line-up. The emphasis over these three days will be on dealing with challenges, looking at fl exible business models and getting essential pointers from the best minds in the industry and business world today. As always, the convention is not just about work, and even a seasoned travel convention pro such as myself has been impressed by the social events arranged by both the Tenerife Tourist Board and our own organisers, Co-Plus. The Mega Party on the opening day promises to be very special, as do the myriad other events on offer. Meeting old friends and colleagues, and developing new business contacts are all part of the mix, whether it’s formally in the Talk Zone or in the Irish Bar after hours. With the space-age Magma Centre as our base, outstanding hotels, high-quality speakers and entertainment to die for, Tenerife promises to be three never-to-beforgotten days and nights. The fi shing village of Garachico, Tenerife . . The emphasis will be on dealing with challenges, looking at fl exible business models and getting essential pointers A B T A T R A V E L C O N V E N T I O N 10 ABTA Magazine December 2007

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT IMAGE: TENERIFE TOURISM CORPORATION YOUTRAVEL.COM “We believe that sharing ideas and experiences can only make our businesses and industry stronger” — more than 85% of our properties are four or fi ve-star, and this will be maintained and increased to become our point of difference in the future. . Why is the Travel Convention important to Youtravel.com? It is vital for us to see what other businesses, and not just in the accommodation-only sector, are doing; how they have fared in the past year; and how they are tackling industrywide issues. The convention gives the industry a chance to get together to discuss challenges, achievements and take stock of the past year. . Why should the trade take notice of it? We believe that sharing ideas and experiences can only make our businesses and industry stronger. We are navigating one of the biggest periods of change in the UK travel industry, so the trade should take notice and get involved in the convention at all levels — from CEO to high-street shop managers. . What’s been happening at Youtravel.com? We recently celebrated our fi rst birthday at the end of October. We also hosted our fi rst trade fam trip in the same month. We took 10 of our key trade partners to Sharm el Sheikh for a few days, to say thank you for their support in our fi rst year — as well as giving them a chance to see some of our fl agship properties. . What challenges do you face in the future? Like any business in our sector, the big challenge for us will be when the big two start to look at the accommodation-only arena seriously. At present, they are still very much focusing on their travel-inclusive package holidays, but the time will come when they alter this. At Youtravel.com we are striving to become known for our high-quality hotels PAUL RICHES, SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR MAGMA CENTRE ABTA Magazine December 2007 11