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On November 19-21, the sunny city of Phoenix in Arizona became a host location for the Phocuswright Conference. GP Solutions was lucky to be among its attendees, represented by VP of Product Maria Bondarenko. More on our general impressions of the event in a brief recap below.
The conference is held each year in the USA and Europe and has been globally recognized as a flagship event in the travel sector, convening a top quality network of the brightest minds in the industry. C-level executives, travel tech professionals, hoteliers, OTAs, DMCs — everyone can be met at Phocuswright, which acts as an excellent platform for market-first content, meetings, and discussions, with the high potential to expand everybody’s business horizons.
The event’s program was extensively packed with all sorts of sessions pursuing one goal — to explore the latest trends, technologies, and market shifts. Entitled “The New Age(nts)”, the conference focused around AI, sustainability, and evolving traveler behaviors. The ultimate spotlight of everybody’s discussions was undoubtedly artificial intelligence and its active implementation for various business cases — personalized trips and recommendations, product descriptions, market and sales analytics.
Here’s a closer look at other key themes defining the future of travel:
- Ever more travelers are looking for personal experiences, often impacted by social media and influencers. To adapt to this demand, legacy systems and inflexible APIs require fundamental changes.
- Loyalty programs present another aspect for innovation, as younger travelers lose interest in point-based systems used by their parents.
- Despite funding challenges, startups showcased resourceful approaches to digital transformation.
- If you want to power AI personalization or improve booking systems, make sure your data is structured and high-quality, with fractured pieces unified.
One way or another, what permeated all discussions was the idea that in 5 to 10 years the entire approach to travelling would change, just like computers and smartphones once brought disruptions to our conventional lives.
For GP Solutions, the conference was an unparalleled feat. We learned that our software is capable to unlock highly promising opportunities in the American market, and we truly need to extend our partnership and client network there. Our solutions were highly praised by conference attendees for their level of customization, flexibility, stability, and the ability to take into account the specifics of individual businesses, rather than offer a mean way out moderately suitable for everyone.
Maria Bondarenko at the Phocuswright Conference
“Despite the packed schedule, I’ve managed to fully enjoy Phocuswright as a great place for deep networking, knowledge exchange, and strategic discussions. The commitment to attend means that each attendee is serious about business,” comments Maria Bondarenko. “It is a great location to meet C-level executives of large companies such as Amadeus, Kayak, or Travelport. I was engaged in around 15 business meetings during the event, with almost each of them progressing further into partnerships or negotiations. In addition, I gained a couple of ideas for further improvements to our products.”
A brighter, more technological future awaits, as do upcoming events GP Solutions is going to attend. Please stay in touch for further announcements.
