Busy 2023 events season for Palisis
Our team has been discussing our travel tech solution from Florida to Mexico, Hanoi to Seville, London to Vienna, and many other locations. We are energised and exhausted. As we huddled the team to regroup on what happened over the last eight weeks, here are the themes and trends we picked up during these fantastic events that gathered our beloved industry.
Gray Line Annual Conference, Puerto Vallarta
Marc and Eduard had an incredible time connecting with licensees, exchanging insights with tour operators, and enjoying the sunshine with longtime friends and partners. They had the chance to be on stage introducing the new talent recently incorporated into our teams, offering personalised and expert support to all our suppliers and introducing innovative tech solutions that we are preparing for the future. At the same time, we were humbled and honoured to receive the dedicated partner award from Gray Line. Here’s to many more fruitful collaborations and business adventures together!
IAAPA Expo Europe, Vienna
Josef attended the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions on behalf of Palisis, where they looked at trends in the attractions sector. This knowledge complemented the tour industry and heightened our understanding of our attractions customers. The event was an excellent opportunity to meet partners with good vibes.
Arival 360, Orlando
The atmosphere at Arival was full of energy, with industry colleagues eager to connect and maximise opportunities. Arival creates an engaging space to establish new connections, meet customers and partners, and exchange knowledge, insights, and perspectives with leading-edge companies in the best part of travel.
It was a privilege to absorb industry trends and data insights from research and contribute our expertise with Eduard in a panel session alongside partners. Arival feels like an annual gathering of kindred spirits, emphasising tours, activities, and attractions, uniting to move forward together. We appreciate their focus on travel technology and helping tour operators level up all aspects of their businesses.
International & French Travel Market (IFTM), Paris
Nicole attended the IFTM Top Résa trade show; she shared that it was an engaging experience. The interesting and highly dynamic event offered a vibrant atmosphere that kept participants actively involved. The opportunities to establish connections and discuss travel tech and channel management were abundant, making it a valuable platform for exploring new possibilities within the tours and activities market.
GoCity Event, Amsterdam
Menno represented Palisis at this fun, one-day event hosted by GoCity at the Heineken Experience, gathering preferred connectivity partners. They also spent time on the water, and it was the perfect opportunity for sharing updates and future plans. The whole day was a delight.
Tourism Innovation Show (TIS), Seville
This was a great occasion to meet most of our Spanish suppliers and friends whilst opening new opportunities. TIS is a beloved travel and tech event that we love to attend annually, and our partner, City Sightseeing Worldwide, hosts the highly anticipated afterparty out front of the conference centre.
The Global European Marketplace (GEM)—ETOA, London
This was a fast-paced event with timed meeting slots and the ability to gain brief exposure to potential customers looking for an upgraded booking solution. The overarching theme and need from operators was the focus on API connections, channel management, how to distribute to targeted OTAs, and continued growth. We were thrilled to have our new VP of Sales, Martin Hawke, attend this event.
World Travel Market (WTM), London
WTM was a strong event this year. The hot topics we experienced ranged from technology to sustainability and consumer trends to the future of marketing. This year, the show had a designated space for the activities sector.
Gathering again in London, a top destination for travel, always has such a unique and vibrant feel, setting the tone for the show. The tradeshow floor had a positive, energetic vibe, and everyone’s passion for their sector, destination, and style of travel was inspiring.
Our crew convened a few days early to huddle and connect our growing global team. With a few new team members, WTM was a lovely showcase to make introductions to valued customers. Our sales team met with potential customers looking to strengthen their operations with upgraded distribution, ticketing, and overall sales and operation automation. Digital transformation is still a hot topic for some, and taking their systems to the next level is a huge curiosity for management.
Sharing the booth space with Gray Line Worldwide was again such a pleasure, and the strong relationship between our brands and teams is quite a testament to how well we work together. Thank you to everyone who stopped by, enjoyed a beverage with us and expressed interest in what we are up to!
Travel Massive Event, London
Jessica attended the Travel Massive gathering that was paired with WTM. It was a great time to connect with industry friends, hear about what is happening in the wider tourism sector, and stay connected.
City Sightseeing Conference, Hanoi
Upon arrival, Josef, Alvin and all conference attendees enjoyed leisure time, saw the sights. Indulged in adventure (jeep tour, boat tour, Vespa tour, city tour, and more), sampled culinary delights and made connections throughout. After two days of excursions and bonding, the business meetings began. There was time to share best practices, ways to streamline operations, and other strategies for the upcoming season.
Franchisees explored avenues to sustain growth, enhance customer satisfaction, and boost operational efficiency. This time with our longstanding partners was a great way to close the year.
As you can see, our team eagerly embraced the whirlwind of opportunities that unfolded. With enthusiasm, they journeyed to numerous events, each a gateway to expanding our network and strengthening existing relationships. These were fresh opportunities to showcase our products and solutions, connect with old friends, and create new collaborations. As they crisscrossed the globe, our sales team shared knowledge from the stage and in the networking spaces. Learning from thought leaders, exchanging ideas, plus bringing the company’s full 360° system to wider audiences brought us joy and eagerness to continue streamlining travel businesses worldwide.
“I am incredibly proud of our team; it has been a fast-moving few weeks, touching down in many great destinations to connect with people across our sector. Welcoming Martin Hawke as VP of Sales has brought an exciting energy, and we have ambitious plans for 2024”
Eduard Marti, CRO at Palisis