We’re Building a Drool-Worthy Program for Skift Global Forum 2015

See if you can resist.

That’s the challenge we have given ourselves: to build the best program ever built for a travel conference.

Last year’s inaugural Skift Global Forum was called “the TED talks of travel we’ve needed this for a long time” and “the best conference ever done in travel” by attendees, and this year we have given ourselves the ridiculous task of trying to top that.

Bigger conference, bigger venue, and double the time, double the speakers, double the learnings, that’s what it will be with this year’s Forum on October 14 and 15 at the uber-cool Duggal Greenhouse in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

We have finished confirming half of the speakers and topics for this year, and are working now on building the other half. Like last year when we sold out of tickets a month before, we will sell out again, guaranteed. For now the early bird tickets are on sale, so grab them now and brag about them to your colleagues!

Here is the goodness we have lined up for you, all CEOs so far, and we are going to add more diversity of creative and business speakers and topics in the next lot we’re working on now.

The confirmed speakers, in alphabetical order:

» Andy Cohen, Co-CEO of Gensler, on the airport of the future.
» Fred Dixon, CEO of NYC & Company, on the future of tourism marketing for iconic travel brands.
» Craig Greenberg and Alice Gray Stites, President and Chief Curator of 21c Museum Hotels, respectively, on why hotels should become a portal to local arts and culture.
» Greg Hong, CEO and Co-Founder of Reserve, on why dining and food is the next frontier of disruption in travel.
» Mark Hoplamazian, President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels, on bringing humanity back to hospitality.
» Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, on the future of city branding.
» Geoffrey Kent, CEO & Founder of Abercrombie & Kent, on understanding the socio-cultural impact of travel on societies.
» Craig Kreeger, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, on how to build an airline brand by not participating in the premium rat race.
» Vinicius Lages, Minister of Tourism for Brazil, on building a tourism brand around big events (World Cup and Olympics).
» Diego Saez-Gil, CEO and co-founder of Bluesmart, on launching a travel startup through crowdfunding.
» Kevin Shinkle, Chief Communications Officer of Delta Air Lines, and Nancy J. Friedman, Founder & President of NJFPR, on the changed nature of travel PR and communications in a digital-first world.
» Michael Small, CEO of GoGoAir, on the digital habits of air travelers and what brands can learn from them.
» Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso, on how the right kind of travel agent survived the digital change.
» Darrell Wade, CEO of Peak Adventure Travel, on the launching of a breakthrough new brand out of a large travel company.
» Rick Wise, CEO of Lippincott, on the rise of invisible design in travel.

For queries on program and sponsorships, email us at [email protected].