Skift Take

There's a lot more to Skift Global Forum than just speakers, we have a host of breakout sessions for you to learn and network with some of the biggest names in the travel industry.

Skift Global Forum is not just about listening and learning from thought leaders in the travel industry. It’s also an immersive experience that you will never forget.

For both days of the Forum, we have created experiences for attendees to interact and engage with fellow travel executives through interactive workshops and panel discussions hosted by BrandUSA, Pinterest, SheerID, Salesforce, Accor, and Puerto Rico Tourism Company.

Take a detailed look below at the breakfast and lunch sessions you can participate in while at Skift Global Forum.

Not Registered Yet? Don’t Miss Out

Breakout Sessions, Day 1:

Breakfast Workshop, September 18 at 7:30 am
How Innovative Brands Can Deliver Superior Customer Service and Authentic Traveler Experiences with Salesforce.

As traveler expectations evolve, and technology advances, successful travel companies need to embrace a blend of human interaction and advanced, efficient technologies that put the customers at the center of every interaction. In this breakout session, we’re flipping the script on your average Q&A by making you, the audience, the moderator. Join a facilitated, audience-led conversation with Scott Taber, Senior Vice President, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, to hear how this international luxury hospitality company is meeting and exceeding traveler expectations.

Speakers: Taimur Khan, Vice President, GM Travel, Transportation, Hospitality Solutions Team, Salesforce,
Scott Taber, Senior Vice President, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

 

Breakfast Panel, September 18 at 7:30 am
How Great Stories Inspire Travel

Great stories move us. They have the power to tap into our emotions and inspire a sense of wanderlust that takes us from the glow of our TV or smart phone to far away places. But what makes a great story? Join marketing leaders from Brand USA, Travel Oregon, and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau as they weigh in on the state of destination storytelling, sharing lessons and best case examples of the power of storytelling to inspire travel.

Speakers: Tracy Lanza, VP, Integrated Marketing, Brand USA, Arnie DiGeorge, Executive Creative Director, R&R Partners, and Kevin Wright, VP, Global Marketing, Travel Oregon

 

Lunch Workshop, September 18 at 1 pm
Identity Marketing: How Expedia Wins Bookings with The Power of Consumer Tribes

Learn how to can use word-of-mouth marketing to appeal to your core segment’s social identity, especially when they belong to tight knit groups like the military, teachers, or first responders.

Speakers: Dylan St. Clair, Director of Online Marketing, Expedia and Sai Koppala, CMO and Head of Product, SheerID

 

Lunch Workshop, September 18 at 1 pm
Inspiration to Action: How Travel Brands Can Win on Pinterest

Join Pinterest and two special guests – top travel creators, The Planet D – as they dive into brand new research surrounding key travel personas marketers should consider when developing new campaigns. Brands will gain first-hand learnings and actionable tips on how to create content that will motivate people to get out and explore the world.

Speakers: Vikram Bhaskaran, Global Head of Vertical Strategy and Marketing, Pinterest and Megan Danielson, Industry Lead for Travel & Tech, Pinterest

BREAKOUT SESSIONs, Day 2:

Breakfast Panel, September 19 at 7:30 am
Rising Above: Discussing the Future of Tourism in Puerto Rico

In this discussion, we’ll address some of the strategies Puerto Rico has employed from a destination management perspective to move forward in spite of economic, environmental, and political hardships. In the aftermath of these incidents, we’ll discuss how Puerto Rico created competitive advantages such as increased consumer awareness, access to funding for infrastructure development, a reformed destination marketing & management model, and unmatched incentives for private sector development.

Speaker: Carla Campos Vidal, Executive Director, Puerto Rico Tourism Company and Rafat Ali, Founder and CEO, Skift

 

Breakfast Talk, September 19 at 7:30 am
Transforming The Hospitality Playing Field

Hospitality—can it be reimagined? Join this session presented by Frederic Fontaine, SVP of Accor’s Global Innovation Lab to learn how the group is rethinking old business models and developing new concepts in design, loyalty, co-working, and mobility to create the future of hospitality.

Participants will get a behind-the-scenes look at how the Innovation Lab uses design thinking and brainstorming exercises in practice to develop new concepts and models in an agile, collaborative environment and will walk away with actionable strategies to apply to their own business.

Speaker: Frederic Fontaine, SVP Global Innovation Lab, Accor

We are able to put on an excellent Skift Global Forum thanks to our sponsors including Accor, Accenture, Salesforce, Brand USA, Sojern, Visit Costa Rica, American Express Travel, and AIG Travel.

I Don’t Want to Miss Out

Interested in becoming a sponsor? Find out how.

smartphone

The Daily Newsletter

Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: sgf2019

Up Next

Loading next stories