28 October 2009

2009 ETOA workshop set to be biggest yet

In ETOA's 20th anniversary year registrations for the Global European Marketplace are 25 per cent ahead of last year's figures and the event is set to be the biggest so far.

With only a week left to the event 215 buyers and 350 European suppliers have confirmed their attendance.

GEM09 takes place over three days immediately before World Travel Market in London and is ETOA's premier business event. The central activity is the GEM workshop on Friday November 6 at the New Connaught Rooms in central London.

Alongside the workshop, ETOA will be running an expanded conference (open to non-members and industry partners) with two business-related seminars on November 5 at the Copthorne Tara Hotel, London. On November 7, the annual ETOA gala dinner, which this year will be at the London Sheraton Park Lane hotel after the closure of long-standing previous venue, the Café Royal.

ETOA's executive director Tom Jenkins said: "Our 20th anniversary comes against a backdrop of uncertainty in the travel industry and the economy at large. The number of registrations we have received for this year's GEM shows that buyers and suppliers are keener than ever to do business and are looking towards a brighter year ahead. We're very confident that this year's workshop will be bigger and better than ever."

More than 7000 meetings are scheduled between international tour operators, online intermediaries, wholesalers and leading European suppliers. In advance of the event, all delegates attending request the 15 companies they would most like to meet. Suppliers meet buyers according to their pre-arranged appointment list, which features up to 36 meetings - each lasting 12 minutes - over the course of the day. There are additional networking opportunities at the workshop lunch and a post-workshop drinks reception.

"This is an ideal opportunity to catch up with existing European partners, meet potential new ones and discuss the European markets all under one roof," said Paul Wagner, director of purchasing - Europe, Tumlare/JTB Europe.

"GEM is a key travel trade event," said Geraldine Huitric of Shakespeare's Globe, a major tourist attraction in London. "The workshop offers fantastic opportunities to meet our principal clients and conclude new deals on just one day - definitely a must-attend!"

If you would like to attend GEM Conference or Gala Dinner please contact ETOA on 020 7499 4412 or visit www.etoa.org/gem.aspx for more details.

David Browne