Conference speakers need tighter briefs: TravelMole Comment by Jeremy Skidmore

The perceived wisdom about attending conferences is that if you go away having learnt one new thing, then it has been worthwhile.

At the Institute of Travel and Tourism Conference in Barbados, we all learnt
that holding a black tie event in the Caribbean in June is not a smart idea. A note to sponsors: we’re all grateful for the free nosh and we’re quite happy
to listen to a speaker telling us how wonderful you are, but please don’t
force us to fill our suitcases with woollen penguin suits and then waddle around in extreme discomfort as holidaymakers in shorts look at us as though we’ve lost our minds.

Before the event, Hoseasons chief executive Richard Carrick had suggested that Barbados was an odd destination for a conference; that we should go somewhere in Europe rather than a holiday hotspot eight hours flying time away. At the time I agreed with him, but had somehow completely changed my mind by the third morning, when I went swimming with turtles.

As for the conference itself, there was much to enjoy, especially on the first
day. Ocean Villages’ Peter Shanks was entertaining, as usual, telling
delegates they needed to innovate.

Thomas Cook’s Manny Fontenla-Novoa was at pains to point out that he didn’t want to criticise his predecessors, but then explained at length how the company was a complete basket case before he took over.

Manny is not only a very likeable and talented manager of people, he is also
something of a magician as he managed to squeeze extra effort out of staff while simultaneously making widespread redundancies and cutting wages, the two things usually guaranteed to demoralise employees.

Meanwhile, the research from Populus provided some interesting insights, even if researchers don’t always make the best speakers. John Bywater, from property giant Hammerson UK, which built Birmingham Bullring, demonstrated how travel agents are usually uninviting. If you want people to come in, think Costa Coffee, not school noticeboard.

The second morning didn’t quite live up to expectations and, unfortunately,
sessions ran out of time just when debate from the floor was getting lively.

We need tighter briefs – not on overweight middle-aged delegates wandering on the beach – but for speakers and more time for arguing.

Professor John Lennon talked about tourists visiting spots where famous people had been killed (without once mentioning the Dakota) but he didn’t take it far enough.

There was no insight into why people went there, the trends or
opportunities for tour operators. Surely he should have been briefed to give
that information instead of just talking about Auschwitz.

MEP Glenys Kinnock, who was apparently apoplectic with rage after a certain
trade paper referred to her as the husband of former Labour leader Neil Kinnock, delivered a quite excruciating speech on ethical tourism.

Well, I think it was on ethical tourism but I drifted off as Glenys, reading from a carefully prepared script, treated us to lots of talk about integration, strategy and co-operation. Why can’t politicians speak in plain English?

However, Glenys did provide us with some entertainment when she clashed with World Travel Market director Fiona Jeffrey. Mrs K is an outspoken opponent of the Burma regime and did not agree with WTM’s decision to allow Burma to exhibit.

Jeffrey’s shameless cop-out – “we are apolitical and we promote tourism,
it’s as simple as that” – went down like a lead balloon with the big G and we
were just settling down to the possibility of a good old barney with plenty of
tears when the moderator had to wrap it up as the coffee was going warm outside (it was about 35C after all).

ABTA is promising a radical rethink on its strategy for the Convention in
Marrakech and will have been watching the ITT event like a hawk. Personally, I rated it (and Barbados) as a success, but would advice the Newman Street gang to give speakers a tight brief and allow plenty of time for debate.

People don’t want to just listen, they want to get involved, and as any
hungover delegate struggling to stifle a yawn will tell you, there’s nothing
like a good fight to keep you awake.

What’s your recipe for the perfect conference? Email us at [email protected].