As Indians increasingly go online to make their travel arrangements, an international conference being held in Mumbai next week, focusses on the burgeoning business of Web-based travel distribution.
The 2010 Travel Distribution Summit India takes places at the Novotel Juhu Beach Hotel on October 6 and 7. More than 50 speakers from India and abroad are featured across 14 conference sessions that cover social media, online marketing, channel management, mobile, venture funding, future technology etc.

Kiran Mani, business head of Google India will be joined by Azran Ozman-Rani, CEO of Air Asia X, David Peller, VP EMEA & India, ITA Software and Chris Amenechi, Senior Director e-Commerce for Continental, to debate the future of travel technology. The India heads of leading internet players LinkedIn and eBay will also be sharing their views on social media and conversion strategies.

On day two, the heads of MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Cleartrip and IRCTC will share their vision and predictions for the Indian online travel industry. This will be followed by insights into how your customer’s online research and buying behaviour is changing. Speakers include the CEO of Travelocity India; the eBusiness Head of Thomas Cook; and the Head of Customer Insight, IHG.

The event will feature a track dedicated to companies that are just starting out online. In-depth sessions on establishing an e-commerce ready website, sourcing VC funding, developing a successful digital marketing strategy and converting lookers into bookers have been planned.

“Our 2010 India Summit is shaping up to be the most interesting and timely event we’ve run in many years. The way travellers are accessing information and communicating about travel products has changed dramatically, even in the last six months”, says Simon Carkeek, Executive Director of EyeforTravel the London-based organizers of the Summit, “We’re also very aware that a large number of successful Indian travel companies are only now coming online. We aim to cater for this fast growing audience, and provide the critical advice and knowledge such companies need to really succeed online.”

Link to full agenda: http://events.eyefortravel.com/tdindia/agenda.asp  
Link for registration: http://events.eyefortravel.com/tdindia/register.asp 

For a related report on how Indian online travel companies are securing venture funding and private equity, see the "Best of the Rest" section for a link to an October 1 story in Mint/WSJ

Oct 1 2010