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Overview  |  Presenting Options | Agenda | Registration Options

Why a Tour Operator Tech Summit?

NAJ Announces First-ever Tour Operator Technology Summit NEW YORK—NAJ’s upcoming RTO Summit East slated to take place April 24-25 at the Park Central hotel in Manhattan, dedicating its first day to a new feature: the first ever Tour Operator Technology Summit, which is designed to help international, receptive and domestic tour operators take advantage of some of the latest applications that will allow them to design, build, and customize tour packages as well as learn how to use new tools to increase and manager their business. “The reason we’re creating this event is that while travel companies have become ever more sophisticated with connectivity and technology, receptive and domestic tour operators have fallen behind and it’s our hope that this will help stay competitive.” said Jake Steinman, CEO of the NAJ Group, which hosts the RTO Summit Series.  “Most tour operators I know don’t have time to attend webinars or schedule Go-to-Meeting demo’s with vendors, so we’re inviting representatives from the following companies that we’ve identified to have product suitable for small and mid-size operators to present so they can see and demo the product in one place.”

In Partnership with:
     

The following Companies have been invited to present: (c=confirmed)

Reservations and Booking Platforms

  • Cangooroo by Juniper (c)
  • Breakaway Travel (c)
  • Tailor Made Tour by eMinds
  • TravelTek
  • Tour Plan (c)
  • Tour Tools (c)
  • Bokun
  • FareHarbor
  • Rezdy
  • Peek (c)

Emerging Technology and Marketing Tools

  • eRoam
  • Secure Me
  • Jeenie (c)
  • Lumen 5 (c)
  • Eat With (c)

Emerging Technology Presenting Options

Option 1 : 10-minute Presentation Only: Invited operators will be able to make a 10 minute presentation in person: $295

Option 2: 10-minute Presentation + 10 Minutes of Q&A + Demo Lab Exhibit Table: $995

  • 10 minute presentation
  • 10 minute Q&A
  • Able to attend full day of event
  • Demo Lab

Option 3: Technology Partner Sponsorship: $3,950. Includes the Following:

  • Ability to make a 10-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of Q&A on April 24 to between 30-50 receptive and domestic tour operators located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Areas
  • Your company logo on all promotional materials
  • Your company logo on signage during the event onsite
  • A tabletop booth from which you will be able to demonstrate your product to small groups of 5-7 operators
  • Promotion in e-mail marketing to our entire database of 700 receptive operator contacts and 1500 NTA and ABA operators on the East Coast
  • Your company profiled in the Inbound Reportnewsletter
  • Pre-scheduled appointments with RTO’s during the marketplace April 25th.

Frequently Asked Questions

Registration Options

(Note: The Tour Operator Tech Summit (April 24) is a special break-out event held in conjunction with RTO Summit East, for which there is a fee to attend. There is NO COST for tour operators to attend the RTO Summit East One-On-One Marketplace Meetings the following day on April 25.)

  • Tour Operator Attendee Rate: $199  (For companies that are sending a representative to attend the RTO Summit East marketplace on April 25th + buyers who are NTA/Syta/ABA members)

  • General Attendee Registration (for all others):  $895  

     

Provisional Agenda:

(i)=Invited but not confirmed. Updated April 15, 2019

April 24, 2019

Park Central Hotel, New York City

9:15-9:30 am: Introductions and Overview: Presenter: Jake Steinman, Founder and CEO, NAJ Group

9:30-10:10 am: Overview of Tour Operator Software Companies: A panel of small-mid size receptive tour operator will discuss their needs, frustrations and experience and in their research and vetting of tour operator software vendors.  Invited Panelists: Peter Dorner, President, New World Travel (i), and Tomas Royal, President, Rey Royal 

10:10-10:30 am: Cangooroo by Juniper: Cangooroo is a simple and affordable solution for Tour Operators and Wholesalers. The software includes different modules such as hotels, vacation packages, car rental, destination services and transfers that provides a Responsive Web design for B2B and B2C solutions. More than 120 customers from USA, Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Spain already trust Cangooroo! Presenter: Marianna Manigold, Sales & Marketing Director, Juniper Americas  Website Link

10:30-10:50 am:  Tourplan: 300 leading tour operators in 54 countries trust Tourplan to run their businesses, fully supported by our network of offices in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa and New Zealand. With feature rich facilities for FIT’s, groups, packages, tailor-made tours and scheduled tours, Tourplan’s software solutions will automate your entire business including product management, traditional and online sales and reservations, operations, and fully integrated accounts and management reporting functions. Presenter: Mark Nichols, Regional Regional Director, Tourplan  Website Link

10:50-11:10 am: Peek Pro: Peek began in 2011 as a technology company renown for automating small attractions and experience providers and recently has developed Peek Pro to manage the front and back end technology that address the full needs of international, receptive and domestic tour operators. Presenter: Mark Nagel, Account Executive, Peek Pro

11:10-11:25 am: Morning Break

11:25-11:40 am: What’s New With I Love NY? The astounding array of fresh product developments throughout the state of New York will help tour operators add exciting new products to their East Coast itineraries. Presenter: Markly Wilson, Director of International Marketing, New York State Division of Tourism

11:40 am-12:00 pm: D.I.Y. How We Built Our Own Software Using Google Drive…Free! Breakaway Tours, a domestic tour operator (and ABA member) near Pittsburgh, developed their own booking technology using the tools on Google Drive-FREE. Charley Troggio,  from Breakaway Travel will demonstrate the system and discuss how she created it from scratch. Website Link

12:00-12:20 pm: Jeenie. Jeenie is a mobile app for independent travelers who may need language assistance. Think of it as an “Uber for live translators through your phone” who can be summoned through Facetime video or audio through a team of live interpreters. Presenter: Kirsten Baker, Founder and CEO, Jeenie. 

12:20-2:00 pm: Lunch on own

2:00-2:20 pm: Channel Manager Overview Presentation. Channel managers offer software connection that allow receptive and domestic tour operators to connect directly to inventories of thousands of hotels and attractions. This session will compare and contrast the differences and benefits of the following: Peek, Redeam, Rezdy, Fareharbor and Bokun. Presenter: Jason Hackett, President, Brier Katama

2:30-3:00 pm:  Q&A with Leading Channel Managers.  What is the new role of an attractions sales manager. Moderator: Jason Hackett, President, Brier Katama, a digital agency specializing in the tours and experiences; Amanda Johnson, Channel Manager, Fareharbor; Matt Nagel, Account Executive, Peek, and Bob Gilbert, CEO, Captivation Marketing, Rezdy

3:00-3:20 pm: Convert an Itinerary into a music video in 5 Minutes…Free.  Lumen 5 has been wowing audiences at industry events this past year with its ability to easily create video content out of lists.  However, tour operators are not aware that they can use this free tool to create compelling videos that can help sell their programs in minutes. Presenter: Thomas Klinger, Lumen 5 (via Skype)

3:20-3:40 pm: Finding Live Like a Local Experience for Your Clients. An Example of How We Used Airbnb “Experiences” to Find Unique Tour Suppliers that Can Enhance Any Operator Group Program. We contacted the man behind “Take a 9/11 Tour with a First Responder” and found that he is interested in working with receptive and domestic tour operators to provide their clients with an authentic experience that can be either packaged into an escorted program or offered as an option. Presenter:John Coughlan,  retired NYPD officer who founded and leads the tour. Website Link

3:40-4:00 pm: Afternoon Break

4:00-5:30 pm: Tour Operator Tech Demonstration Lab: Each technology provider will be assigned a roundtable from which they will demonstrate their product to receptive and domestic operators and answer questions.

Structure for Tour Operator Software presentations 10 minutes with 10 minute Q&A:

1. Introduction or explainer video (1- minute)
2. Quick demonstration of the product (3-4 minutes)
3. Summary of most important benefits: 5 minutes
       a. Post confirmation communications
       b. Speed and Turnaround time
       c. Show sample of digital itinerary output
       d. Connectivity options to automated suppliers…
   e. Ability for agents to conduct online b2b bookings
           i. Channel managers
           ii. Content providers (i.e. access to image/video sites such as Axus, Wetu or Giata
           iii. XML options

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