WTM is taking place from Monday 4th November to Thursday 7th November 2013 at ExCel London. This global travel and tourism event is the premier occasion of the year for suppliers, buyers and professionals in the industry, with last year’s event generating business worth an astonishing £1,860m.

WTM brings together everyone in the travel world to meet, network, negotiate and conduct business. All sectors of the travel industry are represented including tourist boards, airlines, cruise, hotels, luxury, responsible tourism and travel technology.

KEY FACTS AND STATS

• Around 50,000 global travel professionals attend
• 5,000 exhibitors representing 184 countries and regions
• Combined global audience reach of 20 million people
• 91% of visitors say WTM has improved their business opportunities
• Over 800 exhibitors participate in the WTM Speed Networking sessions
• The event programme features 350 speakers
• This is WTM’s 34th year

WTM 2013 TO BE OPENED BY SIR STUART ROSE

One of the business world’s most respected business leaders, former Marks & Spencer CEO Sir Stuart Rose, will open World Travel Market at the ‘Captains of Industry Opening Lunch’. BBC presenter Stephen Sackur will interview Sir Stuart about his career in business, in an event which will offer inspiration and practical advice to the senior industry leaders present. Rose has held several CEO positions and has turned around businesses in financial difficulty. He is currently chairman of online delivery company Ocado. Simon Press, director of World Travel Market: Reed Travel Exhibitions, said: “I am delighted Sir Stuart Rose has agreed to open World Travel Market 2013. WTM 2013 is poised to be the biggest and best yet with a number of new initiatives taking place including The Travel Tech Show at WTM and A Taste of ILTM at WTM. Sir Stuart is the perfect high profile business speaker to open WTM, inspire the travel industry leader audience and kick off four days of business deal negotiation.”

GETTING THERE

The WTM venue, ExCeL, is located ten minutes from Canary Wharf, in the heart of London's Royal Docks.

• The Emirates Airline Cable Car service links ExCel with the O2 and is surely the most exciting way to arrive at WTM, especially for visitors from overseas as it offers stunning views of London. www.emiratesairline.co.uk
• By road, the ExCel is easily accessible. Junction 30 of the M25 is the best option, and drivers should follow signs for Royal Docks, City Airport and ExCel. Parking is available at the ExCel venue. Sat nav postcode: E16 1XL
• The best way to get to ExCel is by using the London Underground (Tube) and the Docklands Light Railway. The Jubilee Line is recommended as the quickest route; exit at Canning Town to change onto the DLR.
• For those from further afield, ExCel is easily accessible from London's five main airports: London City, Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, by using underground and mainline rail services.

SPEED NETWORKING PROGRAMME

If time is tight, there is no better way to get the most out of WTM than by attending speed networking meetings. Speed networking has proved incredibly successful since its introduction at WTM 2010, and the sessions are responsible for a great proportion of the industry deals made each year. Always oversubscribed, meetings need to be booked in advance.

TRAVEL TECH SHOW TO EXPLORE BLOGGING IMPACT

The Travel Tech Show at WTM is the biggest event of its kind in the UK, encompassing topics and suppliers in sectors such as mobile technology, social media and blogging. Some world-leading bloggers, including Keith Jenkins of Velvet Escapes, Janice Waugh of Solo Traveler and Melvin Boecher of Traveldudes, will be speaking as part of the WTM conference programme. Simon Press, director of World Travel Market: Reed Travel Exhibitions, said: “Travel blogging has exploded as medium for destinations to promote their products through. WTM has facilitated communications and relationships between exhibitors and bloggers over the past couple of years. This year we will take this one stage further with our three-day comprehensive blogging programme. The programme is another example of how WTM both facilitates business and educates its participants.”

OUR PICK OF WTM EXHIBITORS

Corinthia Hotels       Stand GV300

Founded in 1962, family values still underpin the ethos of Corinthia Hotels, and they aim to welcome and care for guests as though they were staying at home, while also looking after their staff. All the hotels feature extensive leisure and business traveller facilities, and have been developed in keeping with architecture and cultural traditions of wherever they are in the world, giving each a unique character. Corinthia hotels are luxurious and located in key cities around the world including Khartoum, Budapest, St Petersburg and London.

www.corinthia.com

Sandals    Stand CA340 and CA200

The best-known provider of all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean, Sandals was founded in 1981 and has 13 resorts. The beach holidays it provides include luxurious accommodation, unlimited drinks, excellent service and stunning locations. Sandals resorts are ‘couples only’ and they have built a strong reputation as a wedding and honeymoon provider.

www.sandals.co.uk

Moulin Rouge      Stand EM1700

The famous cabaret in Paris welcomes visitors from all over the world for musical dance entertainment. The magnificent Belle Époque interior still maintains the romance of fin de siècle France, as guests sit at tables and enjoy French cuisine and wine before being whisked into the sequined world of the can-can.

www.moulinrouge.fr/?lang=en

Planet Hollywood & Earl Enterprises    Stand GV201

At World Travel Market 2013 Planet Hollywood will not only have representation from the restaurants but will also be showcasing its role as part of the Earl Enterprises group of companies, which includes Earl of Sandwich and Buca di Beppo. Earl of Sandwich offers ‘the world’s greatest hot sandwich’ and is expanding in the UK, with 24 outlets already in the USA. Buca di Beppo is based in the USA and offers Italian cuisine served family-style, with dishes to share by everyone at the table.

www.earlenterprise.com