Google and Priceline Group to Speak at Three-day Keynote Line-up at ITB Asia 2016

 Singapore, 15 September 2016 – ITB Asia 2016 will open its doors to usher in its biggest and best show to date, featuring industry movers and shakers including Google and Priceline Group who will helm the show’s opening keynote. For the first time ever, the keynote sessions will stretch across all three days, exploring pertinent topics such as the impact of mobile and digital disruption in the travel industry.

In its ninth year, ‘Asia’s Leading Travel Trade Show’ will take place in Singapore from 19 – 21 October 2016 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands.“We have seen strong attendance and received great feedback for our keynote sessions over the last few years. With this in mind, we have extended this year’s programme to cover all three days of the show, providing a platform for like-minded players to learn, network and discuss trends which are key in shaping the future of the travel industry. We are very honoured to have speakers of such high calibre grace our show and are confident that attendees will be able to leave with useful insights,” said Katrina Leung, Executive Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organiser of ITB Asia. Day 1

In a world where start-ups are seen as digital disruptors, industry heavyweights including Priceline Group’s Senior Vice President, Adrian Currie (pictured right) and Google’s Asia Pacific Head of Hotel and Airline Suppliers, Jenn Villalobos, will take centre stage to share more about the impact of digital disruption and trends driving customer experience in travel. Moderated by renowned BBC World News presenter Sharanjit Leyl, Villalobos will make a case for how hospitality incumbents can remain competitive, while Currie will touch on key trends shaping travellers’ digital experience and how travel organisations can adapt to leverage these trends.

Day 2

With OTA sales in the Asia Pacific region skyrocketing, we will see industry heavyweights like Expedia group, Agoda, Zuji and Ctrip provide in-depth insights into this burgeoning sector. ITB Asia’s first strategic partnership with MasterCard will bring together a thought leadership panel discussion, moderated by Alex Thanopoulos, Vice President MasterCard Enterprise Partnerships Asia Pacific (pictured left) . This panel will welcome the opinions of Greg Schulze, Senior Vice President, Commercial Strategy and Services, Expedia group, Timothy Hughes, Vice President Business Development from Agoda, Chua Hui Wan, CEO, Zuji Singapore and Jenny Wu, Chief Strategy Officer, Ctrip.com.

Day 3

The last keynote session will shine a spotlight on China, a high growth market that saw $11 billion spent in bookings through online travel agencies in 2015, a 70 percent increase from 2014. Shanghai Jin Jiang International E-Commerce Co., Ltd’s Vice President Joseph Xia, Yiqifei Travel’s Founder & CEO, Morton Huang, Dida Travel Technology’s CEO Rikin Wu and Tuniu Corporation’s CEO & Co-founder Dunde Yu (pictured right) will provide their perspectives into current Chinese market conditions and how to leverage opportunities in this growing market.

Last year, ITB Asia attracted close to 760 exhibitors from 73 countries, as well as 880 buyers and more than 10,300 attendees over three days.

For more information on ITB Asia 2016, visit www.itb-asia.com

About ITB Asia 2016

ITB Asia 2016 will take place at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, from 19 - 21 October. It is organised by Messe Berlin (Singapore) Pte Ltd and supported by the Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau. The event will feature hundreds of exhibiting companies from the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, covering not only the leisure market, but also corporate and MICE travel. Exhibitors from every sector of the industry, including destinations, airlines and airports, hotels and resorts, theme parks and attractions, inbound tour operators, inbound DMCs, cruise lines, spas, venues, other meeting facilities and travel technology companies are all expected to attend. www.itb-asia.com.