ITM ANNOUNCES 2010 CONFERENCE DATE & THEME
Changes to the event content, format and sponsorship are being introduced.
The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) UK & Ireland has announced to members the dates and theme for its 2010 annual conference.
The organisation has confirmed that next year's event, entitled The Journey, is moving to a 2 day format and slightly later in the year, on the 12th and 13th May and will be held at Chelsea Football Club, London. The later date will ensure the whole venue, including the pitch, is available for use by the association and that the changes being made to the event are properly implemented. The new two day format will mean less time away from the office for delegates, but with a broader content offering and re-focused session format across up to 7 different streams.
Diane Steed, ITM's head of sales & marketing, the conference director, said, "We had an incredibly successful 2009 event but we never sit on our laurels and I was brought in by ITM to take a fresh look at the event, so that's exactly what I have done. I have listened to delegates and sponsors and I am delighted the ITM board has agreed to the implementation of a number of changes I have recommended. The revised format will offer more value for money for both delegates and sponsors."
Planned changes include a modular sponsorship option, to build packages more suitable for supplier strategies, and an option for the first time to purchase tables at the gala dinner. In addition, the later date allows sponsors to spread sponsorship budgets across two financial years, at a time when this financial alleviation is needed most.
The association is hoping to draw Jeremy Paxman back to kick off the conference with a series of keynote industry interviews and there are plans to make the most of the BBC heavyweight in a University Challenge format session later in the event too.
Speaking on the theme, ITM's incoming chairman, Jamie Hindhaugh said,"It is a wonderful theme, which will allow us to apply it to the experiences of bookers and travellers and the utopia of an end-to-end experience, as well as drawing inspiration from the journey the industry is going through and the personal development of the industry's talent. We are intending to focus each of the seven streams on individual aspects of the travel and travel avoidance experience, allowing delegates to use their time to focus on aspects of the journey which they need to concentrate on most."
Responding to questions about whether he and the members will be making an exhibition of themselves for the conference delegates entertainment, as they did earlier in the year in their successful Strictly ITM competition, ITM's chief executive, Paul Tilstone, added," well, we'll just have to wait and see but one thing is guaranteed we never do the same thing twice so I shan't be putting my Cuban heels on again, much to the relief of the industry I am sure."
Further details of the event are to be released later in the year at www.itmconference.org with a number of preview events planned to bring the conference experience forward, and follow up activity planned to take the conference theme and content to a wider audience after the event.
