Trade fairs continue to recover and regain purpose and having the right strategy in place to maximise commercial and brand awareness opportunities is essential.
AM+A are experts at fair marketing and management. Success models we’ve developed include the World Travel Market. Below is our list of reasons why the WTM should matter to you.
1. Fair Example; the World Travel Market
The World Travel Market (WTM) takes place Monday 7th - Wednesday 9th November 2022 at the ExCeL in London. The WTM is one of the year's major travel fairs and is the perfect opportunity to arrange meetings, interact with members of the travel industry and attend live conferences with industry experts. It presents an ideal opportunity to launch your marketing plans and announce your latest news for the following year.
2. Why the WTM and Other Fairs Can Create Opportunities
Over three days in November the global travel trade industry will join together in London to connect and network with each other. These new connections can provide your business with the opportunity to grow and prosper as well as have a direct impact on the future of the travel industry.
AM+A Tip:
Spend half a day developing databases of your top 50 trade, potential strategic partners, media and influencer contacts you want to work with. Write your proposal per contact, a database spreadsheet, connect via social media and communicate to request meetings.
3. Commercial Opportunities
The WTM has generated more than £2.8 billion worth of business contracts between attendees. Alongside these direct personal connections, the WTM also offers an extensive conference programme covering the most important topics in the travel industry right now. Conferences allow you to gain key insights from some of the industry’s major figures. Another element of the WTM is the chance to see the revolutionary future of travel, whether that be slow travel, charity travel, an increased focus on sustainability or something else equally innovative.
AM+A Tip:
Set targets on your commercial objectives such as the number of meetings or leads generated, or how many deals you’d like to close for your organisation.
4. Direct Publicity in Travel Trade Publications
Most fairs are likely to be supported by some kind of exhibition magazine or newspaper.
TTG Media is a major travel trade publication and throughout the WTM will produce three issues, one per day, called the WTM Dailies. These are the official publications for the WTM London event and are available for free to every visitor.
The WTM Dailies are an opportunity for you or your business to receive significant publicity. Each issue will feature:
+ Destination overview features
+ The latest travel news stories
+ Press releases
+ Interviews with industry figures
A further two WTM issues will be produced by TTG. There will be a digital-only WTM Preview published late October and a digital-only WTM Review published after the event has concluded.
The deadline to submit news or requests to TTG Media is Monday 12th September. The print deadline for WTM Dailies is Friday 4th November.
AM+A Tip:
Whilst planning your stand and events, do consider how the stand themes can be used for media news to generate trade awareness.
5. Feature in the Official WTM Yearbook
Leading fair and exhibition publishers GTMedia will be conducting interviews during the WTM which will then be published in their annual WTM Yearbook, which will also include:
+ Profiles of sector figureheads
+ Opinion pieces from industry bodies and leaders
+ News on the latest innovations in the travel and tourism sector
+ Destination features showcasing everything new for 2023
+ Top industry trends
+ Partnerships with stakeholders
The yearbook has a readership of 135,000 for the print edition and 60,000 for the digital edition. The deadline to reserve a space is Wednesday 5th October with a further deadline for artwork to be submitted on Monday 10th October.
AM+A Tip:
For some of the best WTM commercial deals GTMedia has the full package for print, online and video opportunities.
6. Global TV and Radio Coverage Opportunities
The WTM offers support to generate coverage of the event which will be broadcast to global audiences on CNBC, CNN, SKY, ITV, Euronews, LBC and the BBC. There is a studio on-site at the WTM where you can be interviewed, make major brand announcements and offer your perspective on the latest travel industry news.
The deadline for providing press materials and news is early October.
AM+A Tip:
Create media content worthy of broadcast topics and ensure your organisation has plenty of b-roll footage to support any TV interview.
7. Connect with High-Profile Travel Influencers
Whilst traditional media still plays a vital role in promoting the travel industry, influencers are becoming equally important - some with social media followings in the tens of thousands up to well over a million. The WTM will enable you to connect with attending influencers who can help your business reach a specific target audience.
AM+A Tip:
Before attending any fair ensure you have a company influencer policy in place with a strategy for measurement and expectations.
8. Responsible Tourism Awards Showcasing Best Practice in the Industry
Have you run a campaign over the past year promoting responsible tourism that deserves to be recognised? Look no further - the WTM awards reward excellence in responsible tourism. There are 10 categories including Destinations Building Back Better Post-Covid and Growing the Local Economic Benefit. The awards are free to enter and entries can still be submitted until Wednesday August 31st.
AM+A Tip:
Learn and research how your organisation can make a positive change by following the awards.
And finally… Essential World Travel Market Deadlines
Deadlines Fast Approaching
There is a limited amount of time left before submission deadlines for PR opportunities at the 2022 WTM. Make sure you don’t miss out.
Monday 12th September Deadline:
1. Submit your event information to the Media Diary of Events section. This lists all of the exhibitor events that will be taking place at the WTM London such as press conferences, interview opportunities, networking, photographic opportunities, workshops, competitions, media receptions or anything else that the press may be interested in.
2. If you have a major announcement or are launching a brand new product, service or marketing campaign then submit a press release to be featured in the WTM London Exhibitor News section of the WTM Media Guide.
3. If you want to make your announcement or product launch to a wide selection of industry professionals then book a press conference slot. There is limited availability.
4. Enquire about an Interview Wall slot where you will be filmed by the WTM’s professional camera crew and asked questions by their expert journalists. Slots will be awarded based on editorial merit so make sure you are prepared with the key news for your business. Interviews will be uploaded to the official WTM YouTube channel which can then be used for your personal promotion purposes.
For further tips to prepare you for the WTM be sure to check out the AM+A guides to success here and here.
Having read our blog, are you sufficiently prepared to capitalise on the business opportunities available? AM+A are the WTM’s go-to award-winning travel PR & marketing agency and can offer you a number of services to maximise your sales and significantly increase your overall brand awareness. Get in touch with us today.
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