Wednesday, November 18 - Program

Start your day with a refreshing run or walk alongside fellow attendees. Meet at Palm Court, 2nd Level (next to the Registration & Attendee Services Desk) before setting off. Choose your pace - running or walking - and enjoy a scenic start to the morning.

Reserve your spot via the conference app.

Begin your day with a refreshing yoga session for all levels. A water station and hotel towels will be provided. Mats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Come ready to relax, breathe, and reset before the day begins.

Reserve your spot via the conference app.

Check in at the Phocuswright Reception, grab your materials, and dive into a buzzing showcase packed with innovators and exhibitors ready to connect.
Then, meet with innovators and exhibitors one-on-one! The showcase is open for business and abuzz with activity.

Kicking off the conference, this opening session brings attendees together to highlight the key themes shaping travel and set the stage for the conversations ahead.

We’ll also recognize the recipients of the Philip C. Wolf Memorial Scholarship Award. Philip, Phocuswright’s founder, was an entrepreneur, travel advisor, consultant and mentor to many. His influence on the travel industry and the people within it was profound, and his guidance continues to resonate today.

This year’s two scholarship recipients reflect Philip’s passion for mentorship, embodying his values and demonstrating a commitment to tackling meaningful challenges facing the travel industry.

Hotel distribution is entering another period of upheaval as brands push direct, owners scrutinize channel economics and platforms expand their role in hotel discovery and booking. At the same time, AI is reshaping how travelers find and compare stays. This session examines where incremental demand is really coming from, how channel economics are changing and who will hold the strongest relationship with the guest as the path to booking fragments.

In a travel industry that's constantly being redefined, staying ahead requires a complete re-imagining of what's possible – and a fierce commitment to winning. Our Changemaker sessions shine a spotlight on the companies deploying cutting-edge technology to create transformative experiences and to challenge the status quo. Join us for a dynamic presentation and interview as these leaders share their insights into the strategies and opportunities shaping the next era of travel and setting the game’s new rules.

The battle for traveler loyalty is expanding beyond traditional travel brands. Airlines, financial institutions, membership organizations and other players are using data, rewards, personalization and AI to deepen relationships and influence where consumers search, book and spend. This session examines the changing traveler relationship and how companies are competing to earn loyalty, influence decisions and deliver value as expectations and discovery channels evolve.

Where would you put your money in travel today? This year, Street Talk gets a new twist as investors spanning public markets, venture capital and growth equity make the case for where they see the strongest opportunities across the sector. From AI and infrastructure to consumer platforms and emerging business models, our investment committee will weigh risk, defend its convictions and reveal what it believes the market is getting right — and wrong.

Hear from one of PhocusWire’s Hot 25 Travel Startups for 2027.

Steve Hafner helped define the metasearch era. Now, after more than two decades leading KAYAK, he has stepped into a new role at Booking Holdings focused on advancing AI innovation. As conversational interfaces and AI agents begin to reshape how travelers discover, compare and act, Hafner shares what he is building, his perspective on what comes after traditional search, where AI can create real advantage and how travel companies should prepare for the next shift in digital distribution.

In a travel industry that's constantly being redefined, staying ahead requires a complete re-imagining of what's possible – and a fierce commitment to winning. Our Changemaker sessions shine a spotlight on the companies deploying cutting-edge technology to create transformative experiences and to challenge the status quo. Join us for a dynamic presentation and interview as these leaders share their insights into the strategies and opportunities shaping the next era of travel and setting the game’s new rules.

Join us for an exclusive lunch where you’ll have the opportunity to meet our analysts, connect with fellow subscribers and explore the resources available through your Phocuswright subscription.

Engage directly with our experts to gain deeper insights, share ideas and discover new strategies to maximize the value of your research access. It’s the perfect setting to learn more about Phocuswright’s offerings. Plus, get your hands on some Open Access Subscriber merch. We can't wait to see you there!

Innovation is the ultimate level-up - and not just for startups. Scaleups and established players are also breaking new ground and pushing the limits of travel technology. Launch puts them all in the arena, where each demonstrator has just minutes to wow the audience and prove they’ve got what it takes. With the Travel Innovation and People’s Choice Awards on the line, the stakes are high, the clock is ticking and the pressure is on to make an impact.

Fareportal Travel OS turns Fareportal’s proven B2C travel stack into a configurable OS for brands to launch, operate and scale travel.

Postra is a modular API that automates post-booking workflows — refunds, rescheduling and ancillary — across GDS, NDC and LCC.

See how Pintours' AI layer turns any venue, tour, or event into a personalized, AR- and expert-guided experience (transport, dining, personalization).

Voyani manages the rest of the trip for your customer, and turns it into revenue and cost savings for travel partners.

AI assistants are the next big channel. Your members are already there. Is your loyalty program? See how to get it in.

AI sped up writing code, not understanding it. Interlace maps your system, so teams ship 35% faster on top of AI gains.

Following the Launch competition, longtime entrepreneur and investor Steve Singh reacts to the business models and themes emerging from this year’s presenters. Drawing on decades of experience building, scaling and backing technology companies, he shares his perspective on where innovation is creating real opportunity, how AI and new technology platforms are reshaping travel and what it will take for the next generation of companies to break through.

AI is becoming a more familiar part of trip planning, but travelers are not relying on technology alone. Drawing on new U.S. consumer research and Phocuswright’s latest survey of travel advisors, this session examines how travelers are using AI alongside human advice, where each plays a role in planning and booking and how travel advisors themselves are incorporating AI into their work.

AI and automation are taking on more of the travel-planning, booking and servicing process, but that does not make human expertise less relevant. It changes where that expertise matters most. This session examines which parts of the traveler experience benefit from judgment, relationships and advocacy, how technology can make those capabilities more scalable and what the most effective hybrid models may look like as travel advice is redefined.

Travel demand is being shaped in new ways, from social content and AI-powered discovery to search behavior, pricing and real-time signals of traveler intent. But generating interest is only part of the challenge. As travelers concentrate around the same places and experiences, destinations and operators increasingly need to think about how demand can be redirected as well as created. Erik Blachford opens with a data-driven provocation, then joins industry leaders to examine who influences where travelers go, how inspiration turns into actual travel and how destinations can use technology and smarter marketing to shape that demand more strategically.

In a travel industry that's constantly being redefined, staying ahead requires a complete re-imagining of what's possible – and a fierce commitment to winning. Our Changemaker sessions shine a spotlight on the companies deploying cutting-edge technology to create transformative experiences and to challenge the status quo. Join us for a dynamic presentation and interview as these leaders share their insights into the strategies and opportunities shaping the next era of travel and setting the game’s new rules.

The Bridge Series convenes brings together executives from across the globe to examine how travel businesses are adapting to changing markets, technologies and traveler behavior. This year’s conversation crosses regions and segments to explore where pressures are intensifying, how products and distribution models are evolving and which strategies translate across borders — and which do not — as companies pivot and compete in an increasingly dynamic global marketplace.

As more businesses look to travel as a way to create value for their customers and drive growth, B2B is becoming an increasingly important strategic battleground. With Booking Holdings bringing its B2B capabilities across Booking.com, Agoda and Priceline closer together under Omri Morgenshtern, this conversation examines the strategy behind the move, how its scale, technology, and expertise are being combined in new ways and what it reveals about how Booking sees the future of B2B travel.

Find out the winner of the Travel Innovation and People's Choice Awards!

Join us for drinks and enjoy networking with your fellow attendees, speakers, and the Phocuswright team!

Join travel industry professionals for a relaxed, after-hours networking event to discuss trends, share ideas, and spark new collaborations.