Where leaders in venture and corporate investing find their next big deal

The Phocuswright Conference annually attracts nearly 2,000 innovators, decision makers and C-level executives, representing dozens of countries from every travel, tourism and hospitality sector. No other conference provides access to such an elite and motivated group of prospective clients and solid investment opportunities.

This event is ideal for leaders in venture and corporate investing who want to discover the latest innovations, find lucrative partnerships and investments and meet with the top C-level executives in the global hospitality industry.

The following sessions are specifically geared toward the finance sector: 

• Executive Interview: New Kid on the Block
  Matt Goldberg, CEO, Tripadvisor
  
  Taking over the reigns from the founder after 22 years is a challenge that this media giant's CEO doesn't take lightly. Hear what's changed and what's the same from Tripadvisor's new leader.
• Executive Panel: Hotels - Holding the Line
  Panelists
  Dorothy Dowling, Strategic Advisor and Board Trustee, Independent
  Drew Pinto, Global Officer, Global Sales, Distribution & Revenue Management, Marriott International
  
  As the fight to be travelers' lodging of choice heats up, should hotels promote their own unique attributes or mimic elements of rentals? Are the lines between the two really blurring or are they coming into sharper focus? Hospitality leaders share their views on the future of the lodging industry.
• Executive Panel: Pundits & Predictions
  Panelists
  Timothy Hughes, VP Corporate Development, Agoda
  Flo Lugli, Principal, Navesink Advisory Group, LLC
  Timothy O'Neil-Dunne, Principal, T2Impact Ltd.
  
  They paved the way for online travel – but what do they think about the state of the industry today and where do they see it going? Industry luminaries opine on stage and predict the future of travel.
• Executive Panel: Blockchain - Game Changer or Bust?
  Panelists
  Brook Armstrong, Co-CEO, Co-Founder, Blockskye
  Nadim El Manawy, CEO, Arise Travel
  Cynthia Huang, Head of Demand Growth, Dtravel
  
  Blockchain was going to transform travel distribution, but applications have been piecemeal at best. Could 2023 be the year blockchain-based solutions go mainstream? Hear from three blockchain trailblazers about their companies' implementations across hotels, airlines and short-term rentals and how decentralized systems using smart contracts are changing the way travel is bought and sold.
• Executive Panel: Street Talk
  Panelists
  Naved Khan, Director, Truist Securities
  Mark Mahaney, Senior Managing Director, Evercore
  Lloyd Walmsley, Managing Director, UBS
  
  Phocuswright's signature session dedicated to the intersection of finance, investment, M&A, IPOs and the world's largest industry - travel, tourism and hospitality. Wall Street's leading analysts on digital, travel and hospitality share their perspectives on where the money, the market and its movers will go next.
• Executive Interview: A Giant Refresh
  Peter Kern, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Expedia Group
  
  He steadied the ship during wild turbulence and then enjoyed an epic turnaround. The CEO of one of the world's largest travel providers talks turkey about prospects, patience and potential headwinds.
• Keynote + Interview: What's New at Google
  Nelson Boyce, Managing Director, Travel, Google
  
  Google unveils its latest insights on consumer behavior in a dynamic presentation/interview style session.
• Executive Interview: Disrupting Disruption
  Steve Hafner, CEO, KAYAK
  
  With so much uncertaintly remaining in travel, how do you buck the trend? One of travel's longest-reigning founders explains how to relish the best times while surviving the worst.
• Executive Panel: Fintech - Travel's Secret Weapon
  Panelists
  Brian Barth, CEO and Co-Founder, Uplift, Inc.
  
  Rewards, perks, payment plans, and trip protection motivate travelers and connect suppliers, but are they true differentitators? Veterans and hopefuls provide perspective on how Fintech can transform relationships among travelers, suppliers, financial institutions and intermediares.
• Executive Panel: Tours, Activities and Timing - Getting it Right
  Panelists
  Luuc Elzinga, Founder & President, Tiqets
  Laurence Miall-d'Août, Chief Commercial Officer, Go City
  Tao Tao, Co-Founder & COO, GetYourGuide
• Executive Panel: Growing Pains - The Maturing of Rentals
  Panelists
  Jamie Cohen, Chief Financial Officer, Vacasa
  Brian Egan, Co-Founder & CEO, Evolve
  Margot Schmorak, CEO and Co-Founder, Hostfully
  
  There are many moving parts to a short-term rental, from finding the right match, to checking-in, and communicating with hosts or property managers throughout the stay. For many travelers the journey is seamless, but not always. Communication break-downs and unmet promises still fuel some bad experiences and mar the growing sector. Speakers explore various angles and explain how technology intersects with hospitality to solve real problems and keep travelers satisfied.
• Innovation Summit and Launch
  Phocuswright is travel's stage for innovation. The companies represent the most innovative in two categories – Innovation Summit (young companies) and Launch (established companies). The program is packed with market-changing innovations presented in a fast-paced, no-holds-barred environment.
• Breakout sessions that advance the industry.
  This is where the industry transforms theory into practice. During breakouts, attendees receive educational content from industry leaders in an intimate, interactive environment to discover, learn and hone skills.
• Plus, executives from the biggest companies in travel like Google, Expedia, Tripadvisor, Hopper, Despegar, MakeMyTrip, Amadeus, GetYourGuide and much more. There are numerous companies and attendees presenting the latest tech innovations and more that the finance sector must keep top of mind.

See the full program here -->

In addition to the unprecedented networking opportunities, the finance sector should expect:

• Prominent investors of the world's leading travel companies
• Potential investments and partners 
• The latest innovations impacting the traveler lifecycle
• Research presentations and sessions geared toward the evolving accommodations market, regions like India and Europe, plus the state of digital travel
• The leading intermediaries and business partners distributing travel products
• Valuable sessions on how the broader digital travel market impacts funding and investments

Finance sector attending companies:

• AEA Investors
• Baird
• Barclays
• BofA Securities
• Cambon Partners
• Capital One Ventures
• Citibank
• Deutsche Bank Securities
• Emerging Variant Capital Management
• Evercore
• F-Prime Capital
• Goldman Sachs Growth Equity
• Great Hill Partners
• Highgate Technology Ventures
• JetBlue Technology Ventures
• JPMorgan Chase
• MCI Capital TFI
• Moelis & Company
• Raymond James Corporate Finance
• Sunstone Partners
• Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV)
• Thayer Ventures
• The Catalyst Group
• Unlock Advisors
• WestCap

In addition to your industry peers, the most influential suppliers, innovators and technology solution providers are fully engaged at the Phocuswright Conference.

View all attendee companies here

Research related to investment:

Our research is the foundation that drives the program content.

The State of Travel Startups 2022
Phocal Point: Market Sizing
The latest research on tech trends.
The latest research on consumer trends.

Learn more about Phocuswright's Open Access research subscription and custom research.

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