At Triptease, we know better than most that hoteliers are busy people juggling a multitude of demands. But there is one thing you must find time in your diary for this year — the Direct Booking Summit.

The event series, which focuses solely on increasing hotels’ direct bookings, will be bigger than ever in 2018/19, with three editions. The first takes place in Amsterdam in June, the second in Dallas in September and the third, the inaugural Asia-Pacific summit, in Singapore in early 2019.

Here’s five reasons why you and your hotel should be part of it this year.

Get practical, relevant advice that you’ll actually use

From the very beginning, the Direct Booking Summit has had one clear goal: to provide hoteliers with tangible, take-home strategies they can put in action immediately. The entire event is designed with that in mind and in the years it’s been running, we’ve always delivered.

It’s not just us that think so. Last year’s post-event survey was full of responses about “valuable takeaways”, “helpful new insights” and the “extremely relevant and useful knowledge” shared.

So if you want to know about conversion, Google AdWords, chatbots, OTA tactics, CRM, metasearch and more, and more importantly, what your hotel should be doing about them, sign up now.

Spur on the Direct Booking Movement

Last week Expedia boss Mark Okerstrom admitted that there is a “new equilibrium” in hospitality following hotels’ book direct campaigns. Each campaign, such as Hilton’s “Stop Clicking Around” has had its effect, but we’re pretty sure the fact that so many hotels united behind one message has been the true driver of the shift Okerstrom acknowledged.

The Direct Booking Summit is another opportunity to bring together hoteliers around that same, powerful movement, and re-energize and expand it. Joining us there will give you the chance to put your stamp on it, as well as meet a community of like-minded people you can call on for support. We’ve succeeded in creating a “new equilibrium”, so what will we achieve together next?

An agenda designed by you

We have been crafting our agenda of thought-provoking keynotes, fiery panel debates and enlightening roundtables for some time now and believe us, you won’t be disappointed. But given that our main objective is to make this as practical and relevant as possible for delegates, we’ve left a little room to make sure you get to talk about the topics you care about most.

So be it wholesale, search engine marketing or artificial intelligence, if you have a bright idea for a session, we want to know about it. Email your suggestions to hq@directbookingsummit.com and look out for them on the schedule in a few weeks’ time.

You get bang for your buck

We are committed to making the Direct Booking Summit as accessible as possible. Our theory is the more people that come, the better quality the discussion and the greater the learning opportunities for everyone. We make sure our tickets are reasonably priced for exactly that reason.

But it’s not just a conference you get for the modest price, you also get a serious party. Last year’s involved jalapeño-infused tequila, epic skyline views, prosecco pong, flamenco dancers, people-sized paellas, after-parties and after-after-parties. All were worth the price tag on their own.

And because we are just that generous, we’re even offering a massive 50% off ticket prices until February 23. It’s a no-brainer!

Tell your story and raise your profile

As you may have guessed, we love talking about all things hospitality. But there’s actually something we love more than that — listening to hoteliers on all things hospitality. The Direct Booking Summit reflects that; each year we recruit an eclectic line-up of speakers, representing hotels of all shapes and sizes, that our delegates both identify with and get inspired by.

With that in mind, we have a proposition for you. How about joining that line-up? We’d love to hear your story. What’s more, it’s a great opportunity to raise both your and your hotel’s profiles, put the subjects you care about most on the agenda and get out of your comfort zone. As summit chairman and Chief Tease Charlie Osmond explains in our preview video, we’re an open and friendly crowd looking to learn from our peers, so you’re guaranteed a very warm welcome. Again, just email hq@directbookingsummit.com if you’re interested in taking to the stage.

So what are you waiting for? Register for the Direct Booking Summit today to secure your place at a juicy discount and join the hundreds of hoteliers on one mission: to increase direct bookings.

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