Diageo to challenge retailer perceptions at European Symposium

Adele Wolstenhulme

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The leading drinks supplier to travel-retail will reveal some surprising findings at the inaugural European Travel Partnership Symposium in Barcelona next month

Global drinks leader Diageo is set to challenge age-old beliefs held within the travel-retail industry when the company unveils exclusive consumer insight findings to delegates attending the first European Travel Partnership Symposium. The event, set to take place September 12-14 at the Marina Grand Eurostars Hotel in Barcelona Spain.

Diageo Consumer Planning Manager Mark Davies will present his arguments on the first morning of proceedings before the European Power Panel Session. The research looks at the interrelationship between shoppers, prices and competition and argues the need for more shopper understanding if the industry is to flourish.

This latest consumer insight session adds weight to a programme that promises to take consumer understanding on buying behaviour and travel aspirations to the next level. Day two kick offs with key data sessions that will focus on the characteristics of specific demographic profiles, including gay and lesbian travellers and Chinese business and leisure travellers in Europe.

Raven Fox Events is also proud to announce the support of Diageo, Puma, Heineken and Mango as the latest sponsors to support the Symposium. More details on the exciting social activities being planned will follow next week.

The Europe event is the second in the Travel Partnership series of events, which offer a speaker line-up not replicated in any other travel-retail forum. Global heads of travel-retail business will be joined on stage by decision-makers from travel service providers and tourism marketers, including airlines, online booking companies, hoteliers, tourist offices and associations and tour operators. In addressing the theme, Profit in Partnership: Building Consumer Confidence, all speakers will share their experience and views on how working with other travel service providers can build consumer confidence and brand equity in an increasingly insecure industry.

Other confirmed speakers include: Peter Williams, CEO, Alpha Airports Group; Freek Vermeulan, New Business Development Manager, Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport; Ivo Favotto, Executive Vice President Strategy and Business Development, The Nuance Group; Tony Jashanmal, Director, Jashanmal National Company; Etienne Pauchant, Director-General, Mediterranean Travel Association; Thomas Roth, President, Community Marketing Inc; David Salvedge, Managing Director, Gayfriendlyrooms.com; Frank O’Connell, President, ETRC; Daniel Levecky, CEO, Pure Commerce; Ian Cesa, President & CEO, Horizon Research Corporation; Thomas Sevcik, CEO, Artesia; Dr Grace Pan, Head, Leisure and Travel Research/Senior Manager Client Service, ACNielsen China; Nancy Cockerell, Director, Travel Business Partnership; Richard Timmis, Director, Category Insights; Anne Kavanagh, Chief Executive, Kavanagh Communications and Farrol Kahn, Director, Aviation Health.