While there's no denying the chilly September air and leaves turning from green to red, here at Triptease we've got a spring in our step. For us, September means only one thing…
It's Direct Booking Summit season.
We're just over a week away from hundreds of hoteliers descending on The Westin New York at Times Square for two days of workshopping, strategising and good ol' networking at the industry's most interesting event (yes, that's official).
On the 27th and 28th September, we're bringing hoteliers together to talk technology, distribution and everything in between.
We've restrained ourselves from going on about DBS too much on the Triptease blog, as it isn't really a 'Triptease' event at all: mentions of the Direct Booking Platform at the event will be few and far between. The Direct Booking Summit is an event led by hoteliers, for hoteliers. We've been hand-selecting the hotels with the most innovative direct booking strategies to lead talks and workshops on the secrets to their success.
Take a quick look at Chief Tease Charlie Osmond introducing the event.
Want to know how Pacific Gateway Hotel built a successful digital strategy from the ground up? Look no further. Intrigued by Leading Hotels of the World's website personalisation? Find out how they achieved it. Looking for the inside scoop on the new dynamics of the digital landscape? Kalibri Labs' Cindy Estis Green is here to give it to you.
Maybe we're biased, but we've never seen a more exciting agenda. Check out the full thing here and decide for yourself.
And have we even mentioned the party?
Rumour has it that hoteliers enjoy letting their hair down. Who can blame them – keeping abreast of an ever-diversifying channel mix would take its toll on anyone. So, to round off a busy day of direct booking strategy-setting, the DBS team are throwing the mother of all hotelier parties at – where else? – one of NYC's most picturesque rooftop bars.
The specifics are being kept strictly under wraps, but we can tell by the twinkle in their eye that the team are up to something special. We're relieved to say that day 2 of the Summit kicks off at a leisurely 10am, providing us with a precious couple of hours to catch up on sleep after the big bash.
But, even more than direct booking superstars and glitzy parties, here's what makes the Summit special.
Last year's inaugural Summit set the agenda for the direct booking conversation. This year we're evolving that conversation and moving it forward. Hoteliers will leave with tried-and-tested tactics for super-powering their guest experience – the next frontier in driving direct bookings.
What makes the hotel industry so special is that it is in the business of making people feel taken care of. Hospitality has always been about making guests feel welcome, understood and unique.
Today's internet-powered world means that, as of now, hospitality begins online. It begins the moment a guest arrives at a hotel website. The engaging hospitality that hotels thrive on should be as tangible on a homepage as it is in a lobby.
This is the next phase of the Direct Booking Movement. Join us at the Direct Booking Summit to be a part of it.
Questions about the event? Just email HQ@directbookingsummit.com for more information.
