Skift Global Forum 2020
Skift Global Forum 2020 — the flagship global conference on the business of travel — took place as an online International conference. In 2020, the “Global” lived up to its promise, with a live broadcast on Eastern Timezone and on-demand access the day after and onwards. The Forum featured talks with 40+ travel leaders spread over three days; accessible from anywhere in the world.
Through our 2020 global theme, “The Decade Ahead: Safeguarding Travel’s Future,” Skift editors led frank and transparent conversations focused on what 2021 and beyond may look like for travel. This event is essential for hearing how the industry’s leading business minds are working towards recovery and answering the big questions facing travel:
- What parts of global travel are gone forever?
- How has the pandemic accelerated digital transformation in travel?
- What does the future of online booking look like, and can it drive a faster rebound?
- Can hotels even re-open through uneven and unpredictable waves of return?
- How will the airline industry ever be able to rebound from this crisis?
- Where are the new travel tech innovators going to come from, and what parts of the industry will they disrupt?
- Is the world better off with a travel industry that is, say, 20 percent smaller going forward?
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Companies Attending Include
What Attendees Say About Skift Events
We asked participants of Skift Global Forum 2019 for one word to describe the event. Here’s what they said.
View 2019 Attendee SnapshotCutting-edge
Provocative
Invigorating
World-class
Inspiring
Enlightening
Why You Should Participate
Skift Forums are transformative to businesses and brands
Marketing
Hear the experiences and strategies of major travel brands, insights from tourism boards, experts reinventing guest experience in hotels, and more.
Strategy
Our agenda is jam-packed with opportunities to learn from experts, gain tactical knowledge, and understand the latest trends in travel.
Technology
From CEOs to startups disrupting the travel landscape, attendees will hear insights on how tech is disrupting the industry and adapting to consumer demand.
Who You’ll Connect With
Decision makers and strategists attend Skift Global Forum to learn from other leaders as well as their peers. Here’s a cross-section of who participates each year:
Online travel and travel tech executives looking to hear from the leading CEOs in their sectors and to connect with suppliers and customers
Entrepreneurs seeking to connect with decision makers to help shape their ideas and partner with their startups
Investors and business development executives looking to examine shifts in the market and assess partner opportunities for expansion
Hospitality executives exploring the evolution of service and technology partnerships that can improve their business performance
Tourism and destination professionals looking to understand their markets, new consumer sentiments, and learn best practices from travel’s most innovative leaders
Consumer and enterprise tech companies providing platforms and solutions that support the industry
Airline strategy and distribution executives looking to broaden loyalty strategy, understand new technology, and find creative ways to drive demand
Travel advisors and tour operators seeking new ways to surprise and delight their customers in an experience-driven world
Marketers and creative executives looking to inspire consumers and develop engaging campaigns to drive travel’s recovery
Sessions
Opening Event: Travel’s Future Meets the Present World
The Future of the Industry
With Barry Diller & Tom Lowry – Editor-in-Chief
The Pandemic’s Paths Forward
With Laurie Garrett & Rafat Ali – Founder & CEO
Adapting to A New Remote Work World
With Darren Murph & Rafat Ali – Founder & CEO
Small Businesses Navigating Unique Challenges
With Geetika Agrawal, Muna Haddad, Stephen Cluskey, & Rafat Ali – Founder & CEO
Conference Welcome
State of the Industry Presentation and Panel, hosted by Skift Research in Partnership with McKinsey & Company
With Haixia Wang, Andrew Watterson, Mark Vondrasek, Melissa Dalrymple, Jules Seeley, & Seth Borko – Senior Research Analyst
Taking a Long-term View of the Market
With Arne Sorenson & Tom Lowry – Editor-in-Chief
How Can Aviation Responsibly Recover From This Crisis?
With Ed Bastian, Madhu Unnikrishnan, Editor, & Jay Shabat, Co-founder, Senior Analyst – Skift Airline Weekly
Can Online Travel Lead Travel’s Recovery?
With Glenn Fogel & Dennis Schaal – Executive Editor, Founding Editor
Finding a Path of Resilience and Brand Growth
With Keith Barr & Cameron Sperance – Hospitality Reporter
The State of Digital Transformation in Travel 2020
With Brian Kirkland, David Peller, & Jeremy Kressmann – Research Editor, SkiftX
Out of a Crisis, Leverage for Long-Term Airline Expansion
With Joanna Geraghty & Sean O’Neill – Senior Travel Tech Editor
Staying Agile to Shifts in Travel
With Sébastien Bazin & Raini Hamdi – Editor-at-Large
Breakout Session – Personalized Messaging: Driving Loyalty in 2021 and Beyond
With Jason Glas, Pauline Rigaudy, & Darren Frei – Editorial Strategist, SkiftX
The Decade Ahead: How Destinations Will Adapt
With Elliott Ferguson, Gavin Landry, Clare Akamanzi, & Rosie Spinks – Global Tourism Reporter
Laying the Groundwork for Tourism’s Sustainable Future
With Gustavo Segura Sancho & Jeremy Kressmann – Research Editor, SkiftX
Preparing for Recovery: A New View on Leisure Travel
With Monya Mandich
Designing The Future: Moving Beyond Wasteful Consumerism
With James Thornton, Neil Jacobs, & Cameron Sperance – Hospitality Reporter
Fueling Growth Through Digital Transformation
With Jeanne Jones, Prakash Ranjan, & Matt Heidkamp – Creative Strategy Director, SkiftX
Winning Back Traveler Confidence in a Fragmented Industry
With Jennifer Wilson-Buttigieg, Sven-Olof Lindblad, & Rosie Spinks – Global Tourism Reporter
Why Small Businesses Are Essential to Tourism’s Recovery
With Suzan Kereere & Carolyn Kremins – President
Managing Through the Industry’s Greatest Crisis
With Scott Kirby & Tom Lowry, Editor-in-Chief
Adapting to an Evolving Travel Ecosystem
With Peter Kern & Dennis Schaal – Executive Editor, Founding Editor
Deep Dive 1: RETHINKING DESTINATION MARKETING
A Snapshot of the Global Travel Economic Travel Outlook
With Adam Sacks
Fewer, Better Trips: Finding the New Bucket List Traveler
With Beks Ndlovu, Betsy O’Rourke, & Colin Nagy – Travel Columnist
How Supporting Local Stakeholders Can Propel Destination Recovery
With Dan Holowack & Darren Frei – Editorial Strategist, SkiftX
Rethinking Growth for Destinations
With Julie Coker, Glenn Jones, Keith Tan, & Rosie Spinks – Global Tourism Reporter
Tapping Into Local Innovation to Drive Business Events and Resilient Communities
With Virginie De Visscher, Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, & Darren Frei – Editorial Strategist, SkiftX
Deep Dive 2: SCALING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Building Technology that Improves the Human Experience
With Maya Leibman & Madhu Unnikrishnan – Editor, Skift Airline Weekly
Leveraging Customer Data to Accelerate COVID-19 Recovery
With Joshua Neckes & Matt Heidkamp – Creative Strategy Director, SkiftX
Digital’s Impact on Guest Experience, Growth, and Marketing
With Lisa Checchio, Sooho Choi, & Sean O’Neill – Senior Travel Tech Editor
Digital Transformations and initiatives Stemming From the Health Crisis
With Atif Rafiq & Rafat Ali – Founder & CEO
Deep Dive 3: CONTACTLESS TRAVEL & TECH
Breakout Session – Reimagining Global Payments to Strengthen Travel’s Recovery
With , Laurie Gablehouse, Gertjan Dewaele, & Matt Heidkamp – Creative Strategy Director, SkiftX
Skift Research Presentation: Contactless Travel & Tech
With Wouter Geerts
How Can Contactless Be More Traveler-Centric?
With Casper Overbeek, Julie Grieve, Deborah Pevenstein, & Sean O’Neill – Senior Travel Tech Reporter
Creating Contactless Experiences That Resonate With Guests
With Anders Tylman-Mikiewicz, Ford Blakely, & Jeremy Kressmann – Research Editor, SkiftX
Deep Dive 4: THE NEW SHAPE OF LOYALTY
How Loyalty Can Foster a Stronger Recovery for Brands
With Christopher Evans & Sean O’Neill – Senior Travel Tech Editor
The Customer-Centric Future of Travel Tech
With Linda Jojo, Christian Selchau-Hansen, & Jeremy Kressmann – Research Editor, SkiftX
The Coming Shifts in Travel Loyalty Post-Crisis
With Amy Weinberg, Danielle Brown, Dan Frommer, & Cameron Sperance – Hospitality Reporter
Deep Dive 5: BUSINESS TRAVEL’S REBOUND
How Hospitality Plans to Entice Business Travelers Back
With Federico J. González Tejera & Cameron Sperance – Hospitality Reporter
Picturing a Corporate Travel Rebound: Smaller, More Efficient
With Eric Bailey, Clayton Nelson, Bex Deadman, & Matthew Parsons – Corporate Travel Editor
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