TTE 2016: Disrupt Awards finalists revealed

The Travel Technology Disrupt Awards will showcase innovative new products and services at Travel Technology Europe 2016. New for 2016, Launchpad is a dedicated area for tech start-up companies to present their business ideas and offer buyers the latest industry innovations.

The Travel Technology Disrupt Awards will showcase innovative new products and services at Travel Technology Europe 2016.

New for 2016, Launchpad is a dedicated area for tech start-up companies to present their business ideas and offer buyers the latest industry innovations.

The winner will receive a three-hour consultancy session with travel technology entrepreneur and investor Matt Zito and the Travel Startups Incubator advisory team, and an exhibition stand at TTE 2017, worth £8,000.

Eight finalists have been shortlisted, spanning innovations such as a mobile hotel concierge solution, a personalisation tool and a travel planning app that uses current social media trends.

Finalists will take to the stage for a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style pitching session at 1pm on Thursday February 25 in the TTE Disrupt theatre.

The finalists are:

• bd4travel delivers digital empathy capabilities to understand and engage with every anonymous visitor and serve relevant offers and services in real-time.

• SmartStay is a mobile platform for the hospitality industry to market services and promotions that engage guests throughout their stay. SmartStay’s USP is its machine learning algorithm which, using guest history and Facebook information, shows the most relevant information.

• Reputize provides hotels with tools to monitor, collect and push guest reviews to OTAs such as TripAdvisor, HolidayCheck and Zoover. It features on-site feedback capturing tools.

• Trip Republic is a social travel planner and booking tool whereby users can plan and book all parts of a trip together with friends and create a seamless travel experience.

• Waynaut is a platform that allows every website or app to show their users the best way to get where they need, with a simple REST API.

• YAMGU helps travellers to plan trips in just minutes. It organises day-by-day activities according to distances, opening/closing times, visit length and weather forecast.

• OLSET powers personalisation for OTAs and TMCs based on a recommendation system built around the world’s largest database of categorised traveller review sentiments.

• OnRoute is a smartphone or tablet with embedded SIM card and customised software, providing a Wi-Fi hotspot for 3G/LTE internet access worldwide.

David Chapple, event director at Travel Technology Europe, said: “We are excited to host the second Travel Technology Disrupt Awards at this year’s show and to continue to support innovation in the industry.

“Visitors to the show have come to expect, and always relish in, delving into the new technology on display at TTE and finding out who or what is next to disrupt the travel tech arena.”

The awards will be judged by:

• Lee Hayhurst – Editor, Travolution
• Jon Pickles – Global Director – 360 Engagement, The Travel Corporation
• Matt Zito – Managing Partner, Travel Startups Incubator at TravelStartups.com
• Walter Toscano, Senior Advisor, Travel & Telecom Ltd
• Peter Dennis Chairman, TTI – Travel Technology Initiative

Voting to decide the top five finalists is open now at traveltechnologyshow.com/visit/launchpad