Senior Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor executives to speak at WTM

Senior executives from Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor are among speakers confirmed for social media sessions at next month’s World Travel Market.

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Senior executives from Facebook, Twitter and TripAdvisor are among speakers confirmed for social media sessions at next month’s World Travel Market.

Start-ups, destinations, bloggers and publishers are also scheduled as part of the programme on November 3-5.

Lee McCabe, global head of travel for Facebook, is keynote speaker. He will talk about how travel firms can leverage Facebook’s 1.5 billion users in his presentation entitled “Facebook future: mobile, messaging and virtual reality”.

This session takes place on November 4 from 1.30pm to 1.55pm on the Global Stage AS850.

Samir Bhana, Twitter sales manager for UK and Ireland, features in a face-to-face interview with Mark Frary, co-founder of Travel Perspective, on November 5 from 12.50pm to 1.25pm, also on the Global Stage.

TripAdvisor product director Sarah Davey is due to appear on a panel of experts. Each will choose their favourite travel start-up and explain what is so exciting about it. Each start-up will present to the panel with the audience voting to decide which one is “Travel’s Next Big Thing”.

Davey founded Tripbod, a digital platform which connects travellers with local experts, which was bought by Tripadvisor in 2014.

The other six sessions include sharing best practice examples from destinations, travel firms and businesses outside the sector. Working with bloggers from outside the travel industry is also on the agenda.

Content marketing is also up for discussion with a panel offering travel firms advice on publishing.

The programme ends with a session on how travel firms can use video marketing in the age of mobile, hosted by two executives from YouTube.

WTM London conference manger, Charlotte Sutton, said: “We’ve been running a social media programme for a number of years, and every year interest in the topic grows.

“At the same time, social media is maturing as a marketing and sales channel, but there is still lots to learn for the experienced and newcomer alike. This year we are also looking outside travel for best-practice examples.”