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(SEATTLE, WASHINGTON) – JULY 28, 2005
-- Featuring executives and luminaries from World Bank, Yahoo!,
Microsoft, NBC Today Show, Orbitz, Recreational Equipment, Inc.
(REI), National Geographic Adventures Magazine, The Travel
Institute, and dozens of respected and influential adventure travel
industry experts, the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA)
today unveiled an unprecedented program schedule to inaugurate its
Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS).
The ATWS will be held in Seattle on
October 16, 17, and 18, 2005, at the Bell Harbor International
Conference Center on Elliot Bay.
Helping Summit participants fuse
big-picture vision with everyday practical knowledge and tools to
help businesses reduce costs, increase revenues and grow their own
customer bases is the primary aim of the three-day conference. ATWS
sessions will offer interactive learning environments where
partnerships are formed, new research is collectively analyzed,
challenging issues are debated, group-buying power is developed, a
stronger community is built, and progressive visions are explored.
The outcome of the ATWS is to enable the industry to better serve
travelers, promote responsible tourism, and optimize the industry’s
market potential. Core topics include trends, research, marketing,
partnering, operations, sustainability, and funding.
“The Adventure Travel World Summit
is a long overdue opportunity,” says Kurt Kutay, President of
Seattle-based Wildland Adventures. “Over the past quarter century,
adventure travel companies and related businesses have proliferated
in response to an ever-increasing market of active, outdoor
travelers. We have witnessed dramatic changes in the economic
structure of our industry, insurance liability requirements, ongoing
environmental and social concerns on the ground, and strategies for
understanding and capturing our changing market. I anticipate a
highly creative and productive collaboration among experienced
executive-level colleagues for the benefit of our respective
businesses and as well as setting the course for future development
of our niche industry at this critical time.”
Summit attendees will garner
insights from and interact with experts representing critical
business disciplines within and outside the industry. Session
schedules and descriptions with the names of presenters are
available at
http://www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com/atws-program.html.*
Visionary sessions will look toward
interactive sessions that will create an updated definition of the
“adventure travel” category, challenge existing research data and
traditional marketing strategies, all while encouraging participants
to consider transformational initiatives that benefit the adventure
travel industry. Additionally, special emphasis will be lent to
exploring collective marketing initiatives and strategic alliances
considered “radical” by traditional industry measures.
Practical sessions will emphasize
cost savings tactics specifically linked to online marketing,
liability insurance and risk management, crisis communication
strategies, staff recruiting and retention practices, and others.
Sessions designed to increase organizational revenues and attract
new consumers include such topics as publicity generation, online
marketing tactics, search engine optimization, how to market to
niche audiences, and others designed to help organizations improve
their bottom-line results.
Day one (Sunday, October 16th) of the 2005 Summit includes an
unprecedented opportunity for attendees to raft, hike, climb, sail,
fly-fish, and participate with adventure experts and colleagues,
while days two and three feature interactive learning, strategy,
planning, visionary, and networking sessions.
Hosted by the ATTA, the Summit is
designed primarily for industry executives and decision makers of
domestic and international tour operators, destination marketing
organizations, tourism boards, lodges, and travel agencies
worldwide. Building upon 12 previous World Congress on Adventure
Travel events previously hosted by the ATTA in the 1990s, its new
leadership introduced the Adventure Travel World Summit in April
2005.
Online registration is accessible at
www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com.
Registration Fees are $750.00 U.S. for ATTA Members and $950.00 for
non-members. To ensure the quality and effectiveness of the Summit
experience, attendance is limited to 500 participants.
Sponsors of the Adventure Travel
World Summit include Orbitz.com, ExOfficio, National Geographic
Adventure, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), and Eagle Creek.
The Seattle-based ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz)
is a strategic membership organization dedicated to raising the
profile of adventure travel globally. Established in 1990, the ATTA
provides services, knowledge, and connections that help its members
succeed in their businesses and contribute to overall industry
growth.
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