WTM Latin America: “It’s All About Finding Connections”

The leading global event for the Latin American travel industry took place at Sao Paulo’s Expo Center Norte. 

WTM Latin America provides a can’t-miss opportunity to showcase companies’ products to potential and existing clients, focusing on Leisure, MICE and Business Travel. Caribbean News Digital talked to Charlie Cracknell, Senior Exhibition Director for ‎Reed Exhibitions, who said to be very happy with the event.

“I’ve done many shows and, for me, it’s all about finding connections. The reflection however is “success is for our customers.” I can judge the success of an event by looking in the eyes of our customers, hearing what they say and seeing how they react.

“We are becoming an IT-driven world and the travel industry is no exception. Travelers are becoming more powerful because they are making the right decision in their own time. They are reacting to information that is provided through personalization. As an industry, what we need to do, and what is happening, is using pieces of information from Facebook, Google. They are bought to organizations that supply information about people’s needs, because they are building intelligence about who those people are,” Mr. Cracknell said.

The focus on these events has always been on bringing in the best travel agents, the best tour operators, both locally and international, by talking to them and understanding what they need, the destinations and products they think are more relevant to doing business.

The Senior Exhibition Director for ‎Reed Exhibitions explained that their biggest goal is to achieve as many partnerships as possible. “Our customers invest with us because they trust us.”

“We have better intelligence from people who run the businesses, so we can react to supporting those businesses. We do more research to learn what their needs are, how to support them. We were doing research at the event while we were talking to over 700 people to better understand what drives their business. That will help develop strategies to match their needs.”

As for the importance of travel-related media, Charlie Cracknell said that it is not only important for these events, but also for the whole market. “They help us listen, learn, communicate and, for us as partners, share the message.”