Programme of Events
Please note: The conference programme below is subject to change - a finalised programme will be available mid January. |
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Programme - Hostelworld.com Hostel Conference
Monday, January 26th 2009
Venue: Hilton Hotel, Charlemont Place, Dublin 2
| 08.00 | Registration |
| 09.00 | Welcome Kevin Blessing, Moderator |
| 09.10 | Introduction to conference & themes of the event
Feargal Mooney, CEO, Hostelworld.com |
| 09.30 | Emerging Markets
Dara Brady, Head of Advertising, Ryanair.com
How can you grow your customer base by reaching new and emerging markets? We will look at the emerging markets and when and how they travel.
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| 10.10 | Spotlight on China
Paloma Meng, Hostelworld.com Shanghai Office
China: The next big thing? Listen to where Chinese travellers are going and how they travel
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| 10.30 | Coffee Break |
| 11.00 | Youth Accommodation Industry - A Benchmark Study
David Jones, Director General, WYSE Travel Confederation
David will present some of the findings of the first ever benchmark study of the youth travel accommodation sector in which a cross section of more than 300 youth accommodation providers from 41 countries were invited to participate. |
| 11.30 | Pricing with Confidence
Reed Holden, Founder, Holden Advisors
Reed will tackle the issue of price - should you be increasing or decreasing your prices during a downturn or focusing more on margins, return on investment and improving overall yield?
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| 12.00 | Panel Discussion - Pricing
Reed Holden, Hostelworld.com representative, Hostel representatives.
The panel will discuss and debate the issue of price wars and how best to manage your prices under downward pressure from competitors. |
| 12.30 | Lunch
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Afternoon - Breakout Sessions
( Note: Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis so be sure to turn up early as we cannot guarantee that there will be availability for your preferred session. )
| Time | Room 1 | Room 2 | Room 3 |
| 14.00-15.00 |
Tips for Additional Revenue Opportunities through Hostelworld.com
Catarina Nilsson
Take away some hints on growing your business through new and existing Hostelworld.com technology. |
Hostelworld Trends in Emerging Markets
Itziar Gonzalez
Find out the top growth destinations and bookers of 2008 and predictions for 2009. |
Pricing with Confidence
Reed Holden
Interactive session where Reed will outline the features of his book 'Pricing with Confidence - 10 Ways to Stop Leaving Money on the Table.' |
| 15.00-16.00 |
Inbox for Dummies!
Elaine Kellegher
Get an overview of Hostel Inbox with our interactive Q&A session. Learn how to maximize availability, online sales and use some new functionality. |
Advanced Backpack Online
Gillian Lennox
Future developments in Backpack Online Q&A. This session is only open to existing Backpack Online Users. |
Benefits of Becoming a STAYWYSE Member
StayWyse is the accommodation committee of the World Youth Student & Educational Travel Condederation (WYSETC) |
| 16.00-17.00 |
Meet Your Buddy
Use this time to meet with your Hostelworld Buddy or Regional Manager. |
Backpack Online for Beginners
James Byrne
Find out how Backpack Online can help you to run your business more efficiently. |
Meet Your Buddy
Use this time to meet with your Hostelworld Buddy or Regional Manager. |
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Programme - Hostelworld.com Hostel Conference
Tuesday, January 27th 2009
Venue: Hilton Hotel, Charlemont Place, Dublin 2
| 09.30 | Registration - (newly arrived delegates) |
| 09.45 | Introduction Day 2 |
| 10.00 | Ways to Market your Hostel without Blowing your Budget
Ciarán Norris, SEO & Social Media Director, Altogether Digital
There are still ways to get your hostel name out there for free through viral and social media. Ciarán will show you how. |
| 10.30 | Hostelworld.com - Maps, Apps and More
Amy Grange, Project Manager, Hostelworld.com
Learn what the website team at Hostelworld.com were up to last year and plans for 2009 including Route Planner, mobile applications and much more. |
| 11.00 | Coffee Break |
| 11.30 | Overview from Google
Ronan Harris, Director, Online Sales & Operations, Google
Ronan will provide a general overview of trends in travel searches including peak times for searching, as well as nationalities and destinations experiencing a growth in travel searches.
| | 12.15 | Lunch
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Afternoon - Breakout Sessions
( Note: Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis so be sure to turn up early as we cannot guarantee that there will be availability for your preferred session. )
| Time | Room 1 | Room 2 | Room 3 |
| 14.00-15.00 |
Meet Your Buddy
Use this time to meet with your Hostelworld Buddy or Regional Manager. |
Affiliates Update
Yvonne Finlay, Hostelworld
Learn a little more about the 3000+ affiliate websites you are also featured on through Hostelworld.com. |
Backpacker Panel
Moderator, Aisling White
Find out where your customers are going in 2009 & if or how the recession affects their travel plans. |
| 15.00-16.00 |
Meet Your Buddy
Use this time to meet with your Hostelworld Buddy or Regional Manager. |
Meet Your BPO Buddy
Use this time to meet with members of the Backpack Online team according to your scheduled appointments. |
The Power of Video
Ciarán Norris
We show you how to optimise the use of videos to promote your hostel online & how effective they really are.
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| 16.00-17.00 |
Meet Your Buddy
Use this time to meet with your Hostelworld Buddy or Regional Manager. |
Meet Your Buddy
Use this time to meet with your Hostelworld Buddy or Regional Manager. |
Meet Your Buddy
Use this time to meet with your Hostelworld Buddy or Regional Manager according to your scheduled appointments. |
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Programme of Events - Entertainment
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Sunday, January 25th 2009
Venue: The Harbourmaster, Customs House Dock, I.F.S.C. Dock, Dublin 1
| 8.00pm | Welcome Drinks - Meet your fellow hostel owners and Hostelworld.com staff for some pre-conference networking and sample a pint of Guinness. |
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Monday, January 26th 2009
The Button Factory, Curved St. Temple Bar, Dublin 2
| 7.30pm till late | Hoscars Awards Ceremony, Music and Dancing - Find out the winners of this year's Hoscars and join in the celebrations with the winners. |
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