Following the success of last year’s sell-out event, Tourism Ireland will host its second eMarketing Symposium on Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dublin Airport. Combining international keynote speakers, with Irish-focused case studies to ensure maximum relevance for Irish businesses, the Tourism Ireland eSymposium will discuss exciting new developments in the world of eMarketing.
Irish tourism has always punched above its weight off-line, but in today’s rapidly changing media landscape this advantage could be lost if the travel and tourism industry does not adapt. This year’s conference will focus on optimising the marketing mix in a digital world, as well as using information effectively to convert business. The latest developments in branding in an online world, maximising data and information using analytics and search engine marketing, as well as Tourism Ireland’s international web strategy and online platforms, will be discussed.
Speakers include Daniel Kerzner, Online Marketing Regional Director with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, who will discuss how to “Give our customers what they want, by knowing what they want”; Jonty Kelt, Vice President, Search International (Doubleclick), will cover “Travel Search Optimisation - Maximising Return on Investment” ; while Lisa Shields, eDistribution Channel Manager, Jury's Inns Group, will explore “How to Succeed in Search Marketing”.
Valentina Doorly, Marketing and Sales Manager, Guinness Storehouse, will talk about how she optimises the Guinness Storehouse presence online; David Shiell, Founding Partner, WebLiquid, will discuss “Harnessing Consumer Empowerment in a Commercial World” and Asmundur Saevarsson, Manager eMarketing, Icelandair, will examine how companies are “Converting Lookers to Bookers”.
ZenithOptimedia forecasts that global internet advertising spend will grow by 28.2% in 2007, while at the same time ad spending in other media will grow by only 3.9% - in other words, online ad spending will grow seven times faster than other media. ZenithOptimedia also projects that the internet’s share of total advertising spends worldwide will increase from 5.8% in 2006 to 8.6% in 2009.
This explosion of online activity is reflected in Tourism Ireland’s marketing budgets. Five percent of the organisation’s budget was dedicated to online marketing in 2003; this has risen three-fold in 2007. Tourism Ireland internet advertising campaigns currently run in over 16 markets and email marketing programmes in 19 countries. The organisation currently has 36 international websites in 14 different languages.
Tourism Ireland’s eMarketing Symposium is a must-attend event for tourism enterprises throughout the island of Ireland. In a new format there will be a split afternoon session to cater for differing needs, interests and levels of experience of eMarketing. A maximum of 300 places will be available and these will be allocated in order of receipt of bookings.
Visit www.esymposium.ie
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Further information:
Sinéad Grace, Tourism Ireland, tel: 01 476 3493/ 087 685 9027
Louise Cassidy, Weber Shandwick, tel: 01 676 0168