Be Part of the New PATA Future Travel Technology Committee

Posted: Mon 19 Dec, 2011

On December 19, 2011, PATA CEO Martin Craigs sent a message to PATA members to seek members who want to be a part of the new PATA Future Travel Technology Committee.

 

Dear Valued PATA Member,

Very warm Season’s Greetings.

As you know, technology is transforming the travel industry. PATA needs to be a trusted authority and advocate on digital, online, e-commerce, mobile, search, social media and related areas in the travel industry such as hotels and aviation. PATA is committed to building the business through PATA Next Generation thought leadership and creativity.

As a step in that direction, PATA is creating the Future Travel Technology Committee.

The decision to create the Future Travel Technology Committee follows from the clear request for help with travel technology issues that came out of PATA’s Strategic Issues Workshop in New Delhi on September 10, 2011. I was personally further convinced of the need for this during my participation at the always infotaining PhoCusWright Conference in Miami in mid October.

Accordingly, PATA would like to receive expressions of interest from members who would like to make a difference in this exciting space and become a founding member of the PATA Future Travel Technology Committee.

We are looking for PATA members who are knowledgeable or expert in the following areas: mobile devices, social media, apps, online distribution and marketing, cloud computing, SEO, and other technical areas such as hotel (reservations to room keys) airport security (e.g. scanners) and other related areas. Your expertise may be as a service provider, end-user, or from a strategic or market specific perspective.

The Committee would also like to have members who are knowledgeable on travel technology issues from largely non-English speaking markets such as China, Japan and Korea as well. We envisage the Committee having between 15 and 30 members.

The responsibilities of the new PATA Future Travel Technology Committee as a unit will be to:

- Periodically advise PATA members about the latest travel industry technology trends and how member organizations can or should prepare themselves to take advantage of these new opportunities
- Advise PATA head office about suitable technology topics and speakers for PATA events
- Advise PATA head office on any advocacy issues in the travel technology field that PATA should be speaking out on (e.g. concession, regulatory, bandwidth, research development, security and travellers’ rights issues)
- Advise PATA’s Strategic Intelligence Centre when SIC produces occasional reports on technology related matters
- Convene twice a year at official PATA events
- Appoint a Future Travel Technology Committee chairperson who will have responsibility for the overall work of the Committee (he or she will be supported closely by a senior PATA staff person from PATA HQ.)

Individual Technology Committee members would be expected to:

- On request from the PATA secretariat, offer advise or insights on their specific area of expertise
- Attend Future Travel Technology Committee sessions (about two hours in duration) at least once a year at PATA Board meetings (alongside the PATA Annual Conference in April or the PATA Travel Mart in September).

PATA e-Experts
At their discretion, Future Travel Technology Committee members may wish to join the PATA e-Expert Program. In the program, Committee members, or their organizations, would agree to offer free consultancy to PATA member organizations for a limited and pre-defined number of hours. After which the PATA e-Expert and member organization may decide to continue the consultancy together on normal commercial terms.

Benefits of Joining the PATA Travel Technology Committee

PATA believes the benefits of volunteering to join the Future Travel Technology Committee will be:

- Increased recognition and business lead opportunities within the PATA global business network
- A platform to make a difference on technology issues in the travel industry as a whole
- Recognition for your contributions in PATA’s official communications channels such as News@PATA, PATA Compass magazine and Issues & Trends and other social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter
- Recognition and requests for comments and interviews from external media
- Speaking opportunities at PATA and PATA partner events

To express your interest in joining the PATA Future Travel Technology Committee, please write to communications@PATA.org before January 6, 2012. In no more than two paragraphs, simply outline your interest and credentials to join the committee and how you could add value to its work.

As per PATA bylaws, the new Committee will function as an Advisory committee.

As your new CEO I am personally very excited about this new development. At PATA head office we are passionate and committed to helping you build your business through PATA Next Generation creativity.

I look forward to hearing back from you before January 6.

 

Yours truly,

 

Martin J Craigs

CEO

PATA