Brand USA Paved the Way for More U.S. Companies to Attend 2018 WTM London
Brand USA registered an increase in traffic and visibility for its pavilion at the 2018 World Travel Market (WTM) 2018 last month.
Brand USA’s updated the design of its pavilion at the WTM London, creating a more unified and cohesive space, covering 3,450 square meters, and allowing enough space for over 150 U.S. companies to be represented.
“If it wasn’t for Brand USA and having the Pavilion here at WTM, it would be much more difficult for us to get the trade and hence forth getting consumers to travel to Great Lakes USA,” said Toby McCarrick, the executive director of Great Lakes USA. “It’s always a great experience to come to WTM, not only to hear what the trade has to say but to see what our competitors are doing.”
The WTM, held on November 4-6, is one of the leading global event for the travel industry to meet industry professionals and conduct business deals. It was one of the most successful and well attended WTM events to date, with nearly 89,000 attendees over the three days. That represented a 6 percent increase of visitors for this year over 2017. WTM London 2019 will take place at ExCeL London, November 4-6, 2019.
Brand USA also hosted a well-attended networking event at WTM London 2018 in the Brand USA pavilion on Tuesday, November 6. During his opening remarks, Brand USA Chief Marketing Officer Tom Garzilli highlighted the launch of the Brand USA’s mobile GoUSA TV app, the premier entertainment channel with authentic and on-demand video content about travel experiences in the USA. The event included a performance by AJ Ghent, an Atlanta-based rock & soul musician, while attendees enjoyed a selection of American craft beers, wines, and snacks.
In addition, Brand USA had a chance to spend time with representatives of Thomas Cook, one of Britain’s largest tour operators and a partner of the destination marketing organization, at the Thomas Cook Annual Retail Conference in Antalya, Turkey on November 12-22.
Representatives of Brand USA’s United Kingdom and Ireland office - Ava Mehta, sales and marketing account director, and Lucy Russell, sales and marketing manager – represented Brand USA at the event, which provided an opportunity for them to spend time with Thomas Cook store managers from across the UK.
As Premium Partners, Brand USA representatives made a 15-minute presentation to attendees, which was live streamed via Facebook back to the UK; spent time in the exhibition area immersive zones; staged a USA quiz; and raised awareness about Brand USA.
Ava and Lucy attended the partner welcome dinner, festival-themed celebration and Hearts of Gold Gala Dinner on the final night. The events provided a chance for Brand USA to network with members of the Thomas Cook Head Office team and store managers.
Brand USA United Kingdom/Ireland and Visit USA UK also hosted a successful Thanksgiving event for tour operators, attractions, and direct marketing organizations in the last month.
The Thanksgiving Reception, held on Tuesday, November 20 at Aqua Nueva in Central London, was an invitation-only event which brought together over 120 Visit USA members and select media representatives.
The event - a productive collaboration between Visit USA UK and Brand USA - was a huge success and provided on opportunity for members and partners to network and develop business contacts while enjoying the American national holiday celebrating the harvest. Broadcaster Matt Frei – a news journalist and writer and former correspondent for Channel 4 News in Washington, DC – offered opening remarks at the event. Frei currently is the channel's Europe editor and an occasional news presenter.