ON TOUR: World Travel Market 2005
It”s on next week and if a visit to ExCel is your first, then be prepared.
The venue is excellent, much better than Earl”s Court for stands, catering and meeting opportunities, but a few tips on getting there and how to approach the show are useful.
Transport to London”s Docklands can be challenging for anyone, but the Light Railway delivers you to two stations next to the exhibition centre and access is by a short walk. Taking the train is the easiest way, as roads can often be congested in this part of London. ExCel is in Zone Three of the London transport network, so ensure your ticket covers this zone.
Get off at Custom House for the main entrance or go one stop on for Prince Regent for the UK/Ireland, Europe and Mediterranean sections and eastern end of the hall. Trains can be picked up at Canning Town, Bank and Tower Hill Underground stations. Journey times from central London are about half an hour and tickets on the DLR are included in daily or weekly travel passes.
The closest airport is London City, 10 minutes away. There will be a regular, free, shuttle bus for visitors and exhibitors. VLM, for instance, is offering a ”100 return ticket on all its 12 routes to anyone visiting WTM, including Liverpool, Manchester, Southampton, Jersey, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Luxembourg.
Once at ExCel make sure you have your pass. The security is tight and no amount of blagging will get you in if your credentials are not registered.
Now the fun starts.
A walk from one end of ExCel to the other is around five minutes, but at busy times it can take longer will thousands of people there, stands blocking you path and general tiredness after a day traipsing around.
Pick and choose your appointments and try and plan ahead. Exhibitors are often in meetings or off their stands, so just turning up to speak to a contact can result in disappointment. Call ahead and make sure your mobile is fully charged, the signal will be good.
Ensure you pick up a handy map of the site. There are on stands in the general area between the two main halls or find them in the daily Travel Weekly newspaper. Maps are also sited around ExCel.
The regions, hotels and other industry sectors are split into colour-coded areas and easy to find on the map. Just ensure you know your specific stand number, as even being in the right area can lead to frustration with finding the right person.
Away from the stands, which incidentally include every country in the world, apart from maybe Iraq and North Korea, and even surprising ones like Zimbabwe, take time to check out the seminars and debates on the main stage. There is a daily programme and some debates are very good, attracting well-known industry big-wigs and celebrities. This year”s opening features the long-awaited stage adaptation of Lord of the Rings.
Other seminars and meetings include the technology section EyeforTravel, with discussion on the latest way of selling ands buying holidays and products, and many other sessions in the side meeting rooms. Check daily for details.
Catering is good at the site, if a little expensive. So if you can”t invite yourself to one of the many lunches and receptions taking place, head for the outlets for hot and cold food, the bar area for drinks of just graze off the titbits offered on stands!
Outside the main entrance is the Fox pub, which is a mecca for evening drinks and relaxing.
We hope this has been a brief, but useful guide to the show. And now enjoy it!
http://www.wtmlondon.com