The LGBT+ Travel Symposium: ThailandThe LGBT+ Travel Symposium: Thailand
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MAXIMIZE
THE FULL POTENTIAL
OF THE LGBT+
TRAVELER

REGISTRATION CLOSED

CONNECT WITH
GLOBAL
LGBT+ TRAVEL BUYERS & MEDIA

REGISTRATION CLOSED

BUILD LASTING RELATIONSHIPS AT OUR BUYER-SELLER MARKETPLACE

REGISTRATION CLOSED

LEARN & BE
INSPIRED BY
LEADERS IN
LGBT+ TRAVEL

PROGRAMME

BE PART OF A UNIQUE AND PROFITABLE TRAVEL NETWORK

REGISTRATION CLOSED

DEMONSTRATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE LGBT+ COMMUNITY

REGISTRATION CLOSED

PROUDLY HOSTED BY
THE PENINSULA, BANGKOK

FIND OUT MORE

2019's event in partnership with

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2019's supporting sponsors

75 GLOBAL LGBT+ BUYERS & MEDIA

In partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, The LGBT+ Travel Symposium will bring in 75 of the world’s leading LGBT+ buyers and media into Bangkok for the event. Our VIPs are hand-selected by TAT offices and will come from the USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Scandinavia, Israel, Italy, Spain, France, Australia and South East Asia among many other regions. This is your opportunity to meet these top buyers and influencers all in one place.

INSPIRING, EXPERT SPEAKERS

Our speakers and panelists are among the world’s leading LGBT+ experts, in marketing, sales, media, operations and sensitivity training. Our educational programme gives you the opportunity to learn from the very best in the industry and those who have seen great success from engaging with LGBT+ audiences. Plus our half-day deep-dive sessions will mean you’ll walk away with top tips on how to better attract, service and retain guests from this profitable segment.

CONNECT, NETWORK, DO BUSINESS

Delegates from our symposiums will tell you that the most powerful benefit arising from attending is the networking opportunity that The LGBT+ Travel Symposium gives. Beyond learning and doing business, each symposium is a chance to meet and form relationships with likeminded, LGBT+ welcoming travel brands and their representatives, forming a network of those truly passionate about diversity and inclusion in travel.

The second edition of this landmark event will not just promote diversity and inclusion among the Thai travel industry, but forge strong, new, unique, commercial and reputational links – through educational, networking and business opportunities – between Thailand’s travel providers and the rest of the world. We are proud to continue our partnership with OutThere after a truly successful inaugural event in 2018.

Mrs. Srisuda Wanapinyosak / Deputy Governor of International Marketing / Tourism Authority of Thailand

Guaranteed
meetings

at our Buyer/Seller marketplace

Our exclusive 1-on-1 buyer/media-seller marketplace is a fantastic opportunity to present your brand in tailored 5 minute pitches to each attending buyer. These guaranteed and qualified meetings are positioned to generate business, raise awareness, grow knowledge for your product and build long-lasting relationships.

WHY?

Why engage with LGBT+ travelers?The statistics speak for themselves

LGBT+ TRAVEL IS WORTH OVER US$200BILLION & CONTINUES TO GROW.

The market for LGBT+ travel continues to grow year-on-year by an average of 8%. This is 40% more than that of the travel spend of Germany.

LGBT+ TRAVELERS SPEND 55% MORE PER ARRIVAL THAN THE AVERAGE TRAVELER.

The LGBT+ community, that consists of between just 6-10% of the global population is worth 16% of the total global value.

60% OF LGBT+ PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO BUY FROM LGBT+ WELCOMING BRANDS

Today, this message resonates with heterosexual consumers too, with 37% feeling positive about destinations that promotes diversity and inclusion.

Speakers

2019's SpeakersA selection of high-profile speakers, more to be showcased soon

Khun Chattan

Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya

TAT

Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and the South Pacific), Khun Chattan is key to the development of marketing campaigns and activities for the region, a crucial market for LGBT+ travellers to Thailand.

Woody

Vuthithorn “Woody” Milintachinda

WOODY'S WORLD

Khun Woody is a leading figure on the front line of the Thai entertainment industry – a TV personality and chat show host, content creator and entertainment producer.  He made headlines when he married his same-sex partner back in 2014.

JosephS

Joseph Sampermans

THE PENINSULA BANGKOK

General Manager at the Peninsula Bangkok, a luxury hospitality pedigree and respected member of the Peninsula family for over 15 years.

SymposiumSteve

Steve Johnson-Stevenson

TAT

Marketing Manager for the Tourism Authority of Thailand New York Office, Steve has pioneered LGBT+ engagement for Thailand as a destination for close to a decade, including founding the Go Thai Be Free campaign that we know today.

LoAnn

LoAnn Halden

IGLTA

LoAnn Halden is Vice President-Communications for the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA), the global leader in advancing LGBTQ+ travel.

JulieVu

Julie Vu

@MISSJULIEVU

Julie Vu is a transgender Creator on YouTube/Instagram with over half a million subscribers. She documented her whole transition in front of the world and is an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Julie represented Canada in the Miss International Queen 2019 Pageant in Thailand.

Calum Evans

Calum Evans

THE GAY PASSPORT

Founder of The Gay Passport, an online travel guide for gay men. Since 2013 the Gay Passport has been creating unique travel content featuring our network of 450 leading gay influencers from across the world.

OUAJ

Maartje Hensen & Roxanne Weijer

ONCE UPON A JOURNEY

Maartje and Roxanne are a travel blogger couple and photographers who tell stories of their magical journeys through their online platform and through their awe-inspiring photography on Instagram. They feature in TAT’s Go Thai Be Free campaign.

Al Ramsay_Pride

Al Ramsay

Head of TD Bank’s LGBTQ2+ Business Development (Canada), responsible for the development and growth of TD’s LGBTQ2+ customer segment. He sits on the boards of the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and The Rainbow Railroad.

Dirk

Dirk Baumgartl

BLU MEDIA NETWORK
Head of Travel Content & Strategy for Germany’s largest LGBTQ media network blu with publications such as blu magazine Berlin, the lifestyle magazine Mate and the LGBTQ travel magazine Spartacus Traveler.
TomHo

Tom Ho

PROTRAVEL INTERNATIONAL

Born in Taipei, raised in Los Angeles, and now living in Chicago, Tom brings fresh outlook to the luxury travel industry, running his own travel business in partnership with Protravel International and was recently awarded the agency’s ‘Rising Star’ award.

meredithoneil

Meredith O’Neil

TRAVEL EDGE CANADA

Experienced travel counselor with a long experience in the hospitality industry and helping people make their travel dreams come true, both from her desk and by acting as a host on the ground.

Shintaro

Shintaro Koizumi

OUT ASIA TRAVEL

Principal at Tokyo based tour operator Out Asia Travel, Shintaro offers a variety of tour packages in Asia specifically for LGBT+travellers and is an experienced and exceptional LGBT travel coordinator creating memorable trips across the continent.

UJSpeaker

Uwern Jong

OUTTHERE.TRAVEL

Editor-in-Chief of OutThere, the world’s leading luxury and experiential travel magazine for gay men of distinction. Uwern is a proud travel ambassador for Thailand and is a Board Director of the IGLTA. Uwern is the organizer and host of the LGBT+ Travel Symposium.

Masterclasses

MasterclassesTwo amazing deep-dive masterclasses

SymposiumJesseDesjardins

Jesse Desjardins

fwNATION

A leading advisor to the travel industry, Jesse is the creator of the Guest Experience Map® and leads a consultancy that develops communities, strategies and products for travel brands. He was previously Global Manager, Social & Content at Tourism Australia.

Billy 2014

Billy Kolber

HOSPITABLE ME

Founder of HospitableMe, a global leader in LGBTQ strategy, marketing and training, helping destinations and brands leverage opportunities in the market. HospitableMe trained 1000+ people from 26 countries on 2 continents in 2017.

DESIGNING EXPERIENCES YOUR LGBT+ GUESTS WILL LOVE

Thursday 05 September 2019

Introduction
This session will look at how 5 leading hotels and experiences design peak moments for their LGBT+ guests. By using Guest Experience Map cards, the audience will learn how to use a powerful tool to assess their current experience moments and design new ones and create moments that are truly special and remarkable for our LGBT+ guests.

Masterclass
Predictably attract the perfect guests, design remarkable experiences and earn lifetime fans. This insights-packed, half-day masterclass will teach you the latest principles and mindsets that create big strategic breakthroughs in your Guest Experience Map (GEM).

The GEM is about breaking your marketing into three units; the BEFORE unit, which gets guests to the point of booking; the DURING unit, which provides peak experience moments and incremental revenue generation; and the AFTER unit, which focuses on developing relationships to increase repeat bookings and referrals.

We’ll focus on using social media as a tool to uncover emotional and social needs your LGBT+ guests might have.

Designing experiences that meet these needs are what creates significant competitive advantage. You’ll learn how to:

  • You’ll learn how to create a Guest Experience Map (GEM)
  • 7 Profit Activators that are universally present in everyone’s experience
  • Best in class examples for the LGBT+ market
  • Create alignment and collaboration amongst your teams
  • How to use social media to understand what guests love and hate about your current experience

EVERYBODY’S WELCOME: LGBT+ SENSITIVITY TRAINING

Friday 06 September 2019

Introduction
You can’t provide personalized, authentic service to LGBT+ guests if you don’t understand who we are and feel comfortable talking with and about us. These educational seminars and bespoke training programs from HospitableMe offer you and your team the knowledge and tools you need to respect, welcome, surprise and delight LGBT+ guests.

Masterclass
This half-day seminar teaches the foundational knowledge necessary to welcome all LGBT+ guests warmly and respectfully.

By looking at the social, historical and evolving circumstances faced by LGBT+ travelers, we convey a foundational understanding of who they are: how they are different from mainstream travelers and how they’re the same, how to make them feel welcome, and how to empower consumer-facing staff to deliver more authentic, personalized to diverse customers.

  • Gain a solid understanding of the different LGBT+ identities
  • Learn how to respect, surprise and delight LGBT+ travelers with simple service guidelines
  • Acquire best practices for speaking to and about LGBT+ guests
  • Discover how to make LGBT+ guests feel like they belong
  • Explore how traditional service standards impact LGBT+ guests
  • Review Service Recovery best practices related to LGBT+ issues
Registration

Registration

REGISTRATION CLOSED – SYMPOSIUM REGISTRATION
US$899

Registration is by company for ONE representative only and can only be purchased by companies and travel brands with products in Thailand.

Registration gains you access to two full days symposium programme on 5 and 6th September:

Opening session
2 x Networking lunches
2 x Evening events
Media/influencer networking session
Guest experience workshop
Sensitivity training workshop
Buyer/Seller marketplace

For companies who would like to send more than one delegate, a charge of US$349 per additional delegate is chargeable.

Companies may purchase as many tickets as they like for the main sessions and events, but are limited to a maximum of TWO representatives attending the Buyer/Supplier marketplace.

HOSTED BUYER PROGRAMME

Our international hosted buyer programme is now closed. 

MEDIA/INFLUENCERS

Our international hosted media/influencer programme is now closed.

ACCOMMODATION

Our host hotel, the Peninsula Bangkok has kindly extended a special rate of THB7,500++ per night to delegates of The LGBT+ Travel Symposium: Thailand 2019.

BOOK A ROOM

ONE-DAY NETWORKING TICKETS
US$549

We may have a small number of one day tickets available for Thursday 5th September only; those interested in finding out more about the LGBT+ travel symposium and the industry.

Sales of these tickets are at the discretion of the organiser and will only be released once full symposium registration is sold out.

This does not provide access to the buyer-supplier marketplace.

ENQUIRE
Schedule

The LGBT+ Agenda

Day 1
5 September 2019
8.00am—9.00am
Sakuntala Ballroom
Registration open
Sakuntala Ballroom
9.00am—9.05am
Sakuntala Ballroom
Good morning and welcome!
Sakuntala Ballroom
Uwern JongUJSpeaker
9.05am—9.10am
Sakuntala Ballroom
Official opening address from the Tourism Authority of Thailand
Sakuntala Ballroom
Chattan Kunjara Na AyudhyaKhun Chattan
9.10am—9.15am
Sakuntala Ballroom
Welcome to the Peninsula Bangkok!
Sakuntala Ballroom
Joseph SampermansJosephS
9.15am—9.45am
Sakuntala Ballroom
LGBT+ market update

Welcome from the organiser and Founder of the LGBT+ Travel Symposium series and an update on the key facts and figures driving the LGBT+ travel market

Sakuntala Ballroom
Uwern JongUJSpeaker, Al RamsayAl Ramsay_Pride, Dirk BaumgartlDirk
9.45am—10.05am
Sakuntala Ballroom
Go Thai Be Free

An update on the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s global LGBT+ campaign

Sakuntala Ballroom
Steve Johnson-StevensonSymposiumSteve
10.05am—10.40am
Sakuntala Ballroom
Woody's World – Keynote speaker

In a one-to-one with TV personality Khun Woody, we talk about LGBT+ life in Thailand and his part as a role model for the community.

Sakuntala Ballroom
Vuthithorn “Woody” MilintachindaWoody, Uwern JongUJSpeaker
10.40am—11.25am
Sakuntala Ballroom Foyer
Coffee break and media networking showcase
Sakuntala Ballroom Foyer
11.25am—11.40am
Sakuntala Ballroom
The global LGBT+ travel community

The IGLTA talks about building a community for LGBT+ travel

Sakuntala Ballroom
LoAnn HaldenLoAnn
11.40am—12.10pm
Sakuntala Ballroom
Being influential: the power of LGBT+ media

A panel of influencers, content creators and media representatives from around the world discuss the issues facing LGBT+ media, particularly with regard to travel

Sakuntala Ballroom
LoAnn HaldenLoAnn, Julie VuJulieVu, Calum EvansCalum Evans, Maartje Hensen & Roxanne WeijerOUAJ
12.10pm—12.50pm
Sakuntala Ballroom
Selling Thailand: needs and wants

Panel of selected buyer VIPs from different geographical locations share their experiences on engaging with the LGBT+ traveller

Sakuntala Ballroom
Uwern JongUJSpeaker, Tom HoTomHo, Shintaro KoizumiShintaro, Meredith O’Neilmeredithoneil
12.50pm—12.55pm
Sakuntala Ballroom
Closing remarks and thank yous
Sakuntala Ballroom
12.55pm—2.00pm
River Cafe and Terrace
Lunch and open networking
River Cafe and Terrace
2.00pm—3.45pm
Sakuntala Ballroom
Masterclass part 1

Designing experiences your LGBT+ guests will love

Sakuntala Ballroom
Jesse DesjardinsSymposiumJesseDesjardins
3.45pm—4.00pm
Sakuntala Ballroom Foyer
Coffee Break
Sakuntala Ballroom Foyer
4.00pm—6.00pm
Sakuntala Ballroom
Masterclass part 2

Designing experiences your LGBT+ guests will love

Sakuntala Ballroom
Jesse DesjardinsSymposiumJesseDesjardins
6.30pm—9.30pm
Three Sixty Lounge, Millenium Hilton Bangkok
Go Thai Be Free official welcome party, hosted by TAT and Hilton.

Peninsula Hotel boats will depart from the Peninsula jetty at 6.15pm, to ICON Siam Pier, a short walk from to the Hilton

Three Sixty Lounge, Millenium Hilton Bangkok
Day 2
6 September 2019
8.00am—8.30am
Ballroom
Sellers set up
Ballroom
8.30am—10.30am
Sakuntala Ballroom
Speed networking part 1

5 minute 1-2-1 introductory meetings

Sakuntala Ballroom
10.30am—10.45am
Sakuntala Ballroom
Coffee break and open networking
Sakuntala Ballroom
10.45am—1.30pm
Ballroom
Speed networking, Part II

5 minute 1-2-1 introductory meetings

Ballroom
10.30am—1.30pm
tbc
Media presentations

For media delegates only

tbc
1.30pm—2.30pm
River Terrace and Cafe
Networking lunch
River Terrace and Cafe
2.30pm—4.00pm
Sakuntala Ballroom
Masterclass part 1

Everybody’s welcome: LGBT+ sensitivity training

Sakuntala Ballroom
Billy KolberBilly 2014
4.00pm—4.15pm
Sakuntala Ballroom Foyer
Coffee Break
Sakuntala Ballroom Foyer
4.15pm—6.00pm
Sakuntala Ballroom
Masterclass part 2

Everybody’s welcome: LGBT+ sensitivity training

Sakuntala Ballroom
Billy KolberBilly 2014
6.30pm—9.30pm
The Siam
Closing party hosted by OutThere

OutThere boat will depart from the Peninsula jetty at 6.15pm sharp.

The Siam

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