The 2011 Adventure and Backpacker Industry Conference (ABIC) takes over Darling Harbour in Sydney later today. Delegates from all over Australia will hear from some of the industry’s leading lights on trends in the sector.
Sessions will cover: the global economic outlook, backpacker travel patterns, managing online communities, changing consumer behaviour and marketing via mobile.
Operators have suffered a slow 2011, with some blaming a combination of the strong Australian dollar and the ongoing impact of the global financial crisis in key markets around the world for an almost 10 per cent drop in business last year.
Speakers at the conference include Nick Baker, Marketing Director at Tourism Australia and one of those responsible for branding Sydney’s most famous icon ‘the Oprah House’. The Australian Tourism Export Council’s new boss Felicia Mariani will also be giving her view on the industry’s future, as will Naked Communications founding partner Adam Ferrier and a host of representatives from Nomad, TripAdvisor, Travelzoo and more.
There is a range of workshops for delegates to build knowledge and networks during the afternoon. The day wraps up with the 2011 Golden Backpack Awards, putting the spotlight on the industry’s best and brightest operators.
Follow the day’s events on Twitter at #ABIC11. For more info and the full program: http://bit.ly/rs7Gpe
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