Travel Is Your Business

B2B2C global distribution platform for in-destination experiences with Simplenight… Mark Halberstein discusses how destination experiences fit into an $800 billion global business, and how the tech infrastructure for searching and booking is fragmented, consumers have to use a number of sites and apps, which is inefficient and time wasting. Halberstein, Founder/CEO of SIMPLENIGHT (a Global Experience Platform™ providing cloud based distribution, inventory management, merchandising and technology solutions for the travel industry) joins Marc Raco and Nick Vivion (tnooz) in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser. Defragmenting experiences, a GDS with various touchpoint, and what’s next in the mix He discusses how destination experiences fit into an $800 billion global business, and how the tech infrastructure for searching and booking is fragmented, consumers have to use a number of sites and apps, which is inefficient and time wasting. A GDS for in destination experiences, tours/activities, box o

Customer experience and customer support in travel and hospitality… Brianne Kimmel, GTM (Growth, Marketing Strategy, Audience & Industry) at Zendesk (which builds software for better customer relationships, empowering organizations to improve customer engagement and better understand their customers) joins John Matson and Pavan Bahl in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser. End-to-end communication, being more human, and driving innovation Kimmel describes Zendesk as a software company which builds products to improve customer experience and customer support for companies like AirBnB, Expedia, etc. and end to end communication such as chatbots. Training representatives to speak more conversationally, humans to be more human, especially since most contacts are because of a problem and people expect a human response back. More conversational travel companies are driving innovation. OTAs feel responsible for customer experience, share info with providers. Data insights, Zendesk for startups, a

All-in-one ride-hailing app making ride sharing transparent… Payam Safa, Founder & CEO of Bellhop (an all-in-one ride-hailing app enabling price comparisons and ride-booking from multiple ride-sharing companies) joins Marc Raco, Nick Vivion (tnooz) and Brandon McKenzie (MetroButler) in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser. A lack of transparency, bringing all into one, and obtaining API access Safa discusses how consumers don’t have transparency across multiple apps, why Bellhop is starting with ride hailing, how many consumers shift between different apps in a non-transparent environment constantly shifting to find best ETA/price. Bellhop is bringing all apps into one, enabling consumers to make more informed decision to save time and money. Offering direct API access to companies, either building for them or first company to have access to API. A race to the bottom, an ally in a new CEO, and loyalty programs How rideshare companies are starting to accept their fate that they are intercha

Shopping and travel packing list… Chubi Nwagbara, Co-Founder at Emadri (and TheVane, the place to shop the items missing for your next trip), joins Pavan Bahl, John Matson and Peter Crysdale in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser. Working with booking platforms, likely users, and impact of various factors on recommendations Nwagbara discusses communication flow, how client partners have multiple options, how bookings are pushed to TheVane, then the info hits algorithm and the booking platform offers recommendations. Taking into account how weather, dates, gender, age, and purpose of travel all impact recommendations, the typical type of people who want to use and how it also affects recommendations, and why business travelers know what they need to pack so leisure travelers are the most likely users. Data differences widgets and white labeling, and TheVane Being able to give style preferences via social media, engaging consumers to learn more, and the difference in data collected and availabl

A special holiday message of thanks and warm wishes from hosts John and Pavan and everyone from Travel Is Your Business podcast. Happy Holidays!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Big picture global macro patterns and behaviors, with Sheryl Connelly… Sheryl Connelly, Global Trends and Futuring Manager (a.k.a. Corporate Futurist) for Ford Motor Company, talks with MouthMedia Network President Pavan Bahl about the insights and implications of the 2018 Ford Trends Report. Recorded at the MouthMedia Network studios, powered by Sennheiser. Read the 2018 Ford Trends Report here. Data for all, giving younger people purpose, and seeking solutions Connelly reveals how the report previously was kept proprietary and inside Ford, but now it is cascading it widely, as it is functionally agnostic. The brief is that the more it was shared that Ford received more insights. She discusses how trust is a trend that can’t be overestimated. She reviews the personal note to the reader, and how disorientation, disparity, and inequities cannot be ignored anymore, that people want to explore them and look for solutions and how the world is committed to looking for solutions. Being thoughtful in how to engage y

A new, better way to move with a zero-emission hop-on, short-trip transportation alternative using pedicabs… Jeff Thomashow and Steven Aitkenhead, Co-founders of HOST Transportation (re-imagining the traditional pedicab for the 21st century by providing urban dwellers a quick, affordable way to move locally through cities), join John Matson and Pavan Bahl in the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser. Good experiences mean adoption, why pedicabs, and being a brand extension Thomashow and Aitkenhead discuss pedicabs as a last mile option, how their sweet spot and launchpad is the East Village in NYC, getting over the resistance of pedicabs, how people tend to immediately adopt if they try a service and have a good experience, providing music, phone chargers, and tapping into Millennial mindset in the pedicabs, all customized by personal, human connection. Why pedicabs, partnering with brands to provide a neighborhood level transportation service, how “Instagrammable” are moments, how effective the pe

Analyzing the intent of online consumer journeys in travel… Richard Harris, CEO of Intent Media (operating the world’s most powerful platform for advertising on commerce sites, with ads running across a network of leading travel websites), discusses how “digital exhaust” becomes valuable real time user intent data, sharing competitive information and rates develops loyalty, the distinction between search and commerce, and building a successful company culture. Recorded with hosts John Matson, Pavan Bahl, and guest host Nick Vivion of tnooz in the MouthMedia Network Studios powered by Sennheiser. Travelocity two ways, repurposing digital exhaust, and Dubonnet wine Harris reveals how he and his partners started as consultants, sold their company to Travelocity, then took over Travelocity, exited, then started Intent Media. He discusses the essence of the company as taking tools of machine learning to predict what users are trying to get accomplished and then solving that in real time to give them the user exper

The most influential B2B news resources for the travel industry… Arnie Weissmann, Editor in Chief of Travel Weekly, discusses the 60-year+ publication, embracing technology, and proper PR behavior with hosts Pavan Bahl and John Matson along with guest host Nick Vivion of tnooz, in the MouthMedia Network Studios powered by Sennheiser. (Weissmann’s profile) Sixty years of experience, AOL and ATT, and print vs. digital Weissmann discusses how Travel news offers the opportunity to be learning from experienced deep domain experts, the launch of more than 60 years ago to becoming one of the most influential resources in the travel industry, how Travel News has been online since 1997 and continues to be strong, big involvement with events, and how Weissmann likes to be a “player and coach”, in management and into interviews and writing. How the movement of technology allowed Travel Weekly to grow and get a foot in the door with AOL, providing core destination content for AOL for years. ATT had them build a business

Five innovative travel startup companies pitch industry leaders and investors at Voyager HQ … The companies and judges gathered at the Voyager HQ Clubhouse in New York City for Travel Pitch Night, sponsored by Amadeus. Panelists and audience judged each startup on presentation, business model’s viability, product/market fit, and fundability. This episode powered by Sennheiser. The companies that pitched: Samantha Ruiz (CEO/Co-Founder)  – Well Traveled Rebecca Lima (CEO/Co-Founder) – Ment Matthew Lerner (CEO/Founder)  – MetroButler Lisa Israelovitch (CEO/Founder) – Umapped Eyal Raab (Business Development) – Riskified Panel of judges: Kerri Zeil, Head of Amadeus for Startups Christophe Allard, Director North America at Brussels Airlines Werner Georg Kunz-Cho, Co-CEO of Fareportal Gillian Morris, Co-Founder & CEO of Hitlist   Hear more podcasts from MouthMedia Network at www.mouthmedianetwork.com .See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How rewarding employees for responsible corporate travel saves money and boosts morale… A misalignment — between the intent of corporate travel policies and the way employees manage travel expenses — results in tremendous financial waste. Dan Ruch, Founder of Rocketrip, offers insights on a behavioral change platform for large organizations interested in controlling travel costs and creating a positive climate, with employees rewarded for great behavior. Guest host Nick Vivion, Editorial Director of tnooz, joins hosts Pavan Bahl and John Matson at the MouthMedia Network studios powered by Sennheiser. (Ruch’s profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danruch/) Splitting the savings, motivating and changing behavior, and an employee perk Ruch discusses how travel is an emotional product and a misunderstood industry, how employees rewarded for great behavior, the ability to predict what a trip should cost, and proactively rewarding the behavior of employees who reduce travel costs and go above and beyond the call of

Travel app with intelligent filters help you find trips that suit your time, destination preferences and budget… Gillian Morris, Co-founder and CEO of Hitlist (a mobile app which sends users personalized, proactive alerts when there are cheap flights – profile), joins John Matson, Peter Crysdale and Marc Raco in the MouthMedia Network Studios in New York, powered by Sennheiser. Optimal timing, a price graph, and an organic rate of growth Morris discusses how the app alerts you, and how Hitlist monitors 50 million flights of data a day, and helps to save time and money and get you traveling more. How other flight search engines are about if you want to book right now and know what you want and where to go, but how booking at optimal times can save a lot of money. Driving the purchase so customers know the right moment, the price graph, how Hitlist has a use case, the way the organic growth rate is going up, being at a million users, and pride that they didn’t have to raise a lot of money. Deals and value, tar

Chariot’s first NYC crowd-funded commuter route… Brittany Lewis, Marketing Manager for Chariot (an app-based crowd-sourced commuter service and Ford Smart Mobility Company – (profile)) joins Marc Raco in the MouthMedia Network Studios powered by Sennheiser for a special announcement on a new crowd-funded route. Lewis announces that after a month-and-a-half in Chariot’s fourth City, launching first crowd-funded route in New York City on October 10th, 2017. She clarifies how a crowd-sourced route works, why Chariot’s model is a significant urban opportunity, how urban growth created mobility issues, and Chariot and Ford looking at how to help get people where they need to go while considering other city issues. The sense of community with Chariot, the notion of on-demand and a personal experience, fostering the sense of community in the rides in a place like New York, and launching quickly after the first two routes in NYC. Plus, naming the service routes, and a special connection on a chariot for Lewis persona

Mobility and redefining urban life with Postmates, Chariot and Ford… Brandon Teitel (profile), VP of Brand Strategy at Postmates (an on-demand logistics company that operates a network of couriers who deliver goods locally), and Brittany Lewis (profile), Marketing Manager at Chariot (a crowdsourced commuter shuttle service and a Ford Smart Mobility Company), join Pavan Bahl, Peter Crysdale and guest host Amy Jung (Co-founder of Raw Haus) in front of a live audience on location at the Ford Hub NYC (Ford’s first brand experience studio) at the Westfield World Trade Center . Music used with permission from Cassidy Andrews. This episode is powered by Sennheiser. Two mobility companies, partnerships, and regional considerations Teitel discusses partnerships, and making sure Postmates is becoming a household name. Lewis talks crowd-sourced data, New York as a fourth city, helping cities and urban areas and reducing congestion and increase mobility. Postmates as a remote control for your life. As heads of branding a

Social impact travel experiences… Michal Alter, Co-Founder and CEO at visit.org (building the world’s leading platform for social impact travel experiences, allowing millions of users to discover, support, and interact with ‘do-good’ organizations both virtually and in-person – (profile)) joins Pavan Bahl, John Matson and Peter Crysdale in the MouthMedia Studios, powered by Sennheiser. A heavy social mission, surviving the early years, and boots on the ground Alter discusses local and authentic activities while traveling, and how they will benefit each local community via dollars spent, how she had privilege to travel for prolonged periods of time and had enough time to randomly meet and interact with local people, inspiring the company. And why a heavy social mission, how Alter then became a director for refugee affairs, then serving community of 100k refugees and immigrants. How Visit.org is in 76 countries, aiming for 2,000 experiences, and how they got a crazy cool URL. Existing as a for-profit social ent

Hotel operations connection platform with ALICE… Alex Shashou, Co-Founder & President of ALICE (an operations system for every department in a hotel, connecting staff and guests – (bio)), joins Pavan Bahl and John Matson at the MouthMedia Network Studios. Building partnerships, tracking and transitioning work, and the market opportunity Shashou shares the biggest growth transition of ALICE, how is addresses the last frontier of travel, allows all department to communicate, gives guests access, connects different software systems, and how ALICE is building great partnerships with big names. Working primarily with high end 3 star to 5 star hotels, how it was started 2012 and moved from a guest app to a back end player that changed the business model, how the open API is utilized, tracking employee work, transitioning work from shift to shift, that hotels are not technology companies but a service company, and how boutique brands are building own guest experience and their own apps but using ALICE for the op

Strategic advisory and venture capital firm with Brand New Matter… Brian Harniman (Co-Founder and Managing Director, and member of founding team at Priceline – (bio)) and Krish Jagirdar (Vice President – (bio)) of Brand New Matter (a New York-based strategic advisory and venture capital firm that helps companies at any stage grow smarter and faster, starting with signature 30-Day Deep Dives), join Pavan Bahl and John Matson at the MouthMedia Network Studios. Priceline and Robot Dog, exploring the meaning of success, and Krispy Kreme stories Harniman reviews how he started in travel 20 years ago, recruited by a name your price company, and stayed for 10 years — as part of the founding team of Priceline. Jagirdar shares his background in film and finance, then working at top tier design firm Dom and Tom (and what Dom and Tom has in common with Priceline), then had own digital marketing agency Robot Dog, and learned the travel and hospitality industry building an app PlusMore. How Brand New Matter couples adviso

Accommodation search engines… Joe DiTomaso, Co-Founder and CEO of AllTheRooms (the largest and most complete accommodation search engine combining sites like Expedia, Airbnb, and 400+ other sites you may not have even heard of yet, offering more than 900,000 rooms worldwide – (bio)), joins Pavan Bahl, John Matson and Peter Crysdale at the MouthMedia Network studios. Cataloging every room, selling analytics, and how travel ranks in Google DiTomaso discusses aggregating and cataloging every room on the planet, from a hammock in the Caribbean to a 3 bedroom flat in London, how the consumer ends up seeing inventory and hotels and paying the “highest big”, how that’s only 1% of the market, being a B to B solution, and offering a white level B to B to C solution, allowing interactive search connecting with events, selling the analytics, including all of airbnb, how the travel space is Google’s third highest paying vertical vs. insurance and finance, and how companies like Trivago and their ad word spend are crushin

Public relations for travel with BPCM… Sarah Pallack, Director of Travel PR for BPCM (a fully integrated global public relations agency brand building and communications in fashion, beauty, travel, lifestyle and luxury markets – (bio)), joins joins Pavan Bahl , Samantha Shankman and John Matson  at the MouthMedia Network Studios. Adding travel to fashion, the push to digital, and Twitter vs. Instagram Pallack shares how she runs travel wine and spirits department, and the work with hotel brands and properties, destinations from regions to islands, primarily working with luxury clients because they have budgets to do interesting things, and the experiences they offer to guests and journalists and stories to tell are interesting. How she came into a fashion house and started a travel arm, and the founders are world travelers. Doing a project for a countries like Morocco, how people talk about traveling as destination-based instead of property-based. Doing creative and edgy things and the way travel is talked a

Automating hotel room bookings for groups and events with Skipper… Jason Shames, CEO and CoFounder of Skipper (a marketplace to help groups and events find hotel rooms – (bio)) joins joins Pavan Bahl , Samantha Shankman and John Matson at the MouthMedia Network Studios. A successful company pivots, 9 rooms matters, and an RFP platform Shames shares the genesis of the company as Jetaport six years ago, originally making planning trips “suck less”, and team-members working for private companies building mobile apps, having some success but seeing transactional issues with groups as an offline experience for above 8 rooms. Weddings as an example, a proprietary algorithm force ranks hotels, and building out their own RFP platform. Building relationships, studio popcorn, and rebranding Manually building relationships with hotels, creating a collaboration engine, making the service feel like a white glove experience and like customers had an advocate, and providing booking advisors. Snack time involves air-popped