TOURISM SUMMIT

Hello Tourism Colleagues! We are pleased to announce Discover New England's 14th Annual Tourism Summit & International Marketplace will be held April 27-29, 2009 at the Grand Summit Resort—Sunday River, Maine.

This is your opportunity to meet and do business with over 40 international tour operators from the UK, Germany, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands, as well as New England specialist receptive operators from the United States. These operators will be at this event to expand their New England product. The Summit is also a great forum for discussing industry trends with your New England hospitality colleagues.

NEW FOR 2009: Based on feedback from the 2008 Summit, we have added a second pre-scheduled appointment Marketplace on Tuesday morning of the event. Please register online for the Summit before February 27, 2009 to ensure your name is on the list that is given to the Tour Operators for their selection of pre-scheduled appointments. With this additional pre-scheduled appointment marketplace, the Summit now offers a total of four marketplace sessions: two pre-scheduled marketplaces, and two marketplace sessions where the suppliers choose which buyers they would like to meet with.

SUMMIT REGISTRATION: Please click here to enter our ONLINE REGISTRATION page through ACTEVA. You will be asked to choose whether you want to register as an Attendee or an Exhibitor (see below for details). YOU WILL NEED A CREDIT CARD TO PURCHASE YOUR REGISTRATION, CHECKS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

• ATTENDEE REGISTRATION: Attendees participate in all Summit meetings and functions as part of this registration. Take advantage of our Early Bird Attendee Registration at a cost of $450 per registration. *After January 27, 2009, the Attendee Registration fee will increase to $550 per person.

• EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION: We have 40 exhibit spaces available, and anticipate that these will sell out quickly. The Early Bird price for an exhibit space is $795. This price includes an attendee registration for one person, as well as a six foot clothed table and two chairs. Exhibitors attend all Summit meetings and functions as part of this registration. Additional persons manning the exhibit space must pay and register as an Attendee. *After January 27, 2009 the price for an exhibit space will increase to $895.
• All breaks and breakfasts are served in the exhibit areas—this is the best time for Exhibitors to stand at their booths and network with conference participants.
• Exhibitors do not need to stay at their booths during marketplaces or concurrent sessions as they will be participating in these parts of the program just like all other attendees.
• If this is your first time coming to this event and you are considering being an exhibitor, please call Ellen Dube at 802-253-2500 to discuss if this option is right for you.

To make your hotel reservation, please call the Reservations Department at Sunday River: 1-800-207-2365. Make sure you refer to the Discover New England 2009 Summit Meeting and group number 84P07L when making reservations so you qualify for the special group rate.

PLEASE NOTE: The Discover New England Tourism Summit & International Marketplace will be held at The Grand Summit Resort Hotel & Conference Center. Rates for sleeping rooms are available for booking at The Grand Summit Resort Hotel if you would like to say onsite during the event. We have also secured rates for the Jordan Grand Resort Hotel, which is located about 5 miles away from The Grand Summit Resort Hotel. There will be frequent shuttle buses running between the two properties during the event.

The Grand Summit Resort Hotel & Conference Center lies in the heart of it all, an upscale hotel resting in the midst of a spectacular mountain setting. It's a perfect location to experience all that Sunday River and western Maine have to offer, or to simply escape and do nothing at all but relax and recooperate. Accommodations include 230 well-appointed guest rooms ranging from standard hotel rooms with two queen beds, to studios and one and two-bedroom suites with kitchenettes. All rooms include climate control, in-room entertainment centers, data port phones with voice mail. http://www.sundayriver.com/Lodging/GrandSummitHotel/Summer.html

All rates are subject to the current Maine State room and lodging tax of 7%, and the Grand Summit Resort Hotel & Conference Center resort charge of 7%. Total tax and resort fees per room equal 14%.

Deposit: One nights lodging, if stay is only for one night, or, if multiple nights, 50% of the total reservation is due within five (5) days of booking the reservation. Final payment is due two weeks prior to arrival and will be automatically charged.

Cancellation: Reservations cancelled between receipt of deposit and 15 days prior to arrival forfeit a $50.00 cancellation fee. Cancellations within 14 days of arrival forfeit the entire deposit amount. No refund for late arrivals, early departures, no-shows, or downgrades.

INFORMATION ON THE DISCOVER NEW ENGLAND TOURISM SUMMIT
1) What is the Discover New England Summit?

2) Who should attend?

3) When will you know which tour operators are attending?

4) How do I know which tour operators to meet with?

5) Do you have a list of tour operators and US receptive operators who have participated in recent DNE Summits?

1) What is the DNE Summit?
The Discover New England Annual Tourism Summit & International Marketplace is an annual conference aimed at educating the New England hospitality industry about international tourism marketing. The conference is held each year in a different New England state.

The goals of the conference are twofold. One, to educate the New England tourism industry on how the international tourism industry operates and how they can be involved and two, for invited international tour operators and receptive operators to learn more about the New England product and experience the destination first hand.

2) Who should attend the Summit?
The principal focus is for both large and small tourism businesses to know as much as possible about how they can be part of New England’s fastest growing tourism sector. We invite over 35 international tour operators to attend and engage in one-on-one business meetings with members of the private sector, so that New England companies can develop meaningful business relationships with international holiday operators. It is a valuable opportunity to do real business and understand more about the marketplace without having to travel overseas.

The Discover New England Summit has an enormous advantage over other tradeshows such as Pow Wow International as the focus of the event is clearly New England. As a supplier you are not competing with any other destination within the United States or in the world. You have the attention of the key decision makers who sell and promote the region and who are interested enough to attend a trade event dedicated to the six states.

In addition to the one-on-one meetings, there are several presentations including overviews and trends in the two key target markets of the UK and Germany. The conference also offers the valuable forum of meeting, networking with, and learning from other New England tourism colleagues, including State Tourism Directors and International Marketing staff from the State Tourism Offices of six New England states

3) When will you know which tour operators are attending?
Invitations are mailed out to qualified operators in our key target markets of the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Ireland. We invite a combination of Product Managers, Commercial Directors, Managing Directors, Sales Managers and Product Executives. Typically a final list is available approximately one month before the Summit although we are often subject to both cancellations and additions beyond our control.

4) How do I know which tour operators to meet with?
Approximately one month prior to the Summit, we will forward to you a list of the attending operators complete with a company profile provided by the operator plus the website address for you to research each company and the way they sell and promote New England. You should review this information and educate yourself on the individual companies that you feel best fit your product/business. In this package we also include a ‘How to Summit’ document which provides valuable tips on getting ready for the Summit and your one-one-one meetings. It is essential that you prepare for the Summit by reviewing the profiles and the tour operator websites.

Upon registering at the Summit on Day One, your Summit booklet will have a complete list of tour operators, receptive operators and press along with the profiles and contact information.

We encourage you (and especially newcomers) to attend Workshops on Day One which include ‘How to Summit’ and a Briefing on the participating operators. Both will provide more insight into what you need for your meetings with the operators.

5) Do you have a list of tour operators and USA receptive operators who have participated in recent DNE Summits?

USA Receptives
  • Allied TPro
  • ATI
  • Collette Vacations
  • Destination America
  • Gastaldi USA
  • Hotelbeds.com
  • New England Journeys
  • New World Travel
  • RMP Travel
  • Total Travel & Excursions, Inc.
  • Tourco
  • Tourmappers
Tour Operators United Kingdom
  • America As You Like It
  • American & Worldwide Travel
  • Bon Voyage
  • Bridgewater Travel
  • Caravan Abroad
  • Cosmos Holidays (Also Archers Direct and Globus)
  • Delta Vacations
  • Different Tracks
  • Dreamticket.com
  • Ebookers Group (Travelbag & Bridge the World)
  • Experience Holidays
  • Fly Drive USA
  • Four Seasons of New England
  • Inntravel
  • Jetsave
  • Key2Holidays
  • Kuoni
  • Lotus Travel Group/Dialaflight
  • Man Around
  • New England Country Homes
  • North America Travel Service
  • North American Highways
  • North American Vacation Homes
  • Osprey Holidays
  • Page & Moy Ltd.
  • Pinnacle Travel
  • Prestige holidays
  • Saga Holidays
  • STA Travel
  • Thomas Cook Signature/Thomas Cook Tours
  • Titan Travel
  • Travelsphere
  • Travelocity UK
  • Travel 2/4
  • TUI UK
  • Up And Away Holidays
  • Virgin Holidays
Tour Operators Italy
  • Atlanus
  • Diners Club Travel-Vespucci
  • L’Agenzia Di Viaggi
  • Offshore DI Italia Tour
  • Tour & Travel Italia Spa
  • TTG Italia
  • Uvet Viaggi & Tourism Spa
Tour Operators France
  • Boomerang Voyages
  • Caracteres d”Ameriques
  • Comptoir des Etat-Unis
  • Contraste Voyages
  • Intermedes
  • Jetset Voyages
  • Kuoni France
  • La Boutique du Voyages
  • Thomas Cook France
Tour Operators Germany
  • Airtours
  • AAR
  • ADAC Germany
  • America Experience
  • Canusa Touristik GmbH
  • CDR International
  • Dertour
  • FTI Frosch Touristik GmbH
  • Meier’s Weltreisen
  • Thomas cook ( Neckermann)
  • Tour America
  • Selectart Travel
  • Studiosus
  • TUI

Tour Operators The Netherlands
  • Hotelplan
  • Travel Trend
  • TUI Nederland NV
  • WRC Reizen

Tour Operators Japan
  • Boston International Travel
  • Total Travel & Excursions, Inc.

Tour Operators USA
  • Brennan Vacations
  • Elderhostel
  • Booking.com
  • Expedia, Inc./Hotels.com

International Press
  • Essentially America Magazine/Phoenix Publishing, Simon Todd - UK
  • Team Wade - Paul Wade and Kathy Arnold- Freelance-UK
  • TTG – Howard Carr - UK
  • Travel Weekly – Alan Moore - UK
  • Rough Guides – Roger Barnes, UK
  • Hannah Glaser – Freelance Travel Journalist, GR
  • Marion Frahm- Freelance Travel Journalist, GR
  • Holger Jacobs - FVW International, GR
  • Bernd Wagner-Freelance Travel Journalist, GR
  • Heike Wagner – Freelance Travel Journalist, GR
  • Ole Helmhausen – Freelance Travel Journalist, GR
  • Abenteuer und Reisen – Peter Pfander, Deputy Chief Editor, GR
  • America Journal – Julia Latka, Editor-in-Chief, GR
  • Drs. Peter Kranzle and Margit Brinke – Freelance Travel Writers, GR
  • L’Echo Touristique – Patrick Clos, FR
Discover New England Resources
  • DNE Germany - Buss Consulting – Dorte and Wilfred Buss
  • DNE United Kingdom – Beth Cooper PR – Caroline Miller

Discover New England Head Office
P.O. Box 3809
Stowe, Vermont 05672
USA
Tel: 802 253 2500
Fax: 802 253 9064
Sue Norrington-Davies, Managing Director
Joan Beard, Program Manager
Ellen Dube, Program Coordinator
Stephen Knight, Special Projects