Quash Quarantine's Charles confirmed for first Travel Forward online conference

Five different Travel Forward online events will take place over the next few months, ahead of the real-world conference, event and exhibition taking place at ExCeL London from Monday 2 November to Wednesday 4 November, during WTM London.

Each TF Online session will have clearly defined topics for consideration and will feature a keynote speaker, industry experts, panels and presentations.

The first takes place on Tuesday 14 July, under the title of “Paying for travel: the customer impact during and post the Covid-19 experience”. The conference begins at 9.30am and ends around 1pm.

Paul Charles, chief executive and founder at The PC Agency, a PR agency specialising in travel and tourism, is confirmed as the keynote speaker for the first TF Online. He has been a key force behind the Quash Quarantine campaign.

During the pandemic, he has been a familiar face on mainstream TV in the UK and abroad, representing the industry in its demands for government support of travel, leisure and hospitality businesses.

Following his presentation, a panel of experts will take a deep dive into how existing processes were adapted to cope with Covid-19 while offering some tips for the future. The session will be moderated by Brian Quarrie, global head of sales for B2B payments specialist PayTabs.

Panellists include Mikko Turtiainen, vice-president of global sales for Finnair. He will talk about the specific challenges faced by airlines, with representatives from an online travel agent, hotel chain and bank to be confirmed soon.

The other TF Online conferences are scheduled for 28 July, 15 September, 29 September and 13 October.

Richard Gayle, exhibition director for Travel Forward, said: “Travel Forward at ExCeL is a few months away, but there are conversations that need to take place now which we can facilitate through our global reach and industry reputation.

“Taking stock of what has happened is important for the travel industry, but so too is looking ahead and applying the lessons learnt.”

To register for the event, click here.