HUNDREDS of travel industry professionals and bloggers headed to London this weekend for travel event Traverse 17.
The conference, which was held at Ravensbourne nextdoor to the O2 Arena saw influencers have access to a range of workshops and seminars on everything from photography to search-engine optimisation over the two days.
There was also the chance for attendees to network and connect with a host of travel and tourism companies such as the Spanish tourism board, Visit Hamburg and Donkey Republic.
The event was branded a “success” by its founder, who rounded up the conference by announcing that next year’s Traverse would be held internationally for the first time in The Netherlands.
“Traverse 17 was a great experience! Every year I’ve always been amazed by the response from our attendees,” said Paul Dow, who created the Traverse brand four years ago.
“I see a lot of people making connections, building real friendships and using their new skills online. For me that’s a huge success.
Fantastic advice on the first #Traverse17 #blogger session with @BudgetTraveller ?? pic.twitter.com/iKMkF3pWxx
— Robert Hughes (@rob_loughton_) April 29, 2017
"Give up some control and get some soul" – @BudgetTraveller ? Bloggers while you monetise, don't lose your creativity #Traverse17 pic.twitter.com/LXJbin9SqJ
— Hey! Dip Your Toes In (@dipyourtoesin) April 30, 2017
“From our very first conference in Brighton in 2013, we wanted to create an event where everyone was welcome, speakers could mingle with attendees and everyone was approachable.
“For us, it’s about making sure we help attendees to learn new takeaway skills and network with each other and brands in a relaxed and natural environment.
“We were really conscious to make Traverse and event for blogger sand online content creators that has no hierarchy. It’s not a business conference because we believe we are all creatives that work best in relaxed, fun, interactive environments.
“You really only need to check the Twitter hashtag or any online reviews to know that it had an impact.”
Amongst the travel brands that were there were Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific, and a spokesperson for them said: “It’s just a way to meet people, get an idea of proposals and identify some people who are suitable to promote our brand and destinations.
“We do have our PR agency who manages relationships with us, but we always want to use occasions like this to talk to bloggers and influencers because it’s usually difficult to meet them face-to-face.
“It is really helpful to network at these events and we have had great success in the past with people we have worked with and there are a range of initiatives and campaigns that we deal with.”
The event came to an end on Sunday evening with a free bar where attendees ordered their drinks over Twitter, and announcement was made that Traverse 18 will be held in the Dutch city of Rotterdam.
By Tom Woods
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