Recently in travolution Category

Many of you will have looked around and will be getting used to the new Travolution website.

We welcome ALL feedback, and we've had plenty already. So thanks!

One of the things that many readers and users say is the idea that Travolution has created a community around the various things it does - whether it is our events, the old blog, or the magazine.

Anyway, with our new site we want to start start harnessing that community in different ways. We have lots of ideas, but in the spirit of, er, user generated collaboration we thought it would be a good idea to see what else our users want from us or think we can add.

Treat this post as an open thread and add your ideas into the comments section below.

Away you go...

Yes, indeed, the new place for the Travolution Blog is right here, within the new Travolution.co.uk.

Don't adjust your sets - it clearly is very different from our old incarnation.

Some people have been asking:

Subscribe to the print edition and you would've seen this a few weeks ago.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution

In the next five days or so you will need to change your RSS feeds and bookmarks for the Travolution Blog.

We are moving the entire blog onto a new platform (Movable Type) which coincidentally will sit inside the all new Travolution website, which launches - all going well - next week.

All existing content will be migrated into the new system. Yes, I know, we're going to lose a lot of inbound links - so Blogrolls will need to be changed as well (please).

We will publish the new feeds here and on the new Travolution site in the coming days.

Just giving you all prior warning...

Kevin May, editor, Travolution

A bit light on the blogging front recently. Unfortunately, not due to hefty celebrations after learning of our shortlisting for the AOP award, but we've been putting the final touches to our September edition.

The magazine went to press last night and will be available from the middle of next week to subscribers, content online a few days later.

It's a bumper 120-odd pages and themed around exploring the customer journey from when they have the initial idea to go on holiday, through the search and booking process, in-resort, and what they do back home.

The main part of the edition included three pieces of exclusive research we have commissioned, carried out by Webcredible, Foviance and EDigitalResearch and sponsored by Travelzoo.

We're extremely pleased with the end results and the fine analysis pieces elsewhere in the mag.

Sharp-eyed readers will also notice the exclusive preview inside of the new Travolution website.

Yes, you heard it here first. A brand new travolution.co.uk is coming very soon.

Big Housekeeping Alert: as part of the relaunch, we will also be directing you to a new address for the Travolution Blog. We are finally leaving the Blogger platform for one within the new Travolution site.

Watch this space.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution

News just in:

Travolution has been shortlisted by the Association of Online Publishers for its Research & Insights Project award.

We submitted Travolution Generations from September 2007 - which some have said is one of the best editions of our magazine since we launched.

To recap: we themed the entire edition around the idea of exploring how different age groups interact with travel brands via the web.

Here is the Special Report page for the edition.

I could give a bland "we're delighted" quote, but will simply say it's good to see that little us clearly packs a powerful punch with what we produce as we're up against some serious players:

• Orange
• Guardian News and Media
• ITV Online
• Trinity Mirror
• IPC Media

Here is the full shortlist. Our publishing house, Reed Business Information, has done extremely well with 12 shortlisted entries across 16 categories.

Overall winners will be announced on 1 October.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution

With a month to go until the latest Travolution Question Time on the 23 September, brought to you in association with Fortune Cookie, it's time to introduce another member of the panel in more detail.

So, similar to Mr Tanzer, appearing at a Travolution event for the first time is Justin Cooke, managing director of leading digital agency and sponsor of the event, Fortune Cookie.

So here is the official biography:

Justin graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in Computers in Theatre.

His first job was at BBC Films, which led to a role as a creative director for Rondor Music (part of Universal Music).

Justin joined the travel division of Miller Freeman (part of United News & Media) in 1995 and developed its first online strategy.

Justin founded Fortune Cookie in 1997 with the aim of making it one of the most respected interactive design agencies in the world.

Management Today once called Justin the ‘Internet in Human Form’ - something that he is both extremely embarrassed about and secretly proud of.

He is an Executive Member of the British Interactive Media Association.

And some unofficial stuff from us:

London-based Fortune Cookie has grown massively in recent years and become a significant player in web design for the travel industry.

Its work with Kuoni has been praised for transforming the operator's online presence and the agency won a Travolution Award in 2007 for its work with Kuoni-brand Voyages Jules Verne.

It also won a Travolution Award this year for design work on Small Luxury Hotels on the World. The agency's work in the field of accessibility is also widely regarded as industry leading.

Tickets and more information.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution

With a month to go until the latest Travolution Question Time on the 23 September, brought to you in association with Fortune Cookie, it's time to introduce the panel in a little bit more detail.

Appearing at a Travolution event for the first time is Mark Tanzer, chief executive of industry body Abta.

So here is the official biography:

Mark took over as chief executive of Abta on 1 September 2005. His background is in the private sector, where he has held senior positions in strategy and corporate finance in a number of industry sectors.

Immediately prior to joining Abta, Mark was group strategy director of Centrica, the parent company of British Gas.

Before that he was strategy director of the Automobile Association, which was acquired by Centrica in 2000.

While with Centrica, Mark spent 18 months on secondment to the Home Office as senior director of the Immigration & Nationality Directorate, where he was responsible for a wide-ranging programme of change and reform.

Mark is 47 years old and lives in Kent. His interests include sport and opera.

The unofficial biography would go something like this:

Abta was always synonymous with the world of travel agents (it's former title was the Association of British Travel Agents), but with the distribution of travel products shifting online, the organisation has been forced to evaluate where it figures in the minds of consumers and the industry alike.

Tanzer arrived with a fantastic pedigree but he has needed all his experience and management skills to instigate a programme of huge change - from the top-down.

[This is how he saw his first year in charge]

The industry has warmed to some of Abta's changes, such as the merger with the Federation of Tour Operators, but there is still a reasonable amount of scepticism as to its role in the future.

You will need to be at our Question Time to get answers to some of these questions. He isn't appearing in this unique and intimate type of event at any other point this year.

Tickets and more information.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution

Fabulous post on Techcrunch UK written by Mike Butcher (disclosure of sorts: he was deputy editor of Media Week when I worked there) about the best methods to use when pitching in stories.

He outlines 15 ways to get him, as editor of Techcrunch UK, to feature Startup A or Startup B.

The tips range from being a "great contact" and being a friendly blogger to understanding when a story is actually a story and making the top people available for comment.

So much of this resonates with Travolution. Our guest blogger post the other day certainly stirred things up.

But this particular one made me laugh:

11. Understand who you are talking to:

I often get PR pitches from PR people and startups trying to sell me stories which have nothing to do with TechCrunch.

“So I have this great story about a wireless transmitter that can detect submarines from 300 miles!” “Er, yeah, but you know we don’t write about those on TechCrunch, right?”

“Yeah, but it’s a GREAT STORY!”. If you spent even 5 minutes reading TechCrunch you’d know this, but you’d be amazed how many people don’t. I hear from them. Every. Day.

Here is the rough outline of an exchange I had with someone on the phone yesterday:

Caller I've never spoken to before: 'Hi, how's tricks, did you get the press release I sent yesterday about a new tour operator in the North Indian region?' Over-familiarity is never a good start.

Me: 'Yes, I did thanks.'

Caller: 'Well, is it something Travolution will write about? I've been reading Travolution for a while now and think it is a great story for you. They are going to some amaaaaaazing and untouched parts of the region.'

Me: 'Right. As you well know, Travolution writes about the online travel sector and the machinations behind the scenes of companies using the web as a distribution channel, their business strategy and overall trends on the internet. We do not write about destinations.'

Caller: 'Okay. Well, just let me know if you need anything as they are in some amaaaaazing places and that part of India is incredible - the Himalayas are amaaaaaazing and we think it's going to be the HOT destination of 2009.'

Me: 'Yes, I'm sure it is - goodbye.'

Enough said...

We are finding increasingly that some visitors are using the comments section of posts to plug their products.

Travolution is always happy to hear about launches, etc, but please get in touch via email - the link is also on the right-hand side of the blog in the Related Links section.

We have a zero-tolerance policy regarding comments - if it isn't related to the post, then it gets deleted.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution