Simon Mayle’s long-standing relationship with ILTM hadn’t been at all planned, or, in a way, expected. But as the best of stories go, it was certainly meant to be, for that’s how he also found his true “place in the World” along the way.
It’s true - growing up in Chester, a place in Northwest England that Mayle and many others describe as “the home of luxury travel in England”, it wouldn’t have been as rare for him to go straight into travel. However, that’s not exactly how it went.
“A lot of the major luxury tour operators were based and founded in Chester and the surrounding regions, and all my family were in travel, so it was really in my blood from a very young age”, he says. But when venturing into the work scene, event organising came knocking on his door first: “It had nothing to do with luxury travel. I organised major events in the UK and around the world. And prior to ILTM, I was doing big events in the Middle East, particularly in the cruise sector. So, taking cruise itinerary planners to the Middle East to look at home ports and ports of call around destinations like Bahrain, Oman, Abu Dhabi, even Saudi Arabia”.
All was going well, but unbeknownst to him, something was missing. That’s when a headhunter called him:
- “Are you looking for a job?”, someone spoke.
- “No”
- “What if it's your dream job?”
- “And what is my dream job?”
- “The International Luxury Travel Market”
- “Yes, that is the dream one”, Mayle replied finally.
“It was everything that was in my blood with everything that I kind of knew how to do, so to speak. That was 16 years ago already”, Mayle recalls. Since then, he of course amasses tons of experience with the renowned brand. First he worked in the UK, looking after ILTM Cannes and ILTM Asia, until in 2012 they launched ILTM North America and later, in 2013, they acquired Travel Week São Paulo (now known as ILTM Latin America). For this latter show, he says: “Initially I moved to Brazil for six months to find someone to run that show… and found myself instead. I’ve now lived 12 years here in Brazil. Basically, it’s my place in the world!"
It’s true - growing up in Chester, a place in Northwest England that Mayle and many others describe as “the home of luxury travel in England”, it wouldn’t have been as rare for him to go straight into travel. However, that’s not exactly how it went.
“A lot of the major luxury tour operators were based and founded in Chester and the surrounding regions, and all my family were in travel, so it was really in my blood from a very young age”, he says. But when venturing into the work scene, event organising came knocking on his door first: “It had nothing to do with luxury travel. I organised major events in the UK and around the world. And prior to ILTM, I was doing big events in the Middle East, particularly in the cruise sector. So, taking cruise itinerary planners to the Middle East to look at home ports and ports of call around destinations like Bahrain, Oman, Abu Dhabi, even Saudi Arabia”.
All was going well, but unbeknownst to him, something was missing. That’s when a headhunter called him:
- “Are you looking for a job?”, someone spoke.
- “No”
- “What if it's your dream job?”
- “And what is my dream job?”
- “The International Luxury Travel Market”
- “Yes, that is the dream one”, Mayle replied finally.
“It was everything that was in my blood with everything that I kind of knew how to do, so to speak. That was 16 years ago already”, Mayle recalls. Since then, he of course amasses tons of experience with the renowned brand. First he worked in the UK, looking after ILTM Cannes and ILTM Asia, until in 2012 they launched ILTM North America and later, in 2013, they acquired Travel Week São Paulo (now known as ILTM Latin America). For this latter show, he says: “Initially I moved to Brazil for six months to find someone to run that show… and found myself instead. I’ve now lived 12 years here in Brazil. Basically, it’s my place in the world!"
Diving into business, Mayle is quick to explain that all four ILTM shows are just like children: they've all got the same core DNA, but completely different personalities. And those personalities, to a certain extent, are driven by the destinations that they take place in.
“ILTM Cannes is that super-glam champagne show where people really love the opportunity to dress up, even put on a tie. It feels exciting these days, and you just know that you're gonna see utterly fabulous people from all over the world. And that’s also the real joy of Cannes, that you've got buyers and people coming from over 80 countries around the world. It’s that once-a-year opportunity to see everyone from every market”, he says enthusiastically.
As for ILTM Asia and Singapore, he says these are “very Asian shows”, which means good business, politeness, great food, excellent luxury and hospitality. And most interestingly too, one gets to see people from Australia, Japan, and all right across!
“ILTM Cannes is that super-glam champagne show where people really love the opportunity to dress up, even put on a tie. It feels exciting these days, and you just know that you're gonna see utterly fabulous people from all over the world. And that’s also the real joy of Cannes, that you've got buyers and people coming from over 80 countries around the world. It’s that once-a-year opportunity to see everyone from every market”, he says enthusiastically.
As for ILTM Asia and Singapore, he says these are “very Asian shows”, which means good business, politeness, great food, excellent luxury and hospitality. And most interestingly too, one gets to see people from Australia, Japan, and all right across!
“Then you come across ILTM Latin America, to the great metropolis of São Paulo. Anyone who's not used to being hugged has to get used to it very quickly here. People like to be human. They like to touch. They like to feel everything. It's a show of energy and feelings and warmth. And ILTM Latin America is a very ultra luxury show”, he explains.
It’s true though, that whilst the numbers for travellers from Brazil are quite high, the rest of Latin America may not be just as high as North Americans or Europeans. Nonetheless, the way they travel is something that is really desirable by most hoteliers around the world. As Mayle puts it: “They consume and enjoy everything, so they use services. It's a market that's very used to being spoiled. It's a market that likes to have people doing things for them so they can really relax and just enjoy the moment. That's why a Travel Advisor is fundamental in Latin America - people don't like to do it themselves. They like to be savvy and aware, but they like someone that they can trust, and know that they have someone on the other end of the phone if something goes wrong”.
In fact, during our chat Mayle mentions a statistic he recently saw: 60% of Latin American people, when they come to book a travel trip, they don't actually have a destination in mind, thus genuinely seeking the Travel Advisor’s inspiration. “Then, when they get to the hotel, not only do they use the transfers or the concierge to book all the restaurants and experiences, but they enjoy the spa and the shopping. They enjoy the restaurant. And then, of course, being from the southern hemisphere, they travel off season. So, January is our summer holidays. A lot of Brazilians and Latins will be traveling in January, which really makes them a great traveller. They're long-haul travellers - they travel for long, long periods of time, and generally prefer premium rooms, suites, and space. This is a great customer with lots of luggage”, he adds.
It’s true though, that whilst the numbers for travellers from Brazil are quite high, the rest of Latin America may not be just as high as North Americans or Europeans. Nonetheless, the way they travel is something that is really desirable by most hoteliers around the world. As Mayle puts it: “They consume and enjoy everything, so they use services. It's a market that's very used to being spoiled. It's a market that likes to have people doing things for them so they can really relax and just enjoy the moment. That's why a Travel Advisor is fundamental in Latin America - people don't like to do it themselves. They like to be savvy and aware, but they like someone that they can trust, and know that they have someone on the other end of the phone if something goes wrong”.
In fact, during our chat Mayle mentions a statistic he recently saw: 60% of Latin American people, when they come to book a travel trip, they don't actually have a destination in mind, thus genuinely seeking the Travel Advisor’s inspiration. “Then, when they get to the hotel, not only do they use the transfers or the concierge to book all the restaurants and experiences, but they enjoy the spa and the shopping. They enjoy the restaurant. And then, of course, being from the southern hemisphere, they travel off season. So, January is our summer holidays. A lot of Brazilians and Latins will be traveling in January, which really makes them a great traveller. They're long-haul travellers - they travel for long, long periods of time, and generally prefer premium rooms, suites, and space. This is a great customer with lots of luggage”, he adds.
The North American market, on the other hand, is quite obviously the biggest outbound market in the World with the highest spending. The ILTM Event Director emphasises how North Americans typically have limited holidays and time, so when they do travel, they travel well and spend without hesitation.
Today, thankfully, ILTM North America exists. But how did it come about? Back in the day, Mayle explains, there was only ILTM Cannes. There were 2500 exhibitors and 2500 advisors, but limited spaces per market, per country. “Back in 2012 when we launched it [ILTM North America], there was this massive growth in what we all now know as IC’s (independent contractors), people with great books of business of their own. You know, the million-dollars plus that were not necessarily having the opportunity to attend an ILTM event because of the grand ones, the owners, more established advisors in the industry attending ILTM Cannes. So, these great new advisors with great business that had been established for more than a year or so weren't getting the opportunity to meet suppliers in the same way. We launched ILTM North America particularly with all this in mind”.
At the show, he says, they bring IC’s from 250 cities right across North America: “They are frontline. They're top producing. They do have a book of business and they're coming from all across the spectrum of the luxury travel industry”. They aren’t just from a certain affiliation; they come from ensembles, from non-affiliated agencies, major agencies, and also major companies such as American Express. “We're one of the few places in the world where you will meet everyone from American Express through to ensemble and signature in one room. It’s really a very nice, broad spectrum of people. And of course, it's not just US. Whilst it's 75% US, we also get 15% coming from Mexico and 10% coming from Canada”, he continues explaining.
The popular ILTM North America takes place on a beautiful beach resort in the Bahamas. Ever since the show was launched, it's always been held on a beach resort. And the joy of that, says Mayle, is that it offers a very relaxed, easy networking: “You see people repeatedly, and you're never rushing from one place to another. There's real quality to the networking that happens there, which is very organic”.
Initially, the show launched in Riviera Maya, Mexico, where it took place for about 10 years, but it got to a point where the show grew too big, and the infrastructure of the resort just couldn’t keep up. The search began with a clear goal: finding a place that was easy for North American buyers to get to, and that was also a luxury place that they were used to selling and was therefore attractive.
“Everyone is a self-employed individual, and particularly in the IC world, there's an emotional business ROI behind it for them as well. They need to think: ‘Apart from just meeting the great suppliers to my business, I need a destination that I need to know’. And yes, Bahamas is one of those destinations that US travel advisors sell a lot, so we moved it there because it's very convenient for the US market”, Mayle points out.
Today, thankfully, ILTM North America exists. But how did it come about? Back in the day, Mayle explains, there was only ILTM Cannes. There were 2500 exhibitors and 2500 advisors, but limited spaces per market, per country. “Back in 2012 when we launched it [ILTM North America], there was this massive growth in what we all now know as IC’s (independent contractors), people with great books of business of their own. You know, the million-dollars plus that were not necessarily having the opportunity to attend an ILTM event because of the grand ones, the owners, more established advisors in the industry attending ILTM Cannes. So, these great new advisors with great business that had been established for more than a year or so weren't getting the opportunity to meet suppliers in the same way. We launched ILTM North America particularly with all this in mind”.
At the show, he says, they bring IC’s from 250 cities right across North America: “They are frontline. They're top producing. They do have a book of business and they're coming from all across the spectrum of the luxury travel industry”. They aren’t just from a certain affiliation; they come from ensembles, from non-affiliated agencies, major agencies, and also major companies such as American Express. “We're one of the few places in the world where you will meet everyone from American Express through to ensemble and signature in one room. It’s really a very nice, broad spectrum of people. And of course, it's not just US. Whilst it's 75% US, we also get 15% coming from Mexico and 10% coming from Canada”, he continues explaining.
The popular ILTM North America takes place on a beautiful beach resort in the Bahamas. Ever since the show was launched, it's always been held on a beach resort. And the joy of that, says Mayle, is that it offers a very relaxed, easy networking: “You see people repeatedly, and you're never rushing from one place to another. There's real quality to the networking that happens there, which is very organic”.
Initially, the show launched in Riviera Maya, Mexico, where it took place for about 10 years, but it got to a point where the show grew too big, and the infrastructure of the resort just couldn’t keep up. The search began with a clear goal: finding a place that was easy for North American buyers to get to, and that was also a luxury place that they were used to selling and was therefore attractive.
“Everyone is a self-employed individual, and particularly in the IC world, there's an emotional business ROI behind it for them as well. They need to think: ‘Apart from just meeting the great suppliers to my business, I need a destination that I need to know’. And yes, Bahamas is one of those destinations that US travel advisors sell a lot, so we moved it there because it's very convenient for the US market”, Mayle points out.
The luxury resort at ILTM North America has the capacity to host 2000 people and, at the same time, has everything within five minutes walking distance: five minutes to the convention centre, five minutes to the restaurant, five minutes back to your room to maybe do some emails or brush your teeth. And even better, it’s also five minutes to the beach at the end!
“In ILTM North America we are about 550 exhibitors, and those are truly international exhibitors. They come from all over the world. Then we have 550 travel advisors, all hand selected, personally invited from the full spectrum of the luxury travel industry”.
What’s best is that, tracing back to ILTM’s core brand DNA, each one of them is real business show where they deliver ROI, and that is key. You will have a full agenda of appointments throughout every day, and those appointments are entirely based on one’s preferences as an exhibitor, or secondly, in terms of the buyer. Therefore, Mayle concludes: “If you know the buyer is choosing the exhibitor, it’s because they truly have business for them. You’re really meeting with people that you want to meet, and with the people that have business. And it's not too short, it's 15 minutes. So you can have a quality connection and conversation. There's a five minute gap for movement in between. It's done in a nice, elegant way, so it's not either too exhausting, nor too fast that you can't really connect and have quality time”.
“In ILTM North America we are about 550 exhibitors, and those are truly international exhibitors. They come from all over the world. Then we have 550 travel advisors, all hand selected, personally invited from the full spectrum of the luxury travel industry”.
What’s best is that, tracing back to ILTM’s core brand DNA, each one of them is real business show where they deliver ROI, and that is key. You will have a full agenda of appointments throughout every day, and those appointments are entirely based on one’s preferences as an exhibitor, or secondly, in terms of the buyer. Therefore, Mayle concludes: “If you know the buyer is choosing the exhibitor, it’s because they truly have business for them. You’re really meeting with people that you want to meet, and with the people that have business. And it's not too short, it's 15 minutes. So you can have a quality connection and conversation. There's a five minute gap for movement in between. It's done in a nice, elegant way, so it's not either too exhausting, nor too fast that you can't really connect and have quality time”.
XO Private memebrs at ILTM North America
Group picture with Simon Mayle at ILTM North America
Both ILTM North America and ILTM Latin America function in the same fashion, with the core proposition being the fact that buyers are invited after being qualified and selected, and that there is always a full agenda of appointments. Exhibitors are in one place, and the buyers move.
Mainly, the difference between ILTM North America and ILTM Latin America compared to ILTM Cannes and ILTM Asia, is that ILTM Cannes and Asia are traditional stand-build events where the brand really goes ‘all out’. They can show off the brand to the maximum, often have flowers, catering, and maybe experiences, whereas ILTM North America and Latin America are table-top events. People there will sit and do their appointments at a table top, and as Mayle well says: “They don't need to worry about builds, they don't need to worry about anything. They literally just turn up with their diary of appointments, sit at their table, and the buyers come to them. We do the rest for them. So it's a very easy, simple, seamless solution where everyone's on a same playing field.
Now, we do have groups such as XO Private, where we group everyone together and we put them under the brand and the branding of XO Private, which we provide”.
On that note, he insists: “We have a phenomenal relationship with XO Private. Yvan [Vermeesch] has driven the growth and, you know, my favourite clients are those that always challenge us to be better and, on the other hand, Isabelle [Van Passel] really does that with me. And also, as Yvan said, and it’s one of the favourite things I heard this year: we deliver on our hard promises. We make our commitment to you guys and deliver, and that is always so important to me. We also love the XO Private members, they’re exactly the kind of members our buyers like to see”.
Mainly, the difference between ILTM North America and ILTM Latin America compared to ILTM Cannes and ILTM Asia, is that ILTM Cannes and Asia are traditional stand-build events where the brand really goes ‘all out’. They can show off the brand to the maximum, often have flowers, catering, and maybe experiences, whereas ILTM North America and Latin America are table-top events. People there will sit and do their appointments at a table top, and as Mayle well says: “They don't need to worry about builds, they don't need to worry about anything. They literally just turn up with their diary of appointments, sit at their table, and the buyers come to them. We do the rest for them. So it's a very easy, simple, seamless solution where everyone's on a same playing field.
Now, we do have groups such as XO Private, where we group everyone together and we put them under the brand and the branding of XO Private, which we provide”.
On that note, he insists: “We have a phenomenal relationship with XO Private. Yvan [Vermeesch] has driven the growth and, you know, my favourite clients are those that always challenge us to be better and, on the other hand, Isabelle [Van Passel] really does that with me. And also, as Yvan said, and it’s one of the favourite things I heard this year: we deliver on our hard promises. We make our commitment to you guys and deliver, and that is always so important to me. We also love the XO Private members, they’re exactly the kind of members our buyers like to see”.
As for extra networking events within the programs of ILTM North America and Latin America, they both have an opening and closing party with food and drinks provided, which are generally held on the two middle evenings, Tuesday and Wednesday. As there are usually so many things going on during the events, there's no point in putting on many more networking occasions that compete: “People also like to either go for small dinners, go to parties that the big brands may be hosting, or simply rest and relax”.
Ease and comfort are top priorities, and so at ILTM North America, Mayle and the team also organise breakfast at the venue every morning, yet another great networking opportunity. For lunch, a passport system is put into place, where participants can enjoy a discounted lunch with a particularly good price when buying the three full days. “This means everyone is going to the same five restaurants across the resort, and you can mix and match the big different restaurants each day. That's an option, it’s not obligatory, but just another way of making the experience seamless and cost-efficient for people”, Mayle says.
So, who could be most interested in attending either ILTM North America and ILTM Latin America? What type of exhibitors and from where? Which destinations are most popular at each of these shows? Mayle has a clear thought on this: “Let’s be honest, the US market travels the world; there isn’t anywhere that US travellers don't go to and spend a lot of money. They like the West Coast, maybe Fiji, or the French Polynesia. It might also be Australia, New Zealand, the East Coast. They love the Caribbean. And all Americans also love Europe: Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal. They're not shy of spending any money there. The UK is booming right now as well. So those are all great destinations. Of course, right across Asia as well, or the Mexicans who fall both into ILTM North America and ILTM Latin America”.
Additionally, he explains, safaris and Japan as a destination are on their top of mind too: “In fact, my understanding is that the US, Mexico and Brazil in the luxury industry, are the three biggest international test source markets for Japan in terms of luxury products and properties”.
Regarding Brazilians’ choice of destinations, Mayle confesses that it makes him laugh a little, in an earnest way. And it’s true that their choices at first may come as a profound surprise, with Switzerland and Japan as the two top favourite locations for Brazilians to holiday: “I kind of laugh a little bit, because two of their favourite destinations are Switzerland and Japan. When I first moved to Brazil, I was like, ‘What? That’s so different to Brazil’. And I think that’s exactly the reason, that it is the polar opposite of Brazil, both Switzerland Japan. They are massive destinations for Brazilians. Especially Switzerland off-season. Summer in Switzerland is great”.
Although, it must be said, Brazilians are also going crazy for the Spanish Islands, particularly places such as Mallorca, in the Balearics. “It has everything they want: great towns, great beaches, great shopping, great nightlife. It's people with a lot of Joie de Vivre and a lot of lust for life. So that really offers them something”, Mayle says, adding that Madrid has also boomed over the last years, thus competing and essentially ‘winning’ over one of their other favourite destinations in Spain, Barcelona.
Ease and comfort are top priorities, and so at ILTM North America, Mayle and the team also organise breakfast at the venue every morning, yet another great networking opportunity. For lunch, a passport system is put into place, where participants can enjoy a discounted lunch with a particularly good price when buying the three full days. “This means everyone is going to the same five restaurants across the resort, and you can mix and match the big different restaurants each day. That's an option, it’s not obligatory, but just another way of making the experience seamless and cost-efficient for people”, Mayle says.
So, who could be most interested in attending either ILTM North America and ILTM Latin America? What type of exhibitors and from where? Which destinations are most popular at each of these shows? Mayle has a clear thought on this: “Let’s be honest, the US market travels the world; there isn’t anywhere that US travellers don't go to and spend a lot of money. They like the West Coast, maybe Fiji, or the French Polynesia. It might also be Australia, New Zealand, the East Coast. They love the Caribbean. And all Americans also love Europe: Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal. They're not shy of spending any money there. The UK is booming right now as well. So those are all great destinations. Of course, right across Asia as well, or the Mexicans who fall both into ILTM North America and ILTM Latin America”.
Additionally, he explains, safaris and Japan as a destination are on their top of mind too: “In fact, my understanding is that the US, Mexico and Brazil in the luxury industry, are the three biggest international test source markets for Japan in terms of luxury products and properties”.
Regarding Brazilians’ choice of destinations, Mayle confesses that it makes him laugh a little, in an earnest way. And it’s true that their choices at first may come as a profound surprise, with Switzerland and Japan as the two top favourite locations for Brazilians to holiday: “I kind of laugh a little bit, because two of their favourite destinations are Switzerland and Japan. When I first moved to Brazil, I was like, ‘What? That’s so different to Brazil’. And I think that’s exactly the reason, that it is the polar opposite of Brazil, both Switzerland Japan. They are massive destinations for Brazilians. Especially Switzerland off-season. Summer in Switzerland is great”.
Although, it must be said, Brazilians are also going crazy for the Spanish Islands, particularly places such as Mallorca, in the Balearics. “It has everything they want: great towns, great beaches, great shopping, great nightlife. It's people with a lot of Joie de Vivre and a lot of lust for life. So that really offers them something”, Mayle says, adding that Madrid has also boomed over the last years, thus competing and essentially ‘winning’ over one of their other favourite destinations in Spain, Barcelona.
Yvan Vermeesch and Isabelle Van Passel, from XO Private, have conversed with him on various occasions about this particular group or market often booking late. And it’s true, he says, they have often become used to booking slightly later. However, it seems that, post pandemic, there was a lack of availability at the last minute, meaning Brazilians would end up in Portofino, for instance, in one of their favourite hotels. But they would then have to move rooms in the property every couple of days to be accommodated.
In general, nowadays, Mayle believes the whole world is leaning towards a slightly later-booking cycle: “The American market is now later booking, which obviously means that there is more availability for the Brazilians, and Brazilians are starting to plan much further in advance. But of course, as I said, they're very flexible in terms of travelling off-season, so January booking cycles are very popular as well”.
Moving on, the Latin American market is evidently drastically different. It has a different, pulsating energy. To operate here, relationships are paramount. “At ILTM Latin America, they have to trust in someone and really buy into a person, so that face to face contact is critical. For this show, we're in the most beautiful setting in São Paulo, which is he art Biennale venue, right in the middle of the park.
As a Brit, I use the example that it's like being in the Serpentine Gallery in the middle of Hyde Park. To a certain extent, you're held hostage. We do lunches at the venue, so everyone's under one roof for the three full days. You will see people over and over again, since it’s also all held on one floor on a massive venue. You’ll really make those great, strong connections”, he explains.
But bringing Brazil into the venue somehow was also key to the success and overall feeling of this particular ILTM event, and Mayle was, and is, in charge of this: “I really challenged the team in terms of bringing Brazil into the venue, bringing Brazil alive in a fully sensorial experience, so that those who've never been to Brazil really get to understand and get under the skin of the roots Brazil, whether it be through food, music, dance, smell, and tastes. We have it all at the show. You know, Brazilian chocolate, by one of the best artisanal chocolate makers, Brazilian coffee, the Samba dancers…”.
When it comes to such activities and comparing the Latin and North American markets, the USA is a lot more transactional. Therefore, there is an element of simplicity, efficiency, and the need to have the maximum amount of context and product knowledge. That is key in ILTM North America. Of course, Mayle describes how they also deliver great experiences there too, just in a different way. There are DJ’s to close events, and Caribbean sounds or new bands that are invited throughout, creating a sort musical carnival atmosphere. “And then one of the best, most wonderful things is that, at the end of the last day, you go to the beach and 500 luxury travel people are bobbing in the water. It's really lovely”, he happily concludes.
After finding a much deeper understanding of how these two particular ILTM shows work - ILTM North America and ILTM Latin America -, and comprehending their vastness in terms of market reach, ROI, energy and experience, we beg to question: what’s next in both these places? Are there any trends within the luxury travel sphere that Mayle has already identified in North or Latin America?
Truthfully, he says it’s not something excessively surprising, but there is certainly a total trend for wild nature, big open spaces and experiences. “These are really important to people. They're kind of reconnecting with nature, connecting with their own wellbeing, disconnecting slightly in terms of social media, etc. I think wellbeing is obviously a critical part too. So, for Brazilians, having a great gym is critical. They’re a very athletic, active group of people. Whereas, for the North American market, yoga, pilates, and those kind of experiences might be more important. But I would certainly say there is this kind of shift to access raw nature, wide open spaces, places to disconnect and really connect with”, he explains.
To close, we ask Mayle about an ever-present theme that still runs deep across most industries: sustainability. Is it still top of mind? And how? He’s clear on this specific topic: “Ah, sustainability is a funny one. Sustainability is not necessarily the driver of why people go to hotels. Connection with the community and connection with its local environment is. They value having local staff, local people. You have to be able to go out into the community, connect with the community, see that the hotel is an integral part of it”.
Truly, Simon Mayle’s insights are as honest as valuable in this era of luxury travel, and helps us identify some of the most exquisite and valuable trade shows out there and how they work. For him, the best part of his job as Exhibition Director is certainly the ILTM show itself: the first Tuesday morning at 9:00 or 9:15 am, when everyone is sat down in that first appointment and there’s nobody walking in the corridors or in the halls, and he stands, watching: “It’s just like: we did it!”. Because that’s precisely the proof of his job well done.
Testament to that, he leaves us with one sole message for everyone out there: “If they haven’t met me, I impose them to meet me, because my number one objective really is to understand our customers, know them, and understand what they consider value. What is important? And how can we drive more value to them?
My number one role is to be the facilitator of that value. We’re a platform, we put people together. So it’s really important that I know who the clients are, the exhibitors that the buyers want to meet. And also understand who the buyers are that the exhibitors want to meet.
If we went into ‘exhibitions for dummies’, it’s like going to a street fair. You’ve got the guy that sells tomatoes and the one that buys them. If you don’t get those two right, then the tomatoes will rot. It sounds obvious, but then there are some events where a European travel agent is meeting maybe the guy responsible for the North American outbound travel market, and you’ve got it wrong. You have to get the basics right first”.
In general, nowadays, Mayle believes the whole world is leaning towards a slightly later-booking cycle: “The American market is now later booking, which obviously means that there is more availability for the Brazilians, and Brazilians are starting to plan much further in advance. But of course, as I said, they're very flexible in terms of travelling off-season, so January booking cycles are very popular as well”.
Moving on, the Latin American market is evidently drastically different. It has a different, pulsating energy. To operate here, relationships are paramount. “At ILTM Latin America, they have to trust in someone and really buy into a person, so that face to face contact is critical. For this show, we're in the most beautiful setting in São Paulo, which is he art Biennale venue, right in the middle of the park.
As a Brit, I use the example that it's like being in the Serpentine Gallery in the middle of Hyde Park. To a certain extent, you're held hostage. We do lunches at the venue, so everyone's under one roof for the three full days. You will see people over and over again, since it’s also all held on one floor on a massive venue. You’ll really make those great, strong connections”, he explains.
But bringing Brazil into the venue somehow was also key to the success and overall feeling of this particular ILTM event, and Mayle was, and is, in charge of this: “I really challenged the team in terms of bringing Brazil into the venue, bringing Brazil alive in a fully sensorial experience, so that those who've never been to Brazil really get to understand and get under the skin of the roots Brazil, whether it be through food, music, dance, smell, and tastes. We have it all at the show. You know, Brazilian chocolate, by one of the best artisanal chocolate makers, Brazilian coffee, the Samba dancers…”.
When it comes to such activities and comparing the Latin and North American markets, the USA is a lot more transactional. Therefore, there is an element of simplicity, efficiency, and the need to have the maximum amount of context and product knowledge. That is key in ILTM North America. Of course, Mayle describes how they also deliver great experiences there too, just in a different way. There are DJ’s to close events, and Caribbean sounds or new bands that are invited throughout, creating a sort musical carnival atmosphere. “And then one of the best, most wonderful things is that, at the end of the last day, you go to the beach and 500 luxury travel people are bobbing in the water. It's really lovely”, he happily concludes.
After finding a much deeper understanding of how these two particular ILTM shows work - ILTM North America and ILTM Latin America -, and comprehending their vastness in terms of market reach, ROI, energy and experience, we beg to question: what’s next in both these places? Are there any trends within the luxury travel sphere that Mayle has already identified in North or Latin America?
Truthfully, he says it’s not something excessively surprising, but there is certainly a total trend for wild nature, big open spaces and experiences. “These are really important to people. They're kind of reconnecting with nature, connecting with their own wellbeing, disconnecting slightly in terms of social media, etc. I think wellbeing is obviously a critical part too. So, for Brazilians, having a great gym is critical. They’re a very athletic, active group of people. Whereas, for the North American market, yoga, pilates, and those kind of experiences might be more important. But I would certainly say there is this kind of shift to access raw nature, wide open spaces, places to disconnect and really connect with”, he explains.
To close, we ask Mayle about an ever-present theme that still runs deep across most industries: sustainability. Is it still top of mind? And how? He’s clear on this specific topic: “Ah, sustainability is a funny one. Sustainability is not necessarily the driver of why people go to hotels. Connection with the community and connection with its local environment is. They value having local staff, local people. You have to be able to go out into the community, connect with the community, see that the hotel is an integral part of it”.
Truly, Simon Mayle’s insights are as honest as valuable in this era of luxury travel, and helps us identify some of the most exquisite and valuable trade shows out there and how they work. For him, the best part of his job as Exhibition Director is certainly the ILTM show itself: the first Tuesday morning at 9:00 or 9:15 am, when everyone is sat down in that first appointment and there’s nobody walking in the corridors or in the halls, and he stands, watching: “It’s just like: we did it!”. Because that’s precisely the proof of his job well done.
Testament to that, he leaves us with one sole message for everyone out there: “If they haven’t met me, I impose them to meet me, because my number one objective really is to understand our customers, know them, and understand what they consider value. What is important? And how can we drive more value to them?
My number one role is to be the facilitator of that value. We’re a platform, we put people together. So it’s really important that I know who the clients are, the exhibitors that the buyers want to meet. And also understand who the buyers are that the exhibitors want to meet.
If we went into ‘exhibitions for dummies’, it’s like going to a street fair. You’ve got the guy that sells tomatoes and the one that buys them. If you don’t get those two right, then the tomatoes will rot. It sounds obvious, but then there are some events where a European travel agent is meeting maybe the guy responsible for the North American outbound travel market, and you’ve got it wrong. You have to get the basics right first”.
Zoila Checa
