100 Industry CEOs and Tourism Ministers Expected at World Routes 2013

AsiaNet 54091

MANCHESTER, England, Aug. 29 / PRN=KYODO JBN/ --

    - Senior Industry Figures register to attend World Routes in Las Vegas

    In a little over five weeks' time World Routes, the 19th World Route

Development Forum takes place in Las Vegas and organisers of the event are

expecting more senior industry figures to be in attendance than at any previous

Routes event. To date, this year's event, which will take place 5-8 October and

will be co-hosted by Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and Las

Vegas McCarran International Airport, has seen high-level registrations from

all sectors of the industry with 100 airline and airport CEOs and Ministers of

Tourism expected to attend.

    Nigel Mayes, VP Commercial - Routes, UBM Live, is looking forward to the

event, commenting: "We are absolutely thrilled with the seniority level of

attendees from all sectors of the industry that World Routes continues to

attract. This year, the event will take place in the U.S. for the first time

and this interest in the event, and support from so many key industry figures

further strengthens our position as the world's leading commercial aviation

event for route development in the world's largest aviation market."

    "We are honoured to be the first destination to welcome senior-level

attendees and aviation industry leaders to the United States for World Routes,"

said Rossi Ralenkotter, president/CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors

Authority. "Las Vegas is the world's premier meetings destination, and the

attendance of so many top executives demonstrates that Las Vegas is a place

where decisions are made and business happens."

    "World Routes represents an unprecedented opportunity for key decision

makers from around the globe to experience first-hand all that we have to

offer," said Steve Sisolak, chair of the Board of County Commissioners for

Clark County, Nev. "We look forward to showcasing the best of Southern Nevada's

ongoing commitment to the global travel industry, including our new world-class

Terminal 3 expansion at McCarran International Airport."

    The World Routes Conference Programme, which will include the World Routes

Strategy Summit, The World Tourism Summit, Invest & Manage Airports, Routes

Talks and Route Exchange Airline Briefings, will bring together leaders from

across the industry to participate in discussions that will set the commercial

and political agenda for the industry. Confirmed speakers so far include:

Christoph Mueller, CEO of Aer Lingus; Estuardo Ortiz, Chief Operating Officer &

Executive VP of Avianca; Christopher Thompson, President and CEO of Brand USA;

Roger Dow, CEO of the US Travel Association; Stephen Attenborough, Commercial

Director of Virgin Galactic and Lee McCabe, Global Head of Travel, Facebook.

    Participation from tourism authorities from around the world will be strong

at this year's event with many destinations confirming very senior

representations including a recent registration from the Permanent Secretary of

the Cypriot Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Dr Stelios

Himonas. In addition the Minister for Economic Development and Tourism,

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government, the MEC Michael Mabuyakhulu and Hon.

Stephen Cadiz, Minister of Tourism, Trinidad and Tobago will also be in Las

Vegas. Other destinations who have confirmed Ministerial representation at

World Routes include: Seychelles, Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis, Uganda, and Mexico

with many delivering destination briefings as part of the World Tourism Summit.

    In addition to the conferences and talks programme many of the carriers

attending World Routes in Las Vegas will be represented by senior personnel

from their organisation. Confirmations have already been received from Mitsuo

Tomita, Vice President Network Planning for All Nippon Airways, Michael Thomas,

Managing Director - Network Development for American Airlines, Christine

Ourmieres, CEO of Cityjet and Enrique Beltranena, CEO of Volaris who will be

joined by the carriers Chief Commercial Officer, Holger Blankenstein. In

addition to an impressive turnout from the global airline community World

Routes in Las Vegas will also see senior representation from the alliances as

Cuitlahuac Gutierrez, VP Alliance Operations for SkyTeam and Dennis A. Tierney,

Vice President - Membership and Customer Experience for oneworld have also

confirmed their attendance at the event.

    Notes to Editors

    About Routes

    - Routes organises world-renowned airline and airport networking events

through its regional and global Route Development Forums. Each year, there is

one global event and one regional event in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas

and CIS respectively. http://www.routesonline.com

    - Routes was founded in 1995 as part of the Manchester UK-based ASM Ltd.,

a consultancy specialising in the field of route development for airports.

http://www.asm-global.com [http://www.asm-global.com]

    - Routes and ASM were acquired by UBM Aviation Worldwide Ltd in August

2010. From 1st August 2012 Routes, ASM and the Airport Cities Conference and

Exhibition become part of the UBM Live division of UBM plc.

    - UBM Live connects people and creates opportunities for companies across

five continents to develop new business, meet customers, launch new products,

promote their brands and expand their markets. Through premiere brands such as

MD&M, CPhI, IFSEC, TFM&A, Cruise Shipping Miami, the Concrete Show, the Routes

portfolio of events, Airport Cities and many others, UBM Live exhibitions,

conferences, awards       programs, publications, websites and training and

certification programs are an integral part of the marketing plans of companies

across more than 20 industry sectors. http://www.ubmlive.com  

    Follow us on Twitter: @Routesonline, @TheHUBRoutes, @VictoriaRoutes,

@NLPROU, @airlineroute

    Source: UBM Live Routes Ltd