·        Leading panel debate discuss fostering entrepreneurship to address multicultural needs in luxury travel

·        Banyan Tree founder Ho Kwon Ping to be guest of honour

·        Exclusive overview of emerging trends in Asian luxury travel revealed

ILTM Asia: 4-7 June 2012, Shanghai

www.iltm.net/asia

Taking place from 4 to 7 June 2012 in Shanghai, the sixth edition of the leading ‘invitation-only’ luxury travel event for the Asia Pacific – ILTM Asia 2012 will welcome leading figures from the industry to define emerging trends, explore specific regional needs and hear from a legend in their midst at its Opening Forum - supported by Condé Nast Traveler on Monday, 4 June 2012.

Condé Nast Traveller India’s editor-in-chief Divia Thani will moderate a panel of luxury travel’s movers and shakers during this year’s Opening Forum event.  The topic: ‘Why a changing luxury traveller demands change: Fostering entrepreneurship to address multicultural needs’ will be debated by Leonardo Ferragamo, Director of Salvatore Ferragamo and President of The Lungarno Collection; David Williams, Chief Marketing Officer of Orient-Express; James Baillie, Founder of Australia’s Baillie Lodges and Sarina Bratton, Founder & Managing Director of Orion Expedition Cruises.

Ho Kwon Ping - founder of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts - will take part in a live interview on stage with Klara Glowzewska, Editor-in-Chief of Condé Nast Traveler US.   Ho Kwon Ping will discuss the village life that inspired him to reinvent the idea of the luxury resort, as well as his life experiences as a journalist and a prisoner in a Singapore jail before founding Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts in 1994.  The brand today consists of 30 hotels and resorts, over 60 spas, 80 retail galleries and 2 golf courses in 27 countries with aggressive expansion plans for the future.

Alison Gilmore, ILTM Asia Exhibition Director, commented: “We are honoured to welcome so many leading figures from the world of luxury travel to the ILTM Asia Opening Forum stage. Each is involved at the highest level of many different areas of international luxury travel and adds incredible value to ILTM Asia 2012.”

The ILTM Asia Opening Forum will also include a presentation of exclusive research undertaken by leading consultancy for trend forecasting, brand strategy and consumer insight, The Future Laboratory, entitled: ‘Luxury Travel Futures: A global snapshot of new and emerging trends in the Asian luxury travel market.’

The ILTM Asia Opening Forum supported by Condé Nast Traveller will take place on Monday 4 June between 5pm and 7pm at the Shanghai Theatre at The Portman Ritz-Carlton. ILTM Asia continues from 5-7 June 2012.

For the full event programme, please visit www.iltm.net/asia/programme

About ILTM

www.iltm.net

International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) and ILTM Asia are the leading annual business to business events for the global luxury travel community, bringing together the world’s most sought after destinations, ultra-luxurious accommodation, elite transportation and unique travel experiences showcased for the most discerning luxury travel buyer via an unrivalled pre-scheduled appointment system and effective networking and information opportunities. ILTM Asia – which selects buyers from across the Asia Pacific – takes place in Shanghai, 4 - 7 June 2012. ILTM – which invites only the most discerning buyers from across the world – takes place in Cannes, 3 - 6 December 2012. ILTM Americas – a one-to-one summit designed for the American travel agents – takes place for the first time in Mayakoba, Mexico, 1-3 October 2012.

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) is the world’s leading provider of exhibitions in the travel and tourism industry. Its wide-ranging portfolio of events around the globe covers leisure travel, luxury travel, business travel and the meetings and incentives industry. In 2011 RTE 13 events were the catalyst for £2,807 million worth of travel and tourism business deals. The 13 events are; World Travel Market (WTM), Arabian Travel Market (ATM), International French Travel Market (IFTM), La Cumbre, International Golf Travel Market (IGTM), International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), International Luxury Travel Market Asia (ILTMA), Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo (AIME) (owned by Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau), Global Exhibition for Incentive, Business Travel, and Meetings (EIBTM), Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (GIBTM), Americas Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (AIBTM), China Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings (CIBTM) and Business Travel Market. April 2013 will see RTE launch World Travel Market Latin America in São Paulo. RTE is a business unit of Reed Exhibitions. In 2011, six million participants attended RE’s 500 events in 39 countries covering 44 industry sectors from aerospace and aviation to beauty and cosmetics to sports and recreation. Reed Exhibitions is owned by Reed Elsevier, the world’s leading provider of professional information and online workflow solutions.

ASIA – Racepoint Group

Jaycee Zhang                                                                        CC Lau   

Tel: : +86 21 5169 2005 | Ext: 102                                  Tel: +86 21 5169 2005 | Ext: 108

Email: jzhang@racepointgroup.com                                Email: clau@racepointgroup.com

Joanna Gwynne-Jones                                                                                        

Tel: +852 3111 9934                                         

Email: jgwynnejones@racepointgroup.com

UK – CUT Communications

Lucy Clifton                                                                           Anja Rechtsteiner

Tel: +44 (0)20 8334 4008                                                  Tel: +44 (0)20 8334 4007
Email: lucy.clifton@cut-coms.co.uk                                  Email: anja.rechtsteiner@cut-coms.co.uk