TOWARD Europe members meeting to address issue of industry profitabilty Travel industry body to meet on 3 October at London�s TUC

TOWARD Europe (www.towardeurope.org), the pioneering organisation created to maximise the commercial success and profitability of travel industry companies, has announced it will hold its next members meeting on 3 October at the TUC building in London.

The event will address the issue of industry profitability � the sector�s hot topic � following one of the most difficult trading periods ever. Speakers will include The British Retail Consortium (BRC), Online Travel Corporation (OTC), Anite Travel Systems and CT2. The session will also include an update from TOWARD Europe�s acting chairman and IT director at Cosmos, Alister Beveridge, and breakout meetings of the organisation�s two working groups.

The event�s centrepiece will be an industry panel discussion on the topic of improving industry profitability, involving representatives from OTC, CT2 and Anite. The debate will be chaired by leading travel journalist and ex-editor of Travel Weekly, Jeremy Skidmore.

Keynote speaker, Jeremy Beadles, commercial director of the British Retail Consortium, will anecdote the success of his own organisation, looking at how the BRC has produced change in the retail sector and highlighting the company�s milestones.

Members will also hear updates from the TOWARD Europe management committee, and the organisation�s two working groups � �Travel Supplier to Tour Operator� and �Tour Operator to Distribution Channel�.

Alister Beveridge, TOWARD Europe�s acting-chairman and Group IT director of Cosmos, said: �We have chosen a theme for the meeting which not only ties in with the aims of TOWARD Europe, but also tackles the most pressing issues faced by the industry as a whole.

�The presentation from the British Retail Consortium will provide a valuable example of how well an organisation can work to produce change, delivering to our members constructive input from a successful industry organisation operating in an entirely separate space.�

TOWARD Europe represents, informs and educates on behalf of its members in order to improve electronic distribution and fulfilment of tour operator product to agents and consumers. TOWARD Europe is targeting European tour operators, suppliers, technology providers and other companies across the travel industry for recruitment, and has established a dedicated hotline to deal with membership enquiries (+44 (0) 20 7691 3938).

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Notes to editors

About TOWARD Europe: TOWARD Europe�s launch objective is to secure change in distribution within today�s dynamic travel market through agreement on best use of technology. The organisation will represent, inform and educate on behalf of its members in order to improve electronic distribution and fulfilment of tour operator product to agents and consumers.

The organisation officially launched to the travel sector in April 2003 with the formation of a management committee and two working groups. Toward Europe�s 22 founder members from across Europe include Amadeus, Eurostar and Hertz Europe.

TOWARD Europe has established two working groups, �Supplier to Tour Operator� and �Tour Operator to Distribution Channel�, whose combined goal is to recognise the issues faced by tour operators and to optimise the travel industry�s entire distribution chain - from suppliers to agents and the end consumer.

A seven-strong management will drive TOWARD Europe in the market and comprises acting-chairman, Alister Beveridge, Group IT director of Cosmos; Ghislain D'Auvigny, web distribution director, Accor; Bill Barnes, business development manager, Amadeus; Mike Eivers, sales and marketing director, Boscolo Tours; William Hennessy, director, automation marketing at Hertz Europe; Mark Bradbury, director business development, RWA and Paul Mahoney, IT director, Travel 2.

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For further information please contact: Katrina Walker/ Laura Bradley Rooster tel: +44 (0) 20 7691 3939 fax: +44 (0) 20 7691 3929 email: firstname.surname@rooster.co.uk web: www.rooster.co.uk