Interface Tourism Introduction

Interface Tourism Group

Marketing destined to succeed

Interface Tourism is Southern Europe’s leading tourism marketing agency. We successfully promote over 50 tourism destinations and companies in the French, Italian and Spanish markets. Over the years we have come to know a thing or two about communication and lesson one was “a picture speaks louder than a 1000 words”. We could talk for hours about our services and experience but we prefer to show you a few recent photographs that illustrate who we are, what we do, for whom and how. We are constantly adding new chapters to this story on our www.interfacetourism.com and we i nv i t e you to fo l l ow us on f acebook (Facebook.com/pages/interface-Tourism-Group) or Twitter (@itg_news).

Gaël de la Porte du Theil "President "Interface Tourism Group

After many journeys around the world and some initial years’ experience in hospitality and tour operating, Gaël joined the Pierre & Vacances group, participating in the creation of various “3rd generation” ski resorts in the Alps and some seaside resorts. In 1971 he began to manage & develop the Avoriaz ski resort, he co-created and directed the International Film Festival of the Fantastic which rapidly became France's 2nd most important movie festival after Cannes. He went on to occupy several managing positions in the Pierre & Vacances group and then became General Director of its tourism branch. He became Vice-President of the French National Association of Ski Resorts and President of the National Association of Tourism Residences and participated in the creation of the “Maison de la France” (the French National Tourism Board), becoming a Board Member in 1987. Then, as President and CEO, he merged 3 major French Tour Operators Airtour, Touropa, Cruisair and, five years later, he added Air France’s subsidiary SOTAIR to create Jet Tour. He became Vice-President of the National Association of Travel Agencies and Vice-President of the International Federation of Tour Operating (IFTO). In 1996, Gaël became an independent consultant and also Marketing Professor in the Tourism Department of the Marne-La-Vallée University.

In the year 2000 he created Interface Tourism which has become a renowned international group of more than 60 full-time employees across Europe. [email protected]

Chris Pomeroy"CEO Interface Tourism Spain

Born in Oakville, Canada, to British parents, educated in Switzerland, England and Scotland and married to a Spaniard and to Spain, Chris seemed predestined to dedicate his career to communicating the virtues of one country to the citizens of others! This is exactly what he has been doing ever since he set up his own business when he was just 19 years of age, whilst studying Spanish, Japanese and Politics in Edinburgh University. More than two decades later he has added his unrivaled experience and reputation to his natural qualities of creativity and enthusiasm that are so appreciated by so many national tourist boards. Chris is a founder member of the Spanish Chamber of Tourism Communicators, a member of ONETE (a Spanish Association of DMOs) and an affiliate member of the UNWTO. In 2006 Chris founded one of the first networks of tourism marketing agencies. He is also a regular speaker at destination marketing seminars and guest lecturer at several universities. In 2009 his company, Moonshine Marketing, became integrated in the Interface Tourism Group and began to operate as Interface Tourism Spain. [email protected]

“If you are looking for a very effective PR and Marketing professional who specialises in tourism, I strongly recommend Chris Pomeroy. In all my dealings with him, I have found him to be highly creative, knowledgeable efficient and reliable. It has been a pleasure doing business together”.

Tim Bartlett, Director, Tourism and Hotel Advisory Services

Chris is an enthusiastic and highly creative individual who is always able to motivate teams to think outside the box and come up with the best solutions to any problem”. Frances-Anne Callaghan Executive General Manager International, Tourism Australia

“What happens when the rational approach of an Anglo-Saxon meets the volcanic nature of a Spaniard of adoption? meet Chris and you'll find out. you'll discover a natural talent for strategic thinking, organizing projects and managing people, which you cannot but appreciate in business. but also the open disposition, the non-conflictual attitude towards people and problems and that easygoing character that make working together a pleasure.” Mónica Zanaga Client Service Director

He and his company provided an excellent all round service, and was always willing to look at how to do things better - and differently”. Jeremy Brinkworth Head of Industry Services, Visit England

Chris is a great supplier - so much so that in fact he seemed like a colleague. Results were always good and a lot of creative and outside the box ideas. Would recommend”. Joss Croft Regional Director Europe, Visit Britain

Serena Valle "CEO Interface Tourism Italy Born in an Italian seaside town in 1974, as a child she wanted to become managing director of a big 5 star hotel but then she moved to Milan where she got her BA in Foreign Languages and Literatures at the Università Cattolica of Milan, specializing in Communication and Information Strategies with a focus on tourism management. She entered the world of PR during her studies as a trainee at a major agency in Milan after which she moved to experience the world of tourism, first being in charge of Sales & Marketing in the hotel business and then organizing events and promotions such as the launch of famous brands, like Audi TT, Alfa Romeo 147, the organization of jazz and orchestral concerts, and the managing of sales and customer relations during international events like the Monte Carlo F1 race. In 2001 Serena moved to Turin, where she started working in one of the biggest PR agencies in Italy, first as PR Account Manager for international tourist boards, like New Zealand and Kenya, and then as a Marketing Director for international accounts such as : Hong Kong, Seychelles and Jordan. In 2007 Serena founded Interface Tourism Italy. Thanks to her role in the tourism business, Serena has also been invited as speaker of various conferences and training sessions around the world. Her last experience being Vietnam on behalf of the EU. Her passion for this specific job arises from the deep belief that tourism can be one of the most effective and sustainable economic tools for all destinations in the world and that, through tourism, nations can achieve “cultural engineering” by building bridges among different people, cultures, faiths, traditions and lifestyles. [email protected]

Where we are Interface Tourism Italy

Ripa di Porta Ticinese 5 20144 Milano

Italy

Interface Tourism Italy has it’s office in one of the most charming and trendy areas of Milan

Interface Tourism has its own offices in Paris - Milan - Madrid - Barcelona – Malaga and joint-venture associates in Russia, UAE, Belgium. The Global Tourism Interface network founded by Interface Tourism has offices in: UK, Germany, Holland, USA, India, Brazil, Argentina, China, Singapore, and Australia

Where we are

Our Madrid office, is in an original 500m2 converted bread factory. All our offices are in unique and original buildings that reflect the personality of our group and have become popular meeting points for travel trade and media in France Spain and Italy

interface Tourism Spain Calle Cardenal Cisneros 51

28010 Madrid Spain

Where we are

The garden of Interface Tourism’s head office is suprising oasis in the very heart of Paris. This charming and convenient location is a major asset for all of our clients and a perfect venue for events and presentations

interface Tourism France 11 bis rue Blanche

75009 Paris France

What we do""

Our services include

•  Market research •  Full Representation of tourism destinations •  Sales representation for hospitality brands •  Media relations •  Crisis Management •  Graphic design and branding •  Media Planning and buying (online / offline) •  Training and presentations to tour operators and retail agents •  Exhibition management and stand design •  Logistics and storage •  Production of collateral •  Social Media marketing •  Merchandising •  Fam trips for trade and media •  Direct marketing •  Street marketing •  Point of sale displays, etc.

360º Tourism Marketing

Press Conferences and Presentations

Top: The media presentation for Hon. Najib Balala, minister of tourism of Kenya, held on the 13th floor of a designer hotel. Bottom: To launch the ski resorts of the French Pyrenees, interface organized the “coolest media event ever” in an Ice Bar at -10ºC !

Le$: TV interviews a$er media interviews for Mrs. Jaqueline Plass, Subsecretaria de Turismo Chile. Right: High level delegaDon from the Indian Ministry of Tourism taking quesDons from internaDonal media at a press conference organized by Interface Tourism.

Interface Tourism handles every aspect of a client’s investment in any fair or exhibition. From advising as to which are the best events to prearranging appointments with trade and media. Designing and building of stands, animation, catering, advertising, merchandising, etc. Our unrivaled experience guarantees the maximum return on investment and the minimum headache.

Fairs and Exhibitions

Crisis Management

After ash from a volcano in Iceland collapsed European air space, Visit Iceland needed to urgently reassure the media that the crisis was over and it was safe to travel. In the same week Interface Tourism organized press conferences in Madrid, Milan and Paris which generated unprecedented amounts of positive media coverage and helped set the destination on the road to recovery

Tourism is not only the world’s largest industry it is also the most diverse and this diversity means that it is suseptible to being affected by a crisis in any other sector. Interface Tourism has helped destinations manage crises from natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, tsnami, volcanoes, to epidemics affecting humans and animals to transport crashes, riots, crime and corruption.

Creative & Cost effective PR

To ensure TV coverage for the Minister of Tourism of Ecuador, Interface Tourism came up with the idea of contacting TV stations and offering to pick them up from their offices in a spectacular branded Hummer limosine and take them free of charge to a major travel fair. The minister. 4 national TV stations took us up on our offer and the minister was able to do interviews on the way to the show each morning. This simple but different concept generated 400,000 € worth of free publicity.

Street Marketing

Even in today’s digital world, sometimes a brand has to go out on the streets and intereact with its target market. At interface Tourism we have a reputation for creativity when it comes to combining street marketing activities with online and social media marketing.

To launch an online viral marketing campaign for the Slovenia Tourist Board we created “Feelipo” a Lipizzana horse with whom consumers had their photographs taken. The photos were shared on Facebook as part of a competition.

Street Marketing To position the Portuguese Azores Islands as “the garden of Eden” Interface Tourism dared to hire Adam and Eve to interact with the general public and provoke comical situations in busy shopping districts of large cities. Our bold actors were spontaneously followed and interviewed by several TV crews and Radio stations and followed online by over 5000 curious consumers

Outdoor promotions

Campaign promoting Madrid as a destination for cultural visits to museums and art galleries. Carried out by Interface Tourism for Madrid city tourist board in shopping centre in Milan.

Outdoor media and mobile exhibitions

Fairs and exhibitions can be excellent opportunities but sometimes our target segments are not in main cities or do not have a specific event . In this case Interface Tourism takes to the road.

Mobile exhibition unit travelling around the country in a roadshow to present the Alentejo region to travel agents from provincial cities in training seminars inside a specially adapted bus.

To promote the Swedish Lapland as the home of Santa Claus we created an imitation of Santa’s cottage inside a promotional bus that visited popular shopping malls pre-christmas

Graphic design and brochure production

Fairs and exhibiDons can be excellent opportuniDes but someDmes our target segments are not in main ciDes or do not have a specific event . In this case Interface Tourism takes to the road.

Merchandising and give-aways

Advertising

AdverDsing campaign on metro staDons for Turismo Chile co-‐financed by airline and touroperator

Interface Tourism is a registered advertising agency with expert media planning and buying teams. Our long-standing relationship with the main media for tourism advertising campaigns gives our clients access to exceptionally good rates. Most importantly however we have unique know-how and specific experience in managing co-marketing campaigns with local tour operators and other stakeholders thus multiplying our clients’ media budget. We can plan and buy media in any format, broadcast, online, print, advertorial, outdoor, etc.

Sales Missions

Interface Tourism is not just about image marketing. Our full representation services go “all the way” from market research to individual sales calls made to tour operators or travel agencies. We can arrange sales appointments for our clients to visit potential clients, we can organize a sales blitz to systematically visit every travel agency in a major city or we can host buyers in our offices for more sophisitcated multimedia presentations.

Agency Training

Interface Tourism runs agency training programmes for most of its clients. It is important for travel agencies to know how to sell a destination of travel product. Depending on the complexity of the product interface will organise training courses, speed-learning sessions, e-learning, specialist agency programmes, etc.

Speed learning session for Zambia tourist board

Social Media

Interface Tourism is a pioneer in social media activity for tourism destinations. We have been organizing blog-trips for since 2008, we have professional travel bloggers among our staff, and in Spain for example, Interface Tourism is responsible for acreditation of all travel bloggers at the FITUR trade fair. Interface Tourism has invested heavily in this area creating events such as the “Social Travel Lab” and in 2012 Interface Tourism acquired a specialist social media agency.

Who we work for

We are proud to represent and contribute to the success of some of the most prestigious brands in the travel and tourism industry. Over the years we have worked exclusively for tourism clients. Including adhoc promotions we have served over 100 different brands. Our CURRENT client portfolio includes the following.

Who we work for The sun never sets on all of our clients. Some of the destinations we are currently representing:

"Since the year 2004 when Kenya Tourist Board contracted Interface Tourism as Market Destination Representatives , the following achievements have been realized for Kenya as a destination. Tourist arrivals which had been stagnating and experiencing negative growths over the past four years were reversed and today Kenya’s arrivals from their market are within 25% increase annually. Reassurance to the trade was reinforced following the closure of the National Tourist Offices in 1998 after which time the trade lost confidence in Kenya, and lacked a contact reference in the market and a fast response to enquiries especially in case of crisis. Increased interest in the Kenya destination to be offered by tour operators some of whom have increased their brochure pages with Kenya offer. Fresh interest by tour operators who had not offered Kenya before, and also airlines who have introduced Kenya in their schedules following the increase in tourist traffic into the destination. This arose from the tireless dedication by IT to seek new partners in the market. Improved Kenya image and continuous positive coverage of Kenya by the key trade press and also consumer magazines following monthly press releases and newsletters keeping the press fully updated on any news from the destination. “These achievements were realised within a period of three years as a result of the continuous, dedicated and tireless efforts of IT who have not only acted as the voice for Kenya’s tourism but also as an advisor on wise strategic directions. IT’s professionalism and powerful networks in the travel trade and government bodies in market have also elevated Kenya’s bargaining power within the various business circles in tourism."

Jacinta M. Nzioka, Regional Marketing Manager, KTB, Nairobi

What our clients think

“Thank you for keeping a competitive panorama for our country, Ecuador. We especially like the personal and close attention you pay on each of the actions that we implement in the market. We hope that our basic operations grow year by year. We cannot say how much you have helped us in PR and Marketing. We have received many millions of dollars in Advertising value from all the events, press trips and operator trips you have organized. We are a groundbreaking institution in travel and trade promotion for Ecuador and we are keeping our best representatives around the world to spearhead our tourism promotion. You are one of them. Keep up the great work! Atentamente.”


Lcdo.Patricio Tamariz D. - Chief Executive Office- General Manager of the Mixed Tourist Promotion Fund of Ecuador

Thank you all, once again, for all you dedicated and successful cooperation in last year. It was very interesting and important for me to meet not only media representatives, but TO too and I am really looking forward to see what kind of cooperation we might develop with them together. I would like once again to thank you for all the really well prepared and presented documentation and schedule of meetings (with comments) you sent me a day before my trip. It helped a lot to facilitate my work and for better overview! Together we have achieved effective and measurable results and I am looking forward to develop our activities from last year in the next. Once again, many thanks to you, for your goodwill towards Slovenia and support of the development of Slovenia as a tourist destination on your market, and for all the coordination and control over our projects. It was a pleasure to meet you as it is a pleasure to work with you and I look forward to continue our cooperation in the future.


Brina Cehovin – Marketing Manager Slovenia Tourist Board

Thank you !

I can’t thank you enough for your teams’ GREAT work on this project. Thank you again from boSom of my heart. I have worked with many different organizaDons, yours is one of the best!! It has been my honor to be able to work with the BEST team in Spain and hopefully we can work again together.


Yosuke Tanio – Project Manager Tokyo City Convention Bureau Mission to Spain

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Interface Tourism Introduction