PATA to Create New 'Summit' to Replace Conference

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is to design a new-style, industry-focused annual 'summit' to replace the 55-year old PATA Annual Conference. The first summit will take place in 2008. Destinations that had been appointed to organise the 2007 and 2008 Conferences - Chinese Taipei and Sri Lanka respectively - have been advised to cease preparations. New bid books for the inaugural 2008 summit will be circulated to all PATA member destinations later this year.

The decision, passed by the PATA Board of Directors on April 23 and ratified by the PATA Annual General Meeting on April 24, included a mandate for PATA to create a new format for Committee, Board and Annual General Meetings. The internally-focused agendas of the Board and AGM sessions can now, if necessary, be de-linked from the summit, which, PATA officers said, should be outward looking, intellectually compelling and able to attract iconic speakers.

PATA President and CEO Mr Peter de Jong said, "The PATA Board has taken the wise, long-term view to vote for a more tightly focused summit-style event. The summit would demonstrate PATA’s growing role as the convener of high-level discussions on the major global issues and opportunities that shape the travel industry."

He added, "Our Board of Directors understood and acknowledged the disappointment expressed by Chinese Taipei and Sri Lanka. It was heart-warming to note, however, that both destinations appreciated the greater good for the Association and accepted the Board’s sovereign and democratic decision-making process."

While the format and scope of the summit is yet to be confirmed, Mr de Jong said that the new event would enhance the PATA brand, be affordable for destinations to host, be time and cost-efficient for busy executives, be content focused, be in tune with PATA’s advocacy agenda, be a platform to convert non-members to members, and deliver a better return on investment for host destinations and PATA.

During 2007, PATA will hold two Board meetings and a ‘new-style’ AGM. It will also consider convening smaller summit-like events in different parts of Asia Pacific.

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