Back from left, Kevin van Heerden, Technical Director, Hotels.com; Ben Blake, Vice President, Global Customer Marketing, Hotels.com and Cassio Camanho, Head of Product Solutions, Expedia Affiliate Network. Front from left, Andrew Cooke, CEO, London & Partners; Sarah Newcombe, Marketing Director, Expedia Affiliate Network and Charles Armstrong, Founder & CEO, The Trampery.
Europe’s most innovative travel-tech start-ups now have the chance to join a mentorship-driven accelerator programme with two of Expedia’s leading brands – Hotels.com™, a leading global accomodation expert, and Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN), a global B2B partnership brand.
The initiative, named Hotel Jumpstart, is designed to support start-ups working in the travel technology space by providing them with the workspace, tools and expert mentorship needed to take their business to the next level. Hotels.com and EAN are collaborating on the project with the Traveltech Lab, a London-based incubator for a growing community of early-stage technology businesses created by London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s official promotional agency, and The Trampery, specialists in innovative spaces to drive creativity and entrepreneurship.
Johan Svanstrom, President of Hotels.com and EAN brands, says: “We operate at the forefront of the travel tech industry and pride ourselves on our ‘test and learn’ approach as a means to constantly innovate. Transferring this approach to empower start-ups is central to our pioneering ethos and we hope to learn as much from their journey as they learn from us. The initiative is open to any early to mid-stage travel technology companies in Europe. We would like to support entrepreneurs working on disruptive technology concepts applicable to online travel, with a focus around lodging.”
Following an initial selection process, five promising candidates will be selected to take part in the six-month programme that will see them benefit from access to EAN’s full suite of accommodation via their content-rich APIs, a privilege that will enable them to apply these hugely powerful tools to their own businesses. Subject matter experts from Hotels.com and EAN will lead the five finalists through advisory workshops covering everything from product development and machine learning to strategy, sales and marketing. The finalists’ package includes a shared workspace at the Traveltech Lab for the duration of the programme, access to the Lab’s bespoke business support curriculum, and relationship-building networking program with over 400 top-tier tech founders and professionals.
Charles Armstrong , Founder and CEO of The Trampery, says: “Hotel Jumpstart will combine the creative spirit and ingenuity of start-up innovators with the scale and expertise of Expedia, one of the world’s leading travel brands. It’s a stellar opportunity for start-ups to accelerate their business growth at speed, learning directly from those who have made their names in the same industry.”
Andrew Cooke, Acting CEO, London & Partners, says: “London is Europe's largest tech hub and one of the world's most visited tourist destinations, making it the leading global centre for travel technology companies. Since the launch of the Traveltech Lab, a number of companies have significantly grown their businesses through support from the Lab's network of industry leaders and I am looking forward to seeing how our start-ups and experts from Expedia can learn from each other and innovate in partnership.”
At the end of the programme, the five finalists will be invited to present their business models to a panel of specialist judges at a gala ceremony, attended by senior Expedia executives and employees, invited guests and selected media. Specialist judges will select a winner who will receive US$10,000 worth of Hotels.com travel vouchers to go towards their business travel expenses.
For more information about Hotel Jumpstart and the application process, go to: hoteljumpstart.com.
For further press information:
Heather Mullon / Trudi Beggs
80:20 Communications
T: +44 (0)20 7664 6310
E: hmullon@8020comms.com / tbeggs@8020comms.com
About Hotels.com:
Hotels.com L.P. operates Hotels.com, a leading online accommodation booking website with properties ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Customers get instant savings with Secret Prices through our mobile booking app and Hotels.com Rewards members can earn and redeem free* nights at thousands of properties worldwide. The Hotels.com Mobile Concierge on iPhone is like having a local expert in the palm of your hand, offering fast access to services such as transportation, on-demand food delivery, restaurant reservations and activities. © 2017 Hotels.com, LP. All rights reserved. Hotels.com and the Hotels.com logo are trademarks of Hotels.com, LP. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. *free night excludes taxes and fees.
About Expedia Affiliate Network
Expedia® Affiliate Network (EAN) is a global B2B partnership brand within the Expedia group that powers the hotel business of leading airlines, top consumer brands, travel agencies and hundreds of other partners through its API and template solutions.
©2017 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Expedia is a registered trademark of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.