LETE throws down the gauntlet
Organiser of Luxury Events and Travel Experiences (LETE), Rosemarie Sama, is confident her new luxury travel show will succeed in luring the industry away from rival Luxperience.
Sama, who also founded Luxperience, told Travel Today the core aim of LETE was to introduce exhibitors to top end travel agents.
While LETE will also have an experiential meetings component, Sama stressed this would not detract from the show’s mission.
“As many of our exhibitors can also accommodate small-scale meetings and events, this will enhance their opportunity to do even more business,” she said.
To many, the show’s premise will sound similar to that of Luxperience, which Sama departed after one year at the helm. However, Sama hinted the event would feature some points of difference.
“People do not want to attend a trade show year on year and see the same thing,” she said, although she declined to disclose further details.
Both Luxperience and LETE will be held in Sydney on September 2 to 4.
Despite the clash, Sama is optimistic that her experience as the former director of the Australian Incentives and Meetings Expo, and the “unsurpassed” credentials of her team will act as a recipe for the fledgling event’s success.
“I think the industry itself will make this decision,” she said. “I am sure the industry will make the right choice.”
Earlier this week, Luxperience confirmed former managing director Helen Logas would step into the chief executive role vacated by Sama.
The show confirmed it will retain its major partner agreement with Virgin Australia in its second year and said "dozens" of exhibitors from across Asia Pacific and Europe have reconfirmed for 2013.
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