Affordable Car Hire estimates deals worth £4.5 million were agreed or put in motion at World Travel Market 2014, the leading global event for the travel industry.
The independent car hire firm celebrated its 10th birthday at WTM in London’s ExCeL last November and sealed a raft of new deals and completed “all our contracting for 2015”.
Furthermore, Affordable Car Hire staff also met Aviareps – the general sales agency and representation services firm – at WTM and is now negotiating a representation deal.
Angela Day, Chief Executive of Affordable Car Hire, said WTM is a key, must-attend event which allows the firm to meet all its business partners from across the UK and the world.
“Our commercial team is very active with supplier meetings – we have a team of five who have meetings on our stand in the Global Village,” she said.
“We did all of our contracting for 2015. Also, our UK sales team works there with travel agents and affiliates, seeing existing clients and potential new ones.
“And for our global team, WTM is key: we meet any firm which wants to be a global sales partner at WTM.
“People can see our stand – it’s a very slick stand – and at WTM 2014 we met partners from places such as Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Toronto and Russia.”
Day said WTM is the main event at which it has to exhibit, because it attracts all the key contacts from around the globe.
“We have 15 to 20 staff there, over the four days, having meetings, and going to events and seminars,” she said.
“We make all four days busy for us. Our last meeting was at 3.15pm on the fourth day.
“We also have a separate team of ‘scouts’ who find business for Affordable Car Hire such as new car rental partners.”
As part of its tenth birthday celebrations, Affordable Car Hire held an invitation-only cocktail party at its stand on the third day (Wednesday).
“We had red cocktails and tried to make it fun – the stand pulls lots of people in,” she commented.
She and her team start planning for each WTM as early as June, deciding on events, meetings and targets for their attendance.
“We look forward to it each year. I go to other trade shows but they don’t have the buzz of WTM,” concluded Day.
World Travel Market, Senior Director, Simon Press, said: “I am delighted Affordable Car Hire had a hugely successful WTM 2014. Angela’s examples of business deals negotiated and signed is indicative of the wider response of exhibitors at the event. WTM 2014 will facilitate around £2.5 billion in travel industry business firmly cementing World Travel Market as the event where the travel industry conducts its business.”
