CONNECT New World is making waves in the Caribbean and the Americas, bringing its renowned expertise in networking, hospitality, and conference briefings to Curaçao.

 

The 2nd Route Development Forum for the Caribbean and the Americas is taking place from June 5 to June 7, 2024, at the Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort hosted by Curaçao Airport Holding (CAH), Curaçao International Airport (CUR) and Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB).

 

This premier gathering offers a unique platform to connect with C-level executives engage in meaningful discussions and forge vital connections, emphasizing the critical role of air service in driving business and tourism in this strategic region. The event features a comprehensive conference program, one-on-one meeting sessions, and a business lounge.

 

DAY 1: IN-DEPTH INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

The conference began on June 5, 2024, with insightful industry briefings exploring essential aviation topics. These morning sessions offered attendees a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape and future trends in the sector.

 

ROUTE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CARIBBEAN & LATIN AMERICA

Omar Hashmi, Managing Director at Volavion Consulting, started the briefings by sharing his expertise on the challenges and opportunities shaping air travel in these vibrant regions. His presentation highlighted the dynamic nature of the market and the strategic approaches required such as market strengths, cost efficiencies, geographic location, and product type for successful market development.

 

CATCHMENT AREAS & ROUTE DEVELOPMENT

Christophe Ritter, Director at Milanamos, followed with an exploration of strategies to drive growth using accurate customer-related information, passenger traffic, and revenue data. Ritter’s insights underscored the importance of data-driven decision-making in expanding airline networks and making a business case for new routes knowing the true airport market potential.

 

CAPACITY PLANNING IN AIR SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

Nicolas Gurwicz, Managing Director at Altura Aviation Consulting, emphasized the significance of meticulous capacity planning in ensuring successful air services. His talk shed light on the critical aspects of managing and optimizing capacity to meet existing or new market demands effectively.

 

AIRLINE SPOTLIGHT: WESTJET

Ariana McKnire, Senior Network Planning Analyst at WestJet, provided a detailed overview of WestJet’s strategies and operations. Her presentation offered valuable insights into the airline’s approach to network planning and its efforts to maintain a competitive edge in the industry.

 

 

AFTERNOON HIGHLIGHTS: OFFICIAL OPENING AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS

The afternoon session marked the official opening of CONNECT New World 2024, featuring welcoming remarks from the event’s moderator Pattrick Edmond, Managing Director at Altair Advisory, and organizers’ representative Karin Butot. Patrick Edmond, Managing Director of Altair Advisory, set the stage with a warm welcome, followed by opening remarks from key hosts:

• Ruisandro Cijntje, Minister of Economic Development, Curaçao Government
• Jonny Andersen, CEO, Curaçao Airport Partners
• Priscilla Duin Circkens, Chief Strategy Officer, Curaçao Airport Holding

 

A series of engaging panel discussions on crucial topics followed the opening:

 

PANEL DISCUSSION: INDUSTRY BRIEFING INTRODUCTION TO CURAÇAO

Moderated by Mr. Edmond, this panel featured prominent industry leaders, including:

• Peggy Croes, Senior VP Aviation Market Development, Curaçao Airport Partners
• Christine Campagnard, Manager Business Intelligence, Curaçao Tourist Board
• Hugo Clarinda, Deputy Director, Curaçao Tourist Board
• Jonny Andersen, CEO, Curaçao Airport Partners

 

The panelists provided an in-depth overview of Curaçao’s aviation and tourism sectors, highlighting ongoing initiatives and plans to enhance connectivity and boost the local economy.

 

 

PANEL DISCUSSION: SUSTAINABLE AVIATION SOLUTIONS AND TOURISM BUSINESS CASES

Mr. Edmond continued to moderate a discussion on sustainable aviation solutions, featuring insights from:

• Cesar Pereira, Advisor, Sustainability & Strategy, Embraer (Brazil)
• Philippe Karat, National Coordinator Air/Sea/Land Transport, Embratur (Brazil)
• Jo-Anne Meaux-Arends, Aviation Business Development Executive, Aruba Airport Authority N.V.

 

The panelists discussed innovative approaches to sustainability in aviation and shared successful tourism business cases from their respective regions. Adam Triolo from Regent (U.S.A), the fourth panelist participated via Zoom and presented his company and his innovative product that has the potential to be an alternative for the Dutch Caribbean islands’ interconnectivity and other short-distance destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America.

 

BOOSTING TOURISM THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

In an engaging interview session, Mr. Edmond spoke with Juan Felipe Restrepo, Chief Product Officer at KIU System Solutions, about leveraging AI technology to enhance tourism, for example improving customer service with an AI voice modulator, a similar concept to Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa but for booking agencies. Restrepo’s insights into cutting-edge technological solutions provided valuable takeaways for attendees looking to drive growth in the tourism sector.

 

 

LOOKING AHEAD

CONNECT New World 2024 is set to be an interesting event, offering a wealth of knowledge, networking opportunities, and strategic insights. Attendees received all necessary information, including the event schedule, speaker details, floorplans, and more, well in advance. The on-site setup was impressive, and the coordination, including technical support, was outstanding. Additionally, international attendees were treated to events and tours showcasing the beauty of our island.

 

My key takeaways from the first day of the event include a strong commitment from CAH to a fully digitized immigration process, the need for local airlines to collaborate and work together to lower prices, overcoming the complexities surrounding alternative transportation methods, and the challenging alignment of sustainability with consumer market realities.

 

Sustainability has different meanings for different people today. While some associate it with environmental and climate change initiatives, accepting anything labeled green, others, like myself, view sustainability in its original sense: finding long-term, cost-effective, and efficient solutions that reduce waste and are ultimately environmentally friendly.

 

Another intriguing takeaway was the use of an AI voice modulator to enhance customer service. As with any new technology, security is a primary concern, particularly for the elderly who will also be using it. It would be interesting to see performance data on existing AI technologies like chatbots. Transitioning from chatbots to voice modulators appears to be a seamless progression that may already be underway without our full awareness.

 

As the conference progresses, attendees can look forward to more engaging sessions and the chance to develop valuable connections that will shape the future of aviation and tourism in the Caribbean and beyond.