<p>Travel industry research authority, Phocuswright, is launching Phocuswright Asia, an Asian counterpart to its preeminent United States and Europe-based conferences. The two-day event on April 21-22 will be held in Gurgaon, India at The Leela Ambience Gurgaon Hotel & Residences.<br /><br />It will showcase travel innovators, executive keynotes, panel discussions and debates, as well as exhibition and networking opportunities.<br /><br />Building on the success of its U.S.-based conference, which gathered 1600+ attendees in 2014, and it’s European-based conference, Phocuswright Asia brings together travel leaders from across the Asia Pacific region to network, learn and build strategic partnerships with the industry’s most influential leaders, innovators and visionary thinkers.<br /><br />“We’re thrilled to launch Phocuswright’s newest event dedicated to one of travel’s most interesting and fastest growing regions,” says Phocuswright’s managing director, Tony D’Astolfo. <br /><br />“Phocuswright has been covering the Asia Pacific travel landscape with its research for many years, and with so many market-changing developments transforming the region, the time is right for this event. For travel companies operating in Asia, or trying to break into the region, Phocuswright Asia will be an important source of knowledge, insights and connections.”<br /><br />Chetan Kapoor, Phocuswright’s research analyst, Asia Pacific., said, “The Asia Pacific region has always been an exciting market, but never more so than today. From IPOs, acquisitions, and innovation, to mobile leapfrogging desktop and a rising younger middle class, Asia is the hub of the travel industry.”<br /><br /><strong>The theme of the inaugural Phocuswright India, The Asian Mojo: Millennials, Mobile, Money, Mania, encapsulates the key driving forces defining the Asia travel market. Six tenets uphold this theme: </strong><br /><br />• Same, but different: From an outsider’s perspective, the Asia Pacific region appears similar, but is in actuality a diverse region with many niche markets and characteristics.<br />• The be-all and (probably) end-all: With soaring Internet penetration, billions will access online services primarily via mobile devices.<br />• From copycats to trendsetters: Alibaba, Ctrip, Didi Kuaide, Flipkart, Ola, Qunar. Need we say more?<br />• Blurring here, there, everywhere: From mobile messaging to mobile shopping. Offline to online, online to offline. OTAs and metasearch overlap. Consolidation and acquisitions become the name of the game.<br />• Millennials rule the world. Asian millennials are hungry to experiment, discover, and with rising disposable income are likely to travel more than ever before.<br />• I, me, myself: Self-service is the mantra. Consumers are taking control and charting their own course… But first, let me take a selfie.</p>