X Festival
Programme

Five daily tracks focusing on disruption, purpose, rebuilding, engaging and imagining the future of travel. Each day of X. Festival has its own comprehensive programme of keynotes, talks, interviews and roundtable discussions.

X. Disrupt

Monday 30 November 2020
All times are in Central European Time (CET)
All sessions
Panels
Interviews
12:45
Going Beyond Design in Solving Today's Challenges
Yves Phan
IBM Belgium
Panel

Welcome to X. Festival 2020

Nick Hall
CEO and Founder Digital Tourism Think Tank
A warm welcome from the Digital Tourism Think Tank and main partners. Discover why X.Festival will change your view on the Visitor Economy.

Fireside Chat on the future of Purposeful Innovation

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Role
theCamp is an innovation-driven location in the South of France, where technologies and bright minds work for a sustainable and purposeful future.

Movements driving change
in our industry

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What will an eventful year like 2020 leave to our society and industry? Discover more about Sustainability as a necessity, the New Life Balance, the growth of movements and much more.

Redefining DMO Strategies: Fostering Innovation through Data

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With countless opportunities available through data, DMOs can innovate and adapt their strategies to increase their relevance to consumers.

Tech as an Enabler for Inclusivity and Empowerment

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Technology is a far-reaching enabler that drives and support the development of new ideas and the growth of life-changing initiatives, with no borders or restrictions.

Sizing the Appetite for TravelTech in Adversity

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Discover how TravelTech are helping the industry to ‘build back better’ through sustainability and resilience initiatives.

Startup Challenge: Pitching Sustainable Recovery Solutions

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We're inviting startups to pitch sustainable recovery solutions in the Startup innovation challenge.

X. Purpose

Tuesday 01 December 2020
All times are in Central European Time (CET)
All sessions
Interviews

Welcome to X. Purpose

Nick Hall
CEO and Founder Digital Tourism Think Tank
The world is evolving and the drivers for travel are more than ever rooted in purpose. From fulfilment to giving back, how does the future of travel look in a post-pandemic world?

Keeping Brand Voice Authentic for Local Audiences

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How Destinations can be truly authentic with curators and storytellers?

Learnings from Afar: Will Technological Experiences Replace Timeless IRL Experiences?

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Can technological experiences ever replace real life experiences in the visitor journey? Let's hear from a destination that combines past and future to create dreamy travel experiences.

Technology as a Catalyst for Purposeful Travel

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Technology and consumer preferences are constantly evolving. Find out how tech innovation is leading people to discover and experience more purposeful travel.

Championing Local - Making Sustainable Choices for the Community and the Destination

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Now more than ever, people feel the urge to support their local industry, contributing to a sustainable and waste-less society. What are the initiatives out there that stand out for championing local?

The Invisible Burden: Understanding the Impact of Tourism on Communities

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Travel Foundation created projects with a 'shared agenda' for destinations to understand the impact of tourism on communities and step towards a new and better model.

How do you define 'the right kind of tourism'? [Roundtable]

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Defining the right kind of tourism means reflecting on past, present and future. It requires analysing the positive elements of over-tourism and no tourism in order to develop a strong recovery model for the future.

X. Rebuild

Wednesday 02 December 2020
All times are in Central European Time (CET)
Buy ticketS
All sessions
Interviews
Panels
14:45
2021 Horizons: Going Behind the Data
Toby Morris
Adara
Panel

Welcome to X. Rebuild

Nick Hall
CEO and Founder Digital Tourism Think Tank
As we emerge out of the most challenging period our industry has faced, how can we accelerate recovery? Led by data, this track is all about understanding product and market shifts and identifying new demand segments to shape a resilient comeback through product diversification.

2021 Horizons - Thinking Ahead with Data

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What can current data tell us about the future of travel? Leading companies will share their predictions for the next 12 months.

Exploring Sustainability as Necessary for Recovery

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How prioritising sustainability is no longer a choice for DMOs.

Diverging Recovery Strategies: Balancing Health & Economic Priorities

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Around the world, contrasting recovery strategies have emerged, with priority-setting at the heart of each policy. We explore a range of different strategies with destinations trying to answer the big question: Health or Wealth?

Designing a Recovery Strategy using Data & Innovation

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Destination's and business' perspectives on how to recover building a strong strategy based on data.

Impact Stories: Supporting Community-Led Crowdfunders

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Scaling Digital Business Innovation: Helping SMEs to Pivot & Adapt with Crowdfunding

The new role of Creators and Influencers - Popularity vs. Responsibility

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Creators and Influencers have an increasingly powerful role in influencing consumer behaviour and decisions, but how do you define the good influence?

X. Engage

Thursday 03 December 2020
All times are in Central European Time (CET)
All sessions

Welcome to X. Engage

Nick Hall
CEO and Founder Digital Tourism Think Tank
Where can we identify growth opportunities in a contracted global economy? How do we find relevance with audiences, achieve better engagement and drive more effective conversion?

A full track dedicated to new engagement strategies addressing the needs of the new demand, attempting to ensure new opportunities through conscious choices.

Destination website that reflects the need of the new target audience

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How to adapt your destination's website to the mobile users in your domestic market

GenZ + Millennials - a new mindset

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GenZ and Millennials are setting the trends in this digital era. The emergence of new platforms such as TikTok have responded to their mindset and their desire to seek new online experiences.

Creativity in colour - how to tap into the staycation boom

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The Staycation movement has defined 2020. Destinations are using creativity as a source of differentiation, using innovation and smartness in their approach to destination branding.

A New Digital World: How Consumers Behaviour is Shifting Online

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The digital era has and will continue to define social trends and consumer behaviour. In a new digital world, consumer behaviour is shifting online at an extremely fast pace.

Exploring storytelling

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Storytelling through music is a powerful way to build lasting connections with your audience. Discover how this destination and Spotify developed this concept.

How to maximise Digital Research through understanding Data

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Data enables destinations to make informed decisions, find answers to problems and analyse new insights to great effect. By understanding data destinations can identify key trends in research and in the digital landscape.

Domestic vs. International - The NTO Strategy-Value Visitor Scale

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NTOs Reflections on the long-term value of targeting domestic visitors.

The new role of Creators and Influencers - Popularity vs. Responsibility

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Role
Creators and Influencers have an increasingly powerful role in influencing consumer behaviour and decisions, but how do you define the good influence?

X. Imagine for Industry

Friday 04 December 2020
All times are in Central European Time (CET)
All sessions (only for Industry Pass)
9:30
Reviving Urban Tourism
Roundtable
11:00
Re-Imagine Meetings, Events & Business Travel
Roundtable
12:30
The Voice of Industry
Roundtable
14:00
Exploring the Future of Travel Marketing
Roundtable
15:30
Redefining Destination Purpose and Governance
Roundtable
17:00
Stewardship as a Driving Force Behind the Brand
Roundtable

Welcome to X. Imagine

Nick Hall
CEO and Founder Digital Tourism Think Tank
How can we ensure a more sustainable future for tourism? Can the global crisis be used as a turning point for the industry? Join a series of think tanks, talks and discussions with leaders and experts from different fields, switching their imagination towards the future of travel and sustainability.

Reconsidering Destination Stewardship towards 2021

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How the current crisis represents a unique opportunity for destinations to reconsider and adapt their stewardship strategy.

Redefining Advocacy and Governance in the New Normal

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Role
What happens when political and legal requirements seem to have a not so positive impact on our work? How can we adapt without disruption.

Balancing Artificial Intelligence and Human Interaction

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Role
Retaining human contact in an increasingly-contactless visitor journey.

Creating a Manifesto for Change

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Role
At the end of a great week, we are ready to share our Manifesto for Change. This Manifesto incorporates all the most relevant take-aways and outcomes of the talks, roundtables, interviews and discussions we have held during these intense 5-day event.

Exploring Ethics in Travel

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What is Ethical Travel? Let's dive into some of the major topics regarding Eco-Tourism, VolunTourism, Solo-Travelling, Alternative Travel and so on. This is an open conversation, where the audience is invited to interact and brainstorm, sharing thoughts and ideas on these crucial topics.

Involving the whole community in shaping a more sustainable destination strategy

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Role
How Les Îles de la Madeleine is using Design Thinking to give a voice to the tourism players in the destination.

X. Imagine

Friday 04 December 2020
All times are in Central European Time (CET)
All sessions

Welcome to X. Imagine

Nick Hall
CEO and Founder Digital Tourism Think Tank
How can we ensure a more sustainable future for tourism? Can the global crisis be used as a turning point for the industry? Join a series of think tanks, talks and discussions with leaders and experts from different fields, switching their imagination towards the future of travel and sustainability.

Reconsidering Destination Stewardship towards 2021

Full Name
Role
How the current crisis represents a unique opportunity for destinations to reconsider and adapt their stewardship strategy.

Redefining Advocacy and Governance in the New Normal

Full Name
Role
What happens when political and legal requirements seem to have a not so positive impact on our work? How can we adapt without disruption.

Balancing Artificial Intelligence and Human Interaction

Full Name
Role
Retaining human contact in an increasingly-contactless visitor journey.

Creating a Manifesto for Change

Full Name
Role
At the end of a great week, we are ready to share our Manifesto for Change. This Manifesto incorporates all the most relevant take-aways and outcomes of the talks, roundtables, interviews and discussions we have held during these intense 5-day event.

Exploring Ethics in Travel

Full Name
Role
What is Ethical Travel? Let's dive into some of the major topics regarding Eco-Tourism, VolunTourism, Solo-Travelling, Alternative Travel and so on. This is an open conversation, where the audience is invited to interact and brainstorm, sharing thoughts and ideas on these crucial topics.

Involving the whole community in shaping a more sustainable destination strategy

Full Name
Role
How Les Îles de la Madeleine is using Design Thinking to give a voice to the tourism players in the destination.

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