Web in Travel Organises Bootcamp for Digital Travel Entrepreneurs

The organiser of Web in Travel has put together a one-day bootcamp for entrepreneurs in the digital travel space to fuel innovation in the industry.

Organised in conjunction with the WIT Conference this year, WITovation: The Entrepreneur Bootcamp will run on 18 October 2010, the day before the main Web in Travel conference, and is now open for entries.

The bootcamp initiative is aimed at those with business ideas in the digital travel space, who want to be mentored by a specially-assembled panel of experts, and need access to funding channels.

WITovation’s mentors include Andrew McGlinchey, Head of Products, Southeast Asia, Google; Brett Henry, Vice President Marketing, Abacus International; Hrush Bhatt, Founder, Cleartrip, India; Loh Lik Peng, hotelier and restaurateur, Singapore; Martin Symes, CEO, Wego; Morris Sim, Co-Founder and CEO, Circos Brand Karma; Timothy Hughes, Vice President Commercial, Orbitz Worldwide and HotelClub; Timothy O’Neil-Dunne, CTO, Lute; William Bao Bean, Partner, Softbank China & India Holdings; and Wu Hai, Founder & CEO, Orange Hotel Group.

Those shortlisted by the panel of mentors will have the opportunity to attend the Bootcamp in Singapore (at own travel expenses) and have their ideas and business plans workshopped with the mentors.

The winners of the Bootcamp will then go on to pitch their business plan to a panel of investors at the WIT Conference on 19 - 20 October 2010.

“In starting a business, even more important than funding, is being able to have personal time with experts who have either started their own business and gone through the school of hard knocks or who are specialists in technological innovation,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, producer and editor of WIT. “Our mentors come from a diverse range of backgrounds – some run their own start-ups, others drive innovation within their corporations. One thing they have in common – a mission to encourage innovation and drive entrepreneurship in Asia.”

WITovation is open to start-ups from zero to three years old. Entries should be submitted by email before the submission deadline on 1 August 2010.

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