BBC travel presenter speaking at 2014 ASSC Conference, the biggest gathering of self-caterers in the UK
SIMON Reeve, presenter of the BBC Two series Sacred Rivers, will be speaking at the Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Association of Self-Caterers (ASSC) at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh on 4th November.
The well-known BBC travel presenter of TV programmes such as Indian Ocean, Australia, and Tropic of Cancer will be regaling delegates with travel stories, answering audience questions and discussing what he feels makes Scotland a must-visit destination.
He said: “I’m really looking forward to chatting and answering questions about my adventures at the ASSC conference. I’ve been extremely lucky to visit more than 120 countries and film some incredible stories about wildlife, history, global issues and remote tribal cultures.
“Of all the places I’ve been privileged enough to travel through, Scotland stands out for its incredible beauty, but also for its accessible remoteness. I’ve travelled for three days to get to some far-flung, stunning parts of the world, but you can get to equally magnificent areas of Scotland in just a few hours!”
Chair, David Smythe, said: “The ASSC Annual Conference and Exhibition is the only major event aimed directly at the people and businesses providing holiday rental accommodation in Scotland. This year the focus is on the changing tourism market – what visitors to Scotland expect now and what they will demand in the future.”
Paul Easto from Wilderness Scotland, the UK’s leading wilderness specialist, will look at how to connect and engage with customers.
Paul said: “It seems that the standard of self-catering accommodation has improved enormously throughout Europe over the past decade, and Scotland is no exception. Given the high standards of property that now exist and the competition that this creates, I believe the present challenge lies in how effectively we engage with the emotional aspects of the customer experience and how that is communicated in a world full of new media opportunity”.
The inspiring line-up of speakers also includes industry experts Niki Christian Nutsch, director of booking and marketing service Booking Staff Ltd, and Patrick O’Shaughnessy, industry manager for VisitScotland. Patrick will focus on the resources holiday home owners can use to reach potential customers. He said:
“I’m excited about speaking to the delegates at the ASSC conference. Knowing the industry there is a real passion for quality and delivering great experiences for their visitor. Like every business it’s reaching out to your prospective visitor in the most cost effective way that’s the challenge. There are some great insights and tools out there that I would like to talk about, even better they’re free and they can help get you in front of that customer about to book their break.”
Self-catering business owners will also be given the chance to network with a number of highly sector-relevant exhibitors at the conference, including those who support the event: Supercontrol Online Booking System, booking.com, cottages4u and Route.
ENDS
Editor’s Notes
ASSC (Association of Scotland’s Self Caterers) is the only trade association working exclusively for self-catering in Scotland.
Full details of programme – www.assc.co.uk/conference
Tuesday 4th November, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
Event supported by – SuperControl, cottages4u, booking.com and Route
Twitter – @asscnews
Media Contacts
David Smythe, chair – chairman@assc.co.uk – 07703 528099
Emma Gibb, marketing & social media – emma@assc.co.uk – 07517 986126.
MEDIA RELEASE issued by the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers. You too can post your story ideas for journalists (aka Press or media releases), on allmediascotland.com. Email info@allmediascotland.com for more information.
Check out twitter.com/nonstopstories. Check out too twitter.com/allTravelPR.
Contact: Emma Gibb
Phone: 07517986126
Email: emma@assc.co.uk
Website: http://www.assc.co.uk
