New Chairwoman Caroline Strachan has formally kicked off this year’s ITM Conference in Dublin, after taking over from previous incumbent, Mark Avery.

After thanking Avery for his stewardship of ITM, which this year is a 500-delgate sell-out, Strachan outlined the theme of the 2008 conference – evolution.

“The largest subject is change and how that becomes evolution,” she said. “We are going through so much change and maybe some are afraid to make it.”

A key component of that evolution will clearly be driven by technology noted Strachan, adding that mobile phone advancements were now readily available in Japan, for example with All Nippon Airways, and could eventually allow passengers to pass   through one security system without having to remove laptops, belts or keys.

Warming to her theme, Strachan also posed the question: “How can we make travel more effective – will it be a perk or a burden? Think of the Christopher Columbus journey when 1,200 sailors thought they were going to fall off the end of the earth.”

Simon Warburton
ITM - Dublin