13 of Ireland's leading travel technology and services companies descended on Scottsdale, Arizona this November for the PhoCusWright Conference. Attended by C-level executives from every major name in the industry, the PhoCusWright Conference is the premier event for the travel & hospitality industries in the US. The conference involved three days of unparalleled industry insight and partnership opportunities for our Irish clients.

Two CEOs of Enterprise Ireland High Potential Start Up (HPSU) clients Jonathan Ruane, Eventovate and Dave O'Flanagan, Boxever, were selected as the first European entrepreneurs to take part in the prestigious PhoCusWright Class of 35 Young Leaders Summit. This was a proud achievement for the Irish delegation, and a major boost to the country’s reputation as a hotbed for technological innovation in the travel industry.

As a market study visit, the PhoCusWright Conference proved invaluable to participating clients as a source of cutting edge industry research, in identifying opportunities and requirements for growth in the US, and positioning Ireland as a stronghold in the travel industry.

Irish companies at the PhoCusWright Conference included:

Bookassist - booking technology and online strategy for hotels

Boxever - big data analytics for airlines

CarTrawler - next generation car rental distribution system

Datalex - travel distribution software for airlines and agencies

Directski.com - online ski tour operator and booking software platform

Eventovate - cloud-based software for venues to grow their wedding business

Hostelworld.com - online reservations for the independent travel market

Innovation Software - full-featured hotel management suite

Mobile Travel Technologies - leading industry mobile platform & product provider

OpenJaw Technologies - retail solutions to airlines, OTAs, hotels & loyalty programs

p3 Technology - software solutions and online marketing for hotels

Topflight - tour operator specializing in ski, groups and tailor-made vacations

Tour America - tour operator delivering directly to the consumer