Bringing together global airlines, airports and industry tech providers since 2003, the World Aviation Festival is an opportunity for professionals from the aviation and airline industry to get together to discover the latest innovations and discuss the hottest trends and challenges in the field. With over 7,000 attendees, the event comprises talks and panel discussions and presents substantial networking opportunities for airlines and companies that work in the aviation space.
The 2023 edition was held at the Parque das Nações in Lisbon at the end of September and this year’s themes were sustainability, new business models, better technology and innovation.
Here at Platform 195, we were delighted to win a nomination as a new business to take a stand in the Start-Up Village.
Highlights of the event included a discussion around digital transformation, innovation, and future trends with Stefanie Neumann, CEO, of Lufthansa Systems. Stephanie suggested the digital transformation of the aviation industry was not as complex as it seemed, instead recommending a shift in perspective regarding what tangible benefits IT can bring. She also highlighted the need for fully leveraging the potential of data and the power of AI to bring efficiencies and help maintain revenue integrity. Stephanie also talked about the importance of using AI to support working towards sustainability, describing how Lufthansa uses an AI tool to plan routes in the most fuel-efficient way, taking weather and other conditions into account.
Massimo Morin, Global Head of Travel at Amazon Web Services (AWS) spoke about the state of the airline industry’s digital transformation. He discussed the impact of AI and also how many airlines are not fully utilizing the data they have available. He described generative AI as the “tip of the iceberg” for the transformation of the industry but cautioned, “You can have all the phenomenal technology that gen AI is going to provide, but what this technology thrives on is data. So you have to have the right data in the right place. You have to secure your data.” To finish, Massimo explained that breaking down data siloes is key to creating a 360-degree view of the customer.
4000+ Attendees
500 Speakers
300+ Sponsors and exhibitors
300+ Sessions
27,842 Contacts made
1,150+ meetings
It was a pleasure to meet and speak with many different aviation leaders from airlines and technology companies operating in the space. A common theme among the airlines we talked to was an interest in learning more about how to maximise the retail media possibilities available to them throughout the passenger journey. Retail media allows airlines to stay connected with a customer end to end, from research to in-flight to destination and home again. It’s a growing industry that presents a considerable opportunity for airlines to create a new ancillary revenue product around advertising revenues.
For many airlines, retail media presents a missed opportunity, a potential that has yet to be fully realized as their primary focus is of course airline operations. Companies such as Platform 195 can be excellent partners in the creation and growth of ancillary revenue versus spending with a traditional media agency. By leveraging their own websites airline companies can create revenue streams from new partnerships such as tourist boards, in effect creating subsidised marketing campaigns while keeping customers within their channels.
For more information about Platform 195 and how we can help you harness the potential of retail media, get in touch.
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