Hello Scout Wins the 100K General Catalyst Award and Inspirock Wins the Brand USA Award.
NEW YORK – Travel industry research authority Phocuswright announced the winners of Summit, held on Nov. 15, during The Phocuswright Conference currently underway in Los Angeles, Calif. During Summit, 22 innovative startup and emerging companies and the three Battleground winners demonstrated groundbreaking applications and solutions set to change the travel industry.
"Travel startups and emerging companies are blazing the trail for the future of travel innovation," said Phocuswright's president, Simon Lehmann. "This year's presenting companies are dedicated to innovating the travel landscape – and we are excited to see their effect on the travel industry in the coming years."
Winners were determined by the Summit Dragons, a panel comprised of travel and technology experts. Winners represent the top innovation in two categories: Startup and Emerging. One company was selected to win the Brand USA Award for Travel Marketing Innovation and one company was awarded to General Catalyst Award for Travel Innovation, which comes with a $100,000 convertible note.
Winners
- Startup Category: Beyond Pricing
- Emerging Category: Local Measure
- The Brand USA Marketing Innovation Award: Inspirock
- The General Catalyst Award for Travel Innovation: Hello Scout
Runners-up
- Startup Category: Hello Scout
- Emerging Category: Uplift Inc.
"The Phocuswright Conference Summit event just keeps getting better," said Joel Cutler, managing director of General Catalyst Partners. "Every year, we have seen talented entrepreneurs trying to figure out how new technology platforms and business models will create solutions for travelers that are ten times better than those in the market today. This year, the pool of young companies showed wonderful creativity and skill. Hello Scout is a great example of innovation in the travel space. Congratulations!"
"Our partnership with Phocuswright and sponsorship of Summit gives us direct contact to an impressive range of talent. The Brand USA Marketing Innovation Award – presented to Inspirock – demonstrates our commitment to ushering in the future of tourism marketing," said Carroll Rheem, vice president, research and analytics for Brand USA.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
