"Chaos Calls – Navigating the New" examines the unique forces that are collectively transforming travel, tourism and hospitality.

Each year The PhoCusWright Conference is anchored by a guiding theme—a challenge, trend or mantra that throws down the gauntlet for leaders and executives in our industry, and points the way to the future. This focus—whether centered around new milestones, challenges or innovations in the travel marketplace—creates a unique environment at The PhoCusWright Conference. A distinguishing characteristic of the event is that each Center Stage@The PhoCusWright Conference speaker is asked to present his or her own interpretation of the theme. The result is an often provocative blend of information and ideas that never fail to push attendees' understanding of key trends and issues to an entirely new level.

Much like past PhoCusWright Conference themes such as "Internet Travel Faces Reality" (2000) and "Travel 2.0 Confronts the Establishment" (2006), this year's theme frames an undeniable turning point for the industry.

"Chaos Calls – Navigating the New" examines the unique forces that are collectively transforming travel, tourism and hospitality. As with prior PhoCusWright themes that are relied upon as industry bellwethers, this year's event challenges everyone to articulate what a successful strategy looks like in 2010 and beyond. The theme explores the five tenets that all travel companies—large and small, startup and established, supplier and intermediary, leisure and corporate, traditional and technical—are compelled to confront.

Shaken and stirred into action by the confounding events of the past 18 months, travel executives are ready to rebound. However, many of the organizations, strategies and models they have battled to preserve are now oddly out of synch with the new order. It is chaos out there.

A roadmap is essential to Navigate the New: new economic realities; a slew of new devices, platforms and channels; new competition emanating from unexpected places; new standards for content and communication; and (thank goodness!) millions of new travelers. This year's PhoCusWright Conference engages, challenges and motivates industry leaders to exploit the chaos, defined through these five tenets.