Presentation by Rafat Ali, CEO, Skift.

1. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
LESSONS IN VERTICAL MEDIA
ENTREPRENEURSHIP in 2017

2. WHO AM I?
‣INDO-BRIT-AMERICAN, COMPUTER
ENGINEER TURNED PR PRO TURNED
JOURNALIST TURNED BLOGGER TURNED
MEDIA ENTREPRENEUR.
‣STARTED FIRST EVER BLOG MEDIA CO,
PAIDCONTENT, IN 2002. SOLD TO
GUARDIAN IN ’08, LEFT 2010.
‣TRAVELED 2 YEARS, 15 COUNTRIES,
STARTED SKIFT.
‣HUSBAND OF SABA, DAD OF ARZAAN.
NOW LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY.

3. THE SKIFT BRAND

4. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
“There's always a story. It's all stories,
really. The sun coming up every day is a
story. Everything's got a story in it. Change
the story, change the world.”
Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

5. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
SKIFT IS
THE LARGEST INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM IN
TRAVEL, PROVIDING MEDIA, RESEARCH AND
MARKETING TO KEY SECTORS.
SKIFT DECIPHERS AND DEFINES TRENDS FOR
MARKETERS, STRATEGISTS AND TECHNOLOGISTS
IN THE GLOBAL TRAVEL INDUSTRY.

6. KARBON PRESENTATION 8 • 24LEVEL 13, 82 SPENCER ST, MELBOURNE
SKIFT IS EDITORIAL-LED COMPANY, THEY ARE OUR ROCKSTARS.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS BUILT TO SERVE THEM AND BUILD THE BUSINESS AROUND THEM.

7. LEVEL 13, 82 SPENCER ST, MELBOURNE
THE
SKIFTERS
2014
THE SKIFT TEAM

8. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
skift Products
Skift.com
Daily news and insights
Skift Newsletters
Inbox intelligence
RESEARCH
Bi-monthly deep industry research
Skift Global Forum
Thought-leadership event
Skift X
Branded content studio
Skift Podcast
Conversations with leaders
Chefs+Tech
Next generation restaurants
Skift EDU
Learning Sessions for the
Smarter Travel Marketer
skift magazine
Strategically Deployed
Packaged media

9. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
REDEFINE SCALE
“The media we are building is a big part of those who care about
travel. That for us is scale, to be a big part of the professional
lives of the people in the travel industry. That is how we gauge the
effect we are having.”
#1.

10. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
THE BATTLE FOR MEDIA RELEVANCE IS
ONLY ONE BATTLE
do you have the chops to cover a sector or a
subject, every which way, with impact & value?
#2.

11. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
There is no outside savior coming
to rescue MEDIA. It is all you.
The value you build with your editorial. The value
you can create by being focused on doing a few
things very very well.
#3.

12. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
Strategically deployed packaged
media works
Readers overwhelmed with choices, creating right
packaged focused media actually is public service,
they will come to you.
low frequency quality MEDIA can have impact.
#4.

13. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
2017 in media is the year of the
subscriber
You are either invested in it, or you don't count,
literally.
#5.

14. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
THINK REPEAT RESIDENTS, NOT
REPEAT VISITORS
Email isn’t trendy, it has been the workhorse for
two decades. works even better in age of
platforms, direct relationship creation never
easier.
#6.

15. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
One step removed from original
content creation is one step too
many removed from success
The biggest disservice media ecosystem has done
to smart media entrepreneurs is to push them into
starting tools and services companies.
#7.

16. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
LIVE EVENTS MATTER, FOR A
DIFFERENT REASON THAN USUAL
Media cos are only & only human capital, events
are test of human endurance & celebration of
human achievement. That's why it works.
#8.

17. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
Don’t get swept up in the
headlines, build around larger
trendlines emerging
Ignore and Break the silos
#9.

18. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
THERE IS STILL TONS OF DISRUPTION
LEFT IN BUSINESS INFORMATION
B2B DOES NOT HAVE TO BE BORING
#10.

19. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
The 9 Nos RULE
YOU WILL HEAR 9 Nos BEFORE YOU HEAR THE ONE YES.
COROLLARY: SAY 9 NOs TO THINGS BEING THROWN AT
YOU, FOCUS ON ONE.
#11.

20. SKIFT.COM@SKIFT
DEFINING THE FUTURE OF TRAVEL
WHAT’S YOUR UTILITY VALUE TO
USERS?
WILL ANYONE MISS YOU IF YOU DIE TOMORROW?
#12.

21. IMMERSE YOURSELF in 2017!