We're still buzzing from our first-ever appearance at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London November 5-7, and trust us—it was an experience we won’t forget. Picture this: four proud Montrealers navigating the labyrinthine of luxurious booths, armed with a mission and probably too much coffee.
Here’s a little behind-the-scenes recap.
Traverse Media Creator Awards: A Starry Sunday Night
Before the madness of WTM began, we had the pleasure of attending the Traverse Media 2024 Creator Awards on Sunday night. It was an evening dedicated to celebrating the incredible work of travel content creators from around the world.
From “Best Photo” to “Best Long-Form Video” and “Industry Person of the Year,” the awards ceremony was filled with inspiring moments. Stay22 had the honor of presenting the 12 Month Achievement Award, to Nelly of thenavigatio.com recognizing a creator who’s shown phenomenal growth over the past year. But the biggest surprise of the evening? Stay22 was named Creator’s Brand of the Year!
We’re tremendously grateful for this recognition. As a people-first company, being voted by creators means the world to us—especially after a tough year filled with challenges like those pesky Google core updates. To all who voted for us, thank you. We’ll keep working hard to be the standout product you can rely on. Thank you Traverse for the fabulous event.
WTM London: A Playground for Travel Nerds
For the first time, Stay22 joined the global stage at WTM London, a mecca for travel industry professionals. Our Head of Sales, Malcolm Archer, summed it up perfectly: "It's been an amazing experience. We were able to talk to our partners, our potential prospects, and tell our story."
From sharing laughs with our current partners to pitching Stay22 to future ones, we loved the chance to connect. Turns out, the best conversations happen when someone says, “Wait, you guys do what?!”
Stay22’s Story: From Startup to $500M in Bookings
As Malcolm shared during our WTM speaking session in partnership with Traverse entitled "Converting Content into Cash & Bookings", Stay22 is a content monetization platform with one mission: helping creators and publishers turn their travel content into serious revenue. Whether you're a scrappy newbie influencer or a massive media publisher, our tools have you covered.
Fun fact: Over the past two years, Stay22 has doubled its growth annually, racking up $500 million in bookings generated. To give you an idea of scale, that’s like filling half the world’s hotels for a night.
What We Learned
- The travel industry is thriving, and publishers are hungry for better monetization solutions.
- Telling people you’re from Montreal will inevitably lead to conversations about bagels.
- Stay22 has wider application that you might think. Anywhere accommodation links exist, we can help you earn cash on bookings.
Jokes aside, WTM was a reminder that our work truly matters. From helping publishers diversify revenue to boosting RPM (revenue per mille), Stay22 is playing a key role in the future of travel media.