Everything You Need to Know About Phocuswright Battleground

Here is everything you need to know about Phocuswright Battleground, and how to apply as a startup.

We spoke with Mike Coletta (Manager, Research & Innovation at Phocuswright) about their upcoming pitch competition Phocuswright Battleground.

What is Phocuswright Battleground: The Americas?

Battleground: The Americas is the premier pitch competition for the most innovative early-stage travel startups from North, Central and South America as well as a mini-conference that brings together key startups, investors and partners from Phocuswright’s deep travel industry innovation network.

Why should Travel Massive members attend Battleground?

Contrasted with Phocuswright’s multi-day global and regional conferences, Battleground is a more intimate one-day event geared specifically to early-stage startups and entrepreneurs. It was created specifically to make the unparalleled Phocuswright networking environment and opportunities for exposure to the industry much more accessible.

What are some of the benefits for the 10 startups presenting their product?

Passing our rigorous screening process and presenting at a Phocuswright event brings immediate credibility.

The winning company moves on to present at Summit during The Phocuswright Conference in Los Angeles this November among 1,800 of the most influential leaders in travel.

Tell us about some noteworthy former contestants or winners?

Companies like Freebird, AirHelp, Beyond Pricing, Roomer and dozens of other travel startups have credited landing new partnerships or funding rounds to their Phocuswright appearances. Some quick overall stats:

Since 2008, over 400 innovators have taken Phocuswright stages. Collectively they have raised over $3.2B, and more than 60 have been acquired.

Do you have any tips for startups thinking about applying?

Yes – the deadline to apply is July 13, and when filling out the application, try to do a few things:

Show us that you’ve done your homework on the space by being specific about how you differ from your competitors
Don’t give us top-down numbers, like the travel industry is $X trillion and we’re going to capture 0.1%, show us a bottom-up model that helps us understand where you’re starting and how you’ll grow
If you talk about using technologies like artificial intelligence or machine learning, make sure you get beyond the buzzwords and help us understand exactly how you’re using these technologies

Thanks, Mike and good luck to everyone participating!

Mike Coletta is Manager, Research & Innovation at Phocuswright where he publishes research articles, works on custom projects, and screens startups for Phocuswright’s innovation events including Battleground, Summit and Launch.

Learn more about Battleground: The Americas, or apply.

Connect with Phocuswright on Travel Massive to continue the conversation.