The International Federation for Information Technology and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) presents the next IFITT Webinar. These webinars aim to bring together global experts to share knowledge, inspire innovation, and explore the evolving landscape of technology and tourism. The next webinar is titled “Metaverse in Tourism: From Virtual Experiences to Real Value”.
The webinar will provide a comprehensive exploration of the Metaverse and its promising potential to revolutionize diverse activities, with a particular emphasis on virtual conferences. The Metaverse is conceptualized as an immersive, interoperable 3D environment that, although not fully realized yet, offers transformative opportunities similar to the advent of the Internet in the 1990s and smartphones in the 2000s. Among the most valuable prospects, the Metaverse promises to enhance accessibility, enabling broader participation by eliminating geographical and economic barriers associated with traditional face-to-face events. Conferences held in the Metaverse can substantially reduce travel costs and time investments, while simultaneously fostering more inclusive and dynamic engagement across global audiences.
One of the key advantages lies in the ability to create immersive, interactive presentations through technologies, which increase participants' involvement and enjoyment. The Metaverse facilitates novel networking opportunities by allowing attendees to interact through customized avatars in uniquely designed virtual spaces. This can stimulate more creative and informal exchanges compared to conventional conference settings. The presentation also highlights successful applications of
Metaverse environments in cultural and social contexts. In summary, the Metaverse holds significant potential to reshape the way conferences and professional gatherings are conducted, offering accessible, cost-effective, and engaging alternatives that can foster active participation, global collaboration, and community building in increasingly digitalized societies.
Discover fresh perspectives and potential research avenues: from early observations to entirely new greenfield opportunities waiting to be explored.
Whether you’re a researcher, industry professional, or simply curious, this IFITT Webinar promises to spark ideas beyond the obvious.
Carlos Flavián and Danielle McConnell
(More information about the speakers at the end of the page).
Registration closes at 23:59 CEST on Wednesday, July 9th.
Carlos Flavián is Professor of Marketing at University of Zaragoza (SPAIN), leads the METODO Research Lab and is Spain’s most impactful marketing author. His research explores human-technology interactions (including Internet, AI, AR/VR/XR), studying both particularities of technology (usability) and perceptions, behavioral intentions and actual behaviors of consumers (adoption, recommendation, eWOM, satisfaction, loyalty…) on contexts such as tourism, retailing, etc. He holds editorial roles in several academic journals (including Strategy Editor of Service Industries Journal and Spanish Journal of Marketing-ESIC, Europe Regional Editor of International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management) and has guest edited several special issues in prestigious journals (International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management; Service Business; Service Industries Journal; Journal of Service Management; Journal of Service Theory and Practice; Psychology & Marketing). Clarivate Analytics has highlighted him as a highly cited researcher. He is the Spanish author with the highest scientific impact in the field of marketing according to the Stanford University list and several of his papers have been included among the top 20 most influential papers in the field of marketing internationally (according to the University of Florida).
Danielle McConnell is Head of Marketing at Virtway (Spain), a company specializing in enterprise-focused virtual environments and immersive technologies. She leads strategic initiatives that support the adoption of 3D virtual spaces and AI-based solutions for business applications. Her expertise lies in the integration of immersive technologies into marketing and business strategies, particularly within corporate training, virtual events, and internal communication. With degrees in International Business and Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, she began her career in event marketing and transitioned early into the virtual space, where she has remained since 2015. Danielle has guided the development of marketing frameworks for hundreds of projects in emerging tech sectors. Her work emphasizes measurable business outcomes through immersive engagement and digital innovation. As a bilingual professional, she collaborates with international organizations to implement scalable metaverse strategies aligned with enterprise goals. She maintains a strong interest in the evolution of immersive technologies and their impact on business performance, customer interaction, and organizational culture. Her approach combines creativity, behavioral insight, and strategic planning to help companies adapt to the rapidly changing digital landscape.
