- In partnership with Intelak, the ATM Start-Up Pitch Battle invites start-ups to submit their industry-disrupting ideas
- The live competition will take place on ATM’s Future Stage on 1 May
- Start-ups must submit their entries by the final deadline of 21 March
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 12 March 2025: Providing a platform for the regional entrepreneurs who will shape the future of travel, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) will host the ATM Start-Up Pitch Battle in association with Intelak during the show’s upcoming edition.
Taking place on 1 May at ATM’s Future Stage, the competition invites startups to present their innovative and industry-changing business pitches in front of an expert panel of judges, including Ramzi Al Qassab, Managing Director Middle East at Sabre, and Njood Alkhaldi, Innovation Specialist at Intelak Hub.
As part of ATM’s commitment to entrepreneurship and connectivity, the competition invites start-ups with innovative products, services, or technologies to take advantage of this unique opportunity. The competition is open to pre-seed or seed series start-ups, enabling them to access the resources to take their businesses to the next level.
Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market said: “ATM’s primary mission is to unlock business potential for the travel and tourism industry, and entrepreneurs are becoming increasingly crucial to the sector’s future. The ATM Start-Up Pitch Battle has emerged as one of the event’s major highlights, showcasing inspiring ideas and the remarkable talent this region has to offer. We look forward to receiving a diverse range of entries for this year’s competition.”
Last year’s winner, InterLnkd, secured the top spot with their innovative approach to monetising travel bookings. The winning start-up for this year’s competition will receive dedicated exhibition space at ATM 2026 and marketing and public relations support during the event. The winner will also have an exclusive opportunity to be part of a panel at ATM 2026, enabling them to share their insights with a wider audience and engage in meaningful industry discussions.
Start-ups eager to compete for the top prize must submit a brief summary of their business and its mission by Friday, 21 March, via this link. Applications will be reviewed by Intelak, with assistance from Ahmad Alwaly, Senior Robotics Engineer at Emirates and a member of the Technology Innovation Lab. They will choose the most innovative solutions to present live at the event. Shortlisted candidates will be notified by 31 March.
Intelak is a Dubai-based technology and innovation hub dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship in the travel, tourism and aviation industries. Backed by leading industry partners, Intelak gives early and late-stage start-ups access to programmes, mentorship and a community of like-minded individuals to launch, grow and scale their start-ups.
To further support entrepreneurial growth in travel, all shortlisted start-ups will be highlighted at the show this year. They will receive complimentary pod space in the new Start-Up and Innovation Zone at ATM 2025, located in Za’abeel Hall 3, enabling them to showcase their solutions and network with industry leaders.
The ATM Start-Up Pitch Battle is presented by Sabre and will be held from 12.30 to 2 pm on 1 May on ATM’s Future Stage.
ATM 2025 will take place from 28 April to 1 May 2025 at the Dubai World Trade Centre and will focus on the theme: “Global Travel: Developing Tomorrow’s Tourism Through Enhanced Connectivity”. The event is expected to welcome over 47,000 attendees and will showcase more than 2,600 exhibitors.
Held in conjunction with Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2025’s strategic partners include Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), Destination Partner; Emirates, Official Airline Partner; IHG Hotels & Resorts, Official Hotel Partner; and Al Rais Travel, Official DMC Partner.
The latest ATM news stories are available at https://hub.wtm.com/category/press/atm-press-releases/
Register as media here to secure exclusive access to press materials and valuable insights for ATM 2025.
Now in its 32nd year, Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is the leading international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. Held annually at the Dubai World Trade Centre, ATM 2024 spanned 12 halls, making it the largest edition to date. With over 48,000 attendees and more than 35,000 visitors, including over 2,550 exhibitors and representatives from over 161 countries during last year’s show, ATM remains a pivotal gathering for the global travel and tourism industry. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #ATMDubai
Arabian Travel Week is a week-long festival of events from 28 April to 4 May, alongside Arabian Travel Market 2025. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes the all-New Business Events @ATM focusing on MICE, Start-Up Competition, influencers’ events, GBTA Business Travel Forums, and ATM Travel Tech. It also features ATM Buyer Networking and a series of country forums.
About RX
RX is a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data, and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities, and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 42 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.rxglobal.com.
About RELX
RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. RELX serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs more than 36,000 people over 40% of whom are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York stock exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. *Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors
World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises leading travel events and online portals across four continents. The events are:
WTM London is the world’s most influential travel & tourism event for the global travel community. The show is the ultimate destination for those seeking a macro view of the travel industry and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping it. WTM London is where influential travel leaders, buyers and high-profile travel companies gather to exchange ideas, drive innovation, and accelerate business outcomes.
Next event: 5 to 7 November 2024 at ExCel London.
WTM Latin America takes place annually in the city of São Paulo and attracts around 20,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers qualified content together with networking and business opportunities. In this its ninth edition – there have been eight face-to-face events along with a 100% virtual one, which was held in 2021 – WTM Latin America continued to focus on effective business generation, and achieved the advance booking of six thousand meetings that were held between buyers, travel agents and exhibitors in 2022.
Next event: 14 to 16 April 2025 – Expo Center Norte, SP, Brazil.
WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. In 2022, WTM Africa facilitated more than 7 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 7% compared to 2019 and welcomed more than 6 thousand visitors (unaudited), the same number as in 2019.
Next event: 9 to 11 April 2025 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town http://africa.wtm.com/
About ATW Connect: Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.
WTM Global Hub, is the WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub. https://hub.wtm.com/
