EVER since I could remember, from the day I started WiT in 2005, everyone would ask me, “Have you been to Phocuswright?” That was the gold standard, they told me, in travel tech conferences. “And Philip Wolf, have you met him? You must.”
For years, those two phrases rang in my mind as I built each edition of WiT around the intersection of travel and tech in Asia, with Phocuswright as a partner. Ram Badrinathan, Phocuswright’s analyst in Asia, was instrumental in forging that partnership.
Then I met Philip. It was at ITB Berlin, where Philip also ruled in travel tech content, and I remember being really nervous. He was this unshakeable authority in a space he had created and carved out in the US, and was expanding around the world. From launching a conference, first called PhoCusWright Live, in 1997, then adding a research arm a year later, he and his team had built up the most formidable brand in the travel tech domain.
Asia was a region close to his heart, with a solid team of analysts based in India, and he trusted them to execute on the ground. Said Lorraine Sileo, whom he recruited from the start to run the research arm, “Philip was always a step ahead of the rest of us. Nearly two decades ago, when we were still working on our forecasts for the fledgling online travel market in the US, Philip knew Asia would be catching fire soon enough. That’s when we hired Ram (Badrinathan), launched the Asia practice, and watched the market skyrocket from zero.”
I recall the intensity in his eyes as he asked me my plans and explored what we could do together in Asia. When you speak to Philip, you can almost hear his brain working and you had to keep up. He was sharp, swift and short with his comments, but his thoughts were deep and considered. The hallmark of a master analyst and communicator, with deep domain expertise.
Then he gave me lots of advice on how to moderate panels and run a conference, tips which I am still mindful of today. How to thank sponsors, how to thank panellists, how to keep the conversation flowing – Philip was generous with his advice.
When he came to WiT for the first time with Carol Hutzelman, his wife, business partner and constant companion in life, I was even more nervous. I hadn’t attended Phocuswright yet by then and here was the maestro of travel tech conferences at our little event in Singapore.
He spoke at WiT, judged and moderated sessions through the years and I learnt as I watched him at work. And again, he was generous with his advice, giving me tips on how to produce an event. Carol was always at his side, encouraging me on, when she felt Philip was being too intense. She was the foil to his rapier.
Then I attended my first Phocuswright in Los Angeles, and I was blown away. What a show. What a production. I had never seen anything like it. And the thought that went into the content, with him orchestrating his team of analysts around the sessions, he was like an army general. His opening monologues and his one-on-one interviews on stage were masterful. His interviewees were the who’s who of travel tech brands.
Philip wasn’t one of those who went to conferences to just speak and leave. He had an intense curiosity and desire to learn and that was what kept him sharp and on the ball even after he sold Phocuswright to Northstar Travel Group in 2011. In fact, he became even busier, sitting on boards, like MakeMyTrip, eDreams Odigeo, Travel.ru, Hopper and TrustYou, and continuing to speak at conferences.
He guided me through the sale of WiT to Northstar in 2014. He continued to attend WiT conferences but I could see he was a lot more relaxed. At each WiT, he and Carol would take the opportunity to escape to a tropical island. One of their favourite retreats was Trisara, the luxury resort in Phuket, which he raved about.
Phocuswright managing director Pete Comeau said, “Philip was more than our founder; he was Phocuswright’s guiding light. A legend and pioneer of online travel and travel tech, he touched so many in the industry. He gave freely of his knowledge and expertise, and we are all poorer with his loss.”
Said Badrinathan, “Over three decades, Philip led the clarion call for the intersection of travel and tech and he saw the industry move from 0 billion to 100 billion and more.”
Said Sileo, “Philip was a brilliant communicator, with a hunger for excellence and a no holds barred attitude, who helped shape many lives in and out of the travel industry. Numerous careers were born from Philip’s vision 25+ years ago to launch PhoCusWright, and many smart business decisions have been made with his guidance during his stellar tenure.
“Philip taught us by his words and actions to just do the right thing, go with your gut, strive for perfection, and make your move. For those lucky enough to be his friend, Philip generously shared all his joys and passions, so that you, too, could relish in all that was good. He was never one to wallow because there was no time to waste when planning the next big thing, or perhaps just enjoying the wind off the water.”
So taking his own advice, I will not wallow and instead I salute a true visionary and a fighter whose footsteps I gently walk in.
Photo: Philip Wolf, left, the founder of Phocuswright, with Richard Holden, the vice president of product management for Google, at the 2018 Phocuswright Conference’s Center Stage. Wolf, the founder of Phocuswright, died on Tuesday Photo Credit: Michelle McSwain Photography