Event details
This virtual half day event, held in collaboration with trusted ABTA Partners, is designed to offer practical business support and advice to travel businesses ahead of the end of the UK’s Brexit transition period from the European Union on 31 December 2020. The event is free to attend for ABTA Members and Partners.
About the event
Get practical advice on the steps you need to take to prepare your business, customers, and workforces ahead of 1 January 2021 and the end of the UK's transition period after Brexit.
Hear from legal, financial, tax and ABTA experts on topics relevant to Brexit including insolvency financial protection, VAT TOMS, workforces, immigration, commercial contracts, data implications and customer information requirements.
Understand what you need to do to continue selling travel across European borders including considerations when selling to consumers in the EEA and selling to UK customers from the EEA.
Tailor the day to suit your specific needs by attending a practical workshop most relevant for you and your business, to ensure you are ready for 2021.
Submit your questions ahead of, or during the webinar, to be answered live.
We continue to await the results of ongoing Government negotiations and will tailor the agenda accordingly. Further information including a full agenda will be released in due course.
Timings
09:30 – Welcome
09:35 – 12:15 – Sessions and Q&A
12:15 – 13:15 – Choose to attend one practical workshop or legal surgery
13:15 – Close
Sessions
- Latest update on Brexit Government agreements
- Employment, posted workers and immigration
- Business and finance operations
- Selling travel across European borders; package travel financial protection; key considerations when selling to consumers in the EEA and selling to UK customers from the EEA
- VAT implications of Brexit – EU progress update
- Supplier and commercial contracts
- Looking after your customers – key areas to consider
- Data and brand management
Workshops
Tailor the day to suit your business needs by attending a workshop or legal surgery most relevant for you. Submit your questions in advance or on the day to be answered by the experts. These one-hour sessions will all be available to watch on demand after the event.
Topics include:
- Currency and managing FX risk
- Your customers
- Data management
- Suppliers and commercial contracts
- VAT TOMS – practical steps
- Workforces, employment, and immigration
- Selling travel across European borders – practical steps
Speakers
Moderator: Alice Catterall, Director of Events and Partnerships, ABTA
Luke Petherbridge, Director of Public Affairs, ABTA
John de Vial, Director of Membership and Financial Protection, ABTA
Simon Bunce, Director of Legal Affairs, ABTA
Carlijn Langeveld, Senior Strategic Advisor, Newland Chase, a CIBT company
David Bennett, Director, Elman Wall Bennett
Rhys Griffiths, Partner, Fox Williams
Farina Azam, Partner, Travel, Kemp Little
Alison Loveday, Partner, Kennedys
Matt Gatenby, Senior Partner, Travlaw
Martin Alcock, Director, The Travel Trade Consultancy (TTC)
William Jones, Senior Corporate Relationship Manager, WorldFirst
Paula Macfarlane, Senior Solicitor, ABTA
Luke Golding, Senior Associate, Travel, Kemp Little
Marta Dunphy-Moriel, Partner, Data Protection and Privacy, Kemp Little
Anita Bapat, Partner, Head of Data Protection and Privacy, Kemp Little
Henry Hatton, UK Sales Manager, WorldFirst
Event partners
CIBT is the leading global provider of immigration and visa services for corporations and individuals. With over thirty years of experience, CIBT is the primary service provider to 75% of Fortune 500 companies. CIBT offers a comprehensive suite of services under two primary brands: Newland Chase, a wholly owned subsidiary focused on global immigration strategy and advisory services for corporations worldwide and CIBTvisas, the market leader for business and other travel visa services for corporate and individual clients.
Elman Wall Bennett is a consultancy focused on travel VAT run by David Bennett. David is a VAT consultant specialising in the travel sector. David advises a broad range of tour operators and travel agents on TOMS and other matters such as the VAT place of supply rules. David has represented ABTA on the Fiscal Committee of ECTAA since 2000. This has involved extensive work on issues such as the Commission’s proposals for reform of TOMS. David has been instrumental in the establishment of TTL Net, a network of VAT advisors specialising in the travel sector. TTL Net now has consultants in 19 member states plus Switzerland and Iceland.
Fox Williams LLP is a City law firm with a leading reputation in specific industry sectors and practice areas, known for its good sense and ability to deliver effective solutions. Fox Williams undertakes complex legal and regulatory work. Fox Williams advises in a number of sectors including travel, where we are top ranked by the legal directories. Our clients are not in the business of regulatory compliance, they are in the business of selling travel services. We help guide clients through the regulations in a way which is sensible, user-friendly and pragmatic. Fox Williams also advises on financial services, corporate, employment, mergers and acquisitions, dispute resolution, corporate crime and business investigations, business immigration, intellectual property, international trade, partnership, real estate and tax, and we provide legal advice on responding commercially to topical issues including Brexit and Covid-19.
Kemp Little’s specialist travel team has an in-depth understanding of the travel industry and the issues which travel businesses face. As a result, our team can provide pragmatic and commercial legal advice helping you comply with your regulatory obligations, whilst also managing risk and maintaining strong commercial and customer relationships. We have experience in acting for tour operators, online travel agents, hotels, airlines, travel consortia and accredited bodies, travel management companies, flight consolidators, villa and accommodation providers, adventure travel operators and festival organisers. As the UK’s leading specialist technology and digital law firm we are best placed to support travel and tourism businesses as the digital revolution creates further opportunities for their operations as they create the best possible experience for their customers. We work closely with our colleagues at Kemp Little when there is a need for further legal expertise. For example, in relation to data privacy issues where we advise on the various stages of the compliance cycle, such as drafting policies, consents, DPIAs and contracts, we also advise clients on the strategic use of data. In particular, how clients can maximise the opportunities afforded by data aggregation and analysis in a privacy compliant way.
Kennedys is a leading provider of legal services for the travel and tourism sector. Our international team have over 25 years’ experience assisting tour operators, travel agents and hoteliers and their insurers in all aspects of legal advice including liability claims, cyber risks, drafting and negotiating contracts, commercial disputes, employment law, fraud, inquests and health and safety matters. Top ranked by the leading directories, our expert advice is built on a deep understanding of industry issues, and strong relationships with key stakeholders including legal experts and specialists around the world, government and regulatory authorities.
ABTA Partner+ Travlaw LLP are 100% committed to serving the travel and leisure industry – from tour operators and travel agents to airlines, hotel groups, event management companies and their insurers. We pride ourselves on being one of the top travel law firms in the UK. We are a large, experienced team of highly professional yet approachable lawyers who are tried and tested specialists in advising.
For over 12 years, we’ve been helping travel businesses with pragmatic solutions to a range of complex problems. We help them manage regulatory and bonding issues with ATOL, ABTA and IATA. We help them model and monitor their finances, develop business plans, raise money, and find investors. Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, we've been providing our clients with up-to-the-minute guidance and recommendations for common issues arising around cash flow management, and regulatory responsibilities. We have also supported them through several successful CBILS and furlough processes since those schemes were launched and have helped them manage their relationships with regulators, merchant acquirers, insurers and other stakeholders. We are assisting with their future planning by advising on a range of other areas including insurance, bonding, trust accounts, M&A and complex regulatory and financial issues. If you would like to get in touch, please drop us an email on info@thettc.co.uk, and we'd be happy to arrange a chat.
WorldFirst are an international payments company that help businesses and individuals collect and send money around the world by making global payments in local markets simple. Since 2004, more than 250,000 customers have utilised our services to send more than $70bn around the world. In 2019, WorldFirst became part of the Ant Group, the operator of digital lifestyle platform Alipay which serves 1.3 billion users worldwide with its global e-wallet partners. Together, we are advancing in bringing inclusive and affordable services to small businesses and SMEs in the rapidly growing areas of cross-border trade and e-commerce.
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