MIST – MEKONG INNOVATIVE STARTUP TOURISM

The climax of the Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) initiative will take place all day today as shortlisted finalists pitch their business plans to a panel of venture capitalists and industry experts.

The Program

8:30-9:00 – Registration & Coffee

9:00-9:30 – Welcome Remarks
Speakers: Dominic Mellor, ADB; Jens Thraenhart, MTCO

9:30-10:00 – Opening Remarks
Speakers: Government of Lao PDR (TBD) & Australian Government (TBD)

10:00-10:20 – Keynote: trends on travel start-ups globally
Speaker: Sieng Van Tran, The Egg Group

10:20-10:40 – Networking Break

10:40-12:30 – Startup Pitching and Judging Q&A
Moderator: Jay Kim, MIST & Jason Lusk, MIST

12:30-14:00 – Networking Lunch

14:00-14:20 – Keynote: Key attributes of a successful entrepreneur
Speaker: Inthy Deuansavan, Green Discovery Laos

14:20-16:20 – Market Access Pitching and Judging Q&A
Moderator: Jay Kim, MIST & Jason Lusk, MIST

16:20-16:40 – Networking Break

16:40-17:00 – ‎The MIST Program: Summary & Closing
Speaker: Dominic Mellor, ADB and Jens Thraenhart, MTCO

Startup Accelerator Finalists

12 MIST Startup Accelerator finalists qualified to pitch at the Investor Showcase:

• Artisan Origins by TAEC – Lao PDR – Artisan Origins offers authentic, high quality crafts from rural ethnic communities in Lao PDR, a café and information center about visiting handicraft communities, and displays about the ethnic groups, cultural context and techniques demonstrated through the crafts.
• Bayo – Vietnam – Bayo’s mission is to help Vietnamese make the best travel decisions by helping them find the right travel information, right suppliers, right products and prices, and to transact with local suppliers easily.
• BookMeBus – Cambodia – BookMeBus connects travelers and bus operators in real time, helping bus companies fill their seats and users find the most cost-effective ways to easily get around the region.
• CamboTicket – Cambodia – CamboTicket aggregates bus, ferry and private taxi bookings around Cambodia and Laos into one platform, creating an even playing field for over 40 operators.
• Chameleon City – Vietnam – Chameleon City is an on-demand chat-based service providing travel and lifestyle answers from local experts, 24/7.
• Di Choi Chung – Vietnam – Dichung uses technology to promote rideshare and group accommodations deals for young independent travelers in Vietnam.
• ezStay – Myanmar – ezStay offers hotel reviews and instant booking confirmation, including for hotels and guesthouses without an online presence, broadening and simplifying accommodation bookings for travelers in Myanmar.
• GoP – Myanmar – GoP is an online tour platform amassing providers and options into one place, offering high-quality service, reliable bookings and instant confirmation.
• GuideInsider – Cambodia – GuideInsider offers comprehensive in-country guidance on local sights and activities, including history, opening times, available tour guides, possible tour packages and user reviews.
• I Love Asia – Vietnam – I Love Asia offers women-led motorbike tours of Hoi An and Hue while supporting projects for disadvantaged communities in the cities where they operate.
• Ma Te Sai – Lao PDR – Ma Te Sai preserves cultural heritages while developing skills and offering employment options for youth in Nambak through tourism to unique TaiLue villages via a multipurpose information center and roadside café.
• Morning Rooms – Vietnam – Morning Rooms is Vietnam’s largest budget hotel network, helping economical tourists find the right quality rooms for the price they need.

Market Access Participants

12 mature startups from around the Asia Pacific have qualified for the MIST Market Access Program, and will pitch at the Investor Showcase:

• Adventure Bucket List – Reservations system for tour and activity operators.
• Baolau – Book flights, trains, busses and ferries in Vietnam, Combodia, Laos and Thailand.
• Booking Boss – All-inclusive online booking, ticketing and POS system for tour, activity and attractions businesses.
• Borderpass – An opt-in service that expedites ASEAN nationals through ASEAN airports.
• Divui – Outbound tour and activity booking for Vietnamese travelers.
• Golfreserv – Malaysia’s number one golf reservations platform.
• Jeju Olle Trail – Walking tour routes around Jeju Island, Korea
• Loka Local – Directory of community-based tour experiences in Malaysia.
• Savvi Travel – App that connects travelers to relevant information around them. It helps people make smarter, better real-time travel decisions about things like where to stay, what to do, and how to do it. Savvi is mobile platform where travelers can see and share peer-generated tips and local information in real-time, regardless of social connection.
• TakeMeTour – The largest and leading marketplace for local tours in Thailand with more than 12,000 local guides from 48 cities.
• Urban Tales – Halfway between a life-sized investigation, an original city-tour and a treasure hunt, “Urban Tales” invite the travellers to solve cases of murder or family mysteries in historic parts of three major Vietnamese cities.
• Zip Event – All-in-one solution for marketing events, online ticketing and in-event services – with applications for MICE.

More information on MIST, please visit MIST.asia and MekongTourism.org