Skift

Skift is a travel industry news site. Skift also provides market research and marketing services to the travel industry.

Skift
IndustryTravel
Digital media
Business intelligence
Founded2012
FoundersRafat Ali (CEO)
Jason Clampet (Editor-in-Chief, Skift.com)
Headquarters
New York, New York
,
U.S.
ProductsSkift.com
Research reports
Conferences (Skift Global Forum)
Branded content (SkiftX)
Websiteskift.com

Skift was founded in 2012 by Rafat Ali and Jason Clampet. The name Skift, which means "shift" or "transformation" in Nordic languages, was chosen by Ali and Clampet to highlight the ongoing changes in the future of travel.[1]

Background

In July 2012, Rafat Ali founded Skift and assumed the role of CEO. Co-founder Jason Clampet, formerly of Frommer's, joined as Skift's head of product.[2] For its launch, Skift raised about $500,000 in funding from investors, including L. Gordon Crovitz, Craig Forman, Jim Friedlich, Tom Glocer, Vishal Gondal, Jason Hirschhorn.[3][4][5] In May 2013, Skift announced that it raised an additional $1.1 million in seed financing from a group of investors led by Lerer Ventures.[6]

Skift's revenue comes from three main sources: branded content, subscriptions, and a series of global events - of which the flagship is the Skift Global Forum held annually in New York.[7]

Research and advertising

Skift produces twice-monthly reports, analyst calls, and data sheets on travel trends aimed at professionals in the travel industry, which are available by paid subscription.[7][8]

The New York Times,[9] CNBC,[10] and The Verge[11] have cited Skift studies in their reporting.

In January 2015, Skift launched a print magazine, Skift Megatrends, built around the company's annual travel trend forecast.[12][13]

SkiftX is Skift's advertising and branded content studio. As of 2015, 30 percent of Skift's business came from SkiftX, which has created microsites, videos, and custom trend reports for companies within the travel industry.[14][15]

Conferences
Skift CEO Rafat Ali interviews TripAdvisor CEO Stephen Kaufer at the Skift Global Forum 2016.

Since 2014, Skift has held its annual Skift Global Forum in New York City to discuss the future of travel with the executives of the travel industry.[16]

In 2017, Skift held its first "Skift Forum Europe" event in London and in 2019, it held its first "Skift Forum Asia" in Singapore.[17][18]

References
  1. "About Skift". Skift.
  2. "4 Years After PaidContent's $12.5 Million Acquisition, Rafat Ali Is Founding A New Media Company, Skift". Business Insider. July 30, 2012.
  3. "Introducing Skift: Travel intelligence, global smartness". Skift. July 30, 2012.
  4. "Rafat Ali 2.0: Meet Skift, the Travel Industry's Version of PaidContent". All Things Digital. July 30, 2012.
  5. "Skift Delivers Travel Industry Intelligence to Frequent Flyers". Wired. July 30, 2012.
  6. "HuffPo founder seeds travel site Skift". Crain's New York Business. May 15, 2013.
  7. "What are they thinking? Rafat Ali's go long, go deep vertical strategy". Politico. July 14, 2015.
  8. "FAQs - Skift Research". Skift.
  9. "Hoteliers Comb the Ranks of Tech Workers to Gain an Edge". The New York Times. February 13, 2017.
  10. "Tweet Me! American Ranks as Chattiest US Airline: Study". CNBC. January 30, 2013.
  11. "Two-thirds of Airbnb listings in New York City are illegal, report says". The Verge. February 13, 2014.
  12. "Travel industry site Skift tries print". Politico. December 31, 2014.
  13. "The Megatrends Defining Travel in 2017". Skift. January 12, 2017.
  14. "Skift gets 30 percent of its revenue from branded content". Digiday.
  15. "Partners". Skift.
  16. "CNBC Named Exclusive Broadcast Partner of Skift Global Forum 2016". Business Wire. September 13, 2016.
  17. "Announcing Skift Forum Europe in London on April 4, 2017". Skift. October 10, 2016.
  18. "Top Reasons to Attend the Inaugural Skift Forum Asia". 8 May 2019.
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