Travolution@PhoCusWright Brussels - Honest Hoberman

Brent Hoberman appeared to be in reflective mood at the last session of the day yesterday.

The nostalgia in the air was assisted by PhoCusWright boss Philip Wolf, who almost sighed when he suggested to Hoberman that it would probably be the last time they would have a one-to-one discussion on a conference stage.

“I liked making mistakes!” Hoberman admitted to Philip Wolf during a one-on-one discussion titled New Role for Lastminute.com Co-Founder.

In fact, Hoberman suggested if a company boss doesn’t make a handful mistakes each year they haven’t come up with enough ideas!

Honest stuff from a man who was selected as one of Travolution’s most influential people of the last ten years.

When pushed to reveal some of Lastminute.com’s biggest “mistakes”, Hoberman said Lastminuteliving.com should actually have been launched as a wiki-style product.

He also admitted that the first incarnation of Lastminute.com didn’t actually work very well and they should have spent more resources on it. The first site, in fact, cost only £300,000 and four months of work to create.

Kevin May, editor, Travolution