The top-line results of the Association of Language Travel Organisations' first Deloitte-backed Language Travel Industry Survey were presented recently to members, with overall buoyancy in business cited by 176 companies that took part.

Chief Executive at English UK, Eddie Byers, has stated that the UK's ELT sector needs to work harder to make the government understand it is a "key feed" into the HE sector. And English Australia's Sue Blundell wowed ALTO delegates with data illustrating Australia's growth and grasp of stats.

The role of agents, technology in language teaching and dynamic pricing dominated ALTO's professional development conference in New York last month. The two-day event brought forward debates about the changing demand for face-to-face learning and offered members access to Daniel Sieberg, author and Head of Media Outreach at Google.

Director-level organisation ALTO unveiled its new intention to gather industry data for the benefit of members and the wider study travel industry during its AGM this week. An industry-wide benchmarking study is being planned by the association with the help of a large independent accounting organisation.

Distilled advice on business innovation and a pow-wow among business owners on some of the thornier challenges in the study travel sector meant that the most recent ALTO London seminar continued to carve out its own unique agenda: topics up for discussion included discounting and dynamic pricing, with a room full of owner/operators from schools and agencies.

Discounting, direct bookings and how better to use technology in the global study travel sector got the delegates at ALTO's inaugural New York conference focused this month, with some of the central problems shared between education agencies and language schools laid bare for a big-name panel of education agencies to consider.

At ALTO we want to try to have as much industry-relevant forward data as we can so we are able to make decisions and changes in a pro-active fashion.. Very often the thing to do is not just spend your time lobbying but to change your business model.

In order to capture the huge ELT market in Brazil, schools and agencies must be prepared to offer bespoke, innovative programmes for two distinct groups of clientele, says Marcia Mattos, head of international education at STB. She delivered market insight at the recent ALTO Seminar in Dubai.