Summit program - Tourism Australia

THE AMERICAN CONSUMER
How to Connect, Influence and Convert
JANUARY 29-30, 2015
W HOLLYWOOD HOTEL
TA B L E FO R TWO
THE HON JULIE BISHOP, MP
FOREIGN MINISTER
AT R E S TAU R A N T AU S T R A L I A
G’Day USA celebrates the best of
Australia, from our innovation in science,
technology and defense to our creativity
in music, film, food and fashion to our
world class tourist destinations.
This year’s program brings together
leaders from our government, education,
cultural and corporate sectors to
celebrate the flourishing economic
relationship between our nations.
G’Day USA is our way of celebrating
the importance of the relationship while
fostering new opportunities to enhance
our already indispensable relationship.
It shines a spotlight on the most important and dynamic part of the
relationship—our people.
G’Day USA will again this year recognize and honor Australians and
Americans who have contributed to our partnership in a wide variety of
fields. It will also support our younger generation of future leaders through
education programs and exchanges between our universities and academic
institutions.
The 2014-15 G’Day USA program will showcase our dynamic relationship
through 20 events in eight US cities. Over 500 Australian and US companies
will participate, and over 15,000 people will attend events. I hope you will
join us to say:
G’Day USA!
Hon Julie Bishop MP
E X P LO R E T H E W H I T S U N DAY S , Q U E E N S L A N D AT AU S T R A L I A .C O M
TOURISM.AUSTRALIA.COM #GDAYTOURISM
MESSAGE
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WELCOME
JOHN O’SULLIVAN
MANAGING DIRECTOR
TOURISM AUSTRALIA
Welcome to the 3rd annual Australia
Tourism Summit, the premier tourism
event for G’Day USA 2015. I am delighted
that you are able to join us for this
signature event for industry leaders
already involved in, or considering
becoming involved in, growing tourism
from the US to Australia.
The US continues to be an important
source of tourism to Australia and will
play an important role in realizing our
industry’s Tourism 2020 goals to grow
overnight expenditure to more than
$115 billion annually by the end of the
decade. The Australia Tourism Summit is a chance to discuss the business
opportunities that will help all of us realize this goal.
During the next two days you will join fellow leaders and experts in wide-ranging
and inspiring discussions about the trends that are shaping our business
environment and insights that will help us all achieve the USA’s full potential
for tourism growth. Leading tourism, luxury brands, media, economic and
research representatives and travel entrepreneurs will provide insights on
topics including: affluent consumer travel trends; leveraging Tourism Australia’s
“Restaurant Australia” campaign to showcase Australia’s exceptional food
and wine; how investment in tourism infrastructure is shaping Australia’s
future selling proposition; creating compelling itineraries; and tips to
fine-tune social media strategies.
In particular, I would like to give special thanks to the presenters and
panelists who have generously given their time to participate and share their
knowledge and experience at this year’s summit. Following feedback from
the previous two events, we have taken on board suggestions to develop
a program of presenters that can offer perspectives on our competitors as
well as insights on how tourism competes for the discretionary dollar. I would
also like to thank G’Day USA’s overall state sponsors New South Wales and
South Australia and Australia Tourism Summit supporters: Perth, Western
Australia; Tourism and Events Queensland; Tourism Northern Territory;
Tourism Victoria; and Phocuswright. On behalf of Tourism Australia and our partners, we thank you for your
interest in and support for this year’s tourism summit. I look forward to
seeing you at this significant industry event, which will enable us to better
work together to achieve our business goals for 2015 and beyond.
Yours sincerely,
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND INSPIRATION,
WE INVITE YOU TO VISIT AND FOLLOW
TOURISM AUSTRALIA’S DIGITAL AND
SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS
WEBSITES
AUSTRALIA.COM
TOURISM.AUSTRALIA.COM
AUSSIESPECIALIST.COM
RESTAURANT.AUSTRALIA.COM
AUSTRALIA.COM/BUSINESSEVENTS
CONSUMER
CORPORATE
AUSSIE SPECIALISTS
RESTAURANT AUSTRALIA
BUSINESS EVENTS
CONSUMER SOCIAL MEDIA
FACEBOOK.COM/SEEAUSTRALIA
INSTAGRAM.COM/AUSTRALIA
TWITTER.COM/AUSTRALIA
GOOGLE.COM/+AUSTRALIA
YOUTUBE.COM/AUSTRALIA
PINTEREST.COM/SEEAUSTRALIA
CORPORATE SOCIAL MEDIA
John O’Sullivan
TWITTER.COM/TOURISMAUS
TWITTER.COM/MEETINAUSTRALIA
LINKEDIN.COM/COMPANY/TOURISM-AUSTRALIA
To participate in G’Day USA Australia Tourism Summit social media
conversation, please use the hashtag #gdaytourism
AGENDA
Wednesday, January 28
3.40pm Refreshment Break
6.30pm G’Day USA Welcome Reception
Rooftop Terrace, W Hollywood Hotel
WORKSHOP SESSIONS
Delegates either attend two consecutive 45-minute workshops as
pre-registered from workshops 1, 2, 3 and 4 OR workshop 5 (1 hr. 40 mins).
Thursday, January 29
8.00am Registration and Continental Breakfast sponsored by
Destination NSW, Great Room Foyer
9.00am Welcome Address
• Geoff Dixon, Chairman, Tourism Australia
9.20am Welcome Remarks
• The Honorable Malcolm Turnbull MP, Australian Minister for
Communications
9.35am Economic Overview and The Affluent American
• Sarah Quinlan, Senior Vice President and Group Head of Market Insights
MasterCard Advisors
10.35am Refreshment Break
11.00am Trends in Travel Distribution
• Tony D’Astolfo, Managing Director, Phocuswright
11.20am Panel Discussion on Trends in Travel Distribution
• Arnie Weissmann, Editor in Chief, Travel Weekly (Moderator)
• Tony D’Astolfo, Managing Director, Phocuswright
• Simon Talling-Smith, President, Products & Emerging Businesses,
Travelzoo
• Perry Lungmus, Vice President Luxury Travel, Travel Leaders Group
12.05pm 12 Trends for 2015
• Jason Clampet, Co-Founder and Head of Content, Skift
12.35pm Lunch, Station Hollywood
2.00pm One Spokesperson to Millions—Connecting, Influencing &
Converting in Today’s Digital Space
• Jesse Desjardins, Social Media and Advocacy Manager, Tourism Australia
2.45pm Improving Conversion
• Richard Marnell, Senior Vice President Marketing, Viking Cruises
2.55pm Panel Discussion on Improving Conversion
• Ruthanne Terrero, Editorial Director, Luxury Travel Advisor (Moderator)
• Stuart Rigg, Co-Founder and Director, Southern Crossings Australia
• Heidi Podjavorsek, Director of Sales and Marketing - Land & Specialty
Suppliers, Signature Travel Network
• Rhonda Robinson, Owner, Indigo Journeys, LLC
• Richard Marnell, Senior Vice President Marketing, Viking Cruises
4.00-4.45pm Session 1 Interactive Workshops
Workshop 1 | Current Trends in Social Media and Content, and Your Strategy
• Jesse Desjardins, Social Media and Advocacy Manager, Tourism Australia
• Jason Clampet, Co-Founder and Head of Content, Skift
Workshop 2 | Creating Luxury Aspirational Itineraries
• Cathy Holler, Founder and President, Blue Ice Communications
• James Baillie, Owner, Baillie Lodges and Chairman, Luxury Lodges
of Australia
• Drew Kluska, Founder and Managing Director, The Tailor
Workshop 3 | How to Maximize Your Investment in Performance Media
• Nancy Adzentoivich, Managing Director West and Vice President
Business Development, Resolution Media
Workshop 4 | Tools and Tactics to Convert More Leads to Bookings
• Scott Wiseman, President, Cox & Kings, The Americas
• Julie Garcia, Travel Advisor, Peak Travel Group
OR
4.00pm-5.40pm
Workshop 5 | Business Events Workshop: Strategic Delivery of Meetings
and Events Through Unique Destinations and Partnerships
• Michelle Crowley, Director, Global Development, Professional Convention
Management Association
• Bradley Woods, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Hotels Association (WA)
• Ian Gay, Vice Chairman, Perth Convention Bureau
4.55pm-5.40pm Session 2 Interactive Workshops
Delegates attend the second of their pre-registered workshops from
workshops 1, 2, 3, and 4 as listed above.
5.50pm Evening Reception sponsored by Perth, Western Australia
Great Room Foyer
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AGENDA
5
Friday, January 30
8.00am Continental Breakfast, sponsored by Destination NSW
Great Room Foyer
9.00am Tourism Investment in Australia
• Rowen Craigie, Chief Executive Officer, Crown Resorts Limited
9.20am Panel Discussion on Tourism Investment in Australia
• Tony Ryan, Principal, Ryan Lawyers (Moderator)
• Lisa Scaffidi, The Right Honorable The Lord Mayor of Perth,
Western Australia
• Rowen Craigie, Chief Executive Officer, Crown Resorts
• James Baillie, Owner, Baillie Lodges and Chairman, Luxury Lodges
of Australia
9.55am Why Community, Culture and Karma Matter in Business
• Bruce Poon Tip, Founder and President, G Adventures
THE HON MALCOLM TURNBULL MP
Australian Minister for Communications
The Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP is Australian Minister for Communications. Elected to Federal Parliament as the Member for Wentworth in 2004, he has
held a number of parliamentary positions, including Shadow Treasurer, Parliamentary Secretary to
the Prime Minister, Opposition Leader and Shadow
Minister for Communications and Broadband. Prior
to this, Turnbull established his own investment
banking firm and co-founded a number of Australian
companies including OzEmail, one of Australia’s first
large internet service providers. He joined Goldman
Sachs in 1997 as Chairman of its Australian business, becoming a partner of the global firm in 1998.
10.55am Refreshment Break
11.15am Inviting the World to Dine in Australia - Overview of Restaurant
Australia Campaign
• Jane Whitehead, Vice President - The Americas, Tourism Australia
11.20am Serving up Australia’s Best Food and Wine Experiences
• Neil Perry AM, Director, Rockpool Group
11.35am Panel Discussion on Serving Up Australia’s Best Food and Wine
Experiences
• Christine Muhlke, Executive Editor, Bon Appetit (Moderator)
• Neil Perry AM, Director, Rockpool Group
• Ian Swain, Owner and President, Swain Destinations
• Jane Whitehead, Vice President - The Americas, Tourism Australia
12.10pm Panel Discussion on the Role of Arts & Culture in Driving Tourism
• Peter J. Bates, Founder and President, Strategic Vision (Moderator)
• Elizabeth Ann MacGregor OBE, Director of the Museum of Contemporary
Art Australia
• Warwick Thornton, Film Director, Screenwriter and Cinematographer
• Simonne Shepherd, General Manager, Industry Partnerships and
Government Policy, Destination NSW
12.45pm Closing Remarks
• John O’Sullivan, Managing Director, Tourism Australia
1.15pm Lunch and Australian Wine Seminar, sponsored by South Australia
Rooftop Ballroom
• Remarks by Leon Bignell MP, South Australia’s Minister for Tourism,
Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Recreation and Sport, and Racing
• Wine seminar by Mark Davidson, Global Education Director for
Wine Australia
GEOFF DIXON
Chairman, Tourism Australia
Geoff Dixon is chairman of the Australian Government’s major tourism marketing organization,
Tourism Australia, and chairman of the Garvan Medical Research Foundation. He sits on the boards of
publicly listed Australian companies Crown Limited
and Adslot Ltd. Dixon is also on the boards of the
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, the Local
Organizing Committee of the AFC Asia Cup 2015,
and is an Ambassador for the Australian Indigenous
Education Foundation. Dixon was managing director and chief executive officer of Qantas Airways
Limited from 2001–2008. He joined Qantas in 1994
and was chief commercial officer and, for two years,
deputy chief executive. He has also worked in the
media, mining and government sectors.
SARAH QUINLAN
Senior Vice President and Group Head of Market
Insights, MasterCard Advisors
Sarah Quinlan is the senior vice president and
group head of market insights for MasterCard Advisors, the analytics and insights consulting unit of
MasterCard. She and her team analyze and predict
spending patterns, based on the billions of anonymous purchases MasterCard processes every year,
to create solutions that help clients make better
business decisions. Quinlan is widely recognized
as an expert in her field and appears regularly in
the media including CNBC, The Associated Press,
Fox Business Network, Bloomberg TV, The Times of
London, The Daily Telegraph, and Women’s Wear
Daily. She is also a frequent speaker at prominent
industry conferences such as the Finance CEO
Forum, Milken Institute Summit, WWD CEO
Summit, and 100 Women in Hedge Funds.
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AGENDA
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Managing Director
Phocuswright
Tony D’Astolfo is the managing director of Phocuswright, the most credible and quoted source for
data information, and analysis in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries. A travel industry
veteran, he is an accomplished executive with rich
expertise in travel and technology and a passion
for moving the industry forward. D’Astolfo builds
on the strength of Phocuswright’s premier research
and events to foster growth and expand the company’s global reach. He is a longtime member of
GBTA and ACTE, a former member of the board of
directors of ACTE, and a frequent speaker at travel
industry conferences around the world.
ARNIE WEISSMANN
Editor-in-Chief, Travel Weekly
SVP, Editorial Director of Northstar
Travel Media’s Travel Group
Arnie Weissmann is editor-in-chief of Travel Weekly
and senior vice president, editorial director of Northstar Travel Media’s Travel Group. Over the course of
thirty years, Weissmann has been involved in virtually every aspect of travel media creating the industry’s first destination information service, addressing hundreds of industry conferences and events,
and appearing on NBC, CNN, BBC, NPR, and the
PBS series, The Travel Detective. His work has been
recognized with more than 40 national awards from
the travel and media industries.
SIMON TALLING-SMITH
President, Products & Emerging Businesses
Travelzoo
Simon Talling-Smith is president of Products and
Emerging Businesses at Travelzoo. Talling-Smith
oversees all product development, infrastructure, and customer-related activities, and he also
leads Travelzoo’s emerging businesses, including
Fly.com—Travelzoo’s newest hotel booking platform and mobile app. Talling-Smith joined Travelzoo
from British Airways where he served as Executive
Vice President, the Americas, and was responsible
for BA’s commercial and operational activities. He
created, developed and managed a number of key
innovations, including BA.com, business-class flat
beds, the design of Terminal 5 lounges, and inflight
services. Talling-Smith is Chairman of the American
Airlines-British Airways-Iberia Joint Business.
PERRY LUNGMUS
Vice President Luxury Travel
Travel Leaders Group
Perry Lungmus leads the development of a multifaceted luxury and experiential travel program for
brands within Travel Leaders Group, North America’s largest travel agency network, offering specialized sales, marketing and training support for
thousands of Travel Leaders’ agents. In his 20-year
career, Lungmus has gained hands-on travel sales
and marketing experience in leadership roles with
several of the world’s top luxury tour companies
and travel agency groups, including Abercrombie &
Kent, Travcoa and Virtuoso.
JASON CLAMPET
Co-Founder & Head of Content
Skift
Jason Clampet is the co-founder and head of content of Skift, the most visited travel industry news
site in the U.S. He’s a widely quoted expert on the
travel industry for The New York Times, BBC, CNN,
CNBC, Travel + Leisure, and other publications. Prior
to co-founding Skift, Clampet worked many years
for Frommer’s and CitySearch and wrote guidebooks for Rough Guides.
JESSE DESJARDINS
Social Media and Advocacy Manager
Tourism Australia
Jesse Desjardins is an adopted Aussie. Since arriving in Australia on a working holiday visa eight
years ago, he has become one of Australia’s biggest fans. So it helps that he has been leading
Tourism Australia’s social media and advocacy programs, helping to cement Australia as the most followed destination globally on Facebook, Instagram
and Google+. He has worked with many different
tourism boards around the world, but still prefers
Australia.
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TONY D’ASTOLFO
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Senior Vice President, Marketing
Viking Cruises
Richard Marnell is the senior vice president of marketing for Viking Cruises, overseeing the brand,
growth and marketing direction for the company’s
award-winning river cruise line and new ocean
cruise line, which will launch in 2015. Since he joined
Viking in 2007, the company has grown exponentially, increasing its North American market share
from 19 percent to an estimated 50 percent in 2015.
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RUTHANNE TERRERO
Editorial Director
Luxury Travel Advisor
Ruthanne Terrero, the founding editorial director
of Luxury Travel Advisor, is vice president/editorial
for the Questex Hospitality + Travel Group, which
includes Luxury Travel Advisor, The Informed Traveler, Travel Agent and Hotel Management. A travel
journalist and editor for more than 20 years, Terrero
speaks frequently at travel industry events on the
subject of the affluent consumer and luxury travel
trends.
STUART RIGG
Co-Founder and Director
Southern Crossings Australia
Stuart Rigg is a co-founder and director of Southern Crossings Australia, the region’s leading boutique inbound tour operator for visitors from
the Americas, UK and Continental Europe. As a
travel influencer and Australian destination specialist, Rigg was named on the prestigious list of
Condé Nast Travel Specialists (2011-14) and as one of
Wendy Perrin’s WOW List Trusted Travel Experts.
He has also been selected to participate in various
industry advisory panels, including Luxperience,
the Tourism Australia UK Market Advisory Panel,
and the Tourism Australia Food and Wine Advisory
Committee.
HEIDI PODJAVORSEK
Director of Sales & Marketing - Land & Specialty
Suppliers, Signature Travel Network
Heidi Podjavorsek is director of sales & marketing - land & specialty suppliers at Signature
Travel Network where she is the primary liaison
for over 150 preferred supplier partners, tour operators, specialty suppliers and destination specialists. Podjavorsek held numerous positions
in corporate travel and leisure travel, managing
as many as 35 retail travel agencies across the
United States. Prior to Signature Travel Network, she worked for the German National Tourist
Office and then African Travel in Glendale, California, where she was responsible for sales, marketing,
website development and public relations.
RHONDA ROBINSON
Owner
Indigo Journeys, LLC
Rhonda Robinson is the owner of Indigo Journeys,
a U.S.-based travel agency launched in November
2004 and focused exclusively on selling the South
Pacific. She is a Premier Australia Specialist and
over the past 15 years has cultivated her passion
for the region, with a specific focus on Australia,
New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands.
CATHY HOLLER
Founder and President
Blue Ice Communications
Cathy Holler, a respected industry veteran with 30
years of experience in the global tourism industry,
is founder and president of Blue Ice Communications. Prior to this, she worked for Travcoa as vice
president, business development and product innovation and for Virtuoso, first as vice president,
destination sales and then as vice president, member sales & service. Holler has consulted for and
worked with established organizations, as well as
early-stage companies in a diversity of tourism sectors—inbound and outbound tour operators, retail
travel agencies, activity operators, hotel and lodge
operators, attractions, events, indigenous tourism
associations, destination marketing organizations
and tourism boards.
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RICHARD MARNELL
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Owner, Baillie Lodges
Chairman, Luxury Lodges of Australia
James Baillie is the owner of Baillie Lodges and
chairman of Luxury Lodges of Australia. As founding managing director of P&O Australian Resorts,
Baillie was instrumental in the evolution of exceptional nature-based tourism properties in locations such as Lizard, Heron and Bedarra Islands,
the Daintree and Tasmania. The creation of Baillie
Lodges in 2003 was a natural progression for the
dynamic hotelier, who aims to set new benchmarks
in Australian luxury experiential travel.
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DREW KLUSKA
Founder and Managing Director
The Tailor
Drew Kluska is the founder and managing director of The Tailor. Kluska has more than 17 years’ experience in luxury travel in Australia and is widely
recognized as being an innovator and arguably the
first person to establish Australia as a luxury experiential destination. Dedicated to “off the beaten
path” travel, but with a distinctly luxurious edge,
The Tailor is a multi-award-winning, full-service
DMC with over 17 years’ experience and has played
host to over 10,000 luxury travelers in that time.
NANCY ADZENTOIVICH
Managing Director West and
Vice President of Business Development,
Resolution Media
Nancy Adzentoivich is managing director and vice
president of business development of Resolution Media’s West Coast operations, and a board
member of global, non-profit SEMPO LA. She is a
zealous digital marketing pioneer with more than
16 years of experience, both agency-side and
in-house, driving strategy, execution, process and
insight for clients including Eli Lilly, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Capital One, Enterprise Rent-A-Car,
Tourism Australia, Nike, Levi’s, Mitsubishi, CBS Interactive, Logitech and Activision.
SCOTT WISEMAN
President
Cox & Kings, The Americas
Scott Wiseman is president of Cox & Kings, The
Americas. With more than 20 years’ experience
in luxury travel, hospitality ownership and hotel
brand management businesses, Wiseman offers a
diverse background in sales, revenue management,
marketing and operations. Prior to joining Cox &
Kings, Wiseman ran the tour operating business of
Abercrombie & Kent USA, as president. Previously,
Wiseman also served as vice president of marketing for Accor North America, as well as regional
vice president of operations and regional director
of sales and marketing for GF Management, a hotel
management company.
JULIE GARCIA
Travel Advisor
Peak Travel Group
Julie Garcia is a travel advisor for U.S.-based Peak
Travel Group. She has been in the travel industry
since 1981 and an Australia Specialist and a Premier
Australia Specialist since the beginning of the programs. Garcia has been awarded Tourism Australia’s
prestigious “Opal Award” for her Consumer Evenings hosted in the State of Oregon.
MICHELLE CROWLEY
Director, Global Development
Professional Convention Management Association
Michelle Crowley is the director of the Professional
Convention Management Association’s [PCMA]
global development strategy and global education
and communications channels. She joined PCMA
in 2009 to develop and grow PCMA’s Global Initiatives Department. Crowley and her team support
PCMA’s global planner members with education
and resources, which in turn help them further their
own organization’s global initiatives. She also architects and executes programs in regions throughout
the world to assist in developing local meetings
supplier communities.
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JAMES BAILLIE
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Chief Executive Officer
Australian Hotels Association, Western Australia
Bradley Woods is recognized as one of Australia’s
hotel, tourism and hospitality leaders. For more
than 22 years, Woods has been a well-respected
advocate and commentator on accommodation,
hospitality, tourism, food and beverage businesses
and issues in Australia. Woods is the CEO of the
Australian Hotels Association (Western Australia),
the peak trade association for the hotel and hospitality sector in Australia’s largest state. He holds a
number of roles and board positions on commercial
and not-for-profit organizations. Woods received
the National Australian Distinguished Leadership
Award for his contribution to the Australian hotel
and hospitality industry.
IAN GAY
Vice Chairman
Perth Convention Bureau
Ian Gay is the Vice Chairman for the Perth Convention Bureau, serving on its board since 2003
and as Regional General Manager Western Australia. Prior to joining Perth Convention Bureau, Gay
worked for Qantas Airways for 45 years, serving in
many senior roles for sales & marketing, planning,
systems, revenue management, alliances, and as
Regional General Manager in Asia.
ROWEN CRAIGIE
Chief Executive Officer
Crown Resorts Limited
Rowen Craigie is the CEO of Crown Resorts Limited, which owns and operates the two largest integrated resorts in Australia—Crown Melbourne and
Crown Perth. Prior to this position, Craigie was CEO
of PBL Gaming, Crown Melbourne Limited, and
the group general manager for gaming at the TAB
in Victoria. Craigie is a member of the Commonwealth Government’s Trade and Investment Policy
Advisory Council (TIPAC), president of Casinos
and Resorts Australasia, a director of the Australian
Gaming Council, and the World Travel and Tourism
Council (WTTC). He has also held senior economic
policy positions within the Victorian Government
Treasury and the Department of Industry in Victoria.
TONY RYAN
Principal
Ryan Lawyers
Tony Ryan has almost 30 years of experience providing commercial and legal advice to the real estate, hotel and tourism industries across the Asia
Pacific region. Ryan Lawyers, a specialist firm servicing these industries was established in Sydney in
2004 and enhanced its presence into Asia by opening an office in Singapore mid-2012. Ryan’s experience encompasses hotel and resort development,
acquisitions, sales and financing. He speaks regularly at industry conferences across Asia Pacific.
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BRADLEY WOODS
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LISA SCAFFIDI
The Right Honorable The Lord Mayor of Perth,
Western Australia
The Right Honorable The Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi
is the first woman and 17th Lord Mayor of the City
of Perth, Western Australia. Scaffidi has served
as the Lord Mayor since October 2007 and was
re-elected for a second four-year term in October 2011. She previously served as a Councillor for
seven years. Prior to her role as Lord Mayor, Scaffidi was the WA State Director of the Committee
for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA)
for ten years. She has additional career experience
in hospitality, marketing, convention management,
and property development. The Lord Mayor was
first runner-up in the 2012 World Mayor Award—
selected out of hundreds of mayors globally.
BRUCE POON TIP
Founder and President
G Adventures
Bruce Poon Tip is the founder and president of
G Adventures, a world leader in adventure travel
that delivers incredible experiences to travelers
craving adventures beyond the all-inclusive resort.
Under Poon Tip’s leadership, G Adventures offers
more than 15,000 small group experiences, safaris,
and expeditions on all seven continents, in over 100
countries, to serve more than 150,000 travelers a
year. A global leader in sustainability and social entrepreneurship, Poon Tip has spoken multiple times
at the request of the United Nations and World
Bank, and delivered keynote speeches at TED
events and leading entrepreneurship conferences
around the world.
Vice President - The Americas
Tourism Australia
Jane Whitehead is vice president, the Americas
for Tourism Australia, managing the USA, Canada
and Brazil markets. A native Australian, she is passionate about growing the number of leisure and
business events travelers who discover for themselves why “There’s Nothing Like Australia.” Prior
to joining Tourism Australia, Whitehead held several
senior executive roles with Qantas Airways in Los
Angeles and Sydney including vice president, marketing, the Americas; general manager commercial
strategy, the Americas; general manager investor
relations; and manager group strategy. Before that,
Whitehead was a business journalist, covering
a range of sectors and issues for The Australian
Financial Review.
NEIL PERRY AM
Director, Rockpool Group
Neil Perry AM is Australia’s most influential chef
with his flagship brand, the Rockpool Group, which
includes Rockpool; Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney,
Melbourne, and Perth; Spice Temple Sydney and
Melbourne; Rosetta Ristorante, Melbourne; and the
recently opened Burger Project in Sydney’s World
Square. As consulting chef to Qantas Airways for 17
years, he is responsible for the menus and superior
service experienced by the airline’s premium customers. He is the author of eight cookbooks and
a television presenter. Through Perry’s involvement
in the Starlight Children’s Foundation and various
other charities, he was appointed a Member of the
Order of Australia in 2013.
CHRISTINE MUHLKE
Executive Editor
Bon Appétit
Christine Muhlke is the executive editor of
Bon Appétit and the former food editor of The New
York Times Magazine. Muhlke co-wrote Manresa
with David Kinch, On the Line with Eric Ripert, and
Hartwood with Eric Werner. Her writing has also
appeared in Vogue, Lucky Peach, Cherry Bombe,
Vanity Fair, and other publications.
IAN SWAIN
Owner and President
Swain Destinations
Ian Swain is the owner and president of Swain Destinations, the largest mover of North Americans to
the South Pacific. A native Aussie, Swain founded
Swain Destinations in 1987, with his wife Linda, and
the company continues to grow its reach by offering travel arrangements to destinations that include Asia, Africa and India. Based in the suburbs of
Philadelphia, Swain is a Preferred Partner with
Virtuoso, American Express Travel, Signature Travel
Network, Vacation.com, Ensemble and TravelSavers.
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JANE WHITEHEAD
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PETER J. BATES
Founder and President
Strategic Vision
Peter J. Bates is founder and president of Strategic Vision, a global marketing communications
consultancy for the luxury travel, hospitality and
publishing industries. He has served in a variety
of roles, including senior executive and board positions with Cunard Line, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, and the Savoy Group of Hotels in London. Time, Inc. engages Bates as moderator of
Travel + Leisure magazine’s MarketWatch. He has
played this role several times at the International
Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), held annually in Cannes
and ILTM-Asia in Shanghai. His work for Virtuoso has
included moderating the international Symposium,
a panel discussion at Travel Mart, as well as various
focus groups.
ELIZABETH ANN MACGREGOR OBE
Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art
Australia
Elizabeth Ann MacGregor is the director of the
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, and she
was recently named the Cultural Ambassador for
Western Sydney by NSW Premier, Mike Baird. Her
contribution to the visual arts has been recognized with an OBE in H.M. The Queen’s birthday
honors list, an Australia Council Visual Arts Medal,
the IMAGinE Museums and Galleries NSW Individual Achievement Award, and she was named by
The Australian Financial Review as one of Australia’s
100 top women of Influence in 2013. MacGregor is
a member of the advisory board for the UTS Business School, the NSW Australia Day Advisory
Council, and the Design Advisory Committee of the
City of Sydney.
Film Director, Screenwriter and Cinematographer
Warwick Thornton is an award-winning Indigenous
director, screenwriter and cinematographer. He
has established a strong presence and voice in the
Australian film industry by creating a series of short
films, focusing on contemporary Indigenous stories.
His work includes Nana and Greenbush, Samson
and Delilah, The Darkside, the opening shot of Tim
Winton’s The Turning and Wayne Blair’s The Sapphires. Thornton has also created dynamic television work; his series Art + Soul focused on presenting an insider’s view of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander art and artists.
SIMONNE SHEPHERD
General Manager, Industry Partnerships and
Government Policy, Destination NSW
Simonne Shepherd is the General Manager, Industry
Partnerships & Government Policy for Destination
NSW, overseeing partnership programs, trade & industry services, destination development, international markets, and government partnerships. Prior
to this position, Shepherd was based in Australia’s
capital, Canberra, as the head of Australian Capital Tourism. She has worked as the Managing Director Australia of the Canadian Tourism Commission, with Tourism Victoria (Australia), Le Méridien
Port Vila Resort, the Fiji Visitors Bureau, and the
Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. She is a former member of the Australian Standing Committee on Tourism and Chair of the Association of National Tourism Office Representatives in Australasia (ANTOR).
JOHN O’SULLIVAN
Managing Director, Tourism Australia
John O’Sullivan joined Tourism Australia as managing director on March 31, 2014. Previously he
was with Fox Sports as chief operating officer.
He has also held executive positions with Events
Queensland, Football Federation Australia, Sydney
2000 Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee and the 1995 Rugby World Cup. As managing
director of the nation’s global tourism marketing
agency, O’Sullivan is responsible for driving Tourism Australia’s strategies to grow demand internationally for Australia’s tourism experiences. Tourism
Australia promotes the country using a full media
mix, including the innovative use of digital and social media, working in partnership with airlines, distribution businesses and the Australian industry. It
also works with Austrade on the attraction of investment in Australian tourism infrastructure.
LEON BIGNELL MP
Minister for Tourism, Agriculture, Food and
Fisheries, Recreation & Sport, and Racing
South Australia
Minister Bignell grew up on a dairy farm and began
his career as a journalist, working for local and international media organizations. With a passion for
South Australia’s food, wine and tourism, Minister
Bignell has forged close relationships with Napa
Valley. Through collaboration with government and
private sector in California, South Australia now has
agricultural preserves in Australia’s important wine
regions, Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Minister
Bignell is committed to ensuring the state’s tourism
industry reaches its full potential of an $8 billion a
year industry by 2020.
MARK DAVIDSON
Global Education Director for Wine Australia
Born in London, raised in Sydney, Mark Davidson
has over 30 years of experience in the hotel and
restaurant and wine business, fifteen of those as
a Sommelier. In 2001 he was named Sommelier of
the Year at the Vancouver Wine Festival and also
won the Spirited Industry Professional in 2014.
As a department head and instructor with the International Sommelier Guild, he was instrumental
in the ongoing development of the curriculum and
has taught classes in Vancouver, Seattle, Portland,
San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas.
Davidson is an annual judge at Dallas Morning Star/
Texsom and Sunset Magazine wine competitions.
In addition he developed a wine education and
restaurant etiquette course for Simon Fraser
University Global Asset and Wealth Management
MBA program.
TOURISM.AUSTRALIA.COM #GDAYTOURISM
TOURISM.AUSTRALIA.COM #GDAYTOURISM
18
WARWICK THORNTON
19
AUSTRALIA. Qantas makes it easy
No other flight is quite like ours from our flagship A380 First Suites to fully flat
beds in Business, Premium Economy’s spacious
seats and the self-serve snack bars in Economy.*
After taking off, settle back in seats designed for your comfort and
enjoy our friendly service together with Australia’s best wine and
food. Plus access hundreds of on-demand entertainment choices in
every seat to keep you entertained throughout the flight.
With Qantas it’s easier than ever to experience the best of Australia
before you’ve even arrived.
* Available on Qantas services from mainland USA to Australia
Australia Unlimited
The Australian Trade Commission – Austrade – is the
Australian Government’s trade, investment and education
promotion agency.
Visit South Australia and discover new flavors and
unique tourism experiences among the ancient landscapes
and pristine coastlines.
Through a global network of offices, Austrade assists Australian companies to
grow their international business, attracts productive foreign direct investment into
Australia and promotes Australia’s education sector internationally.
Preserved environments, diverse culture and breathtaking
natural beauty all contribute to a state that provides some
of the world’s finest and freshest ingredients.
Austrade is the first national point-of-contact for all investment enquiries. Working
in partnership with Australian state and territory governments, Austrade can provide
your company with the information and the right industry and government contacts
needed to establish or expand a business in Australia.
From the clean, teeming waters of the Southern Ocean to the
red, folding soils of the Outback, South Australia is a vibrant
provider of world class wine, meat, seafood and artisan produce
and some of the best wildlife experiences in Australia.
South Australia–naturally generous!
For more information: visit www.austrade.gov.au or email
[email protected]
AUSTRALIA TOURISM SUMMIT
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