EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS

Nayan Peshkar, Senior Vice President is responsible for digital distribution, acquisition and retention strategies at Millennium Hotels and Resorts. With over a decade spent working in Digital Marketing, Revenue Management and Client Services for multiple acclaimed brands and hotel groups, Nayan knows what drives a customer's digital experience by providing consistent engagement through industry-leading and innovative features.

Nayan has implemented the ideation and strategy development of Millennium Hotels and Resorts Digital platform with the brand website garnering double digit growth in revenues, customer engagement & retention and conversion. He has also shaped and delivered the Revenue Excellence Academy in addition to the collaboration and strategizing of MHR’s Customer Relationship Management, Brand Equity Protection and Rate Quality Protection programs.

Nayan holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Liverpool and an MSc in Digital Marketing from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Danielle Hollander joined Visit Orlando in February 1995. As Chief Marketing Officer, she develops the brand strategy and leads a global marketing team that creates domestic and international multi-channel leisure marketing programs and the leisure sales team charged with increasing overnight visitation. She is also responsible for destination marketing to position Orlando as a key meetings and conventions destination, visitor services, and travel industry sales.

Previously, she was the vice president of an advertising and public relations agency that specialized in travel and tourism. She has served in multiple volunteer positions nationally with Brand USA, Public Relations Society of America, Society of American Travel Writers, Destination Management Association International and the United States Travel Association.  She serves on the United Arts Board of Directors and OEP Branding Committee.

She was awarded the Gene T. Hassett award by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), named one of HSMAI’s Top 25 Minds in Hospitality & Travel Sales Marketing and Innovator of the Year by TravelCom.

She earned the Accredited Public Relations designation and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations from Auburn University and Masters of Science degree in Marketing Communications from Florida State University.

José Antonio Llorente is a specialist in corporate and financial communications. Over the course of his 25-plus years of career experience, he has provided consultancy services for numerous corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestments, joint ventures and stock market flotations. Llorente is one of the “15 People to Watch in 2015” from the marketing and communications world, according to The Holmes Report. He was the first Spanish professional to receive the SABRE Award for “Outstanding Individual Achievement,” a European award presented by The Holmes Report. Furthermore, he received the “Outstanding Partner of the Year” award from the National Federation of Consultancy, Services and Office Associations (Spanish acronym FENAC) in recognition of his professional business career as the leader of LLORENTE & CUENCA.

 

Llorente worked at the multinational Burson-Marsteller for 10 years, where he was Managing Director. He previously worked for five years in the communications department of the Confederation of Employers and Industries of Spain (CEOE) and was also a journalist for the EFE news agency. He currently sits on the Board of Trustees of the Euroamérica Foundation and the Steering Committee of the Spanish Association of Minority Shareholders of Listed Companies. He is also a member of the Advisory Council to SMEs of the Spanish Confederation of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises, the Steering Committee of the Agencies of Spain Association, and the Advisory Council of the Executive MBA in the Management of Professional Services Organizations organized by Garrigues. 

Jon Mamela joined Destination Canada (formerly the Canadian Tourism Commission) in August 2013 and has since taken on progressive marketing roles, first overseeing the marketing and sales activities in its key international markets and then taking over as Chief Marketing Officer in 2014. Moving into 2015, he has added additional responsibilities, including the Business Events Canada division and the Consumer & Market Intelligence group.

Mamela has a deep marketing background in the hospitality, tourism and consumer packaged goods industries, with experience launching and building global brands, driving revenue via multi-channel marketing strategies and developing integrated CRM/loyalty programs. Before he joined Destination Canada, he was the Global Director of Customer Experience Marketing & Partnerships for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Before that, he was Travel Alberta’s Vice President of Marketing and Sales from 2009 to 2011, when he developed its award-winning brand, “Remember to Breathe.” That position entailed working closely with the organization on many partnerships, especially the integration of the Explorer Quotient® (EQ) model into Travel Alberta’s global sales and marketing plans.

Born in Chicoutimi, Quebec, and raised mainly in Saskatchewan, Mamela has visited every province in Canada, bar Prince Edward Island, and still has Nunavut on his to-see list. Some of his favorite travel experiences in Canada thus far include snowboarding in Banff and Lake Louise, enjoying the dynamic night life in Montreal, strolling St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, golfing in Quebec’s Laurentian region during fall, and above all, cheering for his beloved Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Sthu Zungu-Noel, a global market development specialist, is Founder and CEO of ZUZUTHO Consulting.

She is a marketing executive with extensive international experience building successful brands. She has a proven track record in strategy, marketing and nation branding that spans three continents— Africa, Europe and North America—in the tourism and automotive sectors.

For 12 years, she led South African Tourism in both Italy and North America. Her most recent assignment has been as President of South African Tourism in North America, where she was responsible for all operations of the national tourism agency, including the marketing and positioning of the destination throughout North America. In her role, Zungu-Noel presided over the longest steady growth in tourist arrivals to South Africa from the U.S. and Canada, despite the economic downturn and other crises in the travel industry. At the height of the economic crisis, she managed to grow US visitors to the second largest overseas market for South Africa.

Her achievements in recruiting visitors to South Africa’s 2010 FIFA World Cup were the standout of all the markets within the tourism agency. Zungu-Noel continued to amplify South Africa’s footprint in North America by re-focusing the country’s marketing investment for the highest impact through strategic partnerships with both the trade and media. This focus provided a consistent showcasing of the destination on multiple national platforms like CNN, The New York Times, National Geographic and others. She spearheaded the marked increase in South Africa’s presence in non-traditional platforms like ABC’s The Bachelor and NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice across all social and digital media platforms. This winning combination has caused South Africa’s brand awareness to grow to an all-time high: 84 percent in 2013 and conversion to 1 in 2.17.

She is the recipient of the 2015 TRAVVY Award for the Most Innovative Africa & Middle East Tourism Executive, which was voted on by 30,000 travel industry players.

Prior to her time in New York, Zungu-Noel served as the head of South African Tourism in Milan, Italy, where in addition to achieving record growth in overall arrivals, she redefined the traditional visitor profile, attracting the younger and previously untapped 18–35 age segment.

Straight out of college, she was recruited by BMW South Africa as a Market Analyst and later went on to handle corporate strategy. Along the way, she spent a year in Germany at the BMW headquarters in Munich, working on the global launch of MINI while completing her post-graduate studies in advanced international marketing under the Carl Duisberg Gesselschaft Scholarship. In 2001, upon returning to South Africa, she led the successful launch of MINI in South Africa as Head of Brand Communications, laying the foundation for a brand whose growth and performance continue to surpass every expectation in the country’s automotive industry.

Housam Raydan is the Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Air Arabia Group, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) operator in the MENA region and a $3 billion Dubai Financial Market listed holding company (DFM:AIRARABIA). Raydan oversees the Marketing, Public Relations, Customer Relations and CSR across the Group. He has been with Air Arabia since 2007, helping the group’s brand development and driving customer acquisition through aligned strategies, integrated marketing and communications, inventive e-commerce, product offering, people and systems to accelerate growth. Prior to Air Arabia, he worked with Burson-Marsteller helping a portfolio of Fortune 500 companies in their public relations and communications practice in the Middle East. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with more than ten years of experience in marketing and communications.

Malia Asfour, Director of the Jordan Tourism Board in North America (JTBNA), began handling tourism for the Jordanian government in the U.S. as tourism attaché in Washington in 1995. She was a key participant in creating the country’s first tourism office in North America, which was launched in 1997. Asfour moved to the U.S. in 1990 and handled the press for the Jordan Information Bureau during the Middle East peace process. She currently serves on the board of directors of the National Tourism Association Services, Inc. (NTASI), is a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s (ATTA) Advisory Board, and also serves on the US Tour Operator Association’s Allied & Associate Committee (USTOA); the National Tourism Association’s Faith Tourism Advisory Council (NTA); and Tourism Cares Global Outreach Committee. She also served on the board of directors of the American Tourism Society (ATS).

Asfour graduated with her bachelor’s degree in public communications from the American University and her master’s degree in international marketing from the University of Maryland. In 2002, Travel Agent Magazine nominated her as one of the most powerful women in travel.

Vicente Neto, 48, is a tourism specialist, with a law degree and a graduate degree in business administration. Prior to being named President of Embratur, he worked as a special advisor.

Born in Bahia, Neto was Secretary of Sports, Education, Leisure and Social Inclusion in the Ministry of Sports. He was also Secretary of Culture, Sport and Recreation of the City of Lauro de Freitas and Secretary of Urban Planning and Economic Development in São Sebastião do Passé.

Between 1989 and 2004, he was Head of the Workers’ Central Union in Bahia, Training Coordinator of the State Union of Workers in Higher Education of Bahia, General Coordinator of the Union of Civil Servants of Federal University of Bahia, and General Coordinator of the National Federation of Servers of Brazilian Universities.

Juan Carlos Borbón is the General Manager of the Costa Rica Tourism Board, the government agency responsible for promoting sustainable tourism in Costa Rica. 

Borbón began his professional career in 1982 as a pollster for the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC), where he conducted national census and household surveys. Four years later, Borbón became INEC’s Financial Administration Director. In 1988, he joined Costa Rica’s Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Industry (MEIC) as an attorney in their legal division. After six years at MEIC, Borbón joined the Ministry of Planning to become the Executive Director of International Projects, where he led the US Agency for International Development (USAID) program. Borbón first joined the Costa Rica Tourism Board in 2007.

Darrell Wade is the CEO of PEAK Adventure Travel, the world’s largest adventure travel company. It employs 3000 people worldwide and takes over 350,000 clients every year on trips to more than 100 countries. With offices in over 25 countries the business is vertically orientated taking travellers from all major source markets to all major destinations under different brands and in different travel styles. Darrell is also the Co-founder of Intrepid Travel, an award-winning adventure travel company and a recognised leader in responsible business. In 2011 Intrepid won the WTTC’s Tourism for Tomorrow award – a the world’s most prestigious responsible tourism award. In 2002 Darrell won the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, and in 2006 completed Climate Project training with the Hon Mr Al Gore. Darrell continues to travels extensively for both business and pleasure and has a genuine passion for the benefits travel can bring to individuals and communities.

Mimi Somerman serves as Senior Vice President of Marketing for the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, where she oversees the organization’s global advertising and media, corporate partnerships, promotions and creative services. She has more than 25 years of experience in the CPG, retail, restaurant and advertising industries and has held senior marketing positions for Mimi’s Café, Taco Bell and The Johnny Rockets Group, among others.  She obtained her MBA from The Anderson School of Management at UCLA.

Jemma McCowan is General Manager of Food Service Marketing at New Zealand King Salmon. She has worked in New Zealand, Australia, the U.K., and Europe in a career in international marketing and business development spanning 15 years. McCowan is a marketing and business development professional with experience in marketing management and consulting on international business strategy, market entry, partnerships, branding and differentiation, and project implementation. She has led industry development strategies in various markets for Austrade, the Australian trade commission, primarily focusing on the food and consumer good sectors.This was followed by a move into the marketing and development of premium seafood species in the European market representing Cleanseas, an Australian sustainable seafood business. McCowan has now returned to her native New Zealand to apply her international marketing experience and specialist seafood knowledge in a new role with New Zealand King Salmon.

Mr. Seccombe serves as Chief Marketing Officer for VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism industry marketing corporation. Will is responsible for the VISIT FLORIDA brand and guiding all domestic and international sales, advertising, promotions, publications, public relations programs. Will is also responsible for the www.VISITFLORIDA.com website and all interactive marketing programs as well as all VISIT FLORIDA research and new product development.

Prior to joining VISIT FLORIDA, Will dedicated 19 years in the Colorado tourism industry. He began his career in the ski industry as a Regional Sales Manager for Vail Resorts and later as the Director of Marketing for Loveland Ski Area. Will then spent five years as the Vice President of Marketing for the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau and another five years with PRACO advertising and public relations where he led the agencies efforts on behalf of the Colorado Tourism Office and many other travel and hospitality clients as Vice President of Account Service, Vice President of Advertising and Chief Operating Officer.

Charles Hughes, the Managing Director of Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, was born in Zambia, Africa. Hughes worked as a sales representative for various companies between 1972 and 1981, before taking up a series of marketing positions between 1982 and 1989. The following year Charles became the Group Marketing Manager of the Two-a-Day Group and was eventually promoted to Managing Director in 1995. He moved to Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing in 2001 where he still currently serves.

Longobardi is Marketing & Sales Director for Sao Paulo Tourism - the official entity to promote Sao Paulo City as tourism destination - and responsible for the strategy that brings more than 11 million tourists a year to Sao Paulo (www.spturis.com). Sao Paulo Tourism, with an annual turnover of US$ 60 million, employs directly 500 + professionals and manages: Interlagos Race Track (www.autodromointerlagos.com) which holds several racing events, including the Brazil GP F-1, and Anhembi Park , Exhibition & Congress Center, stage for the largest trade fairs in Latin America like the AutoShow, MotoShow, ShoeShow, Heavy Machinary, Book Fair, School Fair, events like Carnival, shows like Elton John, Kiss, Black Eyed Peas, Simple Plan and several congresses and conventions with globally well known visitors like Dalai Lama and Kofi Annan. The Indycar 2010 opening season race took place at Anhembi last march. (www.anhembi.com.br). Longobardi has been managing the marketing & sales for SPturis since January 2005 and operates from Anhembi Park offices in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Christopher Loughlin has served as Chief Executive Officer since July 2010 after serving as Executive Vice President, Europe since May 2005. From 2001 to April 2005, Mr. Loughlin served as Vice President of Business Development. From 1999 to 2001, he was Chief Operating Officer of Weekends.com.

Jay Talwar joined the Hawai‘i Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) as vice president of marketing on January 1, 2004 and was promoted to senior vice president in November 2006. He is chiefly responsible for developing marketing and branding programs for Hawai‘i, with the overall objective of spurring increased travel from North America. Talwar is very knowledgeable about the diverse workings of Hawai‘i’s visitor industry and has extensive experience in destination marketing for the Islands of Hawai‘i. Talwar initially directed a brand review which led to positioning refinements that have been communicated consistently across all marketing channels. These projects included the complete reconstruction of HVCB’s GoHawaii.com website. The result was an interactive showcase of the sights, sounds, culture, and people of Hawai‘i, and a dramatic improvement in its functionality and appeal for both consumers and travel industry partners. Under his leadership, HVCB has continued to implement innovative, multimedia marketing programs that elevate national consumer and travel trade awareness of Hawai‘i, and build business during the difficult off-peak travel seasons. Before joining HVCB, Talwar served as director of account service for its advertising agency, Milici Valenti Ng Pack/DDB, where he led the HVCB account team. He provided the strategic direction for HVCB’s successful marketing efforts in North America, most notably the emergency post-9/11 marketing campaign to help drive the recovery of Hawai‘i’s visitor industry, was a member of the DDB Worldwide strategic planning steering committee, and provided brand development and strategic planning counsel for all other major accounts held by the agency. A 26-year marketing veteran, Talwar spent the first 12 years of his career in San Francisco before relocating to Hawai‘i and has developed and executed marketing strategies for a wide range of national goods and products, including a variety of Hunt- Wesson food brands, Apple Computer, Intel and other technology firms, telecommunications, banking, and hotel accounts. Active in community affairs, Talwar serves as co-chairman of the board for Aloha Festivals, is a member of the community board for the American Heart Association in Hawai‘i, and a past president of the Sales & Marketing Executives of Honolulu. He graduated with honors from California State University at Hayward in 1982, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in marketing. He and his wife Carrie have a daughter and live in Honolulu.

Patricia is Director of Strategy and Communications at VisitBritain, the national tourism agency.

Her team is responsible for market research, forecasting and evaluation, communications with the industry and media and in working on tourism issues as a trusted advisor to the Government.

Patricia was originally employed as Head of Press and PR at VisitBritain, the national tourism agency. Here she led the teams promoting England to the British media, the global PR team promoting Britain to the international media in more than 40 markets and the corporate PR team promoting tourism and the work of VisitBritain.

Patricia began her career being trained as a journalist by IPC, working on the company’s scientific and research publications. Following the successful launch of new publications Patricia moved across the company to broaden her experience editing trade publications. She moved into computer publishing first as a freelancer and then as an editor of a magazine for computer managers. Building on her editing skills she moved to work on Holiday Which? at the Consumers’ Association where she scoped the strategy for and led on all Which?’s research , campaigning and public affairs work in tourism, travel and transport. She developed a high profile as a consumer advocate editing Holiday Which? magazine , and aggressively promoting the consumer view to opinion formers in Government, industry and the national media.

Danielle Courtenay joined Visit Orlando in February 1995. As Chief Marketing Officer, she develops the brand strategy and leads a global marketing team that creates domestic and international integrated leisure marketing to increase overnight visitation. She also is responsible for destination marketing to position Orlando as a key meetings and conventions destination, oversees corporate communications, public affairs and digital strategy. Previously she was the vice president of an advertising and public relations agency that specialized in travel and tourism. She has served in multiple volunteer positions with the Public Relations Society of America, Society of American Travel Writers and Destination Management Association International and serves as the chair of the United States Travel Association Communications Council, on the Alliance for Arts and Culture board of directors, Junior Achievement board of directors, the advisory board for TravelCom and on the Executive Leadership Council for Go Red for Women. She was just awarded the Gene T. Hassett award by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), named one of HSMAI’s Top 25 Minds in Hospitality & Travel Sales Marketing and Innovator of the Year by TravelCom. She has earned the Accredited Public Relations designation and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations from Auburn University and Masters of Science degree in Marketing Communication from Florida State University.

Charlotte Doehler-Morrison is the Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau, which serves the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa and Moline/East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois, along with the surrounding communities. She is responsible for the management of all public relations campaigns, marketing campaigns, advertising, creative production, media buying, national and international media relations, website/Internet technologies, sponsorships, grant writing, and special events.

Doehler-Morrison has been working in the marketing and public relations field for more than 20 years. She began her career as Director of Public Relations/Promotions and Communications for Eagle Food Centers’ corporate headquarters in Milan, Illinois. Following five years at Eagle, she became Director of Public Relations and Communications for Cox Communications Quad Cities, a cable company. In 1994, she joined Nehlsen Communications in the Quad Cities region, a marketing/advertising agency, as Vice President of Marketing and Communications. 

She was born and raised in the Quad Cities community and supports the Quad Cities community not only through her work, but also through her involvement with various boards and committees.

Leon Grice is the New Zealand Consul General of Los Angeles. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) is the New Zealand Government's lead adviser and negotiator on foreign and trade policy, development policy and assistance, and diplomatic and consular issues. The Ministry also provides legal advice on international issues. Under international practice, it is the formal channel for the New Zealand Government's communications to and from other countries and international organizations.

The Ministry, through its diplomatic and consular service, is charged by Government to ensure that New Zealand's voice is heard abroad, that our security and economic interests are advanced and protected, that we contribute to global poverty elimination, and that the rights and safety of New Zealanders abroad are protected.

Darren serves as the Manager, Digital Marketing for Tourism Vancouver, the Greater Vancouver Convention and Visitors Bureau. He has responsibility over the organization's websites, blog, social media, and online marketing initiatives. Prior to joining Tourism Vancouver in 2003, Darren worked for a number of years doing web design, development and online marketing for a variety of industries. His areas of expertise include web design, usability, marketing and analytics. Darren is a member of the Web Analytics Association and Destination Marketing Association International.

Candice has 12 years experience in the Tourism Industry, and has been managing the Consumer Marketing portfolio at The Greater Vancouver Convention and Visitors Bureau for close to a decade.  During her tenure, she has developed countless advertising strategies in the North American travel markets, implemented an online commerce solution for the organization's web property to track marketing performance, and has forged valuable marketing partnerships with industry, regional operators and many of Tourism Vancouver's 1,000 members.

Currently, Candice also manages a relationship with a key hotel stakeholder group, the Vancouver Destination Hotel Association, and develops and facilitates their marketing strategies. 

Prior to and during the recent 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Candice served on the sub-committees of an Olympic Tourism Industry Consortium, including the Consumer Marketing Committee and the Sub-committee on Spectator Accommodations, contributing to a customer-centric industry approach to Olympic marketing, and to servicing destination visitors from around the globe. 

Candice also sits on the Tourism Marketing Work Group of PNWER, the Pacific North West Economic Region, a bi-national, public-private partnership devoted to promoting intra-regional dialogue and advocacy in many areas of commerce.

Sthuthukile Zungu was appointed as President of South African Tourism, North America in October 2007. A South African national with in depth international marketing experience, including most recently as General Manager of South African Tourism in Italy, Zungu will be responsible for all U.S. operations of the national tourism agency, including overseeing the promotion of travel and tourism for South Africa throughout America. Zungu joined South African Tourism in Milan in 2003 and has spent the intervening years developing and implementing marketing and business plans for consumers and the travel trade throughout Italy. Previously, she had an enduring marketing career at BMW South Africa, most recently as Brand Communications Manager for the MINI, which has enjoyed overwhelming success in South Africa and in the region. Hired by BMW as a Market Analyst fresh out of college in 1996, Zungu was promoted to Corporate Planning and Strategy Analyst in 1998 and to Brand Communications Manager in 2001. Along the way, she spent a year in Germany working at BMW headquarters in Munich and also pursuing a degree in Advance International Marketing under the Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft Scholarship. Born and raised in the province of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, Zungu studied at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, from which she received a Master of Commerce degree in marketing in 2000 and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing with honors in 1995. Along with her native Zulu, she is fluent in English, speaks good Italian and some German.

The author of “BrandOvation™: How Germany won the World Cup of Nation Branding”, and the sequel “The Hero’s Journey: Building a Nation of World Champions”, Dr Nikolaus Eberl holds a PhD from the Free University of Berlin and a Postgraduate Diploma from The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore. Dr Nikolaus’ research study on Germany’s Nation Branding Success Story during the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ was featured extensively in the media, and he is currently engaged in Internal Branding for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

Dr Nikolaus is the author of “The Seven Secrets of IziCwe: Conquer Life!”, a uniquely South African Life Skills Program, and “a must for anyone who wants to overcome career and personal challenges!” (The Business Day). The sequel, “The IziCwe Code: Internal Branding” was introduced to the international media at the Global Leaders Summit 2006, sharing the platform with leadership gurus Tom Peters, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Porter, and has become recommended reading for government leaders at national, provincial and local level.

David is a co-founder of Branding Korea, an independent initiative aimed at discussing the challenges of positioning Korea internationally. He currently helps foreign companies and international brands build successful online advertising strategies for the Asian market, and advises Organizations based in Korea on how to enhance their online communication and presence. He previously worked at Sid Lee, a top Canadian advertising agency, where he managed major operations for the Montreal Tourism Board and the Casinos of Quebec. Recognized for his professionalism and realistic approach, he has worked on multiple award-winning projects and has a strong experience in marketing destinations. David holds a Master degree in Management and International Business from the ISEG Business School in France, and is also a graduate from the University of Montreal in Canada.

Grace is currently the National Brand Manger for Brand Kenya Board. She is responsible for the development of the Kenyan National Brand .She has spent her career in marketing management specializing in marketing strategy development, brand communication, product development and customer service management. She has been involved in new market development initiatives, re-branding, as well as managing brand portfolios .Grace has over the past ten years worked with product, service and place brands. Grace Key strengths lie in her ability to analyze situations, her creativity in the conceptualization of brand ideas and her passion for the brands she handles.

Diane Bechamps is the Vice President of Marketing for the Virginia Tourism Authority. The overriding goal of all of Virginia Tourism Corporation’s activities is to “serve the broader interests of the economy of Virginia by supporting, maintaining and expanding the Commonwealth’s domestic and international inbound tourism and motion picture production industries in order to increase visitor expenditures, tax revenues and employment.” Or, stated another way, our goal is “more people, staying longer, spending more money.”

Experienced commercial individual, with drive and tenacity for results. Is enthusiastic and energetic in his approach and embraces change openly. A leader who builds strong & loyal teams, through effective communication and being creative and innovative in his approach. Financial responsibility and quality has featured highly over a career in the deluxe market. In depth knowledge of both operational and commercial aspects of the hotel industry, have resulted in a highly professional individual.He holds an EMBA from CASS (City University Business School), DMS in Management Sciences from Westminster University, and completed his technical skill development at Forte Hotels with a 2 years Hotel Management Training. He has 25 years of experience in hospitality operational management which includes 10 years in Tour operator and Travel Agency and Coach Management and than 15 years in the hotels industry. He has being involved in development plans, pre-opening, opening and operating hotels and restaurants. Grosvenor House Hotel (later the Le Meridien Grosvenor House) where he was involved in the planning of the refurbishment program with a total CAPEX of 30ml Capital Casinos where he has developed the business to the highest standard in London with the awards won by Crockfords Club Domina Coral Bay Resort and Casino, where he was the project manager of the expansion plan from 1400 to 2100 rooms, from 100 to 180 ha of land and the development of a Film production park. He has also managed the pre-opening and opening of 3 hotels, and he is involved in the planning of the expansion program of the Group. Last step has been the successful opening of the 5 star deluxe boutique hotel in Bucharest.

Mr. Paul Krutko has been the Chief Executive Officer and President of Ann Arbor SPARK since April 2011. Mr. Krutko has been Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the International Economic Development Council(IEDC) since January 2012 and served as its Secretary and Treasurer until January 2012. Mr. Krutko has over 31 years of economic and business development experience. Prior to Ann Arbor SPARK, he led San Jose, California's economic development efforts, where he served as Chief Development Officer. He also worked in economic development for the cities of Cleveland and Jacksonville. In addition to his economic development leadership for San Jose and other cities, he Founded Peloton Development, a consultancy devoted to advising businesses and municipal, regional, state, and national governments on economic development and climate prosperity strategies and on creating high performing economic development leaders and teams. He co-chairs the organization's Economic Development Research Partners subsidiary. He serves as a Vice Chair of IEDC. Mr. Krutko earned a bachelor of urban planning and design degree from the University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Architecture and Art.

Dr Dan Steinbock is Research Director of International Business at the India, China and America Institute. He has consulted for multinationals and SMEs, international organizations (OECD, EU, Nordic Council, Baltic Development Forum), cities (from Shanghai to Greater Helsinki) and governments. He divides his time between the United States (New York City), Asia (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong) and occasionally Europe (Helsinki). He is also Senior Fellow in Shanghai’s leading think-tank, focusing on G-20 and the new global political economy, as well as Visiting Professor at the Shanghai Foreign Trade Institute. He serves as Faculty Spokesman for the Forum to Advance Mobile Experience (FAME), an initiative by the CMO Council, whose strategic interest communities include over 20,000 global executives across nearly 100 countries. And he has various advisory tasks in the US (1to1 Magazine, Fortune, BusinessWeek). Dr Steinbock is affiliated with the Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness by Prof. Michael E. Porter (Harvard Business School) and Columbia Institute for Tele-Information, Columbia School of Business). He cooperates with think-tanks and research centers in the US, Europe, China and India, ASEAN, and Persian Gulf. As Senior ASLA-Fulbright scholar, he conducted research in New York University and Columbia University. He contributes op-eds, commentaries and policy briefs for leading business publications in the U.S., Europe and Asia, including China’s leading English-language China Daily. He has moderated international corporate conferences in US, Europe and Asia, including with Jack Welch, former CEO of GE. He regularly gives keynotes and policy briefs for trade associations, government agencies and international studies institutes, chambers of commerce and business councils in US, Europe and Asia.

Since leaving the UK for Greece in 2003, Manolis has undertaken consultancy work in tourism planning & development and destination management & marketing at both national & international level. In 2005, he joined the team responsible to plan & launch the Athens Tourism & Economic Development Company (ATEDCo; breathtaking ATHENS), the official DMO for the City of Athens. In 2006, Manolis was promoted to the position of Tourism Development Director. During his 5 years of service for the City of Athens, he was involved with destination development and tourism policy issues at international & domestic level, EU projects for enhancing Athens' tourism product, project management for high-calibre events and sales & promotion strategies for the travel trade sector. Since the beginning of 2009, Manolis has been working as an external destination development & marketing consultant for Athens Tourism & Economic Development Company (ATEDCo) and other public & private entities; and as a member of the World Centre of Excellence in Destinations (CED) team of experts. Last May, Manolis joined the newly-established Governmental Organization AGROTIMA SA/ELAGRO responsible for the Sustainable Tourism Development & Promotion of Rural Greece as a Senior Advisor. At present, Manolis is working towards achieving sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits for Greek rural destinations and tourism businesses; building digital marketing & product development strategies for the City of Athens; and promoting CED's System of Measures for Excellence in Destinations (SMED) at both national and international level. Manolis has a BA (Hons) in Hospitality Management with Tourism & Leisure from the University of Huddersfield and a MSc in Tourism Planning & Development from the Oxford Brookes University.

Dr. Duverger is senior level marketing consultant with experience in North America, Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Dr. Duverger has expertise in two main areas: product and service development including positioning, branding, and innovation; and very strong quantitative research based consultancy including the use of methods such as web content analysis, social networking analysis, and structural modeling, in order to find unique relationships to use in marketing strategy. Dr. Duverger has developed a strong reputation with more than twenty years of experience in the service industry as an operator, a consultant, and an educator. He has held several high level positions in the service sector such as Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for a high-tech start-up company, President of Greenmart Enterprises specializing in hospitality concepts, from assessment to implementation including service blue prints, standards, measurements, training and development. Dr. Duverger currently teaches at Towson University. His research focuses on service innovation and the impact of user communities on market orientation. Dr. Duverger has presented his research at several academic national and international conferences. Dr. Duverger is a Certified Hotel Administrator (C.H.A.) from the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Educational Institute; He holds a hotel management degree from the Bordeaux School of Hotel Management, France; an MBA from Athabasca University, Alberta, Canada; and a Ph.D. from George Washington University.

Sania Jelic Danda is a hands-on Sales & Marketing expert, with multi-cultural experience in business development, marketing and communication. She has lived in Chile, Austria, Germany, the US, Croatia and Spain. In 2006 she became Director of the Croatian National Tourist Board in charge of Spain and Portugal, and sales have been going up since. Her previous employments include Marketing & Communication Director at Anfi Group, Gran Canaria, ten years with Amadeus, the multinational IT provider for the travel industry, and her first steps in the travel industry began with inbound and outbound tour operators in Europe and the USA. Sania speaks fluent English, native Croatian, fluent Spanish and German and has a useful knowledge of Italian. Even though she gained most of her expertise in the travel and IT industry, she is an expert wherever selling and marketing has to be done.

Dr. Cathy Guthrie FTMI FTS is a destination management professional with over 20 years' experience of managing and marketing rural and urban destinations in England. She led and participated in a variety of partnership marketing initiatives to brand and market Captain Cook Country, Herriot Country and Darlington in the North of England as tourism manager of Hambleton and Darlington respectively. She developed the first Darlington Festival, increased turnover in the Darlington Tourist Information Centre (TIC) by introducing destination branded merchandise and commissionable services, and led the development of the first destination website in the North East of England based on partnership with the Regional Tourist Board. Since moving to Scotland in 2002, Cathy has successfully completed an MSc in Tourism Management, with research into the impact of ICT on the role played by TICs in destination marketing. Her PhD, awarded in 2007, researched the impact of interactions on destination image. As a consultant, Cathy has led the development of a continuing professional development programme and postgraduate qualifications in destination management, a European funded online training programme for tourism managers, and tourism business audits as a precursor to creating tourism development and marketing strategies. Cathy is currently the Hon. Secretary of the Tourism Management Institute, which recently completed integration with the Tourism Society to become its destination management section, creating a stronger voice for tourism in the UK. She was a 2008 SHINE Public Sector Woman of the Year finalist.

Andrew has more than 20 years experience in marketing and business development within the tourism, leisure, heritage and performing arts sectors, both in the UK and internationally. As a senior level manager, Andrew contributed to organizations including: the Shakespeare Global Trust as a Director of Communications, Historic Royal Palaces, The New Millennium Experience Company Limited, as well as the British Tourist Authority (now known as Visit Britain). Through a collaboration with Wendy Resenthal in 2010, he founded The Wanda Group, which is a business advisory and consultancy firm that specializes in tourism, leisure, and arts areas. Andrew graduated with honors from the University of London (University College London) where he studied German.

President & Chairman of the Board of the EABC; President & Chairman of the Board of the Australia Gulf Council; Chairman Indochina Gateway Capital Limited; former Vice Chairman & Managing Director Goldman Sachs JBWere; former Chairman Central Rand Gold Limited; former Director Film Finance Corporation; former Member Financial Sector Advisory Council reporting to the Federal Treasurer

Alastair Walton is a career investment banker who was Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Goldman Sachs JBWere, the Australian affiliate of the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. From 2006 to 2009 he was also Chairman of Central Rand Gold Limited, a holding company for a group of companies engaged in gold mining and exploration in Johannesburg, South Africa. CRG has a primary listing on the main board of the London Stock Exchange and a secondary listing on the JSE Securities Exchange.

Alastair is President and Chairman of the Board of both the European Australian Business Council and the Australia Gulf Council and is a former Director of the Film Finance Corporation. Alastair has also served as a member of the Australian Financial Services Advisory Council (FSAC), reporting to the Federal Treasurer. He is currently Chairman of Indochina Gateway Capital Limited which focuses on agri-business investments in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in Australia, Alastair worked with Credit Suisse First Boston for 14 years in Tokyo, New York, Melbourne, Sydney, London, and lastly in Hong Kong as Head of Investment Banking for Non-Japan Asia.

For more than 35 years Walter Jamieson has worked to bridge the academic and consultancy worlds through creativity, innovative and out‐of‐the‐box thinking. His activities have been based on a sound setof responsible and sustainable values and principles. His activities include: early work in Canada using tourism and heritage resources as tools for community and economic development, research and consultancy work in China, extensive community‐based tourism work in Asia, exploring the power of tourism as a tool for economic and social development, and leadership in creating an innovative service curriculum in Thailand.

Through his interdisciplinary education and experience, he brings creative thinking and practice in a number of areas through an integrated approach to analysis and problem‐solving. He has shared this development as a consultant, teacher, trainer, author, facilitator and researcher in more than 20 countries. He has been a member of faculty and management at universities in the United States, Canada, Thailand and Japan. His academic experience has been coupled with a wide range of consultancy projects.

Based on a sound understanding of adult learning and development models he has been involved in a wide range of capacity building exercises in many parts of the world. As a professional planner he sees it as his responsibility to transfer knowledge and create learning and enabling environments that ensure public and private sector stakeholders can achieve their full potential.

He has held a number of executive positions in national and international organizations.