Accor Hotels WA — Senior Director of Revenue

Google — Industry Manager, Travel

Amadeus Hospitality — Director of Sales at Amadeus Hospitality.

With more than 20 years of experience in Hotel, Travel and Hospitality businesses across the globe, Bert is the trusted key contact for many properties and venue-operators across the country.

Over the years, he has become an industry expert on travel distribution and travel technology eco-systems. Bert’s passion and goal is guiding hoteliers and operators to optimize their businesses, facilitate better customer journeys and ultimately drive incremental revenues.

Amadeus makes the experience of travel better for everyone, everywhere by inspiring innovation, partnerships and responsibility to people, places and planet.
Our technology powers the travel and tourism industry. Inspiring more open ways of working. More connected ways of thinking, centered around the traveler. Our open platform connects the global travel and hospitality ecosystem. From startups to big industry players and governments too. Together, redesigning the travel of tomorrow.

Otelier — VP of Sales, APAC

Joey is a seasoned sales and revenue management professional with over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. She has worked with global international and regional chains like FRHI, Four Seasons, Meritus, Stamford and Banyan Tree as well as hospitality technology firms like TravelClick/Amadeus, IDeaS, Rainmaker and Cendyn. Joey is currently based in Singapore but her career has led her to places such as Australia, China, Dubai and Thailand. As VP of Sales for Otelier, she is involved in all aspects of growing the company’s footprint in Asia Pacific with a focus on sales and marketing and account management. Joey is also currently serving as President on the board of HSMAI Singapore.

Insight Hotel Marketing — Owner

Rachel is a highly experienced and passionate sales and marketing professional with 30 years’ experience in business development and marketing positions within the tourism and hospitality space. Rachel offers any project a wealth of knowledge and has a proven track record in helping businesses build sales across a number of platforms and market segments.

Insight Hotel Marketing was established by Rachel nearly five years ago and provides hospitality clients with a vast array of valuable and tailored support services such as sales representation, revenue management, OTA and channel management, digital marketing and more to small independent operators in Australia.

Horwath HTL — Manager, Perth

Martyna is a seasoned hospitality industry professional with over 15 years of experience spanning across Poland and Australia. As a Manager at Horwath HTL in the Perth office, she represents the company in Western Australia while undertaking assignments and conducting market research across Australia, New Zealand, and the North Pacific region. Specializing in feasibility assessment, branding and positioning strategy, operator selection processes, and expert witness assistance, Martyna ensures projects are strategically aligned with market conditions to maximize their future potential.

With a focus on in-market research, supply and demand analysis, and concept development, Martyna collaborates directly with investors and owners to drive project success. Her expertise extends to conducting operator search and selection processes, further enhancing project viability.

Martyna's journey includes diverse roles encompassing event management, sales and revenue management, business development, and client relations within independent hotels and global hotel brand companies before joining Horwath HTL. Over the last five years with Horwath HTL, initially based in Sydney and later relocating to Perth, Martyna has continuously demonstrated her dedication to the sustainable hotel market development.

Beyond her professional commitments, Martyna contributes to academia as a casual lecturer at Torrens University and Kaplan Business School, where she lectures subjects, such as hotel investment and destination and visitor management. Martyna holds a Masters in International Hotel Management from the Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School and is currently pursuing a Master of Philosophy at Torrens University, focusing on destination competitiveness models.

BIG4 Holiday Parks — CEO

Accomplished marketing strategist Sean Jenner was appointed Chief Executive Officer of BIG4 Holiday Parks in July 2021 to steer its network of more than 200 holiday parks and partners through its post-pandemic business recovery and beyond. Sean has more than two decades’ marketing and commercial experience, previously holding senior positions at some of Australia’s and the world’s leading brands including Nike, Virgin, Starbucks and Myer, while based in Australia and Europe. Most recently, Sean was Head of Marketing at SWEAT, a highly successful global technology start-up in the health and fitness sector.

Sean’s expertise and passion for digital transformation has come to the fore in his leadership of the development and execution of BIG4 Holiday Parks’ new digital strategy, aimed at aggressively expanding the brand’s digital footprint across the country as well as strengthening its overall brand. A key enabler of this transformation is for BIG4.com.au to be the leading portal for Australian holiday parks. A major component of the digital strategy and BIG4’s evolution has been the expansion and improvement of its website (BIG4.com.au) to better meet the needs of customers and trends towards ease, choice and user experience.

During his first two years as CEO, the company has achieved 30% growth in online revenue, brought 40+ new parks into the BIG4 network and launched the brand’s largest ever brand campaign.

Sean is based in Melbourne, married and a father of two young boys. He is an avid runner, movie lover and wine enthusiast.

Lighthouse — Business Development Manager ANZ & Pacific

WA Government — Deputy Premier; Treasurer; Minister for Transport; Tourism

Rita Saffioti was elected to State Parliament in 2008 for the electorate of West Swan, and became a Shadow Minister in 2013.

In 2017, Rita was appointed Minister for Transport and Planning in the McGowan Government.

Following the re-election of the Labor Government in March 2021, Rita was reappointed as the Minister for Transport and Planning, while also being named as the Minister for Ports.

Oversight of the Transport, Planning and Ports portfolios gives Rita the opportunity to take an integrated approach to transport and land use planning, and responsibility of delivering the Governments major METRONET project.

There are now a range of major road and rail projects across the state that are either underway or completed.

This year alone she is overseeing the construction of major METRONET projects, almost 40 major road projects.

Rita’s priority is to see the State of Western Australia thrive through planning reform and a first class transport network.

Some of her proudest achievements include returning railcar manufacturing to Western Australia, starting construction on the METRONET Morley-Ellenbrook Line and securing record funding from the Commonwealth to upgrade regional roads.

After finishing her schooling at Kelmscott Senior High School, Rita gained a Bachelor of Business at Curtin University before moving to Canberra to work at the Department of Finance and then returning to Western Australia to work at the Department of Treasury.

In 1997 Rita commenced working for then Opposition Leader Geoff Gallop as an economic adviser, continuing this role into Government before ultimately becoming Chief of Staff to Premier Alan Carpenter.

Rita has three young children, a 11 -year-old and nine-year-old twins. When not at Parliament, Rita can usually be found with her family at the footy cheering on her team, the Fremantle Dockers.Saff

IHG — Area Director of Sales and Marketing

BWH Hotels Australasia — Managing Director Australasia

STR

Anneke Brown Consulting — Director

Anneke Brown has lived and breathed hospitality for over 25 years. Her expertise lies in hotel project development and management. Anneke’s international experience includes roles at Amanresorts. As the global Director of Training, Anneke was part of the project team for 8 resort openings in Cambodia, India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean. In Australia Anneke has held management roles in Margaret River, in central Australia as the Resort Manager of Longitude 131 at Uluru, and as General Manager of COMO The Treasury, Perth.

Anneke’s passion for Western Australia and the tourism industry led her to forming Anneke Brown Consulting in 2020, specialising in hospitality and tourism projects. Bringing international standards to the hotel development process, hotel design and operations, along with excellence in training and education, the business provides solutions to Western Australian organisations with the desire to elevate their offering. Anneke holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Western Australia, is a founding member and current Chair of Women in Tourism and Hospitality WA, a current Board Member of the Rottnest Island Authority, and a former Commissioner on the Board of Tourism WA.

Mews — Commercial Director - APAC

Hayden is the Commercial Director for APAC at Mews, a cloud-native, innovative hospitality management system. Hayden’s expertise in hospitality management, hotel technology, and corporate travel technology spans across the past 15 years, with a focus in commercial strategy and customer engagement. His passion for innovation has driven him to explore leading hotel technology solutions and partnerships, with an emphasis on AI and automation, to improve processes and enhance the customer journey. A passionate traveller, foodie and adventure seeker, searching for the world’s best hospitality experiences.

The Hotel Photographer

Mauro Risch is an award-winning photographer specializing in conceptual still life shots and lifestyle. Involved into the world of Photography since the age of 13, he loves the chance of telling stories through the images he creates. A lot of warm and vibrant colours are the unmistakable elements of his style. He became a member of Melbourne Advertising And Design Club (MADC) in 2007 and a member of Australia Commercial And Media Photographers (ACMP) in 2008, establishing his base in the Studio at Aileen Ave, Melbourne, Australia. Hotels & Resorts have become a major subject in his photographic life, shooting for the hospitality industry in Asia-Pacific and in South America.

Fastrack Digital — Group Managing Director

Adrian is the founder and Group Managing Director of Australasia's leading travel, tourism and lifestyle full-service digital marketing and media agency, Fastrack Digital in APAC. Adrian is considered a leader in direct booking strategy and digital growth. He has worked with some of Australia, New Zealand and Asia's leading hotel and travel brands on improving their direct bookings. He has been responsible in some cases of doubling their direct bookings and revenue.

Expedia — Program Performance Manager, Revenue

Mews

Choice Hotels Asia-Pac — Senior Director, Strategy, Sales, & Marketing

Kari has over 20 years marketing experience in the Franchise, tourism, leisure and accommodation industries. In her role at Choice Hotels Asia-Pac, Kari oversees the sales and marketing functions, with a focus on digital channels, growing existing and developing new revenue streams, and continuing to drive direct business for Choice Hotels franchisee network, comprising of approximately 170 properties. Prior to joining Choice Hotels Asia Pac, Kari was General Manager – Marketing for the Belgravia Health and Leisure Group overseeing the marketing strategy and function across four verticals and eight brands (and 160+ facilities). Kari actively championed Belgravia’s digital strategy across the organization. Kari also held the role of General Manager – Marketing, Strategy and Sales at BIG4 Holiday Parks for nine years, a national marketing franchise network comprising of approximately 180 properties, where she was responsible for all marketing functions with a focus on brand and driving digital sales channels, growing existing and developing new revenue streams and maximizing customer retention. Kari’s track record and rapport with franchisees saw her appointed Acting CEO of BIG4 for six months.
Kari has a Masters of Tourism Marketing and Bachelor of Arts from Monash University, has been a co-chair of the Future Leaders Committee for the Caravan Industry Association of Australia and is a guest lecturer for the Masters of Tourism Marketing program at Monash University. And currently sits on the Accommodation Association of Australia’s State Advisory Council (Victoria).

Tourism WA — Managing Director

Accommodation Australia — CEO