Travel remains a growth story despite global uncertainty and is forecast to grow at more than 5% a year for the next decade. Our opening speakers crunch the data on key industry sectors. 
We also look at where the smart money has been heading with analysis of key industry investments over the past two years, both in Australia and overseas.
- Martin Kelly, TravelTrends.biz
- Vasso Zographo/Michael Simpson, Savills Hotels
- Anthony Moulder, Head of Transport & Infrastructure Research, CLSA Australia
9.45am – 10.05am Founder’s Story: Jamie Pherous founded Corporate Travel Management (CTD) 24 years ago with a couple of staff in Brisbane and big dreams. Now the business he created is a publicly-listed global enterprise with offices in 70 countries, thousands of staff and a market capitalisation of more than $3 billion. Learn about Jamie’s journey in this presentation.
- Jamie Pherous, Managing Director and Founder, Corporate Travel Management
10.05am – 10.40am Trends, Issues, Challenges & Opportunities: Travel may be growing however progression is anything but linear. That’s because travel is a complex, occasionally volatile industry that’s ultimately all about people, who are anything but predictable. Strategies change, opportunities emerge, and growth is an ever-present challenge. Meanwhile globalisation looms large. Tightly moderated panel discussion involving travel business leaders.
- Bob East, Chairman Tourism Australia, Chairman Experience Co (EXP)
- Anthony Hayes, Chief Operating Officer, Sealink Travel Group (SLK)
- Rachel Wiseman, Chief Investment Officer, NRMA Group
10.40am 11.10am – Morning Tea
11.10am – 11.35am Investor Insight. Les Szekely has picked a few winners in his time: HotelClub, SiteMinder and Rezdy to name a few, so what he says is worth listening to. What is his philosophy on investing, what does he look for in a company and what does he think the future holds? Find out here.
- Les Szekely, MD, Grand Prix Capital
11.35am – 11.55am Going Public: Serko is a story of dogged perseverance and bloody mindedness. After a rocky start on the NZSX, Serko staged a huge turnaround and became its top performing share last year while achieving a long-time goal of co-listing on the ASX in June.
- Darrin Grafton, Co-Founder & CEO, Serko (SKO)
11.55am – 12.40pm Attractive Proposition: Attractions are the invisible infrastructure underpinning Australian tourism. Session opens with focus on the rapid evolution of third-generation company Hammons Holdings, owner since 1945 of Scenic World Blue Mountains and now operator of commercial climbing on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Followed by industry leader discussion covering everything from ski resorts and aquariums to water parks. Moderator Nigel Benton, Publisher, Australian Leisure Media.
- Anthea Hammon, Managing Director, Scenic World; Director Hammons Holdings
- David Hammon, CEO and Director, Hammons Holdings (Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb Experience)
- Rob Smith, Divisional Director, Australia & NZ, Merlin Entertainments
- Dax Eddy, GM, Jamberoo Action Park
12.40pm – 2.00pm Lunch. Sensational lunch in Bistro Remy, a great space and brilliant food. Delegates will get the chance to relax and catch up with fellow delegates in a beautiful environment.
2.00pm – 2.30pm Engineering an Exit. Building a travel business is one thing, selling it or stepping back another thing altogether. Here’s how two quite different travel entrepreneurs managed their transition. One sold, the other stepped aside from day to day management. Presentation followed by discussion.
- Josh Oakes, The Sunshine Tribe
- Simon Lenoir, co-Founder, Rezdy
2.30pm – 2.40pm Owning the Moment: Why lease when you can build and own? Australian travel companies APT and Scenic have been at the forefront of investing in and building their own ships. Now Aurora Expeditions has joined the party, commissioning the ‘Greg Mortimer’ expedition ship. Case study on rewards and risks of building your own ship.
- Robert Halfpenny, Managing Director, Aurora Expeditions
2.40pm – 2.50pm Focus On – Intrepid Group: It’s been a remarkable journey for the Intrepid Group, which is pushing ahead with an ambitious strategy to be the biggest player in the global adventure travel industry through a combination of acquisitions and organic growth
- Brett Mitchell, Regional Director APAC, Intrepid Group
2.50pm – 3.10pm Adventure and Expedition Travel: Discussion…Adventure travel is hot right now with consumers increasingly looking for culture, meaning and interaction when they take a break. Experiential travel is the buzz word. Find out what’s driving this sector, where the opportunities lie and what the future holds
- Brett Mitchell, Regional Director APAC, Intrepid Group
- Robert Halfpenny, Managing Director, Aurora Expeditions
- Sue Badyari, CEO, World Expeditions
3.10pm – 3.30pm Working Locally, Growing Globally. The common wisdom is that you can’t build a global business from Australia. However, it can be done. Rod Cuthbert has used Australia as a launching pad for two global businesses, Viator, now owned by TripAdvisor, and Rome2rio, headquartered in Melbourne. What did he learn along the way? Interview format.
- Rod Cuthbert, Executive Chairman, Rome2Rio; Founder of Viator
3.30pm – 4.00pm Afternoon Tea
4.00pm – 4.30pm The Next Big Thing… If only if it were that simple. Here is your chance to get ahead of the curve in our closing session featuring a panel of well-connected industry insiders with their take on how travel will evolve in the coming years and who will be best placed to take advantage of the ever-shifting tourism landscape.
- Tammy Marshall, Founder The B Hive (intro and moderation)
- Susan Bonner, Vice President and Managing Director, Royal Caribbean Cruises
- Quirin Schwaighofer, co-Founder & COO, MadeComfy
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