Generative AI has been hailed as the most disruptive innovation since the birth of the web. There are opportunities galore for content creators and brand marketers, but there are threats, too – not least in copyright. In his engaging keynote, Graham will explain how we can work with generative AI – exploiting all it has to offer – rather than be replaced by it.

Graham is a leading strategist and writer on the impacts of generative AI on human-made media. In a career spanning 40 years, Graham has been a journalist, editor, consultant, producer and entrepreneur with a keen interest in the future of media. He was a member of the team that launched Teletext Limited in the UK, becoming editor-in-chief of the world's biggest and most commercially successful information service of its kind. He was a founding director of Associated New Media, which went on to launch Mail Online and founder of media intelligence provider Lovelacemedia, sold to the Press Association in 2004 when he became PA’s head of marketing and strategy.

Graham worked as a journalist at the BBC, Visnews, BSB News, ITN, Channel 4 and PA, and is a Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program graduate. In addition to studying and writing about the impacts of generative AI in his widely acclaimed Substack newsletter Charting Gen AI, Graham advises media firms on their strategies and produces their corporate events.

Doug has worked for the Louisiana Office of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in various roles over the past 20 years. From Domestic and International Marketing and Promotions to Rural Tourism Development, Doug has worked to build and promote the interrelationship between tourism and cultural heritage in the state he loves. He presently serves as Assistant Secretary of Tourism for and represents CRT on numerous boards and commissions including the Mississippi River Country, The Louisiana Board of International Commerce, Travel South USA, Louisiana Tax Free Shopping Commission and the United States Travel Association.

Kate has held several senior media positions, including editor of The Sun-Herald, Sunday Life editor, Sydney Morning Herald/Age features editor, head of Food and Drink, and commercial content director at Fairfax and Nine. She’s travelled to all seven continents and even spent a year campervanning Australia with her kids. Explore is the travel section for ACM, Australia’s largest independent publisher and with almost a century of media and travel experience between them, the Explore team is well qualified to talk about all things travel.

In 2003, Todd helped lead an effort to establish dedicated and stable funding for Travel Oregon through a statewide transient lodging tax. This funding has been crucial in Travel Oregon’s ability to grow the state’s tourism economy through innovative destination management, growing international markets and award-winning advertising campaigns. Today, tourism, and the small businesses, corporations and organisations that make up the tourism economy are a primary driver of Oregon’s total economy. In response to industry needs and emerging opportunities, Todd worked with industry representatives and state legislators in 2016 to establish a dedicated funding source for the seven regional destination management organisations and a competitive grant program. Todd believes that reinvesting in local communities, whether through marketing programs, technical assistance and training, regional investments, or grants, is critical to supporting and growing Oregon’s tourism economy for generations to come.

Todd currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Corporation for Travel Promotion (Brand USA), appointed by Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and is their immediate past Chair. He is also a member of the National Council of State Tourism Directors (NCSTD) and the Western States Tourism Policy Council (WSTPC).

He is a past Chair of both U.S. Travel Association and the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (USTTAB), a role he assumed in January 2012 after first being appointed to the board in 2010. He also served on the National Advisory Committee on Travel and Tourism Infrastructure (NACTTI). In recognition of his contributions, Todd was named State Tourism Director of the Year by the NCSTD in 2006 and was inducted into U.S. Travel’s Hall of Leaders in 2018.

Chris Jeffares is a high-energy speaker who brings a unique perspective to the collision of content, brands and audiences. He is a Director at creative advisory business, INDIE.C, and sits on the Collective for leading AI agency, Time Under Tension. With a 20-year career in Marketing & Media, starting in PR, he has worked across Australia and Asia Pacific, helping over 150 brands bring their story to audiences and customers, most recently, as Managing Partner at SAFARI, a specialist tourism, adventure and lifestyle content production company. They were launched to embrace the global movement of ‘experience culture’ and worked for Visit Victoria, Destination NSW, Anaconda, Mountain Designs, Great Ocean Road Tourism, Wanaka, Ford, NZ Warriors and Accolade Wines (Global). Delivering content projects that spanned the globe from all parts of Australia to Tokyo, Oregon, India, China, Italy, Niseko, Queenstown and even Las Vegas.

Chris is a digital-native and was CEO of creative:media agency Cummins&Partners where he led them to twenty Agency of the Year awards, a #1 AsiaPac independent creative agency ranking and was nominated as Agency Leader of the Year and Champion of Change on multiple occasions. He also worked extensively with dynamic global and local brands, including Tourism WA, Jeep, Ford, AFL, Tennis Australia (AO), ICC T20 World Cup, Crown Resorts and Asahi. Previously, he led Wunderman (WPP) in AsiaPac roles across Digital & CRM and launched the very first social media platforms for Australian icon, Vegemite. The first tweet was endless corporate T&Cs.

Trudi is Traveller’s content director, with responsibility for all editorial across the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Originally from England, Trudi began her magazine career in London, and also worked as a sub-editor on Fleet Street. She has edited Sunday Life, delicious. magazine and Vogue Entertaining + Travel as well as establishing two successful online businesses. She has lived in France and Italy, and will travel long distances for good food, wine and coffee.

James Kavanagh (JK) is an integral member of the Flight Centre Travel Group's (FCTG) esteemed global executive leadership team, serving as the Global CEO of Leisure Travel and the Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand. He oversees a thriving leisure operation that has been meticulously reshaped and transformed to thrive in the post-pandemic travel industry. Key brands under JK's leadership include Flight Centre, Travel Associates, Ignite (My Holidays, My Cruises), Cruiseabout, Travel Money, Student Universe, Envoyage and Scott Dunn.

FCTG is one of the world’s largest travel retailers and corporate travel managers. Headquartered in Brisbane, it employs about 15,000 people globally and has company-owned leisure and/or corporate travel business in 25 countries, spanning Australia/New Zealand (ANZ), the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia. The company opened its first leisure travel shop in Sydney in 1982 and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1995.

Declan is a Client Partner for Travel at TikTok, working with major travel brands and tourism bodies in Australia to help them grow their business using TikTok. He has spent many years in the travel industry, most recently leading the consumer marketing team for Tourism New Zealand in both Australia and the Americas, and is passionate about leveraging this experience to help travel brands be a part of the travel revolution happening on TikTok.

Jo was appointed CEO of Southern Cross Travel Insurance (SCTI) in 2020 after three years in the business as Chief Customer Officer. With a career spanning over 20 years in financial services in New Zealand and the UK, Jo brings to Southern Cross a diverse range of skills, including strategic leadership and product marketing. Prior to joining SCTI in 2017, Jo was Head of Sales and Marketing at The Warehouse Group Financial Services. In earlier roles, Jo led acquisition marketing with GE Capital (NZ) and managed direct-to-consumer insurance portfolios with Tesco Bank (UK).

Born and raised in the UK, Jo holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Art History from the University of Nottingham, a Post Graduate Diploma in Enterprise Management from Durham University Business School and a Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK).Jo is on the board of the Greyhounds Adoptions Programme Trust (Greyhounds as Pets), a charitable trust working to find homes for retired racing greyhounds and support new owners. Outside of work, Jo is a mum to four school-aged boys who share their family home in Auckland with four cats and a career changed guide dog.

With over 30 years of experience in the tourism and travel, sport and entertainment and media industries, John is a seasoned leader dedicated to driving growth and innovation. Since taking over as CEO of Experience Co (ASX:EXP) in mid-2019, he has successfully led the business through COVID-19, conducted and implemented a strategic review, and seen the business reposition itself as a leader in the Adventure Tourism sector. Prior to his time at Experience Co, as Managing Director of Tourism Australia, he oversaw a period of record growth in international visitation and expenditure to Australia, contributing significantly to the tourism sector.

John's expertise encompasses a broad range of leadership capabilities, particularly in sales and marketing, event management and digital technology. His strategic vision and ability to implement high-impact initiatives have consistently enabled the organisations he has been part of to move forward. In addition to his role at Experience Co, John serves as the Chair of Tourism Tropical North Queensland, one of Australia's largest and most diverse Regional Tourism Organisations. He holds an Executive MBA and is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

Dondra is Azamara Cruises’ newly appointed Chief Executive Officer. A 40-year veteran of the travel industry, Dondra recently left her position as Senior Vice President of Sales, Trade Support, and Services for the Americas at Celebrity Cruises. In this role, she oversaw nearly 700 employees, including Marketing Sales Directors and Managers, Strategic Marketing Managers, Charter Sales, Inside Sales Representatives, and National and Corporate Account Managers in the field, as well as the support staff at corporate headquarters in Miami. Dondra also led National Accounts, Trade Support and Service (including Reservations, Group Sales, and Customer Service), the line's Consumer Outreach division, Onboard Cruise Sales, and internal Sales Support. During her 20 years with Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Cruises, Dondra was widely credited for raising awareness of the importance of travel advisors. She created multiple travel advisor-facing programs designed to help build their business, including “The Celebrity Commitment.” Under Dondra’s leadership, Celebrity was awarded “Best Premium Cruise Line” by leading industry trade publication Travel Weekly for 13 consecutive years. She also played a key role on the executive team that launched what is today Azamara Cruises.

Prior to her tenure at Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, Dondra spent 20 years in various sales and marketing leadership roles with American Airlines. She is also a well-respected member of the community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Jack and Jill Late-Stage Cancer Foundation, the Family Bonds Foundation in conjunction with CoNexion Travel, and The Baptist Cancer Institute of Miami Gala Board. Dondra provided executive guidance for the Royal Caribbean Group (RCG) Diversity Council and led the RCG Employee Resources Group, mentoring young professionals entering the workforce. She has also previously served in leadership roles as a board member for The American Cancer Society and as Gala Chair for RCG Give Day, United Way, and His House. A Texas native, Dondra has two grown sons and currently spends time in both Florida and Colorado with her husband, Kevin.

Nick founded TravMedia in 1999 after ten years as travel editor of Courier Newspapers, Australia. His knowledge and contributions to the travel industry are extensive. Nick is a proud supporter of the SATW and sponsors the ONE Travel Conference Travel Writer Award for outstanding work in promoting US travel. He is an active member of the ASTW, a judge for the Gourmet Travel Annual Awards, and supports the British Guild of Travel Writers Awards and the ASTW Awards.

Nick created IMM 13 years ago, and The Summit 8 years ago. The platform also powers the online event marketplaces for IPW, Destination Canada’s Corroboree and ATE.

Melissa inspires locals and travellers to explore the best of the country, including places to visit, things to do and spots to eat. Before joining Time Out as the Branded Content writer for Sydney in 2023, she freelanced as a food writer for SBS Food and The Urban List, among others. She also had a short stint in hospitality PR, has experience in the social media and digital marketing world, and even started a food waste social enterprise at 21.

When Melissa is not playing with words, you’ll find her running laps around Centennial Park, volunteering at the OzHarvest Refettorio, telling you how cute her dog is and eating her way through Sydney. She has a soft spot for pastries and pickles, is passionate about paying it forward, and is likely planning her next holiday right now.

Richard Quest is CNN's foremost international business correspondent and anchor of Quest Means Business, the definitive word on how we earn and spend our money. Based in New York, he is one of the most instantly recognisable members of the CNN team.

Quest hosts CNN International's signature monthly feature program, Quest's World of Wonder, an immersive travel series that finds him exploring a new destination each month and meeting fascinating people who reveal the heart of that city.

Quest’s dynamic and distinctive style has made him a unique figure in business broadcasting. Quest Means Business destroys the myth that business is boring, bridging the gap between hard economics and entertaining television. Guests of the show have included world leaders such as David Cameron and Petr Necas of the Czech Republic; Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan Chase and Robert Zoellick, the former President of the World Bank; European policymakers including IMF boss Christine Lagarde, EC President Jose Manuel Barroso, and former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn; and some of the most influential names in corporate America including DreamWorks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and Ford CEO Alan Mulally.

Quest also serves as CNN Business editor-at-large and often hosts the digital live financial show "Markets Now" live streamed from the floor of the NYSE at CNNBusiness.com. He regularly reports from G20 meetings and attends the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, each year. Quest has covered every major stock market and financial crisis since Black Monday in 1987 and has reported from key financial centres globally, including Wall Street, London, Sao Paolo, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

In addition, Quest is CNN's established airline and aviation correspondent, where he presents the monthly CNN Business Traveller show, the definitive authority on making the most of doing business on the road - moving from A to B on company time. As a business travel specialist, Quest has become a voice of authority on subjects like the launch of the Airbus A380. He has interviewed all the major airline executives, including current Delta CEO Ed Bastian, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes and President of Emirates Sir Timothy Charles Clark. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) awarded Quest the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award for his reporting on the travel business.

Quest extensively covered the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 across CNN/US and CNNI. He travelled to Kuala Lumpur, where he landed a television exclusive interview with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. His book 'The Vanishing of Flight MH370: The True Story of the Hunt for the Missing Malaysian Plane' details his unique perspective on covering MH370 for CNN.

Quest's coverage of breaking news, which has spanned more than three decades, has seen him report on a range of stories, from the death of Yasser Arafat and the Lockerbie Pan Am 103 crash to the death of Michael Jackson. Quest is more than just business; few journalists have had guests as varied, from His Holiness, The Dalai Lama to actress Joan Collins to the founder of Playboy Magazine, Hugh Hefner.

In 2014, Quest fronted the CNN Freedom Project documentary Cocoa-nomics, which explored how the chocolate industry is trying to eradicate slavery from its supply chains. Joined by an executive vice president at Nestle, Quest visited cocoa plantations in Ivory Coast to see if any progress had been made in the fight against child labour.

Prior to joining CNN, he worked at the BBC, where he was the North America business correspondent based on Wall Street for 12 years. Quest is British, holds an LLB (Hons) degree in Law from Leeds University, and was called to the Bar.

Matt is an award-winning technology entrepreneur, CEO and founder of Freelancer Limited. Twelve-time Webby award-winning freelancer.com is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace by total number of users and projects posted. More than 68 million registered users have posted over 22 million projects and contests to date in over 2,700 areas as diverse as website development, logo design, marketing, copywriting, astrophysics, aerospace engineering and manufacturing. Freelancer provides cloud labour for clients ranging from consumers to the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

As founder of freelancer.com, Matt bootstrapped a US$2.5m investment for an acquisition to listing in four years without any further funding rounds in an IPO that opened at a market capitalisation of US$1.1 billion, the third biggest opening ever on the ASX, generating a 15,700% return for investors.

Matt is also Chief Executive of escrow.com, a world leader in secure online payments with over US$6b in transactions secured, which is the only online payment method for eBay Motors USA. He is also Executive Chairman of Loadshift, Australia’s largest freight marketplace with over 700 million kilometres of freight posted to date.

Matt was an Adjunct Associate Professor in Electrical and Information Engineering at the University of Sydney, where he taught Cryptography for 14 years and, later, Technology Venture Creation. He is the co-author of over 20 US patent applications.

Matt is a prolific speaker and has featured at SXSW, The Summit Series, ASEAN, Tony Robbins, The Next Web and in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Time Magazine, TechCrunch and the Economist. He writes essays on macroeconomics and policy and was one of the 100 original LinkedIn influencers globally. He runs Australia’s largest technology, startup & growth conference, StartCon, where he has interviewed thought leaders, including Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, John McAfee, Patrick Grove and Kimdotcom.

Previously, he founded and was Chief Executive of Sensory Networks Inc., a vendor of high-performance network security processors sold to Intel Corporation in 2013.

In 2006, he was awarded the State Pearcey Award for contribution to the IT&T industry. In 2010, he was named Alumnus of the Year for the Faculty of Engineering & IT, University of Sydney. In 2011, he was named the inaugural BRW Entrepreneur of the Year by Australia's most prestigious business publication and the E&Y Technology Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2013, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Engineering Excellence Awards. In 2014, he was named the most influential person in information technology in Australia by Smart Company. In 2015, he was named in the Top 100 Most Influential Engineers in Australia by Engineers Australia. In 2016, he was awarded Libertarian of the Year by the Australian Libertarian Society. He has won Silver Stevies in the International Business Awards in 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2017 for CEO of the Year. In 2018, he was named Alumnus of the Year in Entrepreneurship by Macquarie University. In 2019, he won a Gold Stevie for Executive of the Year (Business & Professional Services). In 2021, he received a Doctorate of Letters honoris causa from Macquarie University for contributions to business & technology.

Matt holds first-class honours in both Electrical Engineering and Science, a Masters in Applied Finance, and a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia.

As Tourism Australia’s Chief Marketing Officer, Susan is responsible for driving the organisation’s global marketing strategy, ensuring that Australia’s tourism marketing efforts continue to cut through in the competitive international marketplace. Having joined Tourism Australia in 2017, Susan lead the creative development for campaigns such as Dundee and Undiscover Australia. Susan was promoted to the role of Chief Marketing Officer in May 2019 to lead the Global Marketing team in creating and developing brand assets for innovative campaigns such as Matesong with Kylie Minogue and the domestic Holiday Here This Year campaign.

Before devoting her time to the travel and tourism industry, Susan helped change the face of many blue-chip brands during her 20-year long career as a marketer. Working in an agency environment, Susan gained a wealth of experience with high profile clients such as Qantas, News Corp and Westpac. She was also one of the handful of people lucky enough to have worked on the single most referenced campaign in the industry ‘Think different’ by Apple.

Susan’s extensive creative agency experience has seen her develop successful brands that enable businesses to not only excel but also help to shape their culture from the inside. Her switch to working in a client-side role has funded her passion to drive results from the inside and continue to build Australia’s tourism brand internationally.

Jill is the owner and Managing Director of Barking Owl Communications, a boutique Sydney-based PR agency assisting companies in the tourism industry with strategic and creative responses to their communications issues. With extensive experience in marketing and corporate communications and issues management, she has worked in local and global markets, including 11 years in the USA where she worked with leading global communications firm Edelman, managing their Tourism Practice from the company’s Chicago head office. After returning home, she was Managing Director of the Australian operation.

Jill established Barking Owl Communications to provide personalised, hands-on support for clients across the tourism industry. The agency works across a range of tourism clients, including Destinations, Cruise, Airlines, Industry Associations and Hotels. Among the agency’s highlights, she lists the recent launch of Indigenous storytelling experience, Wintjiri Wiru for Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia; supporting the re-start of the cruise industry here for the Australian Cruise Association, then launching two new-build cruise ships in the last six months with Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises; opening several exciting new build and re-designed hotels including the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour and the Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets; and creating a multi-faceted, six-part podcast for Travel Portland in the U.S overseeing the entire initiative end to end.

Jill has also led some of the most high-profile tourism crisis management programs, including the recovery program for Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism after their devastating earthquake and communications initiatives for Longitude 131 following the fire, which severely damaged the property.

René joined Tourism New Zealand in August 2015, bringing 20 years of global experience in consumer-led businesses, including local and international marketing roles for Fonterra, Heineken, and Asia Pacific Breweries in Singapore.

René was appointed Chief Executive of Tourism New Zealand in April 2021. Prior to this, he was Tourism New Zealand's Director Commercial. In this role, René led a team across 15 offices in 14 countries responsible for identifying key markets and audiences for travel to New Zealand. René also led the development of Tourism New Zealand's aviation strategy to guide partnerships with international airlines. René is passionate about the tourism sector and active in tourism industry engagement, undertaking regular speaking engagements and panel discussions.

Constantina is the travel editor of delicious. Magazine and delicious.com.au, Australia's number one premium food and lifestyle brand. She is responsible for commissioning content that would pique the interest of an epicurious traveller. Constantina edits the travel section of the magazine as well as the travel vertical of the website and works closely with both the digital and print teams.

Zac is an energetic and engaging tourism thought leader focused on the growth and promotion of the Rockhampton region through storytelling, product development, collaboration and showcasing authentic and innovative experiences to increase the region's visitor economy.

He grew up in Rockhampton and has had diverse careers in the tourism and business development sectors. He has worked for Australia's largest media and marketing companies in regional areas, metro cities and internationally in the USA. Zac has held positions with Queensland Government's Young Tourism Leaders, Queensland Tourism Industry Council Young Professionals Mentoring Program, and Tourism and Events Queensland's Southern Great Barrier Reef Destination Leaders Program.

Sofia has over thirteen years’ experience in destination marketing. Since 2015, she has been responsible for leading Tourism Ireland’s operations in Australia and New Zealand. Prior to her role in Sydney, Sofia worked with Tourism Ireland for 6 years in various executive roles, including Senior Advertising Executive – Great Britain (GB) and Brand Partnerships and Trade Executive in both The Netherlands and GB. In March 2021 Sofia was appointed as Chairperson of the European Travel Commission’s (ETC) overseas chapter in Australia. ETC is an association of National Tourism Organisations, and the Australia Chapter members work together to leverage European destinations’ promotional activities through cooperative marketing, access to market intelligence, exchange of best practices and relationships between the Australian and European travel and tourism industry.

Penny is editor of The Weekend Australian’s Travel + Luxury section. Her extensive career in newspapers has encompassed several years in Scotland and Hong Kong, stints that nurtured her love of travel. She joined The Australian in 2010 and was appointed travel editor in 2019.

Amanda launched The Thoughtful Travel Podcast in 2016 after a decade of freelance travel writing and blogging. The podcast was chosen as a feature live recording for the inaugural SXSW Sydney in 2023 and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Washington Post and Travel + Leisure. It is closing in on one million downloads and is supported by a thriving community of listeners in two Thoughtful Travellers social media groups; Amanda also runs the Thoughtful Travellers Book Club as part of the podcast.

After living abroad in Japan, Slovakia and Germany and teaching English to people of all ages, Amanda returned to her hometown of Perth and now spends time working on various podcasting projects, especially a suite of educational programs with FORM, empowering disengaged teenagers to find a voice through the podcast medium. She also teaches podcasting to undergraduates at Murdoch University.

Amanda also runs a social media consultancy, working with small and medium businesses to help them use digital technologies to promote their work effectively. She teaches social media to communications postgraduates at Murdoch University and runs social media workshops online for ADMA and in Perth and across rural Western Australia for the Tourism Council of Western Australia.

Maya has a proven track record of managing strong brands on the local, national and world stage, having worked in data-driven digital marketing and content marketing in Germany, France, USA and Canada. Maya holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

At Destination BC, Maya is responsible for our global marketing efforts in 14 domestic and international markets to inspire over 21 million trips to and within BC annually via the Super, Natural British Columbia® brand. A passionate British Columbian raising a young family, she loves skiing, sailing, swimming and exploring BC’s hidden wonders.

Jessica is Lonely Planet’s Destination Editor for Oceania. She’s responsible for commissioning the brand’s guidebooks and digital content for the region, including Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. As an award-winning journalist, she also contributes to North American, British and New Zealand publications. Jess believes strongly in social justice in tourism and the role that travel writing can play in improving diversity and inclusion.

Rob is a regular contributor to the travel sections of Australia and New Zealand's leading newspapers and magazines. He's won six writing awards, including ASTW Travel Writer of the Year, and is an active Adventure Travel Trade Association member. Rob regularly speaks at travel events and has helped hundreds of aspiring travel writers, PR professionals and tourism operators through his writing courses.

Hangry By Nature is one of the largest video-focused travel and food TikTok, Instagram and YouTube channels, with an audience of over 2 million engaged followers. The channel comprises cheeky-faced Tina, hangry Andy and their two rambunctious food-loving kiddos, Raffy and Flo. Tina and Andy are professional video creators who have paved the path for fun, compelling and highly entertaining short-form travel videos.

With over 20 million video views per month, Tina loves showing their audience quirky and eye-opening travel experiences, unique destinations, culture education and, of course, the best (and sometimes most bizarre) eats wherever they go. They've worked with leading travel brands, including Amazing Thailand, Tokyo Tourism, Skyscanner, Destination NSW, Visit Berlin, Universal Studios, Accor and IHG.

Stuff is the national online homepage (formerly known as Stuff.co.nz) for the New Zealand national news company, Stuff Limited. The Stuff Travel website is supplemented by dedicated e-newsletters, a weekly lift-out section in the Sunday Star-Times, and dedicated weekly travel features every Monday in The Dominion Post, The Press, Waikato Times, Taranaki Daily News, Manawatu Standard, Marlborough Express, Nelson Mail, The Timaru Herald and The Southland Times. In addition, there will be quarterly glossy inserts in all copies of the Sunday Star-Times, Waikato Times, The Dominion Post and The Press. Juliette's role as News Director (Travel) helps drive the news and features agenda across Stuff travel's print and digital platforms. Juliette is also a keen diver and ice skater.

Nick founded TravMedia in 1999 after ten years as travel editor of Courier Newspapers, Australia. His knowledge and contributions to the travel industry are extensive. Nick is a proud supporter of the SATW and sponsors the ONE Travel Conference Travel Writer Award for outstanding work in promoting US travel. He is an active member of the ASTW, a judge for the Gourmet Travel Annual Awards, and supports the British Guild of Travel Writers Awards and the ASTW Awards.

Nick created IMM 13 years ago, and The Summit 8 years ago. The platform also powers the online event marketplaces for IPW, Destination Canada’s Corroboree and ATE.

Catriona Rowntree is ‘Australia’s Most Travelled Woman’ after leading Australia’s favourite and longest-running travel and lifestyle program, Getaway, for more than 20 years triumphantly, also becoming one of the longest-running presenters for a single program.

Making a start in community radio, Catriona put news to air, hosted an interview show on FM 915 (Rhythm and Jazz), and eventually landed a gig on Triple J’s Weekend Request Show. With a few years of television experience also behind her, Catriona was then offered her prize spot on Getaway, where she has spent her life discovering and sharing the world’s most relaxing, inspiring and out-of-the-ordinary holiday destinations.

Catriona has lent her grace and entertaining humour to many other TV programs and events, including Australia’s Funniest Home Videos, the TV Week Logie Awards and most recently, Country House Hunters on 9Life.

A lover of a good holiday read Catriona is not just book-obsessed but an author herself. In 2006, Catriona celebrated her ten years on Getaway by publishing her first book Catriona's Australia: 100 of ‘My Favourite Aussie Locations’. Her second book, A Grandmother’s Wisdom, was released in 2013, and in 2019 she was proud to launch 'The Best of World Cruising.'

A self-confessed chatterbox, Catriona has dazzled audiences of all sizes as an MC and guest speaker with clients such as Mitre 10 and Clarins. A passionate advocate for many charities and foundations, Catriona has used her powerful and uplifting voice to support many organisations, including The Arnott’s Foundation, Mission Australia and the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.

In 2008, Catriona swapped her Jimmy Choos for R.M. Williams and married Victorian farmer James Petit. Based in rural Victoria, they live with their two boys, Andrew and Charles, in a historic bluestone homestead atop a sheep station.

Matthew Cameron-Smith commenced as CEO of Voyages in August 2020. Matthew has an extensive and highly successful background in national and international tourism, joining Voyages from The Travel Corporation, where he spent almost 10 years leading the Trafalgar Guided Holidays brand as well as his most recent position as Global CEO of AAT Kings.

His prior experience has included roles with Tourism Australia - promoting the country in the UK and Europe markets, global roles with Rydges Hotels & Resorts, South Bank Parklands and Dreamworld.

In his role as Voyages CEO, Matthew is responsible for the oversight of Voyages National Indigenous Training Academy (NITA). The National Indigenous Training Academy (NITA) aims to providing market leading training and employment programs while empowering a growing Indigenous workforce at both Ayers Rock Resort and Mossman Gorge Cultural Centre. The unique training, working and residential program supports trainees to participate in the local community, learn life skills and build a solid foundation for their future career. It includes accommodation and a dedicated residential and training team on location.

Matthew is also a director of Ultimate Winery Experiences of Australia, the Anangu Community Foundation and previously a director of the Council of Australian Tour Operators. He holds an Associate Diploma in Human Resource Development and a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management.

Steve is the Chief Executive Officer of Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency. Destination NSW is the lead agency, champion and voice for the NSW visitor economy. It also owns, manages and produces Australia’s largest event, Vivid Sydney.

Steve is a passionate and energetic champion for Sydney and regional NSW. He drives the strategic direction of Destination NSW, including the delivery of the Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 to ensure NSW is the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific by 2030. Steve is also a Director on the Boards of Business Events Sydney (BESydney) and the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse.

Prior to joining Destination NSW in 2020, Steve was the Managing Director of Dymocks for eight years, where he launched several high-growth business channels for the company. Before Dymocks, Steve held senior roles with David Jones and the Specialty Fashion Group. Steve holds an MBA with Macquarie University – Graduate School of Management.

Anthony is Traveller's national travel editor. One of Australia's most experienced travel and tourism editors and writers and the author of two travel books, he is a long-time commentator on travel and tourism issues. He has appeared at many travel and tourism events over the years as both a speaker and a moderator. Anthony is a former deputy editor of The Sydney Morning Herald as well as former editor of the Australian Travel + Leisure magazine. He was the Australia-New Zealand correspondent for Travel + Leisure US.

A dynamic dutchman and leading pr professional, Philip is as passionate about his adopted country as much as he is travel. having amassed more than 25 years in the business, Philip’s industry knowledge and network of media and industry contacts is unrivalled. leading a team of eight communications specialists, Philip has been awarded communicator of the year by the Australian society of travel writers multiple times. 2022 sees PEPR Agency celebrate 19 years in business, a milestone Philip is extremely proud of in an everchanging pr landscape. recently, following a rigorous selection process, Philip hired PEPR’s first chief-happiness officer – lulu, the very friendly office groodle.

Sofia has over thirteen years’ experience in destination marketing. Since 2015, she has been responsible for leading Tourism Ireland’s operations in Australia and New Zealand. Prior to her role in Sydney, Sofia worked with Tourism Ireland for 6 years in various executive roles, including Senior Advertising Executive – Great Britain (GB) and Brand Partnerships and Trade Executive in both The Netherlands and GB. In March 2021 Sofia was appointed as Chairperson of the European Travel Commission’s (ETC) overseas chapter in Australia. ETC is an association of National Tourism Organisations, and the Australia Chapter members work together to leverage European destinations’ promotional activities through cooperative marketing, access to market intelligence, exchange of best practices and relationships between the Australian and European travel and tourism industry.

Born in Birmingham, UK, Martin has a BA and MA in English literature from Cambridge University and an MA in Communications from RMIT University, Melbourne. He left England in 1987 and lived, worked and travelled around the world before migrating to Australia in 1997. He worked for Lonely Planet from 1999 to 2020 in numerous roles, including seven years as Editorial Manager. 

A bicycle accident on his 20km commute to work in 2010 left him a quadriplegic. He was Lonely Planet’s Accessible Travel Manager & Editorial Adviser from 2013 to 2020, in which role he published a number of accessible travel titles, including the world’s largest collection of Accessible Travel Online Resources, which was cited as best practice by the UNWTO, and an accessible guide to Rio de Janeiro that was supplied to all athletes participating in the 2016 Paralympics. He also commissioned and co-wrote Accessible Melbourne, Accessible Brighton, Accessible Bristol, Accessible Edinburgh and Accessible Glasgow.

Since 2014 he has become a regular speaker at travel conferences held by such global travel NGOs as UNWTO, WTTC, IATA and PATA. His most recent project was Tourism Access and Inclusion: Best Practice Guidelines for Tourism MSMEs for APEC, comprising a series of three online workshops featuring many of the world’s accessible travel luminaries and a 43-page report. He is currently working on a handbook and training programme for tourism service providers for the Australian Tourism Export Council, a branch of Tourism Australia.

For the last six years he has served as chair of the board of IDEAS, a NSW-based nonprofit providing information to and advocacy services for the disability communities throughout Australia. He was appointed to the Victorian Disability Advisory Council in October 2019, and reappointed in 2022 to advise the Victorian government on matters related to disability.

Contact details: MCKWHeng@Gmail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-heng-6626498/;

Originally from Adelaide, Australia, and now living in Fiji, Brent is a multi-award winning marketer and leader, and joined Tourism Fiji as CEO in July ’21 after 6 years at the South Australian Tourism Commission. In 2021 Brent led the incredible effort to reopen Fiji to the world in December 2021, achieving the 21-22 visitor arrivals targets 3 months ahead of schedule. Brent leads a team based in Nadi, Fiji, as well as offices across the world, in pursuit of the goal of $3B in tourism revenue by December 2024 – equating to 38% of Fiji’s economy.

Stephanie is the Travel Editor for NZME (was formerly Deputy Travel Editor for 3.5 years). NZME publishes two weekly consumer newspaper-inserted magazines - Travel, in the New Zealand Herald, and Sunday Travel, in the Herald on Sunday. They also have online and social media platforms. Stephanie also co-hosts the fortnightly travel podcast Trip Notes.

Stephen is a Marketing Communication professional with a variety of experiences spanning over 15 years in several different industries and cultural backgrounds, having lived in Australia, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.

Stephen began his career studying at QUT in Brisbane whilst running the Marketing and Promotions for several high-end hospitality venues. To further progress his career, he relocated to Sydney in 2007, working at The Popcorn Group, running the PR and Marketing for the national social beach volleyball festival SLAM.

In an extreme change of direction, in 2008, Stephen moved into the car industry, working for the multi-national car company Hyundai Motor Company. Whilst at Hyundai, he oversaw a complete brand change in the company, launching several new vehicles and implementing a new direction in their PR practices.

In July 2012, Stephen felt the need to return to where it all began in hospitality, joining one of Australia's largest hospitality and entertainment companies, EVENT. At EVENT, he successfully launched the designer hotel brand QT Hotels & Resorts in the Australian and International markets whilst also overseeing the company's group communications across EVENT businesses such as Event Cinemas, Rydges Hotels, and Thredbo Alpine Resort, among others.

In 2017, Stephen furthered his education by completing the Strategic Marketing Management course and the renowned Ivy League University Harvard.

In March 2018, he joined the designer hotel collection Ovolo as Director of Marketing during a rapid expansion period across several different regions.

Kate has a long history of working with some of the world's most iconic travel and tourism brands in Sydney and London, including Small Luxury Hotels of the World, Singapore Airlines, British Airways and the Sydney Opera House. Since launching her marketing and communications consultancy, Be Your Brand, in 2016, she has worked with more than 100 clients - from early-stage startups to multinational corporations- across various industries in Australia, Chile, UAE, UK and USA. Be Your Brand is proud to represent LATAM Airlines in Australia and New Zealand.

Linkd Tourism is the official Australia & New Zealand PR, marketing and sales organisation for a number of tourism bodies and travel products, including Colorado Tourism Office, Kyushu Japan, Visit Anaheim (PR only), Alamo Rent-A-Car, Aqua-Aston Hotels Hawaii and EagleRider Motorcycles.

Spanning over 34 years' experience in tourism marketing, Linkd Managing Director, Kylee Kay, has enjoyed sharing many successes with companies seeking in-depth tourism industry knowledge for representation in the Australian and New Zealand markets. Leadership and cohesive strategy sits within the DNA for Kylee. Boasting a high level of efficient management, financial oversight and analysis, Kylee has built Linkd into one of Australasia's leading and highly sought-after representation companies in tourism today.

Delivering full-service integration of marketing, media, PR and sales consultation to the tourism industry, both domestically and internationally, Kylee has developed long-standing relationships connecting organisations immediately and directly with key decision makers, who stop and listen when messaging is delivered by Linkd. Kylee considers it a privilege to represent all Linkd Tourism's clients, bringing a passionate, energetic and enthusiastic approach to all marketing, media and sales activations. Kylee has also held honorary leadership roles in tourism including a three-year stint as President of Visit USA Organisation Australia, ASTW Board Member, IPW Media committee member and was a finalist 'Employer of the Year', in the Women in Travel Awards (2019).

Kylee quote: "Without a team approach and mutual respect for each client's strengths, an organisation does not move forward. It's this blending that has allowed Linkd to assist all clients in taking that step forward and remaining at the forefront of the industry".

Quentin Long co-founded Australia's fastest growing travel media company, Australian Traveller Media in 2005.

The company's founding product, Australian Traveller magazine quickly became the best selling travel magazine in the country.

Known for its editorial independence, savvy reporting and supreme photography, Long quickly became a sought after media commentator on travel. From 2006 he has held weekly radio segments across the country and regular TV appearances commentating on issues and destinations for news and lifestyle programs.

He currently has a weekly segment on TV with CH9's Mornings program. He also is a weekly guest on several state wide ABC radio programs and a monthly specialist Sydney's leading radio station ABC702.

In 2012 he launched International Traveller, which went on to eclipse sister title Australian Traveller as the best selling travel magazine in the country.

The company also publishes a number of ipad apps and custom magazine, most notably for French automotive giant Peugeot.

Meredith Marks has worked in the media industry for nearly 20 years. Her experience extends across radio and television news, including Macquarie Radio Network, Network Ten, and currently the Nine Network.

Meredith has been in Sydney's Nine newsroom for 13 years. She started out as an associate producer before becoming an executive producer of the 6pm news. She was also appointed Sydney's Deputy News Director.

Meredith’s current role is an investigations and features producer, covering a wide range of topics, including travel, finance and health. This role involves generating and producing nightly promotable stories for the 6pm bulletin.

Élysée Collective is a full-service communications agency specialising in luxury lifestyle. Established in 2009, the agency represents some of the world’s most esteemed brands within the areas of travel, beauty, hospitality, fashion, wellness and design.

The agency offers a cross-sectional suite of services, including traditional public and media relations, digital and influencer marketing, brand consultancy, luxury partnerships and events.

With an ethos based on integrity with a highly personal approach, Élysée Collective's relationships with media, influencers, key opinion leaders and tastemakers are unrivalled, demonstrating premium, expansive networks across all pillars.

Having worked long-term with some of the most prestigious brands globally, each distinguished by their innovation and intelligent approach to luxury, Élysée Collective possesses an intimate and unrivalled intelligence of our specialty, ensuring a deep understanding of our clients’ goals, requirements and position within both the Australian and international landscape.

The agency prides itself on delivering exceptional, strategic results across a broad range of communication platforms, working closely with clients to develop thoughtful and personalised strategies, always delivered with a high degree of intelligence and decorum.

Constantly evolving and approaching client needs with thoughtfulness, integrity and innovation, the agency prides itself on its personal and holistic approach, extensive experience and international reach, developing multi-dimensional, thoughtful communications strategies, always delivered with a high degree of intelligence, understanding and determination, ultimately delivering exceptional results.

Clients include PONANT; Soneva; Aman; Capella Sydney; Perrier-Jouët; David Mallett; Sisley Paris; Creed; Cire Trudon; Santa Maria Novella; Biologique Recherché; Resplendent Ceylon; Bawah Reserve; Pallas Couture; and more.

Visit www.elyseecollective.com.au

Rowena is the digital editor of escape.com.au, the national travel publication for News Corp and Australia’s number one travel media brand. She is responsible for commissioning digital content to inspire Australian travellers who are dreaming, planning or booking a holiday. She also works closely with the Escape weekly print liftout that appears in News Corp’s Sunday metro newspapers around Australia and on the Escape social media channels.

Emma is the Global Manager - Public Relations for Tourism Australia. She is responsible for the management and operation of Tourism Australia's global PR function which includes the organisation's media and broadcast hosting programs, global press office and developing PR and communications strategies to support global marketing campaigns. She also provides strategic advice and support to Tourism Australia's regional PR teams in 15 international offices to assist them in developing and rolling out their own public relations activities.

Louise is President of GALTA, Australia's LGBTQ+ Travel Association, a non-profit membership organisation led by a Board of experienced tourism industry professionals. GALTA's mission is to promote welcoming holiday experiences in Australia for the benefit of both LGBTQ+ travellers and its national members, while driving greater tourism industry awareness around the LGBTQ+ welcoming space.

Louise's expertise and passion is in destination marketing and tourism strategy, drawing on over 20 years’ experience across State Government and regional tourism in Australia.

Louise has held senior marketing and management positions with Tourism Noosa in Queensland and Tourism Victoria in Melbourne, where she led marketing for the State in priority sectors including LGBTQ+ travel and Aboriginal tourism.

Under the banner of her own consultancy, Kindred Tourism, Louise is the PR Lead for the Tweed Tourism Company, destination host of the 2022 ASTW Convention, and also works with national social enterprise Welcome to Country, an online marketplace for over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences and 3000+ retail products.

Louise holds a Bachelor of Arts and Graduate Diploma in Tourism via Monash University and remains connected via the Monash Alumni program, engaged as a student mentor for the University's recent International Industry Engagement Program in Fiji.

James Gregory Wilkinson is an award-winning TV show host, Editor-In-Chief and global travel expert.

He is the host of the executive travel and lifestyle TV show WAYFARER and Editor-In-Chief of the Wayfarer website and newsletter that was launched in 2017.

WAYFARER Series 1 was broadcast on Sky News Australia (it generated 1.2 million viewers and is still available online at skynews.com.au and Foxtel On Demand) and is about to be broadcast on WestJet in Canada to 25 million passengers.

WAYFARER Series 2 is currently in final production and episodes set to be broadcast will feature Austin, Beijing, Fort Worth, Hong Kong, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai and several more global cities to be announced.

WAYFARER Series 3 is currently in production in 4K Ultra HD and destinations will include Paris, Fiji, the Whitsundays in Queensland, Auckland, Sydney, Singapore and several more global cities to be announced.

Each episode showcases some of the best hotels, restaurants, bars, galleries, shops and much more in the world's hottest destinations.

For the last 19 years, James has been the Editor-In-Chief of the Asia-Pacific region's highly respected hotel industry magazine, HM, and its online products.

He is formerly the Travel Editor of Time Out Australia and a Contributing Editor to SPICE magazine and SpiceNews.

From late-2012 to early 2018, James was a regular guest (appearing on over 200 episodes) on the Sky News Business Channel television show 'Business Class', which is now broadcast on Your Money and features airlines, hotels, destinations, travel accessories and much more.

James is also Chair of Laureate Australia Hospitality's Industry Advisory Board and Deputy Chair of the Young Garvan committee at the Garvan Research Foundation.

In 2003, James co-founded the HM Awards (Australasia's largest hotel awards) and in 2010, the AHICE Conference, also the region's largest.

He Chairs the Content Committee for AHICE and is the Chief Judge and co-organiser of the HM Awards.

James has also been a guest on Channel 7's 'The Morning Show', radio 4BC in Brisbane and 3AW in Melbourne, and is formerly the Editor-In-Chief of Hilton, Australian Hotelier, Signature Cocktails and bars&clubs magazines. Prior to this, James was at Courier Newspapers.

James was named 2008 Travel Writer of the Year for Trade / Industry by the Australian Society of Travel Writers, while in 2003, James received the received the Golden Circle Award from Marriott International.

At the 2008 HM Awards, James screened a moving film (that he wrote, filmed, narrated, directed and produced) about the Sala Bai Hotel School in Cambodia that has since raised over 0,000.

In 2010, James was a finalist for Travel Writer of the Year at the National Tourism Industry Awards (NTIAs), presented by AFTA.

Let's cut to the chase. The thing is, Shelley knows Queensland. After all, she was born in Brisbane, raised on the Sunshine Coast, worked in Tropical North Queensland, and she's spent decades travelling this turf; first as a backpacker and then as a cashed-up corporate.

So, if you want to know about that secret craft brewer in Brisbane, the trending blue nomads boating the Whitsundays, or the subtle differences between Burleigh and Broadbeach, then just ask her. She can package the response in a media release, write up a blog or just talk about it nonstop. And, if she doesn't know, then she will find out.

Shelley also worked for Tourism Australia, so shey gets why this entire country is so special. And Shelley lived in Asia for over a decade and in Europe and the USA for a couple of years, so she understands what makes you tick and turns you off.

Shelley has also worked in PR for Dreamworld and WhiteWater World, and Hilton Hotels Corporation.

Ita Buttrose AC OBE is a truly exceptional Australian: a legendary media trailblazer, businesswoman, best-selling author, committed community and welfare contributor and former Australian of the Year. In 2019, she became a Companion of the Order for her service to the community through leadership in the media, arts, health sector and as a role model.

Ita is currently Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She balances this high profile role with charitable responsibilities which include serving as Patron of Dementia Australia following her term as National President from 2011-2014. She is also Patron of the Macular Disease Foundation, Emeritus Director of Arthritis Australia and Ambassador for Breast Cancer Network Australia.

She was the founding editor of Cleo, the youngest ever editor of The Australian Women's Weekly, the first woman to ever edit a major metropolitan newspaper in Australia as Editor-in-Chief of the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs, and the first female director of News Ltd Australia. She has hosted primetime shows on radio and television. She later started her own company, Capricorn Publishing, and created ITA Magazine, a magazine for the woman who wasn't born yesterday. ITA Magazine launched the ITA Travel Club, which was very popular with its readers.

She has written 11 successful books, including her best-selling autobiography 'A Passionate Life'. In 2011, her earlier career was immortalised in the acclaimed ABC mini-series 'Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo'.

Ita was inducted into the Australian Media Hall of Fame in 2017. In 2018, Ita was conferred with the University of New South Wales highest honour – an honorary doctorate in medicine in recognition of her eminent service to health, being an inspirational role model for aspiring women in business and making a difference in society. She was the Inaugural NSW Excellence in Women's Leadership award winner. (2014). She received an AO in 1988 for her services to the community especially in the field of public health education when she spearheaded Australia's HIV/AIDS Education Program, an OBE for her services to journalism, and a Centenary Medal for business leadership.

In 2019, Ita was chosen as Australia's inaugural Shero Barbie, one of a collection of 20 Barbie Dolls that globally recognise female role models and achievers.

Sarah Anderson is the founder and managing director of GTI Tourism, a tourism marketing and PR agency currently representing Globus Family of Brands, Japan National Tourism Organisation, New York State, Park City, Singapore Tourism Board, Travel Texas, Vanuatu Tourism Office, Visit Seattle and YTL Hotels.

As a teenage environmental campaigner, Sarah dedicated three years to organising Queensland's Youth Earth Symposium. She joined the tourism industry in 1998 and shortly after founding marketing & PR agency GTI in 2006, Sarah conceptualised and founded Treadright on behalf of The Travel Corporation.

Sarah currently sits on the Greenpeace General Assembly Group, the entity responsible for Greenpeace's governance. Her company GTI conducts an annual sustainability audit and is progressing towards BCorp certification.

Sarah was awarded as Travel Weekly's Mentor of the Year in 2016, served as Committee Member of the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO), and Chaired the Association National Tourist Office Representatives (ANTOR). She is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Director (GAICD).

Kelli Armstrong is the Managing Editor of ESCAPE at News Corp. Kelli has 20 years experience working at leading media and brand organisations spanning Australia and the US.

Kelli is responsible for delivering engaging and aspirational stories for every style of Australian traveller by commissioning cover stories, destination features, celebrity covers for special editions, personality columns and regular pages for ESCAPE on Sunday. She commissions all the content for the magazine and oversees the creative direction in collaboration with the art director. Kelli manages a rotation of regular freelancers, the brand's issue planner and themed editions and collaborates with wider News Corp departments to engage in cross-platform content solutions.

Michael is one of Australia’s top advertising, media and marketing leaders with over 25 years industry experience. As Group Executive Marketing at Tourism & Events Queensland, Michael is responsible for the global marketing of this iconic destination brand. Prior to TEQ, he was the Head of Brand Planning & Digital at Suncorp Group, leading brand & marketing planning, digital marketing, programmatic media operations, agency and media partnerships.

Michael has held senior roles in Australian media, notably as Group Marketing Director for Nine Entertainment Co. (NEC) - Australia’s leading media company, where he was also a member of the NEC Group Sales Executive Team responsible for generating over $2BN in annual advertising sales revenue. Before Nine, he was the National Managing Director of SapientNitro Australia where he led the team responsible for the creation of ‘The Best Job in the World’ campaign for Tourism Queensland. One of the most awarded campaigns of all time, picking up the top awards at Cannes Lions, it was the first-ever campaign to win 3 Grand Prix and went on to win over 100 prestigious international awards for creativity, strategy and effectiveness.

Fiona Carruthers has written and edited travel for the Financial Review for almost a decade. She has held senior roles with ABC Radio National, Deutsche Welle Radio, TIME and The Australian, and was deputy editor of Traveller for News Limited. She has loved and ridden horses all her life.

Previously, Ellie was Editor at Rome2rio, Deputy Editor at BBC Travel, and worked at Lonely Planet in various roles, including Commissioning Editor, Digital Producer and Foreign Rights Executive.

Ellie also freelances for various print and digital outlets. Ellie's passionate about uncovering exciting travel stories, whether they are new angles on a well-known place or forays into the unknown. One of Ellie's favourite ways to tell travel stories is through a cultural, historical or social lens, and she enjoys crafting series around these themes.

As Tourism Australia’s Chief Marketing Officer, Susan is responsible for driving the organisation’s global marketing strategy, ensuring that Australia’s tourism marketing efforts continue to cut through in the competitive international marketplace. Having joined Tourism Australia in 2017, Susan lead the creative development for campaigns such as Dundee and Undiscover Australia. Susan was promoted to the role of Chief Marketing Officer in May 2019 to lead the Global Marketing team in creating and developing brand assets for innovative campaigns such as Matesong with Kylie Minogue and the domestic Holiday Here This Year campaign.

Before devoting her time to the travel and tourism industry, Susan helped change the face of many blue-chip brands during her 20-year long career as a marketer. Working in an agency environment, Susan gained a wealth of experience with high profile clients such as Qantas, News Corp and Westpac. She was also one of the handful of people lucky enough to have worked on the single most referenced campaign in the industry ‘Think different’ by Apple.

Susan’s extensive creative agency experience has seen her develop successful brands that enable businesses to not only excel but also help to shape their culture from the inside. Her switch to working in a client-side role has funded her passion to drive results from the inside and continue to build Australia’s tourism brand internationally.

Jill is the owner and Managing Director of Barking Owl Communications, a boutique Sydney-based PR agency assisting companies in the tourism industry with strategic and creative responses to their communications issues. With extensive experience in marketing and corporate communications and issues management, she has worked in local and global markets, including 11 years in the USA where she worked with leading global communications firm Edelman, managing their Tourism Practice from the company’s Chicago head office. After returning home, she was Managing Director of the Australian operation.

Jill established Barking Owl Communications to provide personalised, hands-on support for clients across the tourism industry. The agency works across a range of tourism clients, including Destinations, Cruise, Airlines, Industry Associations and Hotels. Among the agency’s highlights, she lists the recent launch of Indigenous storytelling experience, Wintjiri Wiru for Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia; supporting the re-start of the cruise industry here for the Australian Cruise Association, then launching two new-build cruise ships in the last six months with Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises; opening several exciting new build and re-designed hotels including the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour and the Hotel Indigo Adelaide Markets; and creating a multi-faceted, six-part podcast for Travel Portland in the U.S overseeing the entire initiative end to end.

Jill has also led some of the most high-profile tourism crisis management programs, including the recovery program for Christchurch and Canterbury Tourism after their devastating earthquake and communications initiatives for Longitude 131 following the fire, which severely damaged the property.

Natasha Dragun is an experienced travel, lifestyle, food, wine, beauty and wellness writer, editor, sub-editor and photographer across both local and international markets.

With more than 15 years experience in the media and publishing industry, Natasha began her career in China where she worked as the editor of a lifestyle magazine and correspondent for popular titles including TTG Asia, SpaAsia and Robb Report. She also contributed to a number of regional travel guides, including the Explorer series for China. After six and a half years, Natasha moved to Jakarta to take up the role of Deputy Editor with DestinAsian, spending two and a half years in the Indonesian capital with many frequent breaks to Bali. Returning to Australia in 2010 as Managing Editor of Vacations & Travel, Natasha spearheaded the evolution of the publication, with a new design and master blueprint for an online and social media presence. She then spent three years as the Managing Editor of MiNDFOOD, MiNDFOOD STYLE and MiNDFOOD DECOR.

And today, in a freelance capacity, Natasha edits Vacations & Travel magazine and Signature@home, both under the Signature Media portfolio. She has also edited a number of Signature's new-release ebooks, including interactive publications on Tokyo, Queenstown, Hurtigruten and Quark.

Jana Frawley is Content Director of ESCAPE, Australia's number one travel media brand. Jana got her first passport when she was three and has been travelling ever since in pursuit of memorable meals, museums with outstanding audio tours, and a hefty retail fix. Even though she's not very good at it, she takes trivia sessions on cruise ships very seriously and looks forward to a return to the sea. One of her wildest experiences was sitting with gorillas in Rwanda, and her favourite places in the world are anywhere her family goes on holiday, Queenstown, Tokyo, New York, and Singapore. She believes every great adventure begins with packing cells and ends with booking the next one.

Rob is a regular contributor to the travel sections of Australia and New Zealand's leading newspapers and magazines. He's won six writing awards, including ASTW Travel Writer of the Year, and is an active Adventure Travel Trade Association member. Rob regularly speaks at travel events and has helped hundreds of aspiring travel writers, PR professionals and tourism operators through his writing courses.

Karena Noble is the Corporate Communications Manager for Event Hospitality and Entertainment. With over 25 years experience in travel industry PR, Karena is an expert in strategic development, growth and communications direction. Previously at Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, Karena's strategy contributed to the Resort growing from an annual occupancy in the mid-50% to the high 90% and the subsequent return of major airline routes – the lifeblood of regional destinations. Karena has won various awards throughout her career, including being named the HM Awards Communications Associate 2017, 2016 and 2104 and the Australian Society of Travel Writers Communicator of the Year in 2016 and 2015.

Mark Olsen is the CEO of Tourism Tropical North Queensland, the destination management organisation for Cairns & Great Barrier Reef. Home to the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics Rainforest, the region has more than 2,000 visitor experiences and the highest number of eco-accredited tourism product of any destination in Australia.

Prior to joining TTNQ, Mark was the founder of EarthCheck consulting, and co-owner of the EarthCheck global benchmarking and certification program that operates in over 70 countries. The author of more than 100 destination management and ecotourism plans across the globe, Mark has worked with communities, investors, developers, and managers of tourism experiences large and small to deliver world-leading sustainable tourism outcomes in destinations including Iceland, Ireland, Mexico, and across Australia.

Mark’s mission is for every Cairns and Great Barrier Reef tourism business to be dedicated to the pursuit of delivering world-leading regenerative tourism experiences that inspire every visitor to see great, and leave greater.

Craig Platt is Managing Editor for traveller.com.au, Australia's leading travel publishing website, incorporating the Traveller sections of The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age and featured across these masthead's websites as well as the Brisbane Times and WA Today. Craig is one of Australia's most experienced digital journalists and editors and has worked in journalism for more than 20 years. He has managed The Age and Sydney Morning Herald's digital travel publishing since 2007.

Penny has led the association since it was established in January 2010. This collective voice of independently owned and operated lodges and camps helped shape and define Australia's high-end experiential travel. Penny is a director on the Board of Tourism Tasmania and serves on the inaugural Condé Nast Traveler Global Advisory Board. She is also a Mentor for The Conscious Travel Foundation and has served on the Virtuoso Sustainability Council 2022-2024.

Penny led the development of Tourism Australia’s Sustainability strategy March 2020 - August 2024, the aim of which is to advocate, educate and elevate the many sustainability legacy stories of Australian tourism, meeting and growing consumer demand, and encouraging industry capability. Penny led the development of Tourism Australia’s premium and luxury strategy 2017-2020.

Emma is the Global Manager - Public Relations for Tourism Australia. She is responsible for the management and operation of Tourism Australia's global PR function which includes the organisation's media and broadcast hosting programs, global press office and developing PR and communications strategies to support global marketing campaigns. She also provides strategic advice and support to Tourism Australia's regional PR teams in 15 international offices to assist them in developing and rolling out their own public relations activities.

Lee Tulloch is an author of five novels, screenwriter and travel writer, and a former winner of Outstanding Travel Writing at the Kennedy Awards for Excellence in NSW Journalism. Her husband, Tony Amos, is a renowned travel/lifestyle/portrait/interiors photographer who often works with her on producing beautiful features for Vogue Living and international magazines such as CN Traveller UK. Together, they launched Mr and Mrs Amos, a free subscriber-based online travel magazine featuring all their own original content for an intelligent, cultured, savvy world traveller. Lee regularly contributes to Qantas magazine, Traveller, Travel + Indulgence, AFR Life+Leisure, New York Times T Australia, and Prior Club, among many publications, specialising in luxury and cultural travel.

My work is collated at https://authory.com/LeeTulloch.

Michael Turtle is a blogger, broadcaster, writer, and photographer. Michael's travel website, Time Travel Turtle is one of the world's most popular with more than 250,000 unique visitors a month. The site works on content partnerships with destinations and brands to create informative and inspirational travel media. Michael also runs Travel Australia Today, a website focused on Australian content for the domestic and international market. He also writes a weekly full-page travel column in The Canberra Times, which is syndicated across the Australian Community Media network. Michael is a regular commentator on ABC Radio and writes freelance for a variety of print and digital publications. His first travel book, Great World Wonders, was published by Hardie Grant Explore last year.

Andrew Waddel joined Tourism New Zealand in 2018 from organic syrup manufacturer Soda Press Co, which he joined after founding his own consultancy Freewheelers & Co. and prior, was the Marketing Director at Red Bull Australia. Andrew has extensive marketing experience with Fonterra and leading brands including Stella Artois, Beck’s and Red Bull. His international senior leadership experience across UK, South Africa and Australian markets, sees him lead New Zealand’s largest tourism market.

As Tourism New Zealand’s General Manager - Australia, Andrew is a strong advocate of understanding consumer needs and developing brands. Born in Wellington, Waddel studied marketing at the University of Otago and is a brand marketer by trade.

Please see Andrew’s LinkedIn profile here.

Sarah Anderson is the founder and managing director of GTI Tourism, a tourism marketing and PR agency currently representing Globus Family of Brands, Japan National Tourism Organisation, New York State, Park City, Singapore Tourism Board, Travel Texas, Vanuatu Tourism Office, Visit Seattle and YTL Hotels.

As a teenage environmental campaigner, Sarah dedicated three years to organising Queensland's Youth Earth Symposium. She joined the tourism industry in 1998 and shortly after founding marketing & PR agency GTI in 2006, Sarah conceptualised and founded Treadright on behalf of The Travel Corporation.

Sarah currently sits on the Greenpeace General Assembly Group, the entity responsible for Greenpeace's governance. Her company GTI conducts an annual sustainability audit and is progressing towards BCorp certification.

Sarah was awarded as Travel Weekly's Mentor of the Year in 2016, served as Committee Member of the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO), and Chaired the Association National Tourist Office Representatives (ANTOR). She is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Director (GAICD).

Kirsten Galliott is the Head of Content, Travel and Luxury at Medium Rare Content Agency, overseeing content across Qantas, Jetstar and Visit Canberra. As Editor-in-Chief of Qantas magazine and Travel Insider, she is responsible for all content across Qantas’s platforms. In addition to the monthly magazine and inspiration website, she oversees QantasLink’s regional title, Spirit, two Chinese editions a year, social media and video content. In 2018, 2017 and 2016, she was named Editor of the Year at Mumbrella’s Publish Awards. A journalist for more than 20 years, she has been the editor of InStyle and B magazines for Pacific Magazines and the(sydney)magazine and Sunday Life for Fairfax Media. She has also been the fashion editor for Sunrise on the Seven Network, consulted to the SBS television program TwentyFourSeven for Hal McElroy Media and been a regular reviewer for The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide. She is an ambassador for Dress For Success Sydney, which empowers women to achieve financial independence.

Recently arriving in Sydney from Auckland, Joanna Hunkin is an experienced editor and passionate foodie. Growing up in Hong Kong, Joanna spent her childhood and teenage years travelling the globe, before settling in New Zealand to pursue her journalism career, working across print, broadcast and digital platforms. Joanna joined Bauer in September 2019 to lead Gourmet Traveller into a new era, committed to sharing the very best food and wine experiences with her readers and uncovering new adventures that will both surprise and inspire.

Justin Jamieson is the founder and publisher of the award winning get lost Magazine, a 140+ page glossy travel magazine focusing on unique, boutique experiential travel.

get lost is known for its independence and passion for unearthing the more unique and exhilarating places, people and experiences the world has to offer. The printed magazine is distributed internationally and the digital version is available on the Apple Newsstand, Amazon and Android platforms.

Justin is a regular on the top rating 3AW travel and food program A Moveable Feast including co hosting. He can also be heard talking travel every Sunday afternoon on 3AW's Weekend Break as well as regularly on the Austereo networks, 2UE and ABC nationally.

He is also the Managing Director of Grin Creative a full service design agency specialising in travel, entertainment and custom publishing.

Grin Creative also publish Avalon Inbound/Outbound and Luxury Escapes Magazine.

getlostmagazine.com

grincreative.com.au

Catherine Marshall is a freelance journalist and travel writer. She contributes regularly to publications including The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review and Qantas magazine. She is co-founder, with three other journalists, of the online travel magazine www.timetowander.com.au. Catherine has received awards for her journalism and travel writing on four continents, including the Indian Tourism Ministry's Best Foreign Journalist award and two Kennedy Awards for Outstanding Journalism. She is an alumni of Ledig House, an international writers' residency in New York State, and is a member of the Australian Society of Authors and the Australian Society of Travel Writers.

Rob is a regular contributor to the travel sections of Australia and New Zealand's leading newspapers and magazines. He's won six writing awards, including ASTW Travel Writer of the Year, and is an active Adventure Travel Trade Association member. Rob regularly speaks at travel events and has helped hundreds of aspiring travel writers, PR professionals and tourism operators through his writing courses.

Founder + Director of Klick X. A communications collective with offices in Sydney, Los Angeles and Honolulu. Representing clients across retail, lifestyle and travel; including Mudgee Region, Gold Coast Tourism, Tourism Events Qld, Saffire Freycinet, Henry Jones Art Hotel.

Barry is the Global Editor for CNN Travel, supervising all travel-related content across CNN's platforms. Based in London, he helms a team of staff reporters and international freelancers, working closely with CNN Travel's teams in New York, Atlanta, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

Barry joined CNN in 2006, working for its digital news operations before switching to its Travel team in 2015. Prior to working at CNN he worked as a correspondent for the AFP news agency, reporting headline news stories from destinations including Afghanistan, Indonesia, China and Iraq.

Gaynor Reid has over 30 years of experience as a journalist, editor and PR specialist. Formerly Vice President Communications and CSR for Accor Asia Pacific for 20 years, she sat on the group’s Executive Committee and played a key role in setting Accor’s strategic objectives for the region. Reporting to the Chairman & CEO, she raised the profile of PR for the group and was responsible for building and protecting the brand’s reputation across 20 countries. Last year she set up her own PR agency, Catalyst Communications, serving the tourism and hospitality sector and her clients include Ovolo Hotels, Accor, and TravMedia.

Travel journalist specialising in Australian travel.

Contributes to a variety of outlets including Tatler UK, AFAR, BBC, News.com.au, Fairfax, Jetstar Australia, SKY News and so on. Previously Tourism Australia's contributing editor, overseeing production of editorial for Australia.com, which enjoys a monthly readership of 1.6 million and @australia social features; has also held the editorship of Australia's biggest selling travel magazine, Australian Traveller for several years, during which she was shortlisted for both Editor of the Year and Magazine Of The Year at the Australian Magazine Awards.

At 23 she was Australia's then-youngest magazine editor, turning Healthy Food Guide into the nation's fastest growing magazine (2008).

Co-founder of The Travel Bootcamp and the Modern Travel Media Summit.

She is also an experienced public speaker with some television presenting experience; has appeared on CNN as well as all major local networks.

Georgia is also member of multi-award-winning Story(ation), Australia's specialist travel content agency, producing content on behalf of brands including Tourism and Events Queensland, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia and Spirit of Tasmania in addition to Tourism Australia. Story(ation) is ranked as one of Business Review Weekly's 100 Fast Starters in 2017 and its work has won global recognition, most notably at the US Content Marketing Awards, the UK's CMA International Content Marketing Awards, US Content Council Pearl Awards and locally at the 2017 Mumbrella Publish Awards.

Emma is the Global Manager - Public Relations for Tourism Australia. She is responsible for the management and operation of Tourism Australia's global PR function which includes the organisation's media and broadcast hosting programs, global press office and developing PR and communications strategies to support global marketing campaigns. She also provides strategic advice and support to Tourism Australia's regional PR teams in 15 international offices to assist them in developing and rolling out their own public relations activities.

Nick founded TravMedia in 1999 after ten years as travel editor of Courier Newspapers, Australia. His knowledge and contributions to the travel industry are extensive. Nick is a proud supporter of the SATW and sponsors the ONE Travel Conference Travel Writer Award for outstanding work in promoting US travel. He is an active member of the ASTW, a judge for the Gourmet Travel Annual Awards, and supports the British Guild of Travel Writers Awards and the ASTW Awards.

Nick created IMM 13 years ago, and The Summit 8 years ago. The platform also powers the online event marketplaces for IPW, Destination Canada’s Corroboree and ATE.

Currently the Editor-in-Chief of Better Homes and Gardens, Julia Zaetta is a major and enduring force in Australian publishing. She began her career in magazines 39 years ago and has since established herself at the forefront of the industry, working for titles including Australian Women’s Weekly, New Woman and Family Circle.

Julia held her current position as Editor-in-Chief of Better Homes and Gardens non-consecutively from 1982 to 1995, returning in 2001 to take the title from strength to strength.

For her nearly four decades of success in the Australian media industry, B&T Magazine was delighted to bestow its Women In Media Lifetime Achievement Award on Julia Zaetta in 2017.