Advisory Board

Ashlea is a longtime contributing editor at Condé Nast Traveler and a special project editor for TIME's World's Greatest Places list and Oprah. Her byline turns up everywhere though: Afar, New York Magazine, Buy Side from WSJ, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, Bon Appétit, Chase Travel, Artful Living, and more.

Annie is a leading luxury travel journalist, editor, and host with more than two decades of experience. She has built one of the original portfolio travel careers, leading and contributing content for top travel brands and known for covering luxury travel trends.

She currently serves as Editor in Chief at Embark Beyond, a $300 million luxury travel and lifestyle firm, where she also hosts a podcast–the first season was sponsored by Frette. Annie is also a National Geographic Travel Expert and Author—her book, 100 Hotels of a Lifetime, was published in 2024. During her nine years with National Geographic, she held multiple roles, including that of Urban Insider and Luxury Editor. She also was a luxury editor at Afar Media and Virtuoso.

In addition to her editorial and media work, Annie has been an experienced group travel host since 2007, having led over 40 trips across Europe. She has been a licensed NYC tour guide since 2008 but has lived in London the past six years.

Billie works across all Afar platforms, leading the team in the creation of day-to-day content as well as multimedia themed packages, such as our annual Where to Go list, our many inspiration series, and our intel packages that help travelers experience the world in better and smarter ways. Prior to joining Afar, she worked at Condé Nast Traveler, BBC Travel, WendyPerrin.com, and the Time Out Group, both in New York and Singapore. She’s based in New York City.

Erin brings over 20 years of marketing and communications expertise in the travel and tourism sectors. With a talent for storytelling, her visions for culinary, sports, and entertainment stories have manifested in one-of-a-kind, trend-setting placements. As a key player at R&R Partners, Erin leads a team for earned efforts for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) account. Her strategic planning and media relations skills have been instrumental in promoting major sporting events such as the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix and Super Bowl LVIII, as well as culinary festivals like The World’s 50 Best and Vegas Uncork’d.

Erin's deep understanding of the industry is rooted in her experience working at Las Vegas Strip resorts and her background as a TV News producer. This unique perspective has enabled her to bring major productions to the destination, including Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Live with Kelly & Mark!, and Good Morning America.

A proud member of the Society of American Travel Writers, Erin serves on the board of the Central States Chapter. She is also dedicated to giving back, actively participating in the National Charity League with her daughter, where she is also on the board as VP of Communications.

Heidi is the director of public relations for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the destination marketing organization for Las Vegas and Southern Nevada that also owns and operates the Las Vegas Convention Center. She leads the international and brand public relations efforts promoting Las Vegas as the undisputed global destination for leisure and business travel.

Heidi worked at the LVCVA between 2014 and 2020 and returned as the public relations director in 2024. Prior to her role at the LVCVA, she was an anchor and reporter at the FOX affiliate in Las Vegas.

Heidi was born and raised in Las Vegas and holds a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Brigham Young University.

With over 20 years of marketing, public relations and communications experience in luxury and lifestyle hotels, Kristi has worked for such notable brands as Four Seasons, Starwood Hotels, Loews Hotels and Highgate. In her current role, Kristi oversees PR in North America for Kempinski Hotels, Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group.

Whether you’re seeking a luxury travel and lifestyle PR agency or need the ultimate guide to over 100 countries, look no further than Melanie Brandman. As Founder and CEO of The Brandman Agency, she’s as well-connected as she is worldly, and is known to be one of the most credible travel experts in the business.

Melanie rose through the corporate hotel and media ranks, working as Vice President of Corporate Affairs for InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, for Vogue Australia, and for herself, as the founder of The Brandman Agency and several successful travel start-ups, including Travel Curator.

Recipient of HSMAI’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” and spotlighted as one of the “50 Most Important Women in Travel” by WONDERLUST, Melanie’s global reputation is soundly rooted in leadership, style, support, and in her endless energy and eternal optimism.

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