The TravMedia Summit

Will is the Producer of Undiscovered America TV. His extensive leadership journey includes roles such as President & CEO and Chief Marketing Officer at VISIT FLORIDA; President and Managing Director at Connect Travel; and Vice President of Marketing at Visit Denver. Across his dynamic career, Seccombe has consistently been at the forefront of innovation, with a keen interest in harnessing the potential of AI to revolutionize destination marketing.

Ross is an American entrepreneur based in California. He founded MatadorNetwork.com in 2006 and bootstrapped the company into a fast-growth 8-figure business and one of the internet's leading media publishers focused on travel and adventure. Across digital and social, Matador's content now reaches over 100M people per month with a mix of articles, videos, city guides, and social-first content. Matador executes media campaigns and video and influencer projects for many of the world's biggest brands and destinations and has won numerous awards. In 2023, Matador launched GuideGeek, a free GenAI travel agent, delivered across WhatsApp and Instagram. It is currently the world's number one AI in Travel.

Kara is an executive in the tourism industry and a lawyer. She is the CEO of Visit Estes Park, a destination marketing and management organization located at the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. An advocate for leadership in the tourism industry, Kara serves on the board of delegates for the U.S. Travel Association and has her CDME through Destinations International. She sits on the advisory boards for Simpleview and eTourism Summit.

A seasoned professional journalist, Kara has been featured as a travel expert for national media outlets like Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Travel Channel, and HuffPost. Additionally, she has served as Editor-in-Chief of several luxury lifestyle print magazines in the Palm Beach, Aspen, and Miami markets for Modern Luxury Media.

A licensed attorney in the state of Florida, Kara earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Denver and started her career as a criminal prosecutor in Miami. She obtained her Bachelor of Science in journalism and strategic communications from the University of Kansas. A native Kansan, Kara served three seasons as an NFL Cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs. She recently obtained an executive certificate in artificial intelligence and business strategy from MIT.

Tomiko is the creator of PassportsandGrub.com, a lifestyle blog with a focus on travel, cuisine, trying new things, and inspiring others to do the same. Her readers look to her to learn about off-the-beaten-path destinations as well as experiences with various foods and luxury boutique hotels. She is also the TBEX North America Conference Director and Vice President of the Black Travel Alliance.

Before launching Everything Everywhere Daily in July 2020, Gary spent the previous 13 years traveling around the world, twice, to more than 200 countries and territories and all 50 U.S. states. His blog Everything Everywhere was named one of the world’s Top 25 Blogs by Time Magazine. He is also one of the world’s most accomplished travel photographers and was named Travel Photographer of the Year in 2014 by SATW and in 2013 & 2015 by the NATJA. He is also a three-time Lowell Thomas Award winner. Everything Everywhere Daily features stories of people, places, and things covering a wide variety of topics, including history, science, and geography. The podcast gets more than one million monthly downloads and has accrued over 20 million downloads since 2020.

Kristen works primarily with U.S. and Canadian media. Originally from Michigan, Kristen moved west in 2007 and immediately fell in love with the Golden State. After nearly 15 years in the California tourism industry, that love has only grown. In her role at Visit California, she manages the organization’s domestic public relations agency and all media and influencer relations programming. She also works closely with Visit California’s marketing, content and social teams on all Visit California campaigns and channels, and aids in expanding the organization’s global media messaging across 13 international markets.

Chris is the creator of AmateurTraveler.com, a popular online travel podcast and blog focusing primarily on travel destinations. The Amateur Traveler podcast was started in 2005 and expanded into a full blog with videos and travel photography in 2007. The show was downloaded over 2 million times in 2023.

Amateur Traveler is an over 18 podcast that usually features an interview with a destination expert or a traveler who has been to the destination recently. The show intends to help travelers decide where to go next. The podcast is used to teach English at Oxford University and to test English proficiency for employment with the Thailand Foreign Ministry.

Prior to Amateur Traveler, Chris was an EVP of Engineering and Operations for a Silicon Valley company that ran online communities. He is still a director of engineering at American Express. He enjoys learning new languages before traveling, and although he has studied several languages, he is only fluent in English and that only when properly caffeinated.

Chris has won a Lowell Thomas Award, 5 NATJA awards, and a SMITTY Award from Travel+Leisure as the best independent travel journalist.

Danielle is a travel and personal finance writer who has written six travel books. She also hosts a highly-rated travel podcast called The Thought Card, which aims to inspire financially savvy travelers to explore the world while living on their own terms. Recently, Danielle co-launched a new travel podcast called Road Trip Ready, which explores some of the best road trips and destinations across the U.S. and Canada. Danielle has partnered with tourism boards, attractions, and financial institutions to create engaging audio content that reaches thousands of listeners worldwide.

David, a proud graduate of the University of Chicago and CEO of Glassbox Media, is an accomplished entrepreneur and investor. He previously founded Giant Media, an early video advertising exchange and network that included Toyota, American Express, L'Oreal, and Dollar Shave Club as clients. Launched in 2009, Giant Media was successfully acquired in 2014 by Adknowledge, an AdTech platform funded by TPG, JMI, and Nokia.

Some of David’s current startup investments include Eaze, Grove Collaborative, Hawthorne, and Mogul. David is also a Partner in Dog Whisperer Productions, the beloved TV franchise with a broad library of iconic content that features Cesar Millan. The episode catalog is enjoyed on PlutoTV in Europe and Latin America and will expand availability elsewhere in December 2023.

CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg is on an airplane two to three days a week, somewhere in the world, reporting for the network, Peter's nationally syndicated radio show, or Peter's weekly Travel Detective series for public television. When Peter is not on duty for CBS, the multiple Emmy award-winning journalist remains an active volunteer fireman in New York. Peter Greenberg lives in Los Angeles, New York, Bangkok, and at most major airports around the world.

Lulu joined ABC News as the Vice-President of Content in March of 2022. Lulu is responsible for leading the editorial operations of ABC News’ digital brands – ABC News, GMA Digital and FiveThirtyEight. She leads the content creation, calendar, and strategy from web to social media platforms

She was Senior Executive Producer at Yahoo Finance, a division of Yahoo, from 2018 to 2022. She oversaw all aspects of production, including news gathering, field production, guest bookings, special programming, and live events. Lulu created two most popular interview series at Yahoo, Influencers with Andy Serwer and Yahoo Finance Presents. She also led all the special programs on Yahoo Finance and produced general news specials in collaboration with other Yahoo brands, with 112 million monthly active users (MAUs).

Kathy is the host and executive producer of Dream of Italy and Dream of Europe, airing on PBS stations, CreateTV, GoTraveler, Amazon, and more. Season 3 of Dream of Italy has just premiered with special guests Andrea Bocelli, Marisa Tomei, and Massimo Bottura. The first season of Dream of Europe, currently in production, will debut later this year with its first episode featuring Lake Annecy in France. Kathy founded the award-winning magazine and membership website Dream of Italy in 2002. More than 200 issues later, Kathy loves sharing where to go, what to eat, and who to meet in Italy with her devoted readers. She’s the author of two books on Italy and is frequently quoted in the media.

Mary Ann is a global communications and media relations expert with over three decades of experience forging strategic partnerships with high-profile talent and leading fast-paced production teams for elite broadcast organizations.

In more than 20 years at NBC News and The TODAY Show, five-time Emmy Award winner Mary Ann wrote and produced thousands of noteworthy television events and travel and lifestyle pieces, including segments with Rihanna, Madonna, Bill Clinton, and the Dali Lama. She covered breaking travel news from the "Miracle on the Hudson” to the 2013 Edmond, Oklahoma Tornado. Mary Ann also traveled as the Gulf War field producer in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Qatar. She produced The TODAY Show's international travel stories with Peter Greenberg in Peru, Cape Town, Buenos Aires, and Costa Rica, among many other global locations.

Mary Ann provides media training and insight into the do's and don'ts of pitching earned media.

Michael excels as an adventure athlete and a filmmaker. He has been to the summit of Mount Everest five times with cameras rolling. Michael's lens has captured scientists at the South Pole for National Geographic, ice cave explorers in Greenland for NOVA, tornado chasers for The Discovery Channel, avalanche patrols in the Alps for the BBC, extreme skiers across the globe, and rock and mountain climbers for several giant-screen IMAX movies. His films always tell heartfelt human stories set against dramatic landscapes and exciting adventures. Michael has received many film festival and industry awards, including three national Emmy Awards, the International Alliance for Mountainfilm’s Grand Prize, and the Explorer’s Festival’s 'Camera Extreme.' Michael’s other passion is teaching adventure filmmaking with an emphasis on storytelling. Outside Magazine described the cerebral filmmaker as a "swashbuckling librarian," and Men's Journal calls him "a master of gut-dropping action.”

Sucheta is an award-winning South Asian food and travel writer contributing to more than two dozen publications, including TIME Magazine, CNN, Travel + Leisure, HuffPost, and AAA. Sucheta is a five-time author of the Beato Goes To series of children's books that educate kids about the diversity of the world. She has personally traveled to more than 100 countries across seven continents and writes about her experiences firsthand. She also founded the non-profit Go Eat Give to raise awareness of different cultures through travel, food, and community service. Sucheta’s mission is to promote meaningful and sustainable travel for the betterment of the global community.

Maureen has been a journalist in Canada, the U.S., Africa, and Vietnam. Currently based in Toronto, she is executive editor of Culture Magazin (no e), a lifestyle/food/travel publication that focuses on “East Meets West” and caters to the Vietnamese diaspora. She is also a prolific freelance writer with articles seen in CNN Global Travel, nationalgeographic.com, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Panoram Italia, USA Today’s 10 Best, National Parks Traveler, and Hotel-Scoop.com. Her beat includes culture, history, food/beverage, soft adventure, and wellness. She is on the board of SATW and the World Food Travel Association and is a member of TMAC.

Theresa's career has brought her from working in public relations and publications for a college to being a freelance writer to her current position at AAA Club Alliance as lead editor of two travel-focused magazines published for members: AAA World (circulation 3.5 M) and AAA Traveler Worldwise (circulation 170 K).

Theresa’s work as lead editor also includes reporting on travel news and writing features about her travels, which have recently taken her to the Galapagos, Southeastern Europe, Mexico, and the Caribbean. She and her staff have won numerous awards, including a 2022 NATJA bronze award in the Travel Magazine category for AAA Traveler Worldwise. She is equally proud of the freelancers she works with who win awards for their writing published in AAA magazines.

Taryn, “The Sparkle Boss”, started TK PR in 2008 and has spent 16 years building the award-winning public relations firm specializing in the travel & hospitality industries. Taryn’s clients have been seen on CBS This Morning, The Today Show, and Good Morning America, as well as features in Travel + Leisure, O the Oprah Magazine, Better Homes & Gardens, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and thousands more.

Under her leadership, TK PR has received seven Adrian Awards from HSMAI – the largest and most prestigious global travel marketing competition that honors excellence in hospitality, travel, tourism, and media.

Heather Wyatt has over 20 years of experience in media, brand management, public relations strategy, business development and global partnerships. With a focus on travel and tourism, Wyatt recently joined Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) as a communications consultant responsible for public image, marketing, public relations, and messaging to support global cruise resumption efforts.

Prior to joining CLIA, Wyatt managed all communications strategy for National Geographic Travel, National Geographic Expeditions, and National Geographic Licensing and Consumer Products, where she was instrumental in creating the first-ever National Geographic Traveler luxury edition, co-founded the National Geographic Editorial Council, and developed the first-ever Digital Nomad social media franchise integrating on-the-ground reporting with custom content for commercial partnerships.

Wyatt is heavily involved in the travel industry having served on the U.S. Travel Communications Committee, the World Travel & Tourism Council Advisory Board, the TravMedia Advisory Board, and the Board of Directors for the Public Relations Society of America’s Travel and Tourism chapter.

As senior director of public relations and communications, Lei-Ann manages public relations efforts at Hawai‘i Tourism United States on behalf of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. Her responsibilities include developing and executing successful PR programs that share the incredible stories of Hawaiʻi with national media in an effort to influence editorial coverage and educate visitors about Hawai‘i's people, place, and culture. Lei also manages the statewide Malama Hawai‘i Program, an initiative that encourages visitors to form deeper connections to Hawai‘i's people and place through voluntourism, and has fostered relationships with dozens of community organizations statewide.

Kristina has both her heart and professional life in travel. At Visit Sweden, her mission is to put Sweden in the spotlight with creative brand communication, to create curiosity and increase the demand for travel to Sweden. Before joining Visit Sweden in 2021, Kristina spent 25 years in brand and marketing management in the tourism and transportation industry. She has charted a dynamic career path covering senior management positions within Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and Stena Lines (Northern Europe’s Largest Ferry Operator) as well as running a family tour operator business, EverTrek, offering hiking and biking travel. As you can see, it is all about travel for Kristina!

As marketing manager Súsanna leads all promotional efforts by the official tourism board in the Faroe Islands. This entails extensive global PR campaigns such as Sheep View and Closed for Maintenance, as well as collaborating with international media and heading press events on behalf of Visit Faroe Islands. Establishing connections and nurturing relations with key media representatives resulting in successful visits and editorial pieces, is a vital part of Visit Faroe Island’s daily promotion of the country. It invites a broader perspective on the culture, customs, people, and most of all their uncommon stories of island living in the heart of the north Atlantic.

Súsanna has been an integral part of Visit Faroe Islands since its re-establishment in 2013 with only three employees to a still small but resourceful team of 10 today, which now also constitutes as a DMO and development department alongside overall the promotion. This provides Susanna with a unique insight into the traits of the Faroe Islands, helping to centralized efforts with regenerative decision-making into every aspect of the organization, and to continue to grow a well-developed network of relevant individuals shaping the country into more than just a tourism destination - a Home.

Rob is the Founder and Chief Strategist for GLP Films, a leading strategic storytelling agency in sustainable tourism. Rob founded GLP in 2008 with a simple goal: to build a production and marketing company committed to authentic storytelling on important global issues. Today, GLP is a trusted partner for destinations and tourism businesses around the globe, empowering them to reach their sustainability goals using award-winning video storytelling and global content marketing campaigns. With more than 30 years of experience in the sustainable tourism industry, Rob has spearheaded global strategic marketing campaigns for top-tier destinations, media, brands, and operators. Rob has led workshops on strategic storytelling, destination stewardship, and regenerative tourism in destinations ranging from Croatia, Northern Ireland, Armenia, and Willamette Valley, Oregon.

Gisele is the founder of Global Vision Access (GVA), a consulting firm specializing in strategy, communication, and marketing. Established in 2009, the company has earned national and international recognition for its innovative approach, strategic planning, commitment to excellence, and passion for all its projects and initiatives.

With extensive expertise and involvement in the tourism sector since 2002, Gisele boasts solid experiences in the North American, Canadian, Brazilian, and Latin American markets. Her contributions have been acknowledged through industry awards, such as the 50+ Powerful People in Tourism by Panrotas in 2016, which recognized leaders excelling in crisis management. In 2018, she was honored with planting the FESTURIS Integration Tree for her sustainable practices in the travel industry. In 2019, the Radar & TV Group paid tribute to her leadership and collaboration in developing Brazil's travel and tourism industry. In 2020, Giselle received the Amigos Festuris trophy and was acknowledged by Rossi & Zorzanello for their lasting and productive partnership.

Giselle believes true innovation lies in finding solutions to any problem or challenge. This mindset led to the creation of the Bureau Mundo platform in 2020, a digital meeting point dedicated to the travel and tourism industry. This platform offers customized solutions that enhance reach, business opportunities, and networking among professionals in the sector, fostering a collaborative, productive, and effective mindset.

In 2020, amidst the pandemic, Giselle created the Positive Impact Award and its associated digital platform to give visibility and recognition to businesses positively impacting Brazil and the world. Fondly referred to as the "Oscar for the Good," the award secured sponsorship from the National Small Business Administration (equivalent to US SBA) and received institutional support from the United Nations Development Program, Yunus Social Business, B Corporation, and the Conscious Capitalism Institute chapter in Brazil in 2022 and 2023.

Giselle continually invests in innovation, seeking solutions that benefit not only her team, customers, and partners but also her community and the planet. A testament to her commitment as a businesswoman (or businesshuman as she likes to say) is the award and homage by Humanizadas, listing GVA Brazil among the "Best Companies for Brazil" in 2022.

In August 2022, Giselle relocated to the United States and launched GVA USA. The company is privileged to represent responsible and sustainable destinations in North America, with Mato Grosso do Sul, a leading advocate for ecotourism worldwide, prominently featured in GVA USA's portfolio of clients.

Julie has always been drawn to the watery world, compelled to leave our blue planet better than she found it. A diver for 25 years, she has spent two decades working to bring about planetary change as an innovative conservationist and brand and PR expert. Julie started several ocean conservation organizations and has been an executive in the dive industry for the last 15 years. She also has a unique specialty in sharks; she's spent 15 years swimming with them free of any cages, and she exposes issues related to the shark fin trade that is driving their extinction. As such, she has been involved in some of the most influential shark campaigns on the planet.

Shannon is Chief Sustainability Officer for The Travel Corporation (TTC), a family of 40 travel brands operating worldwide. In this role, she leads the development and implementation of the group’s sustainability strategy, including the group's journey to net zero. Shannon also oversees the TreadRight Foundation, TTC’s not-for-profit dedicated to supporting projects under the foundation's three pillars of Planet, People, and Wildlife. Shannon is an advocate for pragmatic and transparent actions that lead to genuine impact in the pursuit of sustainability, and led The Travel Corporation in the development of its industry-leading Carbon Fund, a financial mechanism designed solely to enable the business to decarbonize its operations.

Her first and best job was as a sea kayaking guide in her home province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Andrew Nelson until the closing of Nat Geo Traveler was the director of its editorial projects. He is now freelancing for a wide variety of publications including NGT and the WSJ with a focus on cities and overseas destinations. His multi-platform production with partner Tourism New Zealand was named one of the "10 Best Branded Partnerships in 2017" by Ad Age. In 2016 his feature on Bulgaria for the magazine garnered the gold for best destination travel article from NATJA. A longtime educator, first at Loyola University New Orleans' School of Mass Communication, Nelson is inaugurating a class in strategic narrative for the College of Charleston for spring semester 2020. Nelson feels passionately about instilling young writers with an appreciation of travel, culture and place.

Becky joined TPG in 2022 after spending nineteen years in the tourism industry, six as Deputy Director of the Arizona Office of Tourism, leading teams and content strategy in the U.S., China, Australia/NZ, Canada, Mexico, U.K., France, and Germany. She has traveled extensively and enjoys helping others plan travel and save money. As a spokesperson for the tourism office and TPG, she routinely gives interviews on the positive economic benefits of tourism, workforce development, and travel tips. She has been featured in USAToday, CNBC, WSJ, NPR, and the Weather Channel. Her previous work experience includes publicity and sales positions with the historic Arizona Biltmore Resort and Capital-Gazette Newspapers in Annapolis, Maryland.

Allyson is a executive editor for National Geographic Books, where she leads the publishing strategy for travel books, as well as cookbooks and lifestyle content. She has been with National Geographic for nine years. Her titles include the New York Times bestselling Blue Zones Kitchen, the best-selling 5,000 Ideas series, the upcoming National Geographic Bucket List Family Travel, Catch Me If You Can, and the top-selling 100 of a Lifetime and Journeys of a Lifetime series. Prior to National Geographic, she worked as a lifestyle editor at Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, where she covered food and travel. She has also been published in USA Weekend magazine, Brides.com, TheKnot.com, and Brit + Co, among other publications.

Josh is the Consumer Travel Editor at USA TODAY, based out of Washington, D.C. He has a bachelor’s degree in public communications from the University of Puerto Rico and a Master’s in entertainment business from Full Sail University. Josh has worked for more than a decade as a writer and journalist, publishing and editing work for USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Univision, The Detroit Free Press, and El Nuevo Dia, among others. He is an alumna of Wharton’s UPenn Seminars for Business Journalists, Poynter’s Leadership Academy, and Yale’s Writer’s Workshop, and was the executive editor for Gannett’s first national Pride magazine in 2022.