SYDNEY, 20 September 2021 - TravMedia is proud to announce Ita Buttrose AC OBE as Keynote Speaker at The TravMedia Summit, held in Sydney on 17 February 2022 as part of International Media Marketplace (IMM) Australia.

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.



Ita is currently Chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 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 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.

“I have long admired and been inspired by Ita's outstanding achievements. I've asked Ita to speak at IMM many times, so it's phenomenal that she's agreed to share her journey through life at our event,” said TravMedia's CEO and Founder Nick Wayland.

The TravMedia Summit is the professional development forum for the travel industry to connect and learn from our most influential leaders.  This one-day conference brings together travel and tourism PRs, editors and travel writers to inspire ideas, share insights and discuss the trends, opportunities and challenges affecting our industry. Presented the day before IMM, The TravMedia Summit attracts A-list media from Australia and New Zealand's top publications including News Corp and Nine Media (previously Fairfax). 

To learn more about IMM, The TravMedia Summit, other speakers and how to register, visit travmedia.com/immaus

Media Contacts for The TravMedia Summit:

Nick Wayland
CEO and Founder
+ 61 (0) 414 888 718
Nick@travmedia.com

Julie Ott
Chief Marketing Officer
+61 (0) 401 240 940 
Julie.Ott@travmedia.com

# # #

About Ita Buttrose

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, Ita became a Companion of the Order of Australia for her service to the community through leadership in the media, the arts, the health sector and as a role model.



Ita is 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.

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. 



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. In 2015 she was conferred an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Wollongong, for her contribution to mental health and ageing. In 2014 Sydney's Macquarie University conferred an Honorary Doctor of Letters on Ita in recognition of her contribution to the arts. 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 became a Companion of the Order for her service to the community through leadership in the media, the arts, the health sector and as a role model.

About TravMedia

TravMedia is the travel industry's only global media network. Founded in 1999 by Nick Wayland, a former travel editor seeking an easier way to research and report travel news, TravMedia is the one-stop solution trusted by travel PR professionals and media to network and share press releases and stories and ideas. The platform has created thriving online communities and become an essential daily tool for collaborating and developing long-lasting relationships like never before. For more information, visit travmedia.com.