Agenda We’re constantly looking to inspire, grow and improve year on year so we always up the ante by introducing different themes, new keynotes, more panel sessions and workshops led by industry experts. 8th Nov Conference 7th Nov Workshops 08:00am - 08:45am Registration, Welcome Coffee and Tradeshow Open to Conference Delegates Pick up your lanyard and name tag at the registration desk and enjoy a coffee while networking with other conference delegates. The exhibitor tradeshow will open to all conference delegates. View bio Adrian Caruso's biography Conference Organiser Maximum Occupancy Adrian is founder and CEO of Australasia's leading travel, tourism and hospitality full-service marketing and communications firm, Fastrack Group.Adrian is a highly experienced and respected travel, tourism and hospitality digital marketing, media and communications expert with over 25 years in the industry. He is also a management consultant and strategist. 08:45am - 08:50am Welcome Address Adrian Caruso, Conference Organiser Maximum Occupancy A welcome introduction to Maximum Occupancy 2019 by the conference MC and organiser, Adrian Caruso. Adrian Caruso's website Adrian Caruso's LinkedIn profile 08:50am - 09:30am Australian Accommodation: The past, present and future The opening conference presentation is a must-attend for it sets the basis for the entire day. Listen to two of Australia's best speakers on the Australian accommodation market, the past, present and future. Uncover how Australian markets are behaving in conjunction with supply as a growing factor. Listen to the outlook for accommodation operators 2020 and beyond. And listen to the opinions of a panel of hotel operators their comments and opinions on the current and future market. Panellists Adele Labine-Romain's biography National Travel, Hospitality and Leisure Sector Leader Deloitte Adele is the Australian Tourism Sector Leader at Deloitte and a partner within Deloitte Access Economics’ economic and policy advisory practice. With a deep understanding of the tourism landscape and experience in strategy and policy development including executive roles with Tourism Australia (Executive General Manager, Strategy and Research) and peak industry body Tourism & Transport Forum (Executive Director), Adele works with government and private sector clients across tourism-related industries including aviation, transport and cruising, hotels, business events, sports and major event and attractions. Adele Labine-Romain, National Travel, Hospitality and Leisure Sector Leader Deloitte Adele Labine-Romain's website Adele Labine-Romain's LinkedIn profile Matthew Burke's biography Regional Manager - Pacific STR Matthew Burke is the Regional Manager Pacific at STR leading the growth in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. He has over a dozen years of experience in hospitality, with Hyatt and IHG in various roles including revenue management. Matthew Burke, Regional Manager - Pacific STR Matthew Burke's website Matthew Burke's LinkedIn profile View bio JD Cain's biography Vice President of Sales Revinate As the Vice President of Sales at Revinate, JD is responsible for the strategic direction and execution of all of the company’s global sales and business development efforts. Revinate is the only guest data platform for hospitality, with CRM, marketing and guest feedback solutions, counting tens of thousands of the world’s leading hospitality brands as customers. Before Revinate, JD managed direct sales for large and complex accounts at Akamai Technologies. 09:30am - 10:00am Making the most of every guest JD Cain, Vice President of Sales Revinate We’re in a golden age of personalization. Guests expect it. In this presentation, learn how to better understand guest spending behavior, across all your properties, to be more targeted with your marketing messages. The end goal is to help you be smart and successful in getting the right heads in the right beds through the best channel to maximize net revenue. In short, the goal is to make the most of every guest. JD Cain's website 10:00am - 10:30am Parity - Does it still exist? 2020 and beyond Parity is crucial to conversion however it is becoming more and more difficult to maintain with OTA, Metasearch and rock-bottom wholesale rates all vying for the same booking. Throw in the growth of AirBnB and other accommodation innovators, and it becomes a nightmare for some. In the panel session, listen to a heated discussion between OTAs, Metasearch, wholesalers and hoteliers and why they can all work in unison. Panellists Andrew Boocock, Sourcing Regional Manager - Pacific Hotelbeds Andrew Boocock's website Amit Peshawaria, Head of Sales, Asia Pacific & Oceania OTA Insight Amit Peshawaria's website Andrew Hughes's biography Managing Director (formerly Vice President Hotel Sourcing GTA) HW Consulting Andrew started his hospitality career with McDonalds back in 1989, including Australia,Germany and Tahiti, before tour guiding in Europe and time spent as a pilot presenter withan Australian Travel Show.Andrew’s hotel career started with Best Western Australia before moving to IHG,responsible for 43 Hotels in ANZ. In 2007, Andrew moved to Dubai to open Atlantis, thePalm Dubai, and two more openings for Moevenpick in the region.After 11 years in the hotel game, Andrew crossed the floor to the distribution space,moving to GTA and relocating to Singapore and most recently managed the 3 wayintegration for the Hotelbeds Group.Seeking a tree-change, nowadays Andrew is more likely to be chatting to guests aroundthe firepit at his recently acquired property in Margaret River, or helping clients as part ofboutique tourism consultancy, HW Consulting. Andrew Hughes, Managing Director (formerly Vice President Hotel Sourcing GTA) HW Consulting Andrew Hughes's LinkedIn profile Lina Ang's biography General Manager, SMB, APAC Sojern Lina has a wealth of experience in the travel and hospitality industry and has constantly moved along with this evolving industry. As General Manager, APAC, she leads Sojern’s SMB commercial team responsible for driving direct bookings and building online brand awareness for accommodation providers. With experience in a variety of progressive leadership roles, Lina spent over 8 years at Orbitz Worldwide (now part of Expedia Inc) as Regional Director, Strategic Accounts APAC and held various roles at Shangri-La and Mandarin Oriental. She holds a MSc in Marketing from University College Dublin. Lina Ang, General Manager, SMB, APAC Sojern Lina Ang's website Lina Ang's LinkedIn profile Facilitator Fabian Bartnick's biography Founder Infinito Fabian is the Founder of Infinito, a technology company dedicated to improving the work-life balance of hotel managers through IVI, a personal revenue management assistant. He previously was the Vice President of Asia Pacific & International business at LodgIQ overlooking all aspects and operations within the region and as the Director of Global Revenue Generation at Tune Hotels Group encompassing Sales, Distribution, Business Analytics, Revenue Management and the Central Reservations Office. Having lived and worked across 4 continents, Fabian has a rich history in hospitality and a thorough understanding of the global revenue optimization landscape as a user, builder and seller of technology. Fabian has successfully turned around revenue performance in many companies by providing strategic consulting services as well developing powerful revenue analytics solutions that empower the business to maximize its revenue potential. Fabian has been on the Board of Directors for HSMAI South East Asia and currently sits on the HSMAI Advisory Board. Fabian Bartnick, Founder Infinito Fabian Bartnick's website Fabian Bartnick's LinkedIn profile 10:30am - 11:00am Morning Tea Break time! Enjoy a delicious pastry and tea or coffee with fellow delegates. View bio AJ Shantiratnam's biography Principal Client Partner Tripadvisor AJ Shantiratnam is Principal Client Partner for TripAdvisor in Australia. AJ manages click-based advertising business for hotel chains and OTAs in Australia.With a blend of experience working for large OTA and hotel chains, AJ has over 10 years’ experience in the travel industry which he capitalises with his passion for data and business analysis. AJ has previously worked for Agoda.com and Frasers Hospitality leading account management and e-commerce performance. 11:00am - 11:25am Direct Booking Tips and Ideas Unleashed AJ Shantiratnam, Principal Client Partner Tripadvisor Join TripAdvisor and hear the experts, you the audience share their top tips to help you maximise your direct bookings. Get tips on how to get in front of the right audience, build confidence in your property and make booking direct easy and appealing. PLUS, Announced: the winning idea of how to drive direct bookings, as submitted by you. AJ Shantiratnam's website 11:25am - 11:55am Creative Optimisation: How to survive the unknown Technology constantly unlocks new choice models for our customers and we have entered an era where the predictable product is being challenged by a desire for unique, authentic and less stuffy experiences. How do revenue managers continue to optimise and exploit opportunities in the market, whilst managing the impact of unknown supply. Panellists Philip Niemann's biography Group Vice President, APAC Duetto As Group VP of the APAC region, Philip leads Duetto's mission to address hospitality’s complex technology landscape, providing solutions that increase organizational efficiency, revenue and profitability. Based in Singapore, Philip oversees the sales, deployment and customer success efforts throughout Asia Pacific. He brings with him a decade of experience in revenue leadership roles on property, in corporate and area capacities in resort and city locations. While of German heritage, Philip is native to Singapore and holds a Bachelor of Science from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. More than 3,000 hotel and casino properties in more than 60 countries have partnered to use Duetto’s applications. Philip Niemann, Group Vice President, APAC Duetto Philip Niemann's website Felicity Arthur, Hotel Manager Establishment Hotel Felicity Arthur's website Felicity Arthur's LinkedIn profile Nikita Beresnev's biography Group Director of Revenue – Australia & New Zealand Nesuto Nikita joined Nesuto Hotels & Apartment Hotels, as Group Director of Revenue in 2017, following a successful career across leading Hotel companies in Revenue Management roles. He is highly skilled in Revenue Growth Generation, Yield Management and Rooms Division Management, with a high proficiency in financial acumen and rate management, ensuring positive returns for the business, its owners and partners.With a Master of International Business, Nikita understands the power of a successful brand and what is required from a Revenue Management and Distribution perspective, to support a growing business. Nikita Beresnev, Group Director of Revenue – Australia & New Zealand Nesuto Nikita Beresnev's website Nikita Beresnev's LinkedIn profile Facilitator Melissa Kalan's biography Founder ARMA Melissa Kalan is the Founder of the Australian Revenue Management Association (ARMA), providing revenue management education via the ARMA Academy to the accommodation industry.Her life philosophy is centred on the principle of “always learning”, and with this she empowers organisations to lead a revenue management culture from the top down that influences both profits and staff retention.Melissa wrote the first Australian nationally accredited VET short course in revenue management and the Graduate Certificate of Revenue Management – an online globally recognised qualification, the first of its kind, in partnership with Torrens University Australia. Melissa co-facilitates the university program with Torrens University Australia and also founded the annual APAC Revenue Management Summit. Melissa Kalan, Founder ARMA Melissa Kalan's website Melissa Kalan's LinkedIn profile 11:55am - 12:25pm Do Food & Beverage offerings drive hotel bookings? In this panel session, listen to some of Australia’s leading hotel and restaurant innovators on on why many hoteliers have missed the mark when it comes to their food and beverage offering and the huge opportunities there are. Learn how to make your restaurant and other food and beverage outlets a local destination and guest must-visit and eat at. Panellists Juliet Ashworth's biography Creative Director Chada Juliet is an award-winning interiors expert who has been designing world-class luxury hotels and resorts for over twenty years. She is also the series judge on the successful Netflix series “Instant Hotel”. Juliet Ashworth, Creative Director Chada Aaron LePoidevin , Head of Online, ANZ Uber Eats Aaron LePoidevin 's website Aaron LePoidevin 's LinkedIn profile Eliza O'Hare's biography Editor Inside Out Magazine Eliza O’Hare is a journalist and editor who has worked in Australian publishing for 30 years.She has worked on every genre of magazine, including time on Wheels magazine, Cosmopolitan, Dolly, Woman’s Day and Harper’s Bazaar as well as writing countless articles on modern Australian lifestyle for a variety of print and digital publications.Eliza is currently Editor of Inside Out magazine and focuses on design, interiors, food and travel. Eliza O'Hare, Editor Inside Out Magazine Eliza O'Hare's website Eliza O'Hare's LinkedIn profile Vincent Lombino's biography Group Food & Beverage Director Ovolo Hotels Overseeing food and drink across the Ovolo brand, from concepts to delivery, in-house to in-room, Vince works closely with Ovolo's Creative Culinary Partners, Chefs, Bar team to curate exciting and innovative offerings to reflect Ovolo’s philosophy. This role sees Vince work across the hotels, creating vibrant new concepts and implementing the highest standard of service and offering, allowing Ovolo to continue to push the boundaries, improve on existing concepts and launch new and unique innovations within the industry.With over 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, Vincent brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. His role as Group Director Food & Beverage has seen him working at organisations globally including Noble House Hotels & Resorts in Seattle, Urban Purveyor Group and Australia’s Event Hospitality Group as Group Food and Beverage Director focusing on development and implementation of their food and beverage concepts across Hotels and Cinemas. Vincent Lombino, Group Food & Beverage Director Ovolo Hotels Vincent Lombino's website Facilitator Kirsty Ludbrook, Creative Director The Hotelery Kirsty Ludbrook's website Kirsty Ludbrook's LinkedIn profile 12:25pm - 01:00pm CEO Viewpoints In this session, listen to Australia and APAC hotel leaders and CEOs discuss the latest trends, issues and opportunities facing the accommodation industry in Australia. This panel session will be facilitated by one of APAC's leading accommodation news editors, Matthew Stephens from eHotelier. Panellists Dean Long's biography CEO Accommodation Association of Australia Dean is a Public Policy professional with over a decade of experience providing advice to Governments around Australia and the business sectors with a focus on delivering advocacy outcomes that are mutually beneficial. Throughout his career Dean has created and maintained strong and trusted relationships across the political, private and public sectors.Dean was appointed the CEO of the Accommodation Association of Australia in June 2019 following roles as a Senior Adviser in the NSW Government, Head of Public Policy for the Australian Federation of Travel Agents and the National Manager of Government Acquisition (merchant services) for American Express. Dean has successfully led industry responses to regulatory changes across financial services, taxation, consumer affairs, immigration and planning. Dean holds a Bachelor of Applied Science, Environmental Management and Tourism from Western Sydney University and Masters of Management from the University of Technology Sydney. Dean Long, CEO Accommodation Association of Australia Dean Long's website Dean Long's LinkedIn profile Gavin Faull's biography Chairman and President Swiss-Belhotel International Gavin has over 35 years experience in hotel management and operations under his belt. He started his career as an accountant for The Peninsula Group, Hong Kong. In 1983, he was made chief executive of Kingsgate International Corporate Limited, a publicly listed company that owned several hotels in Australia and New Zealand.He worked for a start-up hotel management company Swiss-Belhotel group in 1990, before taking over the ownership of the company in 1999. Apart from his illustrious career in the hospitality industry, he also runs a number of agricultural companies in his native New Zealand. Gavin holds hold a Bachelor Degree in Accounting from Victoria University of Wellington. Gavin Faull, Chairman and President Swiss-Belhotel International Gavin Faull's website Gavin Faull's LinkedIn profile Trent Fraser's biography CEO Choice Hotels Asia-Pac Trent Fraser began his career in 1990 and by 2002, had held several senior management roles in a number of hotels across the Asia Pacific region. Mr. Fraser joined Choice Hotels in 2002, heading up the development side of Choice Hotels’ business and a short time later, was overseeing both Development and Franchise Services. In 2012, Mr. Fraser was appointed CEO of Choice Hotels Asia-Pac.Mr. Fraser has been at the forefront of property growth for Choice Hotels throughout his 15-year tenure and has developed and implemented strategic, growth-focused business plans, leading to substantial increases in group RevPAR and business delivery.Mr. Fraser led the launch and implementation of the Econo Lodge brand in Australia and New Zealand in 2009, and in 2013 he launched the upscale Ascend Hotel Collection spanning unique/boutique properties across Australia.Mr. Fraser lives in Melbourne with his wife Michelle and their three daughters. When he’s not in the office or travelling he enjoys playing golf or getting out to cheer on the mighty St Kilda Football Club. He also serves on the national board of AAoA and is a passionate supporter of Choice Hotels Asia-Pac’s charity partner, Kids Under Cover. Trent Fraser, CEO Choice Hotels Asia-Pac Trent Fraser's website Trent Fraser's LinkedIn profile Dave Baswal's biography COO/CFO Ovolo Hotels Currently the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Ovolo Hotels Australia, Dave brings with him over 15 years’ experience within the hospitality industry. An exemplary hospitality executive who creates strategic alliances with organisation leaders. With a proven experience in operations, strategic finance, corporate treasury, project management, distribution, IT, audit, financial analysis, sales and marketing within hospitality industry. Dave joined Ovolo Group’s Australian team with a goal of driving the Hong Kong-based brand’s further expansion into the Australian market.Dave has been instrumental in leading design and development initiatives for all new Australian based Ovolo Hotels including spearheading recent design projects for Ovolo Inchcolm in Brisbane, Ovolo Nishi in Canberra, Ovolo The Valley in Brisbane. Most recently, Dave has worked tirelessly on ZA ZA TA. Ovolo The Valley’s Middle Eastern and Mediterranean kitchen and bar inspired by the Tel Aviv bar scene, invigorating Fortitude Valley’s Emporium Precinct with soulful cuisine.Dave is an effective communicator, and a member of CPA Australia. With a Masters in Professional Accounting and Masters in International Tourism and Hospitality from Griffith University in Gold Coast in addition to Bachelor in Hotel Management, Dave brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to lead the Ovolo Australia Team. Dave Baswal, COO/CFO Ovolo Hotels Dave Baswal's website Facilitator Matthew Stephens's biography President eHotelier Matthew is a graduate of the Blue Mountains International Hotel School in Australia, where he was named Alumni of the Year in 2013. He served as the VP Operations at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales for five years, and came back to Australia to be the General Manager of the Shoal Bay Resort and Spa in NSW. Matthew is also well versed in the technology side of hospitality, having served as the IT Manager of Rydges Hotels and Resorts and most recently as the Director, Information Systems at Carnival Australia. Matthew Stephens, President eHotelier Matthew Stephens's website 01:00pm - 02:00pm Lunch Network with other attendees over a delicious buffet lunch. 02:00pm - 02:30pm The Indian and Chinese Tourism Boom Daniel Xu, General Manager Digital Crew With tourists spending more than $113 billion dollars in Australia in the last year, some of the biggest spenders are not just from China, but also India now showing the strongest growth. In this session listen to experts on how to capitalise on this boom including hoteliers and how to attract them, challenges dealing with these tourists (payments, price), FIT and how important is parity to them, and what they want. Daniel Xu's website Daniel Xu's LinkedIn profile 02:30pm - 03:10pm WTF is the deal with influencer marketing? With Instagram models and other social media influencers driving hotels crazy, join in a panel session with some of the industry's leading social media influencers, hoteliers and social media and marketing agencies to discuss the pros and cons of working with social media influencers.....or not. Panellists Stephen Howard's biography Group Director of Marketing at Ovolo Group Ovolo Group Stephen Howard is a Marketing Communication professional with a variety of experience spanning over 15 years in a number of different industries and cultural backgrounds having lived in Australia, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom.Stephen began his career studying at QUT in Brisbane, Queensland whilst running the Marketing and Promotions for a number of high-end hospitality venues. To further progress his career be relocated to Sydney in 2007 working 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 multi-national car company Hyundai Motor Company. Whilst at Hyundai he oversaw a complete brand change in the company launching a number of new vehicles and also 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. Here he successfully launched the designer hotel brand, QT Hotels & Resorts the Australian and International markets whilst also overseeing the company’s group communications across EVENT businesses such as Event Cinemas, Rydges Hotels, Thredbo Alpine Resort, among others.In 2017, Stephen furthered his education completing the Strategic Marketing Management course and the renowned Ivy League University Harvard. Stephen Howard, Group Director of Marketing at Ovolo Group Ovolo Group Stephen Howard's LinkedIn profile Jeanine Bribosia, Director The Cru Media Jeanine Bribosia's website Jeanine Bribosia's LinkedIn profile Nick Aldrich's biography Communications & Social Media Executive Accor Meet Nick Aldrich - AccorHotels’ Social Media go-to for all things social content, strategy, acquisition & community management. Overseeing all social media activity across the Pacific, Nick is responsible for the social success of more than 400 hotels, resorts, restaurants and bars, and the social media custodian of more than 35 internationally recognised brands across the Pacific. A proud bot parent to the in-house created and award winning chatbot, AccorBot, Nick drinks far too much coffee, is hardly ever on top of his emails but has a passion for creating high cut through social media campaigns and social innovations. Nick Aldrich, Communications & Social Media Executive Accor Nick Aldrich's website Evelien Langeveld's biography Blogger & Content Creator Eef Explores Evelien is a travel blogger and content creator from Bondi.As a result of combining her three biggest passions - travel, photography and writing - Eef Explores was born. She has worked with hotels, travel organisations and tourism boards all around the world. Evelien Langeveld, Blogger & Content Creator Eef Explores Evelien Langeveld's website Jessica Ward's biography Travel and Lifestyle Creative Jessica Ward Photography Jessica is a professional content creator based in Newcastle, NSW. She specialises in travel and lifestyle photography and she is happiest when she's creating something for the world to see.Thanks to her extensive travels, Jessica is able to work with tourism companies, both internationally and locally, where she creates visual and written content to showcase experiences and accommodation services.She loves creating content that showcases the hard work of those within the tourism industry and thanks to social media she is now able to show online audiences the beauty of places and experiences that they otherwise wouldn’t know about.Jessica aims to always step outside of her comfort zone and explore as many unfamiliar locations as possible. Jessica Ward, Travel and Lifestyle Creative Jessica Ward Photography Jessica Ward's website Facilitator Taryn Williams, Founder & CEO TheRight.Fit Taryn Williams's website Taryn Williams's LinkedIn profile 03:10pm - 03:40pm How to use your OTA channels to improve your hotels performance Learn how can you improve your results by working WITH your OTA channels, what type of data, reports, competitor information you can get and how to use that data to improve your performance, both through the OTA channel and your direct channels. Panellists Kristy Edwards, Director of Revenue Optimisation BWH Hotel Group Kristy Edwards's website Kristy Edwards's LinkedIn profile Andrew Collins's biography Senior Account Manager Booking.com Based in Sydney Andy leads the Key Markets Account Management Team at Booking.com. In his 7 years at Booking he has held a variety of key account management roles focusing on markets across the APAC Region in both Sydney and Singapore. Coming from a hotel background prior to joining Booking.com, Andy spent over ten years in a variety of roles in properties across France, Spain and New Zealand before relocating to Australia. Andrew Collins, Senior Account Manager Booking.com Andrew Collins's website Andrew Collins's LinkedIn profile Oliver Ruf's biography Director of Revenue Management Park Hyatt Sydney Oliver Ruf is a results-oriented executive with over 15 years of experience in revenue management and, distribution strategy.Oliver has held leadership roles with Hyatt and has been a member of Hyatt International’s Global Specialist Program since 2010. As Director of Revenue Management at Park Hyatt Sydney, he has consistently grown revenue streams, contributing to the success and positioning of the award-winning hotel as a preferred luxury hotel in Australia.In his current tenure, Park Hyatt Sydney has achieved some of the highest performance benchmarks in its history and is currently recognized as one of the highest performing hotels within Hyatt Hotels & Resorts globally in RevPar & Marketshare terms. Oliver Ruf, Director of Revenue Management Park Hyatt Sydney Oliver Ruf's website Oliver Ruf's LinkedIn profile Nick Jeffery's biography Vice President - Sales & Account Management, APAC Sabre Hospitality Solutions Nick Jeffery leads the Asia-Pacific Business Development team for Sabre Hospitality Solutions. A veteran of the Asia-Pacific Hospitality sector he joined Sabre back in 2009 after leading the Account Management team for IDeaS across Asia-Pacific since 2001. Prior to his roles with leading hospitality technology companies he “cut his teeth” in Hospitality with the Intercontinental Hotel Group where he held a variety of roles during his 13 year tenure. Whilst working with the Sydney Intercontinental he implemented the first automated Revenue Management solution for the Group globally which prove the catalyst for a rollout of the solution across six continents in the late 1990’s. He has studied Commerce and Economics at both the University of NSW and Macquarie University in Sydney. Nick Jeffery, Vice President - Sales & Account Management, APAC Sabre Hospitality Solutions Nick Jeffery's website Nick Jeffery's LinkedIn profile More Speakers to be Announced, 03:40pm - 04:05pm Afternoon Tea Sample the delicious array of cakes, biscuits and beverages on offer while networking with conference delegates. 04:05pm - 04:35pm Branded vs. Non-brand vs. Soft brands vs. Boutique A hard hitting debate with some of APAC’s leading leading hotel brands, chains and non-brands to discuss the value of being part of a brand vs. being an independent. Listen to why there is increasing consolidation in the market and how the business models of the biggest hotel brands is changing to adapt to the evolution of the non-branded boutique hotels. Panellists Brett Salter, National Accommodation Manager ALH Group Brett Salter's website Brett Salter's LinkedIn profile Georgina Williams, Director of Development BWH Hotel Group Georgina Williams's website Timo Bures, General Manager The Old Clare Hotel Timo Bures's website Timo Bures's LinkedIn profile Sue Johnson's biography Marketing Director Spicers Retreats After finishing a business degree and scratching the London travel itch, Sue decided that if she could get a job in travel marketing she’d never work another day in her life. And that’s exactly what happened. Sue started with Flight Centre in 2005 as a Consultant and quickly worked up to Team Leader. After a one year contract at Malaysia Airlines as a Marketing Officer she returned to Flight Centre as Recruitment Marketing Officer and over the next 10+ years held a range of roles including National Brand Manager for Flight Centre Brand, Head of Retail Marketing for Flight Centre in the UK and Head of Marketing for Travel Associates and Cruiseabout. Sue recently moved to Spicers Retreats as Marketing Director and is loving every minute of it.When she isn’t showing off Spicers Retreats, Sue is spending time with her two girls, trying to run 5kms in 25 minutes and perfecting a banana bread recipe (all suggestions and advice welcome!) Sue Johnson, Marketing Director Spicers Retreats Sue Johnson's website Sue Johnson's LinkedIn profile Kari Hunter, General Manager - Marketing Choice Hotels Asia-Pac Kari Hunter's website Kari Hunter's LinkedIn profile Facilitator Michael Smith's biography Managing Director Ananas Consulting Michael Smith wants to live in a hotelier world where creativity has no limits, hotels celebrate their individual stories and a better, more human interaction is formed with hotel guests. With over 25 years of experience, Michael has worked for the leading global hotel management group Accor, where he was a General Manager for a number of well-renowned Australian hotels across all market segments. He is currently the Managing Director of Ananas Consulting established at the beginning of 2016 to provide a one-stop shop for owners who wished to develop a boutique hotel portfolio with a focus on creative product offerings. With his extensive industry experience, Michael could see that Hotels were changing and fast. In an age when "boutique" and "lifestyle" were becoming blurred, guests expected more. He could see they wanted experiences, even if it was just Instagram worthy. People want to connect with their hotel in a different way. Having had success in the large branded hotel sphere, through his innovation focussed leadership, Michael could see that he had a lot to offer owners in this new hotel future. When he is not occupied in his specialised areas of strategic planning, financial management, leadership and product development; you can find him tap dancing his way onto a baseball field or looking for unique ingredients at the grocers for his next homemade recipe. Michael Smith, Managing Director Ananas Consulting Michael Smith's website View bio Adrian Caruso's biography Founder, Managing Director Fastrack Group Adrian is founder and CEO of Australasia's leading travel, tourism and hospitality full-service marketing and communications firm, Fastrack Group.Adrian is a highly experienced and respected travel, tourism and hospitality digital marketing, media and communications expert with over 25 years in the industry. He is also a management consultant and strategist. 04:35pm - 05:00pm Winning the Direct Booking Battle in 2020 Adrian Caruso, Founder, Managing Director Fastrack Group Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and hotels still seem to be in an never ending battle for direct bookings according to many hoteliers. OTAs generally still call the shots with their billion dollar ad budgets, take the rewards, and leave hoteliers shaking with little power to win. Join direct booking expert, Adrian Caruso and listen to what you need to do to instantly regain market share from OTAs and win more clients via direct channels. Adrian Caruso's website Adrian Caruso's LinkedIn profile 05:00pm - 05:30pm The Great Debate - Is Direct Business Really Profitable? As a hotelier, how often do you talk about whether all the funds you spend on getting direct bookings are worth it? Are direct bookings really profitable? Or are you spending more on getting them than you would on OTA commissions? There are polar opposite views on this in the hospitality industry, and that’s without thinking about who ‘owns’ the guest and the long term value of a loyal guest. Join us for this highly interactive, highly heated debate with some of the industry's leading hoteliers, OTA's and experts. Panellists Michael Johnson's biography CEO, TAA National & NSW Tourism Accommodation Australia As CEO of Tourism Accommodation Australia, National & NSW, Michael Johnson calls on his experience within the hotel industry, spanning over three decades and across Australia and New Zealand. Previously in the business of managing four and five star business hotels, resorts and tourist attractions Michael shares insight into all facets of the tourism accommodation industry, from operations to senior management.Most recently, after a successful tenure as General Manager of PARKROYAL Melbourne Airport, Michael moved back to Sydney to take on the position of General Manager at PARKROYAL Parramatta and managed the redevelopment extension and 2016 relaunch. Since April 2019, Michael has lead the team at Tourism Accommodation Australia - National & NSW, liaising with Governments to combat hotel industry specific issues such as skilled migration, unregulated accommodation and the skills shortages gap.Michael is a natural ambassador of the hotel industry and is committed to encouraging the next generations to try their hand at building a successful career within the industry, an experience he has found extremely rewarding.Originally from Sydney, Michael possesses valuable local and national insights and exceptional industry knowledge and skills. Michael Johnson, CEO, TAA National & NSW Tourism Accommodation Australia Michael Johnson's website Philip Stanley, General Manager ANZ Sabre Hospitality Solutions Philip Stanley's website Philip Stanley's LinkedIn profile Matthias Dybing's biography Co-Founder and Director Nuvho Hotels Matthias (Matt) Dybing will be speaking at Maximum Occupancy on the panel of The Great Debate – Is Direct Business Really Profitable?Matt has more than 20 years' experience in the hospitality industry, working for small to large accommodation providers located in Europe and Australia.Matt co-founded various hospitality businesses including Nuvho Hotels, a new breed of hotel services and hotel management company. Nuvho combines tech, hotel services and expertise to deliver profitable outcomes to accommodation providers. The company currently provides revenue management, property management, marketing and sales services to 20+ properties across Australia. Their direct booking and upsell platform is used by more than 50 accommodation businesses.Matt is a regular industry speaker and commentator on topics relating to revenue management, distribution and digital marketing. Matthias Dybing, Co-Founder and Director Nuvho Hotels Matthias Dybing's website Matthias Dybing's LinkedIn profile Facilitator Chantelle Veness, Group Director of Sales & Marketing The Lancemore Group Chantelle Veness's website Chantelle Veness's LinkedIn profile 05:30pm - 07:00pm Networking Drinks & Tradeshow Sponsored by Fastrack Group Join us for a drink and canapes sponsored by Fastrack Group while you network with other attendees and exhibitors. 08:00am - 08:40am Thursday, 7 November, Workshops Day - Registration and Welcome Coffee Workshops day is full of one-on-one style learning sessions, so grab a coffee and get ready for lots of learning from the experts. View bio Adrian Caruso's biography Founder, Managing Director Fastrack Group Adrian is founder and CEO of Australasia's leading travel, tourism and hospitality full-service marketing and communications firm, Fastrack Group.Adrian is a highly experienced and respected travel, tourism and hospitality digital marketing, media and communications expert with over 25 years in the industry. He is also a management consultant and strategist. 08:45am - 09:30am 2020 Book Direct Blueprint Adrian Caruso, Founder, Managing Director Fastrack Group In this highly interactive workshop you will learn how to formulate or improve your hotel's 'Direct Booking Strategy' through proven techniques and strategies. Adrian Caruso, one of the industry's leading Direct Booking strategists will touch on all major digital channels and data practices and look at how they should be applied as we head into 2020. A not to be missed hands-on workshop. Walk away with a blueprint to drive more direct booking in 2020 Adrian Caruso's website Adrian Caruso's LinkedIn profile View bio Mauro Risch's biography Hotel & Resort Photographer The Hotel Photographer Over the last decade, Mauro Risch has become known simply as The Hotel Photographer. He travels around the Asia Pacific region creating visual content that brings brand awareness and most importantly, improves bookings. He is trusted by PR and marketing teams, hotel managers and executive brand teams right across the Asia Pacific region. Mauro is the preferred photographer for some of the top operators across the industry, including IHG, Wyndham and Meriton. 09:30am - 10:00am The impact of Photography on your bookings Mauro Risch, Hotel & Resort Photographer The Hotel Photographer “One great photo is worth a thousand bookings” Listen and learn from Mauro on how to produce the best visual content to help you increase your bookings. What to look for and what to avoid. He will show you the way to get what you need out of your photoshoot. A workshop not to be missed! Mauro Risch's website Mauro Risch's LinkedIn profile 10:00am - 10:30am Morning Tea Grab a tea or coffee and discuss the morning sessions with your colleagues. View bio JD Cain's biography Vice President of Sales Revinate As the Vice President of Sales at Revinate, JD is responsible for the strategic direction and execution of all of the company’s global sales and business development efforts. Revinate is the only guest data platform for hospitality, with CRM, marketing and guest feedback solutions, counting tens of thousands of the world’s leading hospitality brands as customers. Before Revinate, JD managed direct sales for large and complex accounts at Akamai Technologies. 10:30am - 11:00am Using CRM to lift revenue and build loyalty JD Cain, Vice President of Sales Revinate CRM is often a buzz word loosely used by hotel and accommodation marketers. Yet using CRM is by far one of the most cost effective ways to boost direct bookings and create loyalty - with a 800-1000% ROI. Listen to one of the industry's leaders show you how to easily use CRM to connect with your clients before, during and after their stay to generate loads more direct bookings than ever before and get guests to become loyal to you. JD Cain's website 11:00am - 11:30am Riding the Wellness Wave: How hotels are embracing the fitness and wellness trends Samantha Foster, Director & Business Owner Healthy Highs Pty Ltd Hotels are realizing that having a Spa is not enough. To compete (and keep up with their savvy clientele) they are needing to expand their offering to include more elements of wellness such spa, fitness, healthy food, mind-body therapies, physio and other holistic therapies. Learn from one of the industry’s best how to expand their programming to integrate more elements of wellness to increase occupancy in traditionally lower times, increase length of stay and spend per guest, create a great story for marketing and promotion and attract a new clientele. Samantha Foster's LinkedIn profile View bio Melissa Kalan's biography Founder ARMA Melissa Kalan is the Founder of the Australian Revenue Management Association (ARMA), providing revenue management education via the ARMA Academy to the accommodation industry.Her life philosophy is centred on the principle of “always learning”, and with this she empowers organisations to lead a revenue management culture from the top down that influences both profits and staff retention.Melissa wrote the first Australian nationally accredited VET short course in revenue management and the Graduate Certificate of Revenue Management – an online globally recognised qualification, the first of its kind, in partnership with Torrens University Australia. Melissa co-facilitates the university program with Torrens University Australia and also founded the annual APAC Revenue Management Summit. 11:30am - 12:00pm Grow your value ladder so you can serve more customers and make more money Melissa Kalan, Founder ARMA This workshop will explore the concept of value and your value ladder. Strategies include value based pricing, customer lifetime value, key properties of value and "value drivers" plus learn important communication strategies that will make you a copywriting genius in no time. Melissa Kalan's website Melissa Kalan's LinkedIn profile View bio AJ Shantiratnam's biography Principal Client Partner Tripadvisor AJ Shantiratnam is Principal Client Partner for TripAdvisor in Australia. AJ manages click-based advertising business for hotel chains and OTAs in Australia.With a blend of experience working for large OTA and hotel chains, AJ has over 10 years’ experience in the travel industry which he capitalises with his passion for data and business analysis. AJ has previously worked for Agoda.com and Frasers Hospitality leading account management and e-commerce performance. 12:00pm - 12:30pm TripAdvisor reveals the Top Travellers Truths and an Inside look at Transparency Around Reviews AJ Shantiratnam, Principal Client Partner Tripadvisor Deep dive into fluid traveller journey and hear actionable insights to influence the fluidity. Understand the role of mobile and technology advances in Marketing. Learn more about the role of most trusted channels for reviews & opinions and the inspiration for reading TripAdvisor Reviews AJ Shantiratnam's website 12:30pm - 01:15pm Lunch Enjoy a full buffet lunch with your fellow attendees. 01:15pm - 01:45pm Powerful Marketing & Sales Strategies to Boost Function Bookings at Your Hotel You could have the best venue in the world, but if no one knows about it or can find it, then you’ll have a hard time filling your venue. The competition between event venues is fierce! And getting more competitive all the time. How can you differentiate your venue from your competitors and get your message in front of your target customer audience? This session will cover various aspects of how you can better market your venue and maximise your conversion opportunities. You may already be doing some of it, but you can always learn new ways to improve your business Panellists Jackie Douglas, President HSMAI Asia Pacific Jackie Douglas's website Jackie Douglas's LinkedIn profile Terry Oomens, Director of Sales & Marketing Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney Terry Oomens's website Terry Oomens's LinkedIn profile Blair Weir, Commercial Director Hilton Sydney Blair Weir's website Blair Weir's LinkedIn profile View bio Henry Leung's biography SEO Specialist Fastrack Group Henry is Fastrack Group's SEO Specialist. He is responsible for delivering effective and best-in-class SEO strategies from start to finish. With a proven record of success in developing and executing creative organic growth strategies for stakeholders, Henry brings his broad industry knowledge having worked with reputable brands, such as Sofitel, Mercedes Benz and Allianz, among others, to achieve their goals in organic ranking and traffic. 01:45pm - 02:15pm Effective Ways to Improve your Website SEO Ranking Henry Leung, SEO Specialist Fastrack Group In this workshop, one of the hotel industry’s leading SEO Specialists, Henry Leung will cover the essential and simple to implement SEO tactics and guide you how to rank better on Google to receive more organic traffic and direct bookings. Henry Leung's website Henry Leung's LinkedIn profile View bio Gerard Smith's biography Business Development Manager Fastrack Group A business development and relationship specialist, Gerard has held senior management roles in some of New Zealand’s leading digital agencies, before returning to Brisbane after 12+ years. More recently Gerard has held senior management roles with some of Australasia's leading digital agencies, where he focussed on building successful commercial partnerships with leading tourism organisations, including Tourism New Zealand, Real Journeys, Skyline Enterprises and Hobbiton, to name a few. 02:15pm - 02:45pm Creating the perfect Digital Marketing and Website Proposal that gets you the best ROI Gerard Smith, Business Development Manager Fastrack Group In this workshop, the hotel and travel industry’s leading digital marketing and website Business Development and Account Manager, Gerard Smith will show you a step by step way to create the perfect Request for Proposal (RFP) to send to your digital marketing or website development agency to get you the best ROI. Having worked over the last 10 + years on digital transformation projects for some of Australasia’s largest tourism and accommodation brands….Gerard knows exactly what information you need before starting to create the RFP, what it needs to contain, and what to look for when choosing the right digital partner. Gerard Smith's website Gerard Smith's LinkedIn profile 02:45pm - 03:15pm Afternoon Tea Take a break and grab something to eat before our final session of the day. 03:15pm - 05:00pm Ask anything round tables Delegates often say this is the best session of the entire conference. This is your opportunity to sit down with the experts and gain answers and insights for your hotel in a consultation style format. This year's roundtables will include: - Revenue Management - Melissa Kalan - Websites - Adrian Caruso - SEO - Henry Leung - SEM / Paid Media / Google Analytics - Essen Tsou - Email Marketing / CRM - JD Cain, Nicole Weiner - TripAdvisor / Reputation Management - AJ Shantiratnam - Rate Parity - Fabian Bartnick & Matthias Dybing Facilitator Adrian Caruso's biography Conference Organiser Maximum Occupancy Adrian is founder and CEO of Australasia's leading travel, tourism and hospitality full-service marketing and communications firm, Fastrack Group.Adrian is a highly experienced and respected travel, tourism and hospitality digital marketing, media and communications expert with over 25 years in the industry. He is also a management consultant and strategist. Adrian Caruso, Conference Organiser Maximum Occupancy Adrian Caruso's website Adrian Caruso's LinkedIn profile JD Cain's biography Vice President of Sales Revinate As the Vice President of Sales at Revinate, JD is responsible for the strategic direction and execution of all of the company’s global sales and business development efforts. Revinate is the only guest data platform for hospitality, with CRM, marketing and guest feedback solutions, counting tens of thousands of the world’s leading hospitality brands as customers. Before Revinate, JD managed direct sales for large and complex accounts at Akamai Technologies. JD Cain, Vice President of Sales Revinate JD Cain's website Melissa Kalan's biography Founder ARMA Melissa Kalan is the Founder of the Australian Revenue Management Association (ARMA), providing revenue management education via the ARMA Academy to the accommodation industry.Her life philosophy is centred on the principle of “always learning”, and with this she empowers organisations to lead a revenue management culture from the top down that influences both profits and staff retention.Melissa wrote the first Australian nationally accredited VET short course in revenue management and the Graduate Certificate of Revenue Management – an online globally recognised qualification, the first of its kind, in partnership with Torrens University Australia. Melissa co-facilitates the university program with Torrens University Australia and also founded the annual APAC Revenue Management Summit. Melissa Kalan, Founder ARMA Melissa Kalan's website Melissa Kalan's LinkedIn profile Matthias Dybing's biography Co-Founder and Director Nuvho Hotels Matthias (Matt) Dybing will be speaking at Maximum Occupancy on the panel of The Great Debate – Is Direct Business Really Profitable?Matt has more than 20 years' experience in the hospitality industry, working for small to large accommodation providers located in Europe and Australia.Matt co-founded various hospitality businesses including Nuvho Hotels, a new breed of hotel services and hotel management company. Nuvho combines tech, hotel services and expertise to deliver profitable outcomes to accommodation providers. The company currently provides revenue management, property management, marketing and sales services to 20+ properties across Australia. Their direct booking and upsell platform is used by more than 50 accommodation businesses.Matt is a regular industry speaker and commentator on topics relating to revenue management, distribution and digital marketing. Matthias Dybing, Co-Founder and Director Nuvho Hotels Matthias Dybing's website Matthias Dybing's LinkedIn profile Fabian Bartnick's biography Founder Infinito Fabian is the Founder of Infinito, a technology company dedicated to improving the work-life balance of hotel managers through IVI, a personal revenue management assistant. He previously was the Vice President of Asia Pacific & International business at LodgIQ overlooking all aspects and operations within the region and as the Director of Global Revenue Generation at Tune Hotels Group encompassing Sales, Distribution, Business Analytics, Revenue Management and the Central Reservations Office. Having lived and worked across 4 continents, Fabian has a rich history in hospitality and a thorough understanding of the global revenue optimization landscape as a user, builder and seller of technology. Fabian has successfully turned around revenue performance in many companies by providing strategic consulting services as well developing powerful revenue analytics solutions that empower the business to maximize its revenue potential. Fabian has been on the Board of Directors for HSMAI South East Asia and currently sits on the HSMAI Advisory Board. Fabian Bartnick, Founder Infinito Fabian Bartnick's website Fabian Bartnick's LinkedIn profile AJ Shantiratnam's biography Principal Client Partner Tripadvisor AJ Shantiratnam is Principal Client Partner for TripAdvisor in Australia. AJ manages click-based advertising business for hotel chains and OTAs in Australia.With a blend of experience working for large OTA and hotel chains, AJ has over 10 years’ experience in the travel industry which he capitalises with his passion for data and business analysis. AJ has previously worked for Agoda.com and Frasers Hospitality leading account management and e-commerce performance. AJ Shantiratnam, Principal Client Partner Tripadvisor AJ Shantiratnam's website Essen Tsou's biography Digital Marketing Manager Fastrack Group Essen has a wealth of knowledge in digital marketing for the hotel and travel industry. Essen has over 5 years digital marketing experience in the hotel/travel industry, previously working within the Global Marketing Team at Expedia. Essen brings in her expertise across online acquisition channels, including paid media, remarketing and social direct response. Essen Tsou, Digital Marketing Manager Fastrack Group Essen Tsou's website Essen Tsou's LinkedIn profile Henry Leung's biography SEO Specialist Fastrack Group Henry is Fastrack Group's SEO Specialist. He is responsible for delivering effective and best-in-class SEO strategies from start to finish. With a proven record of success in developing and executing creative organic growth strategies for stakeholders, Henry brings his broad industry knowledge having worked with reputable brands, such as Sofitel, Mercedes Benz and Allianz, among others, to achieve their goals in organic ranking and traffic. Henry Leung, SEO Specialist Fastrack Group Henry Leung's website Henry Leung's LinkedIn profile 8th Nov Conference 7th Nov Workshops