Emerging Tourism Leaders Summit
Program
Registration and Welcome
8.15am to 9am
Registrations open, coffee and networking
8.30am
Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony in collaboration with Choose Tourism Careers Expo
We welcome attendees to join VTIC and YTN for a Welcome to Country by Wurundjeri Elder Murrundindi.
8.45am
Official Choose Tourism welcome
Emerging Tourism Leaders Summit – Morning Sessions
9am
Opening and welcome
Meet your MC for the day Taryn Elder
9.10am
Career conversation with Wurundjeri Elder Murrundindi
9.30am
Tourism trends with Simon Kuestenmacher
Simon will bring data to life to explore how the visitor economy is changing and how you can help shape the industry.
Simon presents on demographic and global trends that are shaping Australia today and into the future and his observations are enjoyed by corporate, government and industry audiences alike. He is a columnist for The New Daily newspaper and a regular contributor to The Australian newspaper; and he is a media commentator on demographic and data matters. In his spare time Simon has authored three books on maps and runs what is by now the world’s largest Twitter account dedicated to maps and data. His social media posts reach over 35 million people every month. Simon ranks as one of the world’s top 10 influencers in data.
10.15am
On the couch with Felicia Mariani and Phillipa Harrison
Learn about Felicia and Phillipa’s career journeys, what they look for in emerging leaders and the zigzagging pathways in the visitor economy.
Felicia Mariani – CEO of VTIC has had a long and accomplished career in the tourism, entertainment, and events sectors across both the USA and Australia. Commencing her Australian career in Melbourne in the early 90’s, Felicia joined the team at Tourism Victoria responsible for launching the highly successful and internationally lauded “You’ll Love Every Piece of Victoria” campaign. Felicia leads Victoria’s peak body for the tourism and events industry. She has held senior management roles in Tourism Victoria and Tourism NSW, is a former CEO of Tourism Tasmania, and was Managing Director of the Australian Tourism Export Council. Felicia is passionate about the power of tourism and events to drive regional economies.
Phillipa Harrison – Managing Director of Tourism Australia is responsible for driving Tourism Australia’s strategies to create sustainable demand for Australia’s tourism experiences internationally, and working with the tourism industry to support the sector’s recovery. Phillipa first joined Tourism Australia in February 2017 as Executive General Manager International, to lead the organisation’s international operations for Asia, the Americas, Europe and New Zealand as well as Global Distribution and Partnerships. Prior to joining Tourism Australia, Ms Harrison spent six years working for Hamilton Island Enterprises and before that held a variety of globally-focused senior sales, marketing and product roles across ecommerce, retail and wholesale tourism platforms, based in both London and Sydney.
11am
Morning tea
Morning tea and refreshments provided. We encourage you to explore the Choose Tourism Careers Expo next door during session breaks.
Masterclass Sessions 1
12pm
Option 1 The Leadership Pipeline: How to prepare for the next step LiftUp Leadership
This hands-on and interactive workshop will explore how to take control of your leadership journey. Alex will help you identify the characteristics, skills, and key actions you need to grow into the next level of your career.
Alex focuses on transforming frontline managers into effective leaders at his organisation LiftUp Leadership. Leveraging two decades of sales, customer success and leadership development experience, he supports people in defining and achieving their leadership goals while empowering their direct team to perform at their best. Alex has Global Fortune 500 Company experience, consulting C-Suite and has trained hundreds of leaders in more than 30 countries specialising in helping managers build and forge their leadership philosophy.
Option 2 What AI can do for you The Digital Picnic
Explore the world of Chat GPT with The Digital Picnic. You’ll get an introduction to prompt engineering and how to use AI creatively in your workplace.
The team at The Digital Picnic have a proven track record for skyrocketing engagement, fans and followers. They have transformed social accounts thanks to a powerful combination of digital strategy and copywriting know-how.The Digital Picnic is a digital marketing agency with a difference; they are social media training specialists.
Option 3 Event Excellence 101 with Rachella Thomas
Learn how to take an event from concept to execution. In this session we’ll explore the core elements of effective event planning, how to tailor your event to achieve your goals and how to leverage an event to have significant impact.
Rachella is an award-winning event management consultant specialising in major events and festivals. With 24 years’ experience creating world-class events for high-profile clients and international brands, Rachella is the go-to consultant for organisations looking to improve their event planning strategy. Throughout her career, Rachella played a leading role in the success of renowned events such as Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, Commonwealth Games’ Queen Baton Relay, Royal Melbourne Show, Australian Open, Truffle Melbourne Festival, Moomba Festival, Australia Day, and Jayco Herald Sun Tour. In 2020, Rachella founded Event Kit, an online shop affordable and on-demand event planning templates.
Masterclass Sessions 2
12.45pm
Option 1 The Leadership Pipeline: How to prepare for the next step LiftUp Leadership
This hands-on and interactive workshop will explore how to take control of your leadership journey. Alex will help you identify the characteristics, skills, and key actions you need to grow into the next level of your career.
Alex focuses on transforming frontline managers into effective leaders at his organisation LiftUp Leadership. Leveraging two decades of sales, customer success and leadership development experience, he supports people in defining and achieving their leadership goals while empowering their direct team to perform at their best. Alex has Global Fortune 500 Company experience, consulting C-Suite and has trained hundreds of leaders in more than 30 countries specialising in helping managers build and forge their leadership philosophy.
Option 2 Unlocking LinkedIn for career growth in tourism Renata Bernarde
In this session, Renata Bernarde will explore advanced LinkedIn strategies and tailor it specifically for emerging leaders in the tourism industry. Learn how to leverage LinkedIn’s hidden features to enhance your professional brand, network with industry leaders, and uncover job opportunities. This session will provide practical tips and real-world examples to help you stand out and succeed in your career.
Option 3 Building Confidence in your Career panel
Meet the young achievers paving the way for the future of our visitor economy. We’ll be exploring how to celebrate your successes, overcome imposter syndrome and follow your curiosities in your career. The panelists have achieved either the VTIC Young Achievers Award or the Lynette Bergin Fellowship will share their insights.
Brendan Saunders – City of Greater Geelong has over 12 years of diverse experience in Australia’s visitor economy and local government sectors. Brendan has dedicated his career to enhancing some of Australia’s most iconic landmarks and destinations. As Business Manager at Victoria’s largest Regional Tourism Board, and now Manager of Economic and Cultural Development at the City of Greater Geelong, he has led the development of key plans including the Geelong Major Events Strategy and Sustainable Destination Master Plan. In 2019, Brendan received the Lynette Bergin Fellowship, researching sustainable tourism beyond profit. This inspired him to infuse purpose-driven principles into strategies, ensuring community, environment, and economic benefit are equally prioritised in long-term planning.
Ebony Flett – Red Hill Candle Co established Red Hill Candle Co in 2016 after over two decades experience working in the tourism, hospitality, and events industry. Ebony’s diverse professional background includes local council and private sector experience across multiple countries. A passionate advocate for the industry, Ebony is committed to inspiring future leaders through her journey of adaptability, resilience, and innovation. Ebony was awarded the VTIC Young Achievers Award in 2021.
Since commencing work in the tourism industry in 2014, Izabelle So – Bendigo Tourism has played a key role to help position Bendigo as a leader in regional Australia. Izzy has been integral in coordinating Bendigo’s digital promotions of its major events and exhibitions and has worked closely with local businesses to build the digital capacity for the region. Izzy has made a big impact across the Bendigo region by successfully project managing the region’s new website platform, developing six tourism websites. Izzy is the winner of 2019 VTIC Young Achievers Awards and has been a part of the multiple awards winning team in Bendigo.
Julia Antonetti – Tourism Midwest Victoria is in the business of memorable encounters and special places. In her role as Sustainable Destination Development Officer she supports tourism and hospitality businesses to deliver exceptional visitor experiences. Her passion and exuberant energy, coupled with her drive for high quality service delivery, is an inspiration to many local business operators and aspiring tourism professionals. Julia was the recipient of VTIC’s 2022 Young Achiever Award at the Victorian Tourism Awards.
Michelle Dall’Ava – Victorian Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) is facilitating this session. She is the Head of Industry Development & Policy Advisor at VTIC. Originally from Brazil, she spent 14 years living in London before relocating to Australia. Making a career shift in her late 20s, Michelle pursued a Bachelor Honours’ degree in Tourism and Business, earning recognition through academic awards, including the Young Achiever Award in 2018. With key skills in industry development, stakeholder management and strategic planning, she thrives in environments that foster growth and enable her to realise her full potential in facilitating industry leadership and excellence. Her unwavering passion and dedication are evident in her commitment to driving the growth and ongoing success of VTIC and the visitor industry in Victoria.
1.30pm
Lunch
Lunch and refreshments provided. We encourage you to explore the Choose Tourism Careers Expo next door during session breaks.
Emerging Tourism Leaders Summit – Afternoon Sessions
2.30pm
Tourism Futures Panel Regeneration Projects
Jakobi – Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria is a proud Djap Wurrung man of Western Victoria and Aboriginal Learning Officer at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria (RBGV). RBGV leads in nature-based educational programs focused on First Peoples culture, Science & STEM, Sustainability and Health & Nature connection. Jakobi is passionate about tourism and education, he strongly believes in harnessing the power of storytelling to engage people through traditional ecological knowledge and science communication. Through sharing culture, knowledge and stories, connecting tourists and students alike to land and water through plants and landscapes and exploring our own obligations to Care for the Country.
Madeleine Sawyer – Tourism Midwest Victoria is a proud advocate of tourism as a profession, Madeleine has taken on roles across the industry in the accommodation sector, the caravan and camping industry, in research and industry development. She is passionate about the important role that the visitor economy plays in telling the story of a region, culture and people, all the while enriching the lives of the community when developed and managed in a sustainable manner. In her current role at Tourism Midwest Victoria, she is working to empower and advocate these benefits for the Ballarat region through tourism product and industry development.
Robyn Nixon – Intrepid Travel has had a career path that is anything but conventional. After working professionally in theatre for 14 years she entered the travel industry in 1991. She and a friend started a small group adventure travel company taking travellers to India. It was here that she met Darrell Wade, Co-founder of Intrepid Travel, who convinced Robyn to leave New Zealand and work for Intrepid in Melbourne. During her 25 years with Intrepid Robyn has headed up many different areas of the business and this diverse experience means she is well equipped to take up the newly created position of General Manager Special Projects. Over the past 2 years Robyn has directed her focus to providing a clear strategic direction to Intrepid’s Polar product including partnerships with WWF Australia and BBC. Robyn is currently also working on a new project that will see Intrepid grow our product and brand among Australians who want to travel at home in their own backyard.
Ryan Smith – The Access Agency is the Chief Access Officer and founder of The Access Agency – an accessible and inclusive tourism consultancy. He is a qualified Access Consultant, has a degree in Design and is a widely travelled wheelchair user. Ryan collaborates with operators, regions and government to raise the profile of Accessible Tourism, to build capacity and to guide organisations in best practice and innovation for the visitor economy. He has conducted various in-person events and is the acting chair of a not-for-profit disability organisation. Ryan was also a judge for the 2023 Victorian Tourism Awards and has written for Architecture Australia’s Victorian Chapter on the future of accessible hotels.
Matt Sykes – Regeneration Projects will be facilitating the panel. His professional background includes business consultancy, landscape architecture, environmental advocacy and tourism development. He grew up at the intersection of Boonwurrung and Gunaikurnai Country in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Learning from First Nations Elders as well as Western eco-pioneers has shaped Matt’s unique approach to business. He has the ability to move between big systems-level thinking and grassroots localised action, always looking for a practical starting point and clearly communicating the steps forward.
3.25pm
The building blocks to a successful career in tourism
SJ has been the Chief Operations Officer of Ballarat’s Sovereign Hill Museums Association since 2022 and is passionate about overseeing the operational elements of Sovereign Hill. A Brit by birth but an Aussie by choice, SJ arrived in Australia in 2009 and held several senior operations roles in the vehicle rental industry before being approached to run SEALIFE Melbourne Aquarium. After 3.5 years of running the Aquarium a sea change took SJ to South Australia where she took up the role of General Manager for Sealink South Australia.
Networking and After Party
4pm
Networking drinks
We will be holding networking drinks with the exhibitors from the Choose Tourism Careers Expo. This is your opportunity to network with potential employers, fellow tourism professionals and wind down from your day of learning.
5pm
Summit After Party
Join us after the Summit for our official After Party in partnership with yATEC and The Brass Monkey. This brand new bougie cocktail hotspot is effortlessly cool, endlessly chic, and delightfully inclusive. Picture plush velvet seating, gleaming brass accents, and a vibe that’s as inviting as it is upscale. A night not to be missed!
You can grab a lift from the summit with Victorian Bus Charters to the after party if you purchase a combined ticket (included in ticket price), or if you can’t make it to the Summit simply get a ticket for the After Party and we’ll see you there.
Choose Tourism – an Australian Government initiative.
