PROGRAM
| Time | Session | Speaker |
| Session 1 9.30am - 11.05am | Welcome | Karl Stefanovic Emcee, Channel Nine Television Presenter Aunty Margret Welcome to Country Penny Fowler Chair, Tourism Australia |
| In conversation with the Minister for Tourism Our Tourism Minister will talk about the Federal Government’s focus on driving forward the growth of the Australian tourism industry. | Senator the Hon Don Farrell Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State In conversation with Karl Stefanovic | |
| We are the Australian tourism industry Tourism is the backbone of communities right across the country, creating jobs and growth. For Tourism Australia, being a platform for the industry continues to be our key focus as we dial up our campaigns and activities right around the world. Hear the latest on the international tourism landscape, and TA’s strategy and approach to drive international demand down under. | Phillipa Harrison Managing Director, Tourism Australia | |
| Supporting tourism to Thrive Austrade are the custodians of the Federal Thrive strategy, and responsible for policy and supply side settings. The new Deputy CEO responsible for Tourism will give an update on Austrade’s focus and work to come. | Dara Williams Deputy CEO, Policy and Programs, Austrade | |
| 11.05am - 11.45am | Morning Tea | |
| Session 2 11.45am - 1.15pm | What's in store for 2025 As one of Australia’s leading business and finance analysts, Ross Greenwood has his finger on the pulse of where things are at for businesses and households. Ross will get out his crystal ball, and dive into the tourism industry and what lies ahead from a domestic and international point of view. | Ross Greenwood Business Editor Sky News |
| Industry CEO’s - Looking to the Future As context for the day, a panel of Australian tourism CEO's will outline their views on the outlook, priorities and trends for 2025. | Melissa Brown CEO, Australian Business Events Association Ltd Donna Gauci CEO, Sealink Marine & Tourism Michael Londregan Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Virtuoso Geoff York CEO, Crystalbrook Collection Hotels & Resorts Panel discussion facilitated by: Bede Fennell Executive General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Tourism Australia | |
| 1.15pm - 2.15pm | Lunch | |
| Session 3 2.15pm - 3.30pm | "We are the Australian tourism industry" Destination Spotlight While the overall picture for tourism continues to improve, there are some destinations facing ongoing challenges and hurdles. It’s time to put spotlight on one of these regions and its operators, to collectively celebrate all that they are achieving as we head into 2025. | Destination Spotlight |
| Agritourism - driving dispersal into our regions Agritourism continues to be an emerging opportunity for tourism, and in particular regions, with a growing interest from international travellers. As Tourism Australia dials up its focus on this collective of operators, we hear from a panel of experts on what lies ahead, and how industry can lean into this sector. | Alex Baker Director Marketing & Experiences, Kiff & Culture Sheridan Beaumont Founder, Sydney Oyster Farm Tours Tim Parsons Owner Operator, Curringa Farm, Tasmania Dale Tilbrook Owner Operator, Dale Tilbrook Experiences Panel Discussion with Karl Stefanovic | |
| 3.30pm - 4.05pm | Afternoon Tea | |
| Session 4 4.05pm - 5.30pm | AI: Beyond the Hype AI. It's everywhere... but what does that even mean? It can be difficult to differentiate hype from reality and even harder to know how you should approach AI in the context of your own part of the tourism industry. In this session we'll bring clarity to the world of AI with some practical guidance on the steps you can start taking right now to equip yourself with the skills, knowledge and know-how to use AI to your advantage. | Rajan Kumar CEO & Co-Founder at The Lumery, part of Accenture Song Introduced by Susan Coghill Chief Marketing Officer, Tourism Australia |
| 5:30pm - 8:00pm | Networking Event |
*Program is subject to change