Luxperience has announced a strong cast of leaders for its Thought Leaders Forum, taking place on 19 November 2024. Headlined by Australian tourism expert, Adele Labine-Romain (pictured above) and moderated by Co-Founder of Australian Traveller, Quentin Long, the curated Thought Leaders program has been designed to delve into the way luxury travel is perceived by the industry itself and the new luxury traveller.

Having supported the development of national and state, territory and destination tourism strategies throughout her career, Labine-Romain was until recently the Travel & Tourism sector lead at Deloitte Australia and a partner with Deloitte Access Economics and will be sharing her unique perspective on what lies ahead for the industry.

“The travel landscape continues to evolve quickly. All segments of the industry and especially the luxury travel sector must be nimble and respond to new consumer needs and preferences,” she said.

Alongside the keynote presentation, this year’s program will also include two panel discussions; covering the themes ‘Redefining Luxury: Sustainability and the Next Generation of Elite Travellers’ and ‘Travel Extremes: The Next Frontier of Luxury Adventures’ featuring panellists:

• Alison Greer, Founder, GoKinda
• Damon Page, Managing Director, 1 Hotel
• Mike Harlow, General Manager, Scott Dunn
• Rosanna Iacono, Managing Partner & Advisor, The Growth Activist
• Mat Woods, Chief Executive Officer, Destination Queenstown
• Sture Myrmell, Chief Operating Officer, Journey Beyond
• Andrew Cavallaro, Co-Founder & Director, Helm Marketing
• Aaron Russ, Commercial Director & Expedition Leader, Heritage Expeditions
• Edyta Teper, Head of Global Sales, Space Perspectives

Lynn Ormiston, Luxperience Event Director said the Thought Leaders Forum will play a key role in setting the tone for this year’s impactful event.“The Thought Leaders Forum is a highlight of Luxperience. We have curated a very strong program and enticed some of the most inspiring thought leaders to come together with a diversity of opinions,” she said.

“Having access to the right, fresh research and insight is so important to developing future business strategy. We expect these conversations to shape discussions across the following four days of meetings between partners and suppliers,” Ormiston said.

“We have some of the world’s best exhibitors and buyers joining the 2024 event, so I believe it’s critical to create discussion, challenge thinking and

support our guests by curating a Thought Leadership program that inspires us to think strategically.”Mat Woods, Destination Queenstown Chief Executive Officer said he’s looking forward to joining industry peers as they share their thoughts and experiences.

“Regenerative tourism creates opportunities for us to give back delivering benefits across the four well-being pillars – economically, culturally, socially and environmentally. I’m keen to share some of my insights about how we’ve been approaching this at Destination Queenstown with our operators and community. I’m also keen to hear how my fellow panellists have been implementing more sustainable practices in their businesses.”

Mike Harlow, General Manager Scott Dunn, also believes that the future of luxury travel needs to embrace sustainability on all parts of the journey.

“Today’s luxury travellers seek more than just comfort and exclusivity – they desire experiences that align with their values. Sustainability, eco-friendly accommodations, responsible travel, and authentic, community-focused engagements are becoming central to the luxury travel experience, driving a shift towards more conscious and purpose-driven journeys.”

The Luxperience Thought Leaders Forum is open to all Luxperience attendees.