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Join us to help shape VTIC's advocacy agenda and election priorities for the year ahead.
We are planning a very special event at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre where we’ll hear from leading experts who will share key insights to inform priorities that will influence our industry’s future recovery. The session is intended to be interactive and to allow us the chance to debate, to challenge, to question, but importantly, to be bold about what’s needed to rebuild our industry in Victoria.
VTIC will then take the platform we design that day and use this as the foundation in engaging our member forums to finalise our election priorities and advocacy agenda. We will prosecute the case for what industry requires over the next 3-5 years to rebuild, reinvent, and realise a new future, allowing us to capitalise on opportunities that have eventuated from the disruption of the past 20 months.
In this session, we will explore issues across four key platforms in looking to shape our election agenda:
Across each of these four pillars, we will have a keynote address from specialists in each area, followed by the chance to engage with panels to explore the potential for each pillar to drive change.
Note tickets can be purchased to attend live at MCEC or to attend online to watch the live stream.
Date: Tuesday 22 February 2022
Time: 9am - 5.30pm, followed by networking drinks (please note the program has been expanded)
Venue: Sovereign Room, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Online: There is also the option to attend virtually on the day and live stream the event
VTIC Members: $195 incl. GST
Non-Members: $235 incl. GST
VTIC Members: $77 incl. GST
Non-Members: $99 incl. GST
It’s a different and challenging world that brings great opportunities – if we’re ready
Bernard Salt, Executive Director, The Demographics Group
As the world awakens from global lockdowns and borders begin to reopen, we’re all finding ways to ‘live with Covid’ that give us the best chance to return to something that looks like the life we knew – and loved in a pre-pandemic world.
The occurrences of the past 18 months have taken their toll on industries and on the consumers that form their audience. What’s emerging, is a new consumer with new priorities that will challenge us all in the race to reattract customers. As well, rebuilding our businesses will mean we need to approach things with a different lens that responds to the disrupted operating environment we find ourselves in right now.
Renowned demographer and leading social commentator, Bernard Salt, will share critical insights with us that will be vital as we look to reshape our future and our businesses.
About Bernard Salt AM
Bernard Salt is widely regarded as one of Australia’s leading social commentators by business, the media and the broader community. He heads The Demographics Group which provides specialist advice on demographic, consumer and social trends for business. Bernard is also one of the most in-demand speakers on the Australian corporate speaking circuit, and he is responsible for popularising the phrase “smashed avocado” globally. He is a twice-weekly columnist with The Australian newspaper. He was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2017 Australia Day honours.
Global tourism performance and trends for the Industry and where Australia sits in the New World Order
Adele Labine-Romain, Partner, Deloitte Access Economics
There’s broad agreement that the tourism sector has been the worst-hit sector by the pandemic, with Victoria and Victorian tourism operators among the most well-versed on the impacts anywhere in the world.
While we need to acknowledge the impact of the pandemic on tourism in Victoria and Australia, we also need to lift our gaze to understand how tourism is changing across the world, how the pandemic has changed, or in many cases accelerated, trends that were emerging before the pandemic.
The pause in tourism has shifted what’s important to consumers, to destinations and to the planet. Discussions of authentic, meaningful travel and of sustainable development and travel choices should prompt both tourism operators and destinations to think differently, to re-evaluate their customers, their offering, and how to position for tourism on the other side.
About Adele Labine-Romain
Adele is a determined tourism advocate who believes in the potential for tourism to create stronger economies and better lives.
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 and peak industry body Tourism & Transport Forum, she now works with government and private sector clients across the tourism spectrum including aviation and transport, hotels, business events, sports and major events and attractions.
As Head of Strategy for Tourism Australia, she led the organisation’s delivery of the joint government and industry Tourism 2020 Strategy, and in her current role has delivered work to inform the development of Tourism 2030. Passionate about Australia’s major cities and regional destinations, Adele has supported the development of state, territory and destination tourism strategies, delivered the national regional tourism satellite account model and undertook a year-long look at how to encourage visitor regional dispersal. She is the author of Deloitte’s Tourism and Hotel Market Outlook.
She has been a member of the Tourism Research Advisory Board, the Tourism Forecasting Reference Panel, and other industry panels and committees and has contributed to the development of a number of tourism employment plans and other government and industry studies. She is also an adjust professor at the University of Queensland’s School of Business.
How the pandemic has changed us and what this means for the tourism industry
Paul Rees-Jones, Executive Planning Director, Clemenger BBDO
In partnership with Quantum Market Research and Hall & Partners, Clemenger BBDO launched AustraliaNow as the pandemic began to impact Australia at the beginning of 2020.
What is now one of the most significant consumer studies over the COVID era talking to more than 80,000 people nationally, Paul will share the latest findings from the study, the emerging Australian psyche, themes and needs organisations and brands need to not only understand but actively respond to.
More than anything, what has been the most challenging period for the tourism industry in living memory can be viewed as a reset moment, and by confronting the inconvenient truths of the industry, new opportunities and perspectives can be realised.
About Paul Rees Jones
Paul leads Clemenger BBDO’s Melbourne planning, the most award group of planners in the Asia Pacific region over the past decade for both creativity and effectiveness. The agency’s work discovering insights that lead to behaviour changing ideas has resulted in the agency being APAC’s Effie Awards Agency of the Year and Mumbrella and Campaign Brief’s Agency of the Decade. But also most notably being named Global Agency of the Year at both Cannes Lions and D&AD.
Paul has extensive experience working on four continents across service industry, FMCG, retail and social marketing, something that has furthered his foundational belief in understanding the vital relationship between people’s behaviour and the cultural context that influences individuals and society itself.
As part of BBDO Global Planning Council, Paul has driven the development of BBDO network’s Brand Challenge methodology, purpose archaeology and culture code, all of which are widely practiced across the agency’s local, regional and global clients. But all this comes back to the discipline of bringing previously unrelated things together and goes to the very core of driving creativity across client cultures.
As we consider the changed expectations and travel behaviours for consumers in a world of ‘living with COVID’, game-changing infrastructure will be vital in seeing Victoria deliver the products and experiences that consumers will be seeking. What role can Government play in encouraging and facilitating private investment and creating an environment that smooths the way for sustainable and sensitive development across our state?
From surviving to thriving – how Victoria is leading the way
Tourism has been one of the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic, and that impact is felt across Victoria, where around 10 per cent of workers are employed in the tourism industry.
The Victorian Government is committed to ensuring our tourism industry bounces back bigger and better than ever and is investing in recovery through the Visitor Economy Recovery and Reform Plan, a whole of state-strategy that has a goal of achieving $35 billion in Victoria’s annual visitor expenditure to support the generation of 300,000 additional jobs in the visitor economy by June 2024.
In this very special segment, we will hear about the Victorian Government’s investment in our future for the visitor economy; from infrastructure, pipeline and experience development, to destination planning, industry strengthening and workforce.
Natalie Phillips, Executive Director- Tourism, Events and Visitor Economy, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions
Natalie leads the delivery of the Visitor Economy Recovery and Reform Plan, the Victorian Government’s strategy to support the visitor economy to recover and grow with a particular focus on infrastructure facilitation, industry development and destination planning.
Alongside this, Natalie’s team supports the performance of tourism agencies Visit Victoria, the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust and the Emerald Tourist Railway Board (operators of Puffing Billy Railway) and the delivery of events through the administration of the Major Events Act 2009.
Natalie has extensive networks across industry and government with over 20 years' experience in policy development and program delivery.
Kate Hardwick, Director Infrastructure Facilitation, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions
Kate is an urban development professional with over 20 years’ experience in land use/infrastructure strategy, precinct planning and activation and infrastructure procurement. Kate has worked in Australia and Asia as a leader of multi-discipline project teams, delivering city shaping/precinct redevelopments and strategies in complex environments. Kate maintains a strong focus on detailed options analysis and concept development at the earliest stages to support investment confidence and ensure resilience for the urban structure and its assets.
Adele Labine-Romain will be joining this specialist panel alongside:
Dr Claire Ellis, Chair, Ecotourism Australia
Claire Ellis has worked for over 35 years in tourism in a variety of roles and has built a reputation for creating long term positive outcomes, not simply focussing on tourism growth, but delivering back to the needs and aspirations of communities.
Her specialist areas include experience development and destination support, nature-based tourism and sustainability, volunteer tourism (her PhD focus), cruise issues and small island management. She also led the introduction of destination management plans at the national level, Chairing the National Long Term Tourism Strategy, Destination Management Planning committee.
As the current Chair of Ecotourism Australia, she has led the organisation through major change management including introducing the ECO Destination Program, destination certification that brings multiple stakeholders together and aligns tourism plans and growth with global Sustainable Development Goals.
Jodie Vogt, Owner, Cape Kitchen and Wellness Experience Developer on Phillip Island
Jodie Vogt has over 25 years of experience in the hospitality and service industries covering training, operations, management and facility development. She is formally qualified in business, marketing and management, food and beverage, massage and spa operations. Jodie is an active participant in tourism and industry groups, is passionate about providing employment and career opportunities for young people, and is focused on the significant community and social benefits that can be delivered through all-inclusive access to health and wellness and cultural opportunities while preserving and enhancing the key elements of her natural surroundings.
As Victoria continues along the road to recovery, it's critically important that Melbourne remains competitive and re-establishes direct international air services to drive recovery. We must also recognise the crucial role of regional airports and air services in propelling greater regional dispersal in a destination.
What we need to do as ‘Team Victoria’ to position Victoria for the future
Lorie Argus, Chief of Aviation, Melbourne Airport
As travel restrictions ease and international borders open, we need to focus on Victoria's aviation performance across domestic and international markets. Lorie will share Victoria's current performance, trends and the recovery outlook. Lorie will also provide a global snapshot of aviation markets, including performance by market segments and future priority markets.
As the state's aviation gateway we will also hear how Melbourne Airport is responding to rebuild Melbourne’s aviation position on the global stage.
Lorie Argus has more than 25 years of experience in the aviation sector both in airports and airlines. As Chief of Aviation, she is responsible for all aviation activity, including aviation growth, commercial, operations, traveller experience and capital development. The role entails complex stakeholder management of a multi-faceted regulatory environment including a license to operate. Her role encompasses long term strategy, big infrastructure, complex capital projects and leading teams through a high growth environment. Lorie joined Melbourne Airport in 2015 and prior to her Chief of Aviation role was responsible for the Landside commercial business within the Executive team.
Margy Osmond, CEO, Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF)
Margy Osmond is the Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism & Transport Forum and has been in this role since October 2014. Margy has extensive experience in media, policy development and advocacy, politics and government relations, membership organisations and public affairs.
Margy is the co-Chair of the Tourism Group of the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum [ANZLF] and co-Chair of the Safe Border Group established to assist both governments to create the Trans-Tasman ‘bubble’. She has actively led the visitor economy industries through the bushfires and Covid-19.
Margy has a wide range of Board experience, she is currently on the Boards of TTF, Sydney World Pride 2023, UITPANZ and sits on the Federal Government’s Biosecurity Futures Group and a range of State Treasury groups focused on restarting the wider economy. Previously, she was Chair of the NSW TAFE Commission Board and Chair of the Australian Sports Foundation, Deputy Chair of Tourism NSW, and served on the boards of the Australian Sports Commission, Bell Shakespeare, the Retail Employees Superannuation Trust, NSW Major Events, the NSW Police Minister's Advisory Board and NSW State Transit Authority. Margy also led the bid on behalf of the NSW Government for the International World Masters Games in 2004 and chaired the official Organising Committee for the IWMG, the largest non-elite sporting event in the world, in 2009.
Before joining TTF, Margy was the inaugural CEO of ANRA which was established in 2006 as a lobby and research organisation to be the voice of the large national retailers in Australia. Margy was the CEO of the State and Sydney Chambers of Commerce in NSW for five years prior to this.
Cr Roshena Campbell, Councillor, City of Melbourne
Roshena is a Melbourne City Councillor and the portfolio lead for City Activation. Her portfolio responsibilities include tourism and visitation, economic activation, investment attraction, destination marketing and major events. She is also the deputy portfolio lead for City Transport, Infrastructure and Operations. She is passionate about contributing to Melbourne’s re-emergence as a vibrant, thriving city.
Roshena is also a commercial barrister with expertise in major projects. She has represented some of Australia’s largest companies as well as Federal, state and local governments.
Unni Menon, Executive Director, Defence, Aviation and Aerospace, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions
Over the last 20 years, Unni has held a range of senior executive roles in both the private and public sectors, giving him significant experience in complex regulated industries within Asia-Pacific and specifically the aviation, tourism, and transport sectors.
He has had direct P and L accountabilities and has helped to lead and shape broad functional capabilities at Group level including government and corporate affairs, strategy, commercial partnerships, policy and planning, commercial management, and business development.
Unni is a graduate of the Advanced Management Programme at Stanford University USA.
The critical role of regional airports and air services in driving regional dispersal
The Hon. John Sharp AM, Deputy Chairman and Independent Director, The Rex. Group
John will set the scene for this session by sharing his insights on the critical role regional airports have played in Rex’s strategy to better connect regional Australia and successfully drive improved dispersal across the country.
About The Hon. John Sharp AM
The Hon John Sharp AM is the Deputy Chairman and Independent Director of Rex Airlines – the second oldest, and largest, independent regional and domestic airline in Australia.
Mr Sharp is also the Chairman of Pel-Air Aviation and a Director of Power and Data Corporation, Luerssen Australia, the Australian Maritime Shipbuilding Export Group and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal. He is also the founder of Thenford Consulting, a high-level aviation and transport consulting company.
Mr Sharp was a Federal Member of Parliament for 14 years and, in 1996, was appointed Minister for Transport and Regional Development. During his parliamentary career, he became well-known and respected for his role in promoting aviation safety and was responsible for numerous reforms including a complete rewrite of the aviation regulations.
He is involved in a number of voluntary and community organisations and named a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the people and Parliament of Australia, to the aviation industry, and the community.
Justin Giddings, CEO, Avalon Airport
Justin has been the Chief Executive Officer of Avalon Airport since 2008. Justin is the Deputy Chair of the Committee for Geelong Board, and the Independent Chair of both the Youth Justice Centre Community Advisory Group and the Lara Prison expansion project Community Advisory Group.
Justin has only recently stood down as the Chair of the Gordon TAFE (the 2017 Australian and Victorian Large Training Provider of the Year) a position he held for 7 years. Justin is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, holds a Masters of Business Administration, a Bachelor of Commerce, a Gordon TAFE Advanced Diploma of Management and is a qualified Aircraft Maintenance Engineer.
Ben Devanny, Manager Economic Development, City of Greater Bendigo
Ben Devanny is the Manager of Economic Development at the City of Greater Bendigo and has worked in a variety of roles over the past 10 years for the City. These roles have been in Economic Development, Business Operations and Project Management after previously working in Commercial Banking.
His current role leads a number of Economic Development initiatives including the management of the Bendigo Livestock Exchange and Bendigo Airport.
Some key projects led in recent years include the construction of a new 1,600m runway in 2017 and the attraction of QantasLink for daily return services to Sydney in 2019.
Finding adequate and qualified staff is the biggest crisis point confronting our industry right now. While the loss of international students, backpackers and skilled migration visa holders has smashed the industry over the past 20 months, changed attitudes toward employment will continue to put pressure on our ability to attract and retain staff in our businesses to adequately service current and future demand. We’ll hear two perspectives on the subject that will highlight the challenges ahead as we look to reposition our sector in a very competitive talent arena.
National research conducted by Bastion Reputation,The New Normal, HYBRID WORKING 2021 Report surfaces the shifting sands in attracting talent and what this means for employers
Michele Fonseca, Principal Consultant, Training & Capability, Bastion Reputation
Bastion Reputation recently conducted national research that explored changed attitudes, preferences, and expectations of employers and employees as a consequence of the extended Work from Home Orders of the past two years.
The New Normal, HYBRID WORKING 2021 Report surfaces the shifting sands in attracting talent and what employers will need to do to be successful in their quest to secure that talent.
About Michele Fonseca
With more than two decades’ experience, Michele is an accomplished media and presentation trainer, interviewer, presenter, executive coach and facilitator, with excellent oral and written communication skills. Beyond her career at the ABC as a reporter, Head of Strategy & Staff Development and Head of Community Engagement, Diversity & Inclusion, Michele has also previously worked as a communications consultant for Victorian government agencies and emergency services.
As the Principal Consultant, Training & Capability for Bastion Reputation, Michele works closely with business leaders across a range of areas including change communications, hybrid working and media engagement.
Views and perceptions of young people working in the tourism industry
Hugh Fitzpatrick, former Chair, Young Tourism Network
In his role last year as Chair of the Young Tourism Network, Hugh oversaw an extensive piece of research into the views and perceptions of young people working in the tourism industry.
For an industry that relies so heavily on this demographic segment, it’s critical that we are in tune with what’s important to them in choosing the companies they will look to work for.
This research will help us to bridge the gap between perception and reality and ensure we have the leaders of tomorrow the industry will require to forge a successful future.
About Hugh Fitzpatrick
Hugh is current General Manager of Advocacy & Government Relations at Caravan Industry Association of Australia and a tourism professional with a strong background in data & insights. His expertise lies in communicating tourism issues and policies to a wide range of stakeholders including federal government, C-suite executives and industry.
Hugh is also an advocate for better integration of young people into the decision-making process of organisations and policy formation and, as former Chair of Young Tourism Network, has been a strong voice for heightening the awareness around the issues that young people faced in the tourism industry.
Hugh hails from Terang in south-west Victoria and is a keen West Coast Eagles fan, although this support has been tempered due to the ongoing Western Australian border issues.
Michele Fonseca and Hugh Fitzpatrick will be joining this specialist panel alongside:
Adrian Williams, Vice President Operations, Accor
Starting his hotel career in Canada at the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Adrian has 30 years’ experience in hotel operations including 24 years and a range of roles for Accor working in most states of Australia.
Adrian is currently Vice President Operations for Accor’s managed hotels and has recently completed the integration of the Mantra Group following Accor’s acquisition of this business. Accor has a network of 68 hotels in Victoria with a further 9 in development.
He is the Chairman of the Accommodation Association Victorian state committee, a member of the Victorian Tourism Industry Council Accommodation Sector Roundtable and a board member of the Melbourne Convention Bureau.
Julian Bell, Managing Partner, National Government Lead, Clemenger BBDO
Julian will be facilitating the day’s sessions to assist in drawing out the key insights and issues provided by each of our speakers.
Julian will lead the final session of the day to consolidate critical themes surfaced throughout the presentations. In an audience interactive session, we will then frame broad industry priorities for VTIC to scope further in finalising its advocacy platform to take forward into 2022.
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