Speakers

Speakersneil22023-03-21T15:33:45+00:00

THE NATIONAL HOTEL MARKETING CONFERENCE 2023

THE HILTON AT ST. GEORGE’S PARK – BURTON UPON TRENT
THURSDAY 27th APRIL 2023

Mark Bevan

Managing Director, The Elms

Louise Boyse

Business Development Director, Greengage

Yvonne Brennan

Group Marketing Director, Cycas Hospitality

Simon Bullingham

CEO, Journey Hospitality

Travis Cabrera

Regional Director for Europe, Revinate

Pamela Carvell

President, Hotel Marketing Association

Nicola Cook

Head of Marketing, Rudding Park

Ciara Crossan

Founder & CEO, Wedding Dates

Kate Ecob

Marketing & Sales Mngr, The Coniston Hotel

Martin Evans

Managing Director, The Tourism Business

Harry Fielder

Chair, Hotel Marketing Association

Mark Godfrey

Managing Director, Deer Park

Maria Hamilton

Senior Account Director, Custard

Tim Jones

Marketing Manager, Mandarin Oriental

Sabine Kern

Director of Marketing, Broadwick Soho

Helen Laing

Founder, Independent Hotel Marketing

Craig Mackie

Managing Director, Shine

Hollie McHugh

Marketing Director at Net Affinity

Jennifer McKenna

Director, McKenna Hospitality

John Mullen

Senior Sales Manager, Revinate

Beth Murrell

Director, Digital Field Mktg, Marriott

Debbie Neate

Head of Marketing, Sutton Hotel Collection

Allan Nelson

CEO & Co-Founder, For-Sight

Olivia Odudu

Head of Marketing, The Grand, York

Chloe Parry

Content Marketing Executive, Carden Park

Frank Pitsikalis

Vice President, Strategy, Agilysys

James Stagg

Managing Editor, The Caterer

Tracey Stapleton

Managing Director, The Spa PR Company

Dan Taylor

Head of Technical SEO, SALT.agency

Clara Tourme

Market Manager, The Hotels Network

Fiona von-Hinten

Associate Director, BVA BDRC

Elliott Wakefield

Group Marketing Director, Alexander Hotels

Matthew Wallace

Director, The Cairndale Hotel

Louisa Watson

Director of Marketing, Wyboston Lakes

The National Hotel Marketing Conference 2018

The National Hotel Marketing Conference 2018

The National Hotel Marketing Conference 2018

The National Hotel Marketing Conference 2018

The National Hotel Marketing Conference 2018

The National Hotel Marketing Conference 2018

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Tel: 0770 291 2938 | Email: conference@thetourismbusiness.com

Managing Director, The Elms

Mark Bevan

Mark Bevan, Managing Director, The Elms

Mark is MD of The Gemini Hospitality Group, which includes The Elms and other hospitality businesses. The Elms is one of Worcestershire’s leading hotels, and also has an award-winning wellness hub, The Greenhouse Spa. Prior to joining The Elms, Mark was General Manager of Bishopstrow Hotel & Spa in Wiltshire, and also as Operations Manager and then Generral Manager of Chewton Glen in Hampshire.

Business Development Director, Greengage

Louise Boyse

Commercial & Business Development Director, Greengage

Louise has dedicated over 20 years to working within the travel and events industry. Before joining Greengage as Commercial and Business Development Director she had operational and business development roles with Business Travel Direct and Planet Pursuits. Prior to working in business travel and events Louise worked in Sales and Marketing roles within hotels including several openings. She has a strong belief in working for businesses that can deliver honest value at the heart of all they do. Louise has a proactive interest in the environment and tries to lead a sustainable lifestyle.

Group Marketing Director, Cycas Hospitality

Yvonne Brennan

Group Director of Marketing, Cycas Hospitality

Yvonne Brennan heads the Marketing & Digital team at Cycas Hospitality, leading Marketing, Digital & Communication functions at 45+ hotels across Europe.
With 20+ years’ experience working across hospitality and lifestyle brands across Europe, Yvonne now leads an award-winning team of Marketing & Digital specialists, delivering exceptional commercial results for hotel owners.
Working across 12 European countries and a portfolio of 6,000 rooms, Yvonne’s experience spans over 150 up-scale & lifestyle city centre locations, extended stay accommodations and limited-service hotels across the UK, Paris, and western Europe.
Having re-branded Cycas Hospitality in 2022 to accelerate the company’s status as Europe’s leading hospitality management company, Yvonne is dedicated to provision of an exceptional service to guests and owners alike.

CEO, Journey Hospitality

Simon Bullingham

CEO & Founder, Journey Hospitality

Simon has been influential in shaping the evolution of marketing technology in the hotel space for the past decade. Simon’s talents lie in his entrepreneurial vision and spotting opportunities as to how technology can solve problems and generate revenue. Relentless in the pursuit of his goal; to revolutionise ecommerce within the hotel space, Simon is constantly pioneering product innovation and challenging the status quo.

Regional Director for Europe, Revinate

Travis Cabrera

Travis Cabrera, Regional Director for Europe, Revinate

Travis is the Regional Director for Europe at Revinate, focusing on the UK, Benelux and Scandic markets. He accumulates 15 years of international experience in hospitality, including executive roles in the luxury resort segment and the hotel tech both in the US and Europe. Thanks to his first-hand experience of the many challenges faced by the hospitality industry today, Travis can provide guidance and insightful advocacy on how Revinate’s leading solutions can help hoteliers scale their direct revenue channels and build revenue-generating programs through innovation. A truly passionate professional with a long track record of delivering pioneering technology solutions to hoteliers across the world, Travis holds a BA in Business Management from Graceland University. He is fluent in English, Spanish and is currently based in Barcelona.

President, Hotel Marketing Association

Pamela Carvell

President, Hotel Marketing Association

Pamela Carvell, Life President HMA & Lifestyle Consultant
Passionate about Marketing, healthy eating, positive thinking, football and antiques.
After gaining her degree in Marketing then working 20+ years in International Marketing Pamela qualified as a Master Practitioner of NLP and a Nutrition Adviser. She now delivers Workplace Wellness Programmes, blogs about Marketing, nutrition, NLP and upcycles & sells Antique furniture.
She has a season ticket at 3 different football grounds!

Head of Marketing, Rudding Park

Nicola Cook

Head of Marketing, Rudding Park

Recently named Inspirational Marketer of the Year, at the Hospitality Professionals Association (HOSPA) Leadership Awards 2022, Nicola has over 25 years’ experience of marketing in the hospitality industry. Having undertaken a PR & Marketing degree, Nicola spent 16 years in London marketing a variety of including hotels, restaurants and private members clubs (highlights included working for Sir Terence Conran and Michelin- starred chef, Jean-Christophe Novelli).

Wanting to return to her Yorkshire roots, she joined Rudding Park in Harrogate in 2011 and has gone on to lead the marketing team, delivering a wide range of creative campaigns which get results. Through increasing brand awareness and elevating the profile of the award-winning hotel, spa and golf resort, Nicola has driven demand to support revenue growth from £11.9M to £27.5M over the last 12 years. When not at work, Nicola may be found cycling (fair weather), dancing (any weather) spa-ing or golfing (all in the interests of product familiarisation!)

Founder & CEO, Wedding Dates

Ciara Crossan

Founder & CEO, WedPro by Wedding Dates

There’s nothing Ciara doesn’t know about the wedding couple’s journey having founded WeddingDates in 2008. Originally aiming to solve date availability for couples, the business solution now solves capacity and conversion challenges for venues, and drives revenues with strategic insights and reporting.
With an education in technology, Ciara is a lifelong learner, obtaining a Postgrad in International Sales in 2020. Multi-award winning, in 2019 she became Accredited Thought Leader in International Hospitality Marketing (All Ireland Business Foundation). She is a Vital Voices Global Ambassador, dedicated to championing women in leadership and men in allyship.
When she’s not working, you will often find Ciara sea swimming, cycling or hiking with her 8 year old twins.
Her enthusiasm for Wedding Hospitality is contagious and she’s dedicated to making your events team life easier and your bottom line better.

Marketing & Sales Mngr, The Coniston Hotel

Kate Ecob

Marketing and Sales Manager, The Coniston Hotel & Country Estate

An ambitious, creative and passionate professional with over a decade of sales and marketing experience in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industries; Kate now heads up the sales and marketing team at award-winning Yorkshire Dales destination hotel – The Coniston Hotel Country Estate & Spa. Over the past few years, The Coniston’s results-driven marketing campaigns have been recognised within the industry, and in 2022 saw them shortlisted for a prestigious Catey Award as well as triumph at the Hotel Marketing Awards winning the ‘Best Leisure Marketing’ category for the launch of their Nàdarra Spa.

Managing Director, The Tourism Business

Martin Evans

Managing Director, The Tourism Business

Prior to launching the York-based consultancy The Tourism Business, Martin’s career included positions as Marketing Director at Yorkshire Tourist Board (where he worked with over 1,000 accommodation businesses), Head of Marketing at Consort Hotels Group before their merger with Best Western, and Heathrow Marketing Manager for Forte Hotels.

Since its launch, The Tourism Business has built up an impressive public and private sector client list, comprising over 150 of the UK’s leading destinations, hotels and leisure companies. Past clients have included Brooklands Hotel Surrey, The Feversham Arms (North Yorkshire), Rothay Garden (Grasmere), The Chester Grosvenor, The Royal Horseguards London and The Vincent (Southport).

Chair, Hotel Marketing Association

Harry Fielder

Chair, Hotel Marketing Association & Managing Director, Umi Digital

Harry is the Managing Director of Umi Digital, a full-service digital agency that focuses exclusively on hospitality and travel. He has been integral in growing Umi since 2013 and is now leading the business in becoming a key player in global hospitality marketing and technology. As a developer and marketer in equal measure, Harry is passionate about the sector and wants to see it thrive through a seamless match-up of the latest technology and creative marketing. 2023 has seen Harry take over the chairmanship of HMA, the Hotel Marketing Association, as it works within HOSPA to fly the flag for marketing in the UK hotels sector.

Managing Director, Deer Park

Mark Godfrey

Managing Director, Deer Park, Devon

Mark has 30 years’ experience and knowledge of the hospitality industry – working his way up from a trainee manager with De Vere Hotels back in the late 1980’s to his current position as Executive Director and shareholder of the Deer Park Country House. Mark chairs the South West Board for Hospitality Action, is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality, a Master Innholder and a Freeman of the City of London.

Senior Account Director, Custard

Maria Hamilton

Senior Account Director, Custard

As a member of the Custard team since February 2020, Maria balances her time between consumer-focused and B2B client accounts from across the hospitality industry. With an extensive background in hotel, leisure and venue PR, Maria is always hot off the mark with creative new ideas and outside-of-the-box approaches to client campaigns and delivery. With over 20 years’ experience working within hotels, restaurants and attractions, Maria has vast knowledge in developing successful marketing strategies and creative campaigns with big results.

Marketing Manager, Mandarin Oriental

Tim Jones

Regional Performance Marketing Manager, Europe, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group

Tim is a highly motivated, commercially driven marketing professional who enjoys seeing great ideas and campaigns come to life. Having moved from New Zealand to London in 2019, Tim quickly immersed himself into the hospitality world, working for IHG and Marriott, where he was the winner of the Hotel Marketing Association’s ‘Young Marketer of the Year’ award in 2022. Now as the Regional Performance Marketing Manager – Europe at Mandarin Oriental hotel group, Tim is responsible for leading and executing the digital marketing strategy for the group’s European hotels and resorts.

Director of Marketing, Broadwick Soho

Sabine Kern

Director of Marketing, Broadwick Soho

With 25 years’ experience in luxury hospitality, Sabine started her career with Marriott Hotels before moving into traditional luxury with Raffles Hotels. Being part of the opening team at St. James’s Hotel & Club Sabine first had an opportunity to be hand on involved in the design process and re-positioning a traditional members club as a luxury hotel. Following this, her experience at the iconic The Hempel could have not been more different, both from a location and an approach to luxury design. After a stint with the Digital Marketing Agency Aro Digital, Sabine joined the first EDITION hotel in the UK, in London. A unique partnership between the legendary Ian Schrager and veteran hotelier Bill Marriott, EDITION has been credited to invent ‘modern luxury’ for the hospitality industry. Her latest project is Broadwick Soho, a vibrant, independent luxury hotel created by a group of friends, and the first London hotel designed by Martin Brudnizki, and opening Autumn 2023.

Founder, Independent Hotel Marketing

Helen Laing

Founder, Independent Hotel Marketing

Helen is Chief Marketing Officer for the Original Collection and Founder of Independent Hotel Marketing – a consultancy dedicated to helping hoteliers navigate the ever-changing marketing landscape. Helen has been helping hoteliers boost occupancy, reduce commissions, and increase conversion, for close to fifteen years. Her approach is creative, and data driven.

Managing Director, Shine

Craig Mackie

Managing Director, Shine

Craig is the Managing Director of SHINE – a Glasgow based design + digital agency with a hospitality specialism. Their transformational creative work has been delivered across the UK for properties such as The Torridon, Murrayshall Estate, Meldrum House, Killochan Castle and Links House of Dornoch. Craig and his team take the time to get under the skin of a business and understand their goals so that the final result of their creative work is in line with the direction of the business as well as how their clients will be engaging and interacting with the business.

Marketing Director at Net Affinity

Hollie McHugh

Marketing Director at Net Affinity

Hollie is the marketing director at Net Affinity, a Hotel Technology company who simplify the lives of hoteliers by delivering commercial success through direct bookings for Independent, Resort and Group hotels.
As Marketing Director, Hollie oversees the Marketing team who provide best-in-class marketing to our hotel clients, Hollie also oversees Net Affinity’s marketing strategy and brand.

Director, McKenna Hospitality

Jennifer McKenna

Director, McKenna Hospitality

With over 20 years of sales and marketing experience in the hospitality industry, Jennifer has set up McKenna Hospitality to assist hotels with their short and long term sales and marketing requirements. Having gained valuable experience across many hotel brands, both international such as Conrad and Crowne Plaza Hotels, alongside Irish independent hotels and groups such as Tifco Hotels, MHL Hotels and Dylan / Dunboyne Castle Hotels, Jennifer now works with a number of hotels to offer her expertise, in order to maximise revenue from strategically planned sales and marketing activities.

Senior Sales Manager, Revinate

John Mullen

Senior Territory Sales Manager (UK), Revinate

Passionate about hospitality and travel tech, John is a self-motivated individual with experience in a range of roles covering new market openings, sales strategy and account management. John has researched and sold Hospitality Tech for a number of years, with the last four years being focused on PMS/property management systems. J ohn has worked in large global teams in industry-leading, high-growth businesses and start-ups in the hospitality and tourism sector, specialising in B2B SaaS.

Director, Digital Field Mktg, Marriott

Beth Murrell

Director, Digital Field Marketing, Marriott UKI & Nordics

Beth is a digital leader with over 13 years of experience across various marketing disciplines, both client and agency side. In her current role at Marriott International she is Digital Director for the UK, Ireland & Nordics leading a team of digital hospitality experts who create and drive strategy for over 90 hotels across the region. She is also passionate about pushing for change around more inclusive and accessible leadership, alongside advocating for more open conversations about mental and physical wellbeing in the workplace.

Head of Marketing, Sutton Hotel Collection

Debbie Neate

Head of Marketing of Sutton Hotel Collection

Debbie has held senior marketing professional in the hospitality sector for over 18 years, working as a senior team member and leading the marketing strategy for several hotel brands including Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, Macdonald Hotels and QHotels. Working across the full marketing mix, Debbie specialises in data driven insights and understanding marketing trends through data, CRM and email marketing, digital marketing and mentoring her marketing colleagues within the sector. Based in Bristol, Debbie is currently head of marketing for Sutton Hotel Collection and part of the leadership team developing a new hotel brand in the UK.

CEO & Co-Founder, For-Sight

Allan Nelson

CEO & Co-Founder, For-Sight

Allan is currently CEO and Co-Founder of For-Sight. With an extensive background in data-driven communications and the surrounding technology. his main role is strategy, leadership and growing the business. He is also a member of the Traveltech for Scotland Advisory Board.

For-Sight itself is a cloud-based Hotel CRM (Customer Relationship Management) product. It enables hotels and other accommodation providers to utilize their own data for automated guest communication, marketing & analytics purposes. This helps them maximise direct revenue opportunities and minimise cost via automation.

Head of Marketing, The Grand, York

Olivia Odudu

Head of Marketing, The Grand, York

Olivia has risen through the ranks at The Grand, York and seven years later, now sits as the Head of Marketing for the city’s only five-star hotel.

Taking ownership of all marketing, PR, and communication tools in order to raise brand awareness, share of voice, revenue, direct bookings and repeat business whilst keeping all activations in the luxury sphere, Olivia is a passionate, creative and exciting commercial asset.

Olivia is keen to introduce new platforms to improve the user journey, such as The Hotels Network, but also work with ethical brands like Velosophy, who support school girls in Africa with transport opportunities and launch exciting collaborations with luxury lifestyle brands.

Content Marketing Executive, Carden Park

Chloe Parry

Content Marketing Executive, Carden Park, Cheshire

After just 18 months, Chloe has transformed the social media of Carden Park Hotel into one of the true success stories of hotel marketing. An independent resort in Cheshire, Carden Park boasts the most successful hotel-owned TikTok in the world; with over 290,000 followers, 2.5 million likes and videos that have reached up to 3.1 million views. The account currently outperforms major global hotel brands on TikTok, with the success coming from well planned and executed organic content, recorded on a minor budget. Chloe will use her expertise to guide you through the secret world of TikTok and methods to harness the elusive algorithm.

Vice President, Strategy, Agilysys

Frank Pitsikalis

Vice President, Strategy, Agilysys

Frank founded ResortSuite, establishing a position as a leading provider of true integrated, guest-centric, hospitality and leisure management technologies including hotel/resort, club, golf and spa software. He brings a wealth of professional and personal experience to his role as Vice President, Strategy at Agilysys. Combining his knowledge of the hospitality field with his background in enterprise technology, Frank is active with the International SPA Association (ISPA), the voice of the spa industry, representing health and wellness facilities and providers across the globe.

Managing Editor, The Caterer

James Stagg

Managing Editor, The Caterer

James joined The Caterer in 2010, then leading a team of journalists reporting across hotels, restaurants, contract catering, pubs and bars as content editor. He was appointed deputy editor in 2015 after the title’s acquisition by Jacobs Media Group from RBI, working alongside the editor to relaunch The Caterer’s website and digital subscription offer and create the Caterer Insight market trend reports, alongside new training events.

James was made Editor in August 2020 to lead The Caterer brand in print, online and through its prestigious portfolio of events, which include The Cateys, Caterer Summits, Acorn Awards, Product Excellence Awards and UK Sommelier of the Year competition. With 20 years’ experience in print and digital communications, prior to joining The Caterer James held a number of roles in the construction trade press.

Managing Director, The Spa PR Company

Tracey Stapleton

Managing Director, The Spa PR Company

Tracey is the founder of The Spa PR Company, a London based PR & marketing consultancy established in 2004 which works specifically with spa hotels and wellness brands to realise their business goals. Starting her PR career over 30 years ago at one of London’s largest consumer PR agencies, Tracey and her team have an in-depth knowledge of the spa and wellness market, providing PR, Social Media, Marketing and Content services. Client experience ranges from large hotel groups to independently owned properties, destination and day spas in the UK and worldwide. Passionate about wellness solutions, Tracey’s drive is to share her knowledge to the benefit of all.

Head of Technical SEO, SALT.agency

Dan Taylor

Head of Technical SEO, SALT.agency

Dan is Head of Technical at SALT.agency, a specialist SEO agency based in Leeds, that works with enterprise and mid-market brands on growing their organic presences and funnels. In 2018, Dan won the inaugural TechSEO Boost “Call for Research” competition, for research into the applications of Cloudflare Workers for SEO, is featured across a number of marketing publications, and has spoken at conferences across the UK, America, Russia, and mainland Europe.

Having worked with more than 75 travel SMEs, as well as consulted for the likes of Airbnb and China Southern Airlines, amongst others, Dan is well versed in what it takes to succeed in the travel and tourism sector.

Market Manager, The Hotels Network

Clara Tourme

Market Manager, UK & Ireland The Hotels Network

Highly passionate about the technology industry and with a solid experience in the hotel industry, Clara is part of The Hotels Network team. She is responsible for developing YOUR MARKETS markets in order to meet the specific needs encountered by hoteliers today. Working closely with hotel brands to help them optimise their website strategy and increase direct conversions, Clara has been able to highlight the power of predictive personalization, which she believes is an indispensable asset in today’s hotel world.

Associate Director, BVA BDRC

Fiona von-Hinten

Associate Director, On the Move Division, BVA BDRC

Fiona is an Associate Director in the ‘On the Move Division’ at BVA BDRC, the leading market research company in the UK hotels sector. She has 8 years’ worth of specialism in Hotels research and runs BVA BDRCs flagship study, the Hotel Guest Survey. Fiona also works on brand positioning projects and hotel mystery shopping.

Group Marketing Director, Alexander Hotels

Elliott Wakefield

Group Marketing Director, Alexander Hotels

An experienced hotelier working in the luxury sector for more than a decade, Elliott has experience in upscale and boutique groups alike, both nationally and internationally, working in the UK, Paris, and Amsterdam as well as many years spent in London. Elliott specialised in Sales & Marketing in 2017 after developing the rental concept and market for the Lakes by yoo in the Cotswolds, and before this was the General Manager at Cowley Manor for several years.

Since 2017 Elliott has been a group director focusing on brand, communications, marketing & sales, and in his current role with the Alexander Hotel Collection, has led the brand repositioning of the group, steered the business through the pandemic and has been instrumental in delivering record revenues.

Director, The Cairndale Hotel

Matthew Wallace

Director, The Cairndale Hotel, Dumfries

Matthew is now leading the transformation of this family owned property as the third generation of the Wallace family. Having returned from The Peninsula Hotel New York during COVID, 26-year-old Matthew Wallace Jnr. is playing a leading role in the development of The Cairndale Hotel in Dumfries. The business is moving forward at a rapid pace and Matthew is helping make it one of the destinations of choice for visitors to Dumfries and Galloway. Focusing on hotel re-branding, marketing and refurbishment, Matthew was also awarded ‘Young Entrepreneur of The Year’ at the most recent D&G Life Awards

Director of Marketing, Wyboston Lakes

Louisa Watson

Director of Marketing, Wyboston Lakes

Louisa is a senior marketer with over 25 years’ experience in Marketing and PR. She has extensive experience in strategic marketing, branding, communications, both online and offline. Louisa has had the opportunity to work with some large luxury brands and some growing companies in evolving marketplaces. She is a key part of the Green Team at Wyboston and is hugely passionate about our Sustainable credentials, obtaining a Diploma from the Cambridge Judge Business School in The Circular Economy. Louisa is also Sustainability Director for the beam Association (Business Events and Meetings Association, formerly the HBAA) and is committed to supporting members working towards a sustainable future, aligned with the government’s ambitions for net zero.