My Queensland TNQ Tourism Conference
Hilton Cairns | 19 JUNE 2024
Navigating the future of global trends, international travel recovery and technology
The My Queensland TNQ Tourism Conference is a full day of future-focused ideas, discussions, and stories delivered by speakers with extensive backgrounds in tourism, marketing, digital and beyond.
Join us as we share our region’s vision for international travel recovery. We’ll discuss the significance of navigating future global trends and explore how technology is transforming the way we live, learn, and work. Together, we will delve into the importance and future of transformational experiences and their role in shaping the TNQ travel landscape.
At the Conference you’ll be among industry from across the region. Connect with peers, talk with our speakers and members of the TTNQ team. When the presentations are done, we’ll help you break the ice with our networking happy hour. Leave feeling connected and inspired to take your business and marketing efforts to the next level.
Sessions include
Session 1 and 2: Global Tourism and Marketing
In these sessions, we will hear valuable insights from a destination and trade marketing perspective. Speakers include representatives from Tourism Australia, Tourism and Events Queensland, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, dentsu QLD and My Queensland Holidays.
Keynote speaker Simon Kuestenmacher, Director and Co-Founder of The Demographics Group, will take the morning session to a new level by addressing the demographic and global trends that are shaping Australia today.
Session 3: Transformational Experiences
In this evolving landscape of travel, people are actively seeking experiences that enrich, awaken and transform them. People seek to ignite something new within themselves by consciously connecting with and appreciating our extraordinary planet, its people and cultures. Together we will explore how transformational experiences are woven into the TNQ travel landscape. Speakers include Dr. Yolanda Waters from the University of Queensland and local tourism businesses.
Session 4: Responsible uses of technology and AI
In today’s increasingly digital world, there is no denying that technology is here to stay. As organisations, communities and businesses grapple with how technology is changing the way we live, work, and learn, one piece of technology that continues to level the playing field is artificial intelligence. Keynote speaker Scott Millar will share the ways in which AI is being used today from simple tools we use on our devices, to the innovations transforming industries. With a focus on responsible uses of technology, Scott will challenge audiences to find the opportunity in uncertainty as we all navigate our digital world.
Networking: Happy hour
Compare notes and catch up with your industry colleagues during the networking session at the end of the conference.
THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS
My Queensland is part of the award-winning Ignite Travel Group, Australia’s leading travel distribution platform. They complement supplier distribution channels by delivering experience-rich packages that both inspire customers and create new volumes for their partners.
dentsu QLD is a leading marketing and communications specialist known for delivering best-in-class integrated services and solutions in media, CXM, creative and public relations. Fiercely local and proudly global, dentsu Qld is backed by 48,000 professionals worldwide across 45 markets.
Tourism and Events Queensland is a statutory body of the Queensland Government and the state’s lead marketing, destination and experience development and major events agency. Working across government and in partnership with regional tourism organisations, industry and commercial stakeholders, we aim to build Queensland’s tourism and events industry.
Speaker announcements and special guests!
Simon Kuestenmacher
Director and Co-Founder, The Demographics Group
A a keynote speaker, Simon also a columnist for The New Daily newspaper and regular contributor to The Australian newspaper, presents on demographic and global trends shaping Australia. He is a media commentator on demographic and data matters and runs the world’s largest Twitter account dedicated to maps and data. His social media posts reach over 35 million people monthly and he ranks among the top 10 influencers in data.
Phillipa Harrison
Managing Director, Tourism
Australia (TA)
Phillipa (Pip) is responsible for driving Tourism Australia’s strategies to create sustainable international demand for Australia’s tourism experiences and working with the tourism industry to support the sector’s recovery from the impacts of the events of 2020.
Kim McConnie
Group Executive Marketing Director, Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ)
Kim is an accomplished marketing leader with a rich background in marketing, brand sponsorship, broadcasting and rights holding. She brings more than 25 years experience to TEQ, having achieved excellent results in her previous roles utilising a consumer-centric approach.
Michael Healy MP
The Honourable Michael Healy MP, Minister for Tourism and Sport – Queensland Government
As a special guest at the conference, Michael Healy MP’s responsibilities include tourism development and promotion, tourism investment attraction, marketing and promotion of international education and training, major events, sport and recreation.
Chris Ernst
Managing Director, Dentsu Queensland
Chris at dentsu QLD is a results-orientated marketing professional with 20 years experience in developing, optimising and executing advanced marketing and communications strategies. He has led successful partnerships, such as: TEQ, Bunnings, Target, KMART, Flight Centre, Cathay Pacific, Coca-Cola UK, AB Inbev UK, ING, RACQ, Hyundai, Kia, Isuzu, the Australian Federal Government and Australian Defence Force.
Rod Carrington
General Manager, My Holiday and General Manager, Product – Ignite Travel Group
After 21 years’ experience in the travel industry, Rod joined Ignite Travel Group in 2013. Boasting a wealth of sales and contracting leadership experience, he is responsible for the strategic direction of product recruitment for My Queensland.
Scott Millar
Business leader, keynote speaker, and generational consultant
As a keynote speaker, Scott is on a mission to help businesses navigate the ever-changing future of work and inspire us to seize opportunuties in the digital world. Having been compared to a young Steve Jobs, he is a two-time TEDx speaker who has been named one of Australia’s top 30 business leaders under 30 years of age, Queensland’s Young Small Business Leader, and Asia Pacific’s Inspiring Youth Leader.
Mayor Amy Eden
Cairns Regional Council
As a special guest at the conference Cr Amy Eden was elected as Mayor at the 2024 local government elections. Cairns Regional Council works in partnership with TTNQ to increase and strengthen our regions visitor economy.
Dr. Yolanda Waters
Marine Social Scientist, Dive Instructor and Community Organiser
Dr. Yolanda is passionate about protecting vulnerable marine ecosystems and empowering community climate action through dive tourism. She completed a PhD at the University of Queensland which explored the diverse connections between people and iconic places like the Great Barrier Reef, and the extent to which transformative experiences can shift minds, hearts, and hands. Yolanda is also the founder of Divers for Climate, storyteller at Ocean Culture Life and young ocean leader at the Sustainable Ocean Alliance.
Lani Strathern
General Manager Marketing, Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ)
Lani is the marketing leader for TTNQ, bringing with her more than 15 years of valuable experience in tourism marketing. She has extensive experience developing and implementing integrated marketing campaigns and leading successful product launches, promotions, digital marketing, and strategic brand development.
Stay Tuned
Additional speakers will be added soon. Check back for more!
Program
Hilton Cairns | 19 June 2024
9:00 | Arrival, registration and refreshments
9:30 | Welcome, Session 1 – Global Tourism and Marketing
Morning Tea
11:00 | Session 2 – Keynote speaker Simon Kuestenmacher, demographic and global trends
Lunch
1:30 | Session 3 – Transformational Experiences
Afternoon Tea
3:00 | Session 4 – Keynote speaker Scott Millar, Responsible uses of technology and AI
4:30 | Networking – happy hour
[please note the program is subject to change]
Cost
Members $80 per person*
Non-Members $140 per person*
*Includes morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and networking drinks
*Refunds are available up to 7 days prior to the event
TTNQ Champion of Tourism Members receive 2 complimentary tickets. A promo code has been sent to your organisation to access the complimentary tickets.
Contact [email protected] for registration questions or issues.
Registrations close 5pm, Friday 14 June.
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