A great line-up of international and New Zealand keynote speakers will inform and entertain delegates at the 2013 New Zealand Hotel Industry Conference (NZHIC).
Set to be held on Thursday May 30, 2013, at Pullman Auckland, this year’s NZHIC conference program is one of the most outstanding in recent years, according to Terry Ngan, Director of Horwath HTL Ltd which co-hosts the conference with the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA).
NZHIC will be headlined keynote speeches from Toga Hotels CEO Rachel Argaman and the new CEO of Air New Zealand, Christopher Luxon.
Argaman, the 2010 HM magazine Hotelier of the Year at the HM Awards, will focus on the importance of brands and culture in the hotel industry, while Luxon will speak about market development and growth, challenging costs and productivity.
Before joining Air New Zealand in January 2013, Luxon was President and CEO of Unilever Canada, responsible for leading Unilever’s $1.4 billion Canadian business and 1500 employees.
Other notable conference speakers and panel participants include:
-Nigel Greenaway, Group Executive of Eureka Funds Management based in Sydney and board member of the global InterContinental Hotels Group Owners Association;
-Craig Davidson, General Manager, Destination Development and Investment at Tourism Australia;
-Tony Everitt, General Manager Asia at Tourism New Zealand, based in Shanghai;
-Mike Pohio, CEO at Tainui Group Holdings; and
-Martin Snedden, Chief Executive of TIA.
Most of the sessions will be panel discussions, with an opportunity for attendees to ask questions, on topics ranging from measuring marketing effectiveness, serviced apartments and hotels, owners’ expectations of operators, and the Chinese visitor experience in hotels.
The annual conference, now in its seventh year, is the only such event dedicated to the New Zealand hotel industry. Over 250 delegates representing all areas of the hotel sector are expected to attend.
Accor is the platinum sponsor of the event which is being supported by 20 domestic and international sponsors and exhibitors, including HM magazine and www.hotelmanagement.com.au
The conference will conclude with a banquet dinner where the three annual hotel awards celebrating excellence in the hotel industry will be presented. The awards will recognise the Senior Hotel Executive of the Year, Outstanding Young Hotel Executive and Environmental Initiative. Entries for the awards are open until 3 May at www.nzhotelconference.com
All conference delegates will also gain a complimentary invitation to the Technical Seminar being held 3pm-5.30pm on the day before the conference.
For more information on the conference, go to www.nzhotelconference.com