The event will be held at The Biltmore Mayfair in London on Friday 7 October, and the latest additions for the conference include Peter Shanks, Silversea Cruises’ managing director for the UK, Ireland, Middle East and Africa, who brings with him a wealth of experience in the cruise sector.

Having rolled out several key assistance packages for agents and launched three ships during the pandemic, Silversea has been working hard to maintain confidence in the sector. Shanks will join a panel of industry leaders discussing what the crisis has taught them and how they are now working Smarter, Better, Fairer – a key focus for the event in line with TTG Media’s own core purpose. 

Also on the panel will be a trio of previously announced industry leaders – Kerry Golds, chief tour operating officer, Abercrombie & Kent; Gary Kershaw, country manager UK & Ireland, Qatar Airways; and Tom Rowntree, vice-president, global marketing, Luxury Brands, IHG Hotels & Resorts.

New on the agenda too are Lexie Lenoir, founder, Queer Weddings UK, and Aisha Shaibu, founder, Moonlight Experiences, who between them are also the founders of The Queer Nomads. The London-based influencers founded The Queer Nomads to change the narrative of queer Black and people of colour within the travel industry and are also ambassadors for Celebrity Cruises, which has been heavily focused on boosting diversity visibility in travel.

The event is held in partnership with Celebrity Cruises, and Nicola McNeish, the line’s head of sales will also join the line-up, sharing how the company is building for a sustainable future.

A group of experienced travel operators and suppliers who have all undertaken the journey to become a B Corp company also join the conference, on a panel chaired by Pippa Jacks, group editor of TTG Media. 

Sam Clark, co-founder and managing director of Experience Travel Group; Duncan Grossart, founder and managing director of Journeys With Purpose; and Derek Hydon, president of MaCher will share their story of why they made the B Corp journey and how it’s future-proofing them in the luxury travel space.

The founder of MaCher and a sustainable growth champion, Hydon will also present on how his research demonstrated that carefully conceived, sustainably manufactured gifts can increase sales and repeat rates, boost customer loyalty and raise brand awareness with impressive results. 

New to the line-up too is Stuart Godwin, co-founder, Room2 Hometels, a brand committed to only build and operate whole life net-zero hometels, whereby all carbon emissions from construction, operation and through to the end of the building’s end life are equal to zero.

Keeping with the theme of sustainability, Delphine Malleret King, director of The Long Run will also speak at the event. The members of this conservation tourism coalition represent the largest network of privately-protected areas in the world, bringing together like-minded people who leverage their business to positively impact biodiversity and human wellbeing. 

The day will also be rounded off with a post-event drinks reception, a new addition for the 2022 event.

For tickets to the event and more information, head to the event website.