Ensuring attendees are armed with the tools to create a luxury travel brand that resonates with the consumers of today and tomorrow, Dr Antonia Ward, chief futurist for Stylus will give a keynote presentation.

Completely bespoke for the event, Ward’s session will kick off the conference, taking place on Friday 7 October and held in association with Celebrity Cruises at The Biltmore Mayfair in London.

Setting the tone for the event, her thought-provoking session will share macro consumer drivers and discuss how these connect to travel, luxury and hospitality and pose some of the big questions about how businesses should be thinking about trends.

Ward heads up the Stylus Advisory team, having been with the company for almost 10 years. Her background is in print and online journalism, including managing editor at The Design Council, and she has extensive freelance experience in research, brand strategy and corporate communications.

“None of us can ignore how the future will change how we live, and I love to be in a position to be able to share these insights with some of the biggest brands in the world,” Ward said.

Delegates attending will also have exclusive access to a free report from Stylus, ensuring they have even more ideas to take away from the event.

“As a trend forecaster and analyst, Stylus has experts across more than 20 sectors, giving them a deep understanding of the most influential emerging trends affecting consumers around the globe,” said April Hutchinson, editor of TTG Luxury. “I personally cannot wait to hear what Antonia has to say, and I know those attending will feel the same.”

The day-long conference will also see a host of leading executives and innovators from across travel and beyond take to the stage.

These will include Kerry Golds, chief tour operating officer, Abercrombie & Kent, who has many years experience managing major travel brands. Joining her will be Gary Kershaw, regional manager UK & Ireland, Qatar Airways, with more than 30 years in the airline industry and has been a part of the airline’s incredible resilience during the pandemic.

From the hospitality world, the line-up will be joined by respected hotelier Tom Rowntree, vice president, global marketing, Luxury Brands, IHG Hotels & Resorts.

New for this year will be a post-event drinks reception from 4-6pm, allowing delegates a chance to network more and share thoughts on learnings from the day.  

Tickets are available now for the conference, which includes a day of content, networking breakfast, lunch and post-event drinks.