Taking place October 18 at Corinthia Hotel London, the full-day conference will be the most comprehensive luxury travel conference in the UK, covering everything from luxury marketing to experiential travel; retail to trends in hospitality and consumer behaviour.
Among the latest additions to the line-up is David Kolner, senior vice president, global member partnerships for Virtuoso.
Sales by advisors who are part of the Virtuoso network totalled £18.6 billion worldwide in 2017 and Kolner will share how members achieve this. Based in Seattle, he oversees the global member partnership team and among his roles are facilitating professional development programmes and specialized training for advisors.
The day will kick-off with a keynote presentation by Dr Antonia Ward, global director of Advisory Services at Stylus, a leading innovation, research and trends firm.
Ward will look at how consumers’ definitions of luxury are changing, and why the travel industry should sit up and take notice, painting a fascinating picture of luxury’s latest directions, influenced as much by sustainability and emerging tech as shifting consumer attitudes.
Heads of leading luxury operators will also join the ttgluxury Summit line-up, including Kerry Golds, managing director Abercrombie & Kent UK and Lisa Fitzell, new managing director of Elegant Resorts, who has 31 years’ travel experience.
Also joining the summit will be a rising star of the hospitality business, Lydia Forte, group director of food and beverage for Rocco Forte Hotels.
Daughter of Sir Rocco Forte and niece of Olga Polizzi, Oxford graduate Forte has carved out a strong path of her own on the hotel scene, overseeing the introduction of innovative concepts and management and performance of the group’s 11 restaurants and bars across Europe, Middle East and Russia.
Showcasing newcomers will also be a priority at the event, including LuxuryBared, whose founder Grant Holmes has been confirmed as a speaker.
Holmes’ background is in consulting services to the luxury travel and hotel sector and his website now combines expert reviews of luxury hotels with a high-tech online booking platform.
The ttgluxury Summit will also bring Pelorus to the stage, a new experiential and adventure travel company.
Pelorus was started by ex-British Army officers Geordie Mackay-Lewis and Jimmy Carroll who have turned their passion for exploring remote regions of the world and expertise at leading reconnaissance units on long-range desert patrols and helicopter operations into setting up a travel business with a twist.
Other companies joining the line-up on the day include Celebrity Cruises, ANA, Accord, What3Words, Artist Residence and Hannah Lohan Interiors.
Tickets to attend the conference are available for £199 for the full day, or £149 for travel agents.
