Chris Sheldrick is the co-founder and CEO of what3words, the simplest way to communicate your location. The UK-based company solves the problem that roughly 75% of the world faces: inconsistent, complicated, poor, or no addressing. By carving the global map up into 57 trillion 3m x 3m squares, what3words created a universal addressing system that uses a unique string of three words to specify any location.

In this short talk about a big idea, Chris Sheldrick will discuss the implications of giving every location on earth an accurate address – from faster and easier travel to delivering hot pizza and sending aid to disaster zones. Learn about the sectors embracing what3words, what the future looks like, and how the unusual addressing system is starting to make waves in the travel and tourism industry.

Named one of TIME’s ‘100 most influential people’ and creator of the fifth-most-popular website in the world, Jimmy is a visionary in every sense of the word – and the founder of Wikipedia, the Wikimedia Foundation and WikiTribune, a groundbreaking platform that produces only evidence-based journalism. We can’t wait for him to bring his masterful presence, unique vision and singular entrepreneurial spirit as a keynote speaker to MATTER.

Jimmy will address the elephant in the big tech room: how data, specifically in the form of programmatic advertising, has lead to the proliferation of fake news and clickbait journalism – with drastic political consequences across the globe. He will also explore how real communities are leading the charge in fighting back in an attempt to restore quality and transparency – including one of the biggest online communities in the world, Wikipedia.

Talk: CRAFTING THE EXCEPTIONAL: How to create the ultimate customer experience
How can brands craft truly exceptional experiences? Award-winning marketing strategist Andy Lark will explore real-world examples of how companies in other industries have created sustainable differentiation – and billions of dollars in value – by using a unique lens to understand the needs and wants of their customers. Drawing on his own work with airline operators and some of Australia and New Zealand’s premium experiential brands, Andy will unveil the art behind the ultimate experience.

This talk is brought to you by Tourism Australia.

Workshop: DESIRE, DOUBT AND DISSATISFACTION: How to architect peak customer experiences
Moments of doubt, desire and dissatisfaction – aka MODs – are the target zone for architecting peak customer experiences, with many of the world’s most successful brands being built through them. Taking highlights from his Keynote speech, Andy will walk you through how to architect experiences based on the MODs, using customer journeys, experience maps and other tools to define what ‘better, special and different’ mean for your business and customer.

About Andy
A globally renowned marketer, business leader and Amazon bestselling author, Andy Lark is a true innovator who has raised and deployed billions of dollars to realise the potential of disruptive brands. He’s worked with airlines, premium travel brands and countries to define experiences that attract and retain customers, alongside chairing Group Lark and being a non-executive director at Mercury Energy and SLI Systems. You’ll find his name carved into over 100 awards for his work building brands, boosting their online capabilities and turning start-ups into global success stories.

Innovative hotelier and curious traveler, Aldo is the Owner and Managing Director of Borgo Egnazia, an international excellence deeply rooted in Puglia. Opened in 2010, this award-winning place was co-founded together with his family and it is part of the San Domenico Hotel Group. Aldo has balanced finesse for finance and international experience with a strong passion for his homeland, promoting a concept of hospitality and wellbeing based on local authentic experiences. He is the youngest board member of Fondazione Altagamma, Italy’s network of top high-end brands.

Anna Hart is a travel writer and columnist with over ten years experience writing about culture, fashion, lifestyle, social trends and adventure travel for titles such as Vogue, GQ, Stylist, Suitcase, Conde Nast Traveller, Grazia, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and The Wall Street Journal. Her travel memoir, was published by Little Brown Book Group this year.

Eliza will workshop you through every step of the process, from pitching buyers at travel shows; expectations of an operations team; tips on hosting an exceptional fam trip; and how to make an office visit as efficient and effective as possible. She will not only focus on how to become a service provider, but also how to nail the art of forming a smooth, mutually beneficial partnership.

About Eliza
After graduating from Brown University, Eliza Harris started her career as a book and magazine editor and writer, working at Random House and Departures. In 2003, she helped launch Town & Country Travel before serving as its Managing Editor. In 2007, she helped found Indagare, a membership-based travel company that aims to inspire and empower the five-star leisure traveller to change their lives through travel. Since then the business has grown to $80 million in sales, servicing thousands of HNW customers with highly customized trips and curated editorial content.

The number of travel brands, hotels and tour operators who claim to offer an “insider perspective of local culture” has never been greater – however, how many are truly offering an insight into (as well as giving back to) the communities they highlight? Charaf will use his background in curating travel experiences with Moroccan creatives to explore what constitutes a community, the role of storytelling, how to support local creative culture, and the worrying exoticisation of local trends as opposed to a true appreciation of their cultural value. He will also offer solutions as to how travel brands can work with the local creative community in a way that is enriching for both parties.

About Charaf
After obtaining his degree at Georgetown University, Charaf founded Morocco's first e-commerce dedicated to local artisans and designers, Kahenas, featuring the likes of Hassan Hajjaj and Amine Bendriouich. After starting and leading Uber's electric vehicle program in the UK & Ireland, he decided to found Sunny Side Up, a wellness & culture travel company focused on Morocco.

Discover the fascinating story behind one of Portugal’s most sought-after luxury hotels, São Lourenço do Barrocal in Alentejo. Dating back to 1820, José Uva spent 14 years transforming a rural farming village into a sprawling rustic retreat that now regularly appears on lists of the world’s best hotels. Developing a 20-year approach to self-sustainability and embracing the local population of farmers, craftspeople and teachers, this talk will be an engaging insight into a new way of doing hospitality.

About José
José is the 8th generation of the same family to have lived at São Lourenço do Barrocal, a new award-winning destination set within a 780-hectare estate in Portugal. Passionate about creating hospitality destinations that resonate with local cultures and peoples as much as international markets, José was previously the Strategic Planning Director at Saatchi & Saatchi and an Analyst at UBS and is an alumnus of ESCP Europe and Harvard Business School.

Workshop: WHY WELLNESS WORKS: How a Retreat will Transform your Business
Join wellness visionaries from Equinox, Wellbeing Escapes and Bodhimaya for a deeper dive into the perks of integrating a wellness retreat into your brand’s offering. Interactive and intimate, this workshop will help you decide whether a wellness retreat is right for your business; how to go about putting one together; and what steps to take to guarantee a strong ROI.

Talk: BEYOND WELLNESS: The Value of Retreats
Our panel of wellness experts will explore the ways in which, when carefully-considered, wellness retreats can drive revenue, extend room nights, bolster off-peak seasons and deliver meaningful experiences that help a hotel or resort’s positioning. The panel will help you decide whether a wellness retreat is right for your business; how to go about putting one together; and what steps to take to guarantee a strong ROI.

About Cornelius
Cornelius has studied the mind for over 20 years and is regarded as one of the world’s most sought mind and meditation experts. In 2012 Cornelius founded Bodhimaya, the award-winning wellness retreat and London wellness clinic. With a ground-breaking science-backed approach to mind and body wellbeing and an unparalleled level of one-to-one support, Bodhimaya retreats have become recognised as one of the world's leading wellness experiences having received both Condè Nast Traveller and Tatler Spa Awards. Cornelius is also a spa and wellness consultant who offers his experience, insight and advice to spas and hotels who wish to create, develop or transform their wellness offering with scheduled retreats or ongoing wellness programmes.

Talk: WORKPLACE WELLNESS: Why Happy Teams Deliver the Best Results
Your team is your best asset and the most visible part of your business: so nurturing happy workers should be a priority for all of us. This panel will help you to develop ‘the people who look after the people’, from understanding the links between team and guest behaviour to delivering authentic and meaningful experiences that inspire guests and ensure their return.

Workshop: PUTTING YOUR BEST FACE FORWARD: The power of aromatherapy and restorative techniques in the workplace
Forget unlimited vacations and beanbag chairs: the new workplace perks are wellness-focused. This practical, interactive workshop will show you simple ways to incorporate aromatherapy and restorative facial techniques in ways that will engage employees, boost morale, and improve the overall wellbeing of your workplace.

About Yvonne
As a qualified public health nutritionist, wellbeing & lifestyle consultant and life coach, Yvonne has spent over 40 years perfecting the art of living well without resorting to medical and pharmaceutical intervention. After opening the first ladies-only health club in the 1980’s, she has been running holistic health retreats in France, South Africa, and the UK for the past 15 years. A published academic author and university lecturer, Yvonne is also a regular speaker at health conferences and within the health industry.

Talk: BEYOND WELLNESS: The Value of Retreats
Our panel of wellness experts will explore the ways in which, when carefully-considered, wellness retreats can drive revenue, extend room nights, bolster off-peak seasons and deliver meaningful experiences that help a hotel or resort’s positioning. The panel will help you decide whether a wellness retreat is right for your business; how to go about putting one together; and what steps to take to guarantee a strong ROI.

Talk: THE NEXT BIG THING: Trends in Wellness Travel
Understanding the savvy wellness-traveller: what are the latest developments and the future direction of this rapidly growing, multi-billion dollar industry, and how can businesses take steps to future-proof and innovate for long-term success when implementing wellness programmes?

Workshop: WHY WELLNESS WORKS: How a Retreat will Transform your Business
Join wellness visionaries from Equinox, Wellbeing Escapes and Bodhimaya for a deeper dive into the perks of integrating a wellness retreat into your brand’s offering. Interactive and intimate, this workshop will help you decide whether a wellness retreat is right for your business; how to go about putting one together; and what steps to take to guarantee a strong ROI.

About Leah
For nearly 20 years, Leah has brought to life off-the-beaten-track experiences for the who’s-who of luxury travellers. An explorer at heart, Leah honed her experiential planning skills with the high-end active travel company Butterfield & Robinson on location in destinations as varied as Slovenia, Chile, and Myanmar. Today, Leah brings her travel expertise to Equinox, the world’s most high-performance lifestyle brand, collaborating with top fitness talent to curate a collection of innovative and luxurious active travel experiences.

This talk will offer perspectives on how a destination can be integral to building a unique wellbeing concept. From using your location to your advantage to finding inspiration locally to develop authentic therapies, this panel will explore the relationship between place and your business model.
This talk is curated by Mason Rose.

About Nikhil
An Ironman tri-athlete by passion and influential entrepreneur by trade, Nikhil is director of the award-winning ATMANTAN Wellness Resort, a one-of-a-kind wellness resort that offers offers authentic and multidimensional wellness experiences to its guests. With a strong belief in sustainability and organic produce, he is also founder of Keona Organics an organisation encouraging responsible food choices. He was even voted one of the ‘50 Most Influential Young Indians’ by GQ in 2016.

Talk: BEYOND THE HOTEL GYM: The Future of Fitness in Hospitality
Harry will chart the evolution of the hotel fitness offering and where it fits into the wider discussion around ‘wellness’. You’ll learn how to incorporate fitness in an authentic yet inspiring way that makes sense for your business, as well as how to make it an altogether more human experience as guests look to disconnect from business – and reconnect with themselves.
This talk is curated by Mason Rose.

Workshop: BEYOND MEDITATION: How to Build your own Wellness Concept
Join Greg Payne, spa and wellness consultant to hotel brands including Aman, and Harry Jameson, health and fitness expert, for a lively workshop that will equip you with all of the necessary skills to go forth and conquer the wellness industry. In an intimate, small-group setting, Greg and Harry will explore where to begin, what to consider, and share his secrets for successful implementation.
This workshop is curated by Mason Rose.

About Harry
Having worked in the health and wellness industry and luxury hospitality space for 15 years, Harry is a consultant, personal trainer and journalist whose life’s work is to fuse fitness and medicine. As well as founding his own successful wellness retreat, he has collaborated with some of the most successful brands – and individuals – in the industry, with a vision to help them deliver their very best work with class and consistency.

Talk: HEALTHY BUSINESS: How to Build an Effective Wellness Concept
Tapping in to this affluent market, this talk will explore the ways in which a thoughtful, clearly defined wellness concept can be a strong revenue stream when integrated into your property’s offering or travel experience. You’ll leave with a creative (and structured!) plan for moving forward with your own wellness concept.
This talk is curated by Mason Rose.

Workshop: BEYOND MEDITATION: How to Build your own Wellness Concept
Join Greg Payne, spa and wellness consultant to hotel brands including Aman, and Harry Jameson, health and fitness expert, for a lively workshop that will equip you with all of the necessary skills to go forth and conquer the wellness industry. In an intimate, small-group setting, Greg and Harry will explore where to begin, what to consider, and share his secrets for successful implementation.
This workshop is curated by Mason Rose.

About Greg
Through his knowledge of holistic therapies and his connections in the medical wellness field, Greg develops successful spa programmes that deliver real financial results. Most recently he collaborated on the spa at Villa La Coste in Provence, following spa director roles at Aman Resorts, InterContinental Hotels Group and Raffles in an impressive career dating back to 2001.

BEYOND WELLNESS: The Value of Retreats
Our panel of wellness experts will explore the ways in which, when carefully-considered, wellness retreats can drive revenue, extend room nights, bolster off-peak seasons and deliver meaningful experiences that help a hotel or resort’s positioning. The panel will help you decide whether a wellness retreat is right for your business; how to go about putting one together; and what steps to take to guarantee a strong ROI.
This talk is curated by Mason Rose.

THE NEXT BIG THING: Trends in Wellness Travel
Understanding the savvy wellness-traveller: what are the latest developments and the future direction of this rapidly growing, multi-billion dollar industry, and how can businesses take steps to future-proof and innovate for long-term success when implementing wellness programmes?
This talk is curated by Mason Rose.

About Suzanne
An expert in the spa, beauty and wellness industries, Suzanne advises and contributes to some of the most influential media brands including Condé Nast, The Sunday Times, Wall Street Journal and The Telegraph. As a thought influencer, her advice is also sought from product and retail brands such as Unilever, L'Oreal and Selfridges to globally renowned spas including The Small Maldives Island Company.

This talk will offer perspectives on how a destination can be integral to building a unique wellbeing concept. From using your location to your advantage to finding inspiration locally to develop authentic therapies, this panel will explore the relationship between place and your business model.
This talk is curated by Mason Rose.

About Alice
A deep passion for wine and hospitality have shaped Alice’s remarkable career. After her parents took over a 650-year-old winery she developed a hotel and restaurant in the middle of the vineyards and also incorporated her sister’s grape-seed anti-ageing cosmetics as part of the offering. Their five-star property Les Sources de Caudalie – an innovative vinotherapie spa – opened in 1999 and has been since been honoured as part of the circle of Palace hotels, which represents the 24 best hotels in France.

Are you struggling to tell your guests about your sustainability efforts? Is your company or property doing brilliant things but not shouting about them? Want to get your clients involved but don't know where to start? Francisca Kellett will show you how to talk to your customers to get them more engaged, inspire them to get involved and increase donations. She will also talk about communications and ideas – how to make your green credentials part of your overall brand; the role of social media; and how shouting about sustainability can actually increase your bookings.

About Francisca
Francisca Kellett is one of the UK's most experienced travel writers and editors. She's been at it for 15 years - first as a freelance travel writer and guidebook author, then as the Digital Travel Editor for the Daily Telegraph. She is the currently the Travel Editor for Tatler magazine and contributes regularly to the Financial Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Times. She is also the co-founder of the new creative content agency Mundi & Co, which helps travel brands tell their sustainability stories in a sexier, more engaging way. Francisca has been to a frankly alarming number of places, has a contacts book that verges on the ridiculous, and loves nothing more than banging on about sustainability, eco-travel and how to do good while we travel.
@frankellett

If you’ve booked a flight, connected with a client or wandered around a new city recently, chances are you did it via smartphone, and you’re not alone: in 2017, downloads of travel apps jumped 20 per cent. Drawing on techsperts from across industries, the panel will explore how a new generation of apps are transforming and disrupting the way we travel – and how brands can best navigate AI; VR; and a mobile-first landscape. The future is in your pocket…

About Jonathan
Jonathan Thompson is an award-winning British travel writer and presenter, now based in the US. A contributor to myriad magazines on both sides of the Atlantic, including Travel + Leisure, Tatler, GQ and Condé Nast Traveller, he's visited more than 100 countries to date – including all 50 US States in one mad, magical month. Incidentally, Jonathan is also the UK's most experienced male wing-walker. He lives in Dallas, Texas.

Louis will explore biophilic design, regenerative landscaping and permaculture in relation to hotel development, the guest experience and community wellbeing. The talk will discuss innovative hospitality models that shift the focus from traditional built hardware to invest in the guest experience, developed in partnership with local communities. By working in tandem with their surroundings, hotels can offer unique experiences of specific locations, as opposed to simulated representations of local culture.

About Louis
Specialising in safari lodges, eco-resorts, tented camps and sustainable residential villa developments, Louis is a permaculture eco-designer and consultant based in Galle, Sri Lanka. With extensive experience of developing buildings that offer unique guest experiences, he is the CEO and founder of Sri Lanka’s Nomadic Resorts, who specialise in tensile structures, immersive dining and breathtaking treetop accommodation.

Talk: WORKPLACE WELLNESS: Why Happy Teams Deliver the Best Results
Your team is your best asset and the most visible part of your business: so nurturing happy workers should be a priority for all of us. This panel will help you to develop ‘the people who look after the people’, from understanding the links between team and guest behaviour to delivering authentic and meaningful experiences that inspire guests and ensure their return.

Workshop: PUTTING YOUR BEST FACE FORWARD: The power of aromatherapy and restorative techniques in the workplace
Forget unlimited vacations and beanbag chairs: the new workplace perks are wellness-focused. This practical, interactive workshop will show you simple ways to incorporate aromatherapy and restorative facial techniques in ways that will engage employees, boost morale, and improve the overall wellbeing of your workplace.

About Tracey
Tracey Woodward is the CEO of Aromatherapy Associates. Having worked in the beauty industry for over 30 years, Tracey has a wealth of spa, retail and beauty experience. She currently sits on several boards as an advisory director as well as on the Executive Board of Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW), leading the conversation for women in beauty and wellbeing.

Talk: TELL NOT SELL: How to engage consumers with effective social media
Social media can be one of the most powerful tools in business. The opportunities to inspire, educate and converse are endless, but how can brands stand out in a rapidly saturating market of savvy consumers? Her talk alongside Juliet Kinsman will discuss the perils and possibilities of influencer marketing for the luxury travel industry, how to translate the quality of your offline experience into your customer’s digital experience, and how to speak in language that encourages engagement rather than tuning out.

Workshop: Social Media and Luxury Travel: How to Stay Ahead
Following on from her talk on digital marketing with Juliet Kinsman, Emilie’s workshop session will look at how luxury travel can use social media to drive engagement, bookings and brand loyalty in a way that stays true to their offering. She will look at the practical steps required to utilise this revolutionary platform, and put marketing principles into practice.

About Emilie
With experience working at luxury and lifestyle brands including Net-A-Porter and Condé Nast, Emilie is a specialist in digital marketing, strategic social media and copywriting. She helps brands boost their business by telling authentic stories, communicating with new audiences and building trust through creative and effective online marketing.

Talk: WINNING NEW BUSINESS: The key skills you need to grow your revenue
In luxury travel, the ability to showcase a truly unique hotel, property or destination sets companies apart from the competition. So how do you convert interest into sales? Cindy’s talk will share the techniques required to win more business, looking at how to increase bookings and sales revenue by creating a proven sales process for your business while growing existing relationships and finding new clients.

Workshop: WINNING NEW BUSINESS: The next steps for boosting your bottom line
Cindy’s workshop will drill down into the specific next steps needed to drive your overall sales and revenue. With an emphasis on tangible, targeted actions that apply to luxury travel, you’ll leave her session with a plan to challenge the status quo and start stepping up your results.

About Cindy
Cindy’s goal in life is to help professionals become the best they can be. Her passion is sales, service and leadership; nothing in this world happens if someone doesn’t sell something, and that’s what she excels in. A passionate belief in concrete sales skills that improve revenue and create a sustainable business have made her an influential and inspiring author, speaker and facilitator, who has been named as one of the Top 25 Most Creative Minds in Sales & Marketing.

The Internet has drastically increased the quantity and speed of information and decision-making we’re faced with, both personally and professionally, but the human mind can only rationalise so much information each day. Brands are more essential than ever as they serve as a reference, a short hand, a decision facilitator. Louise’s workshop will look at how to cut through the noise, sharpen up your brand message and make it easy to understand by asking what offer, benefit and purpose you bring to consumers.

About Louise
Louise Beveridge has 30 years of multi-sector experience as a communication director for publicly listed and private businesses, having worked in financial services, real estate, luxury, hotels and tourism. Her wide-ranging career spans across mergers and acquisitions, strategic repositioning and crisis communication, helping her become a business and educational leader as well as being elected France’s Communications Personality in 2015.

Talk: BRAVE NEW WORLDS: How to make brand building more immersive
Single-track storytelling is no longer enough to distinguish pioneering brands – instead they must construct entire ecosystems drawing on culture, collaboration and education to win the hearts and minds of their customers. Charlotte will use her experiences creating products, films, books and pop-up events for brands ranging from Bulgari and Bentley to KITRI and Museo Mario Testino to provide future-facing insights into how to stay true to your core message while executing it with common sense and a flair for artistic, 360-degree storytelling.

This talk is brought to you by Suitcase Magazine.

Workshop: TALKING ABOUT MY GENERATION: How to communicate with a millennial audience
Forget single-strand branding – today’s multi-hyphenate millennials demand an equally multifaceted approach. But how to speak to this increasingly diverse demographic? Enter Charlotte Rey of creative consultancy Campbell-Rey, who enable brands to communicate more uniquely – and authentically. In this detailed and interactive workshop Charlotte will walk you through the 5 things millennials respond, desire and pay attention to, equipping you with the tools you need to ensure your brand can cut through the noise.

About Charlotte
Charlotte Rey is the founder of creative consultancy and design studio Campbell-Rey, who specialise in craftsmanship, culture and legacy-driven brands. Through her work on storytelling and art direction, she encourages and inspires brands to operate and communicate more authentically, while always focusing on creating distinctive design and unique experiences.

Talk: THE NEXT BIG THING: Trends in Wellness Travel
Understanding the savvy wellness-traveller: what are the latest developments and the future direction of this rapidly growing, multi-billion dollar industry, and how can businesses take steps to future-proof and innovate for long-term success when implementing wellness programmes?

Talk: BEYOND WELLNESS: The Value of Retreats
Our panel of wellness experts will explore the ways in which, when carefully-considered, wellness retreats can drive revenue, extend room nights, bolster off-peak seasons and deliver meaningful experiences that help a hotel or resort’s positioning. The panel will help you decide whether a wellness retreat is right for your business; how to go about putting one together; and what steps to take to guarantee a strong ROI.

About Stella
Stella combined a passion for preventative healthcare with her extensive travel industry experience to create the pioneering wellness platform Wellbeing Escapes, which makes healthy breaks accessible and offers objective advice on a wide range of wellbeing experiences. She has since become the director of review site Queen of Retreats, overseeing its growth to the leading collection of curated rejuvenation breaks.

Having spent the majority of his life undertaking gruelling adventures in the most inhospitable parts of the planet, George Bullard understands the power of this type of exploration and knows how profound the effects are. His eye-opening talk will look at how to bring those risky but rewarding experiences to the luxury travel industry.

About George
George Bullard is a four-time world record-breaking explorer, endurance athlete and motivational speaker, who has spent more than 10 per cent of his life living under canvas in some of the world's most spectacular wildernesses. His track record speaks for itself – having guided over 350 people through the most remote environments and covered more than 2,000 miles fully unsupported in Polar Regions, he also runs a company called IGO Adventures whose mission is to ‘re-wild’ a generation.

Calls for gender diversity are growing louder, which gives businesses a unique opportunity to create inclusive, dynamic spaces and experiences. This talk tells the story of how and why companies are struggling with diversity, why this is not exclusively a women’s issue, and highlights practical tips that can make a real difference.

This talk is brought to you by Tourism Australia.

About Tamsin
A social entrepreneur, policy maker and expert on gender diversity and social innovation, Tamsin is the co-founder of TheBoardroom Africa, which aims to double the number of women in the boardrooms across Africa through the most extensive network of board-ready women on the continent. She has been involved in the design and expansion of a string of initiatives in Africa, the UK and Australia, and corporate leaders, investors and policy makers regularly consult her with a focus on turning transformative ideas into reality.

Discover the new frontier in sustainable aviation: airships. Shake off any preconceptions; the airships of 2018 are both practical and luxurious. Tapping in to his considerable experience in private aviation, Massimiliano will explore the limitless possibilities of sustainable mobility – and how it’s set to be a game changer for experiential travel.

About Massimiliano
Massimiliano ‘Max’ Pinucci, CEO of design studio MBVision, works across Europe, but loves to return frequently to his beloved Tuscany, where he lives and teaches.

Having worked for 30 years as an industry-leader in design and communication strategy, most prolifically in leisure aviation, more than a dozen different aircrafts bear Max’s aesthetic signature.

Max has also published books and designed exhibitions dedicated to the lost world of airships, with a particular interest in storytelling and research.

Discover the new frontier in sustainable aviation: airships. Shake off any preconceptions; the airships of 2018 are both practical and luxurious. Tapping in to his considerable experience in private aviation, Carl-Oscar will explore the limitless possibilities of sustainable mobility – and how it’s set to be a game changer for experiential travel.

About OceanSky
Ocean Sky’s mission is simple: to make the skies sustainable. At the forefront of the aviation revolution, they’re pioneering airships – the incredibly durable mode of transport that are not only eco-friendly, but the ideal tool for improving accessibility to undeveloped regions. For the luxury travel sector, they’re an opportunity to make air travel the novel, elegant experience it once was. Now that’s innovation…

About Carl-Oscar
Having worked in private and cargo aviation, finance and logistics in his native Sweden, Carl-Oscar is also a commercial pilot dedicated to disrupting the tourism sector. With a vision of achieving truly sustainable mobility, he is a true pioneer in both air and on land.

If you’ve booked a flight, connected with a client or wandered around a new city recently, chances are you did it via smartphone, and you’re not alone: in 2017, downloads of travel apps jumped 20 per cent. Drawing on techsperts from across industries, the panel will explore how a new generation of apps are transforming and disrupting the way we travel – and how brands can best navigate AI; VR; and a mobile-first landscape. The future is in your pocket…

Talk: GAMIFICATION AND THE MILLENNIAL MINDSET: Can they save us from overtourism?
With over 3 million travellers crossing international borders every day – a number set to double by 2030 – we have to ask whether our environments and cultures are resilient enough to withstand the flood. In this engaging and insightful talk, adventure junky and marketing expert Fuchsia Sims unpacks the Millennial mindset, now the biggest and highest earning demographic on the planet, and looks at how making sustainability a game could help reinvent the way the world travels.

Talk: THE MATTER TECH PANEL: How apps are transforming the way we travel
If you’ve booked a flight, connected with a client or wandered around a new city recently, chances are you did it via smartphone, and you’re not alone: in 2017, downloads of travel apps jumped 20 per cent. Drawing on techsperts from across industries, the panel will explore how a new generation of apps are transforming and disrupting the way we travel – and how brands can best navigate AI; VR; and a mobile-first landscape. The future is in your pocket…

About Fuchsia
By age ten, Fuchsia had already visited 30 countries and knew how to say ‘I’m a vegetarian’ in 12 languages. After school she ran away to the jungles of Costa Rica, spending 18 months living in harmony with sloths and toucans, where she worked as a river guide, helping troubled youth rewild and rebuild their self esteem. Here she discovered the true power of adventure – to help us grow and develop as individuals. Fuchsia has degrees in International Marketing and the Experience Economy. Having spent the last decade juggling marketing and mountains, Fuchsia finally found her calling as co-founder of the Adventure Junky App – Earth’s Sustainable Travel Game. With literally billions of travellers circling the planet every year, Fuchsia is on a mission to influence the future of travel. Using her business as a force for good - to inspire us to protect the people and places we love to visit.

A rare chance to discover how immersive experiences are conceived and created, join us for a hands-on workshop led by Annie Saunders, performance artist and founder of the Wilderness theatre company. Annie will break down the process of creating an immersive event, from conception and development; rehearsal to performance; design to staging.; and finding the sweet spot where storytelling and performance art converge. For anyone interested in how to create impactful brand experiences in a live environment, this workshop will lift the curtain on a fascinating process.

About Annie
A director, performer and collaborative live artist, Annie Saunders is the founder of Wilderness, an award-winning immersive theatre company. Having presented work at REDCAT, the San Francisco Playhouse and the Getty Villa, and created commissioned work for Asics and Mastercard, she has also devised and performed original work with Latitude Festival, Charing Cross Theatre, Cafe de Paris and the Boston Court Theatre.

After training at the University of London, the Sanford Meisner Center, and RADA, Annie spent ten years as a passionate creative activist with Eve Ensler's V-Day, a global creative movement to end violence against women.

Talk: THE MATTER TECH PANEL: How apps are transforming the way we travel
If you’ve booked a flight, connected with a client or wandered around a new city recently, chances are you did it via smartphone, and you’re not alone: in 2017, downloads of travel apps jumped 20 per cent. Drawing on techsperts from across industries, the panel will explore how a new generation of apps are transforming and disrupting the way we travel – and how brands can best navigate AI; VR; and a mobile-first landscape. The future is in your pocket…

Workshop: BACK TO BASICS: How to Rediscover Your Brand Mission
Take it back to the start with Gabbi Cahane, angel investor and entrepreneur, as he leads a dynamic workshop on how to reignite your brand’s purpose and drive renewed growth. If your foundational principles have become muddled – or you’re struggling to remember why you started your business in the first place – Gabbi will demonstrate techniques on how developing clarity on your brand’s mission can realign, scale growth and restore purpose.

About Gabbi
Well versed in all aspects of entrepreneurship, from building and branding to investing and selling, Gabbi Cahane’s career as an angel investor has seen him work with start-ups, scale-ups and global corporations. As the co-founder and Chairman of strategy firm Multiple, he gears up the founders and funders of Europe’s leading tech companies, helping them find their purpose and build platforms for growth so that they can take on the world.

Talk: FROM THE GROUND UP: How to build an independent hotel
As the founder of luxury hotel PR agency Mason Rose, Tanya Rose and her team of experts know a thing or two about making a boutique hotel a storming success story. Three specialists (from PR, sales and digital) will explore how a 360-approach to PR, sales, partnerships, and digital communications is the secret sauce to ensuring independent hotels can flourish.

Workshop: SALES AND STORYTELLING: How to make your boutique hotel flourish
Let Tanya Rose, founder of luxury hotel PR agency Mason Rose, and her highly experienced team guide you through a deep-dive into the building a successful luxury hotel business. This intimate workshop will take a candid look at specific challenges faced by today’s independent hoteliers, to help them find the best way to prioritise, promote themselves and tell their stories in a way that resonates.

About Maria
Since being born into a family of hoteliers, Maria has lived and worked in hospitality for much of her life and became Managing Director at Mason Rose over 11 years ago. With travel industry experience that also encompasses cruise lines, online travel and content marketing, she brings a wealth of knowledge to a role focused on ensuring client strategy always reflects commercial objectives.

BUILDING TRUST IN TRAVEL: Whose advice should you follow?
In a world of blog saturation, fake news and dubious ‘influencers’, who can you really trust for travel advice? During her eye-opening talk Juliet will dive into this issue of information, looking at why some brands are trusted more than others and how to make sure yours is one of them.

TELL NOT SELL: How to engage consumers with effective social media
Social media can be one of the most powerful tools in business. The opportunities to inspire, educate and converse are endless, but how can brands stand out in a rapidly saturating market of savvy consumers? Her talk alongside Emilie Hall will discuss the perils and possibilities of influencer marketing for the luxury travel industry, how to translate the quality of your offline experience into your customer’s digital experience, and how to speak in language that encourages engagement rather than tuning out.

About Juliet
After more than two decades as a journalist, during which time she wrote for the Osberver, Evening Standard and Condé Nast Traveller, Juliet Kinsman decided to do more than just tell people where they could find the most stylish bedrooms. She set up social enterprise Bouteco to help make hospitality a force for good, sharing inspiring stories of sustainability to connect eco-luxury travellers with hotels that don’t just pay lip service to the environment.

As well as working with visionary hoteliers during her time as a hotel reviewer for the Telegraph and author of Louis Vuitton City Guides, Juliet is also a founding editor of Mr & Mrs Smith, which provides expert opinions on the most stylish luxury destinations.

Talk: EAT LOCAL, THINK GLOBAL: How F&B can supercharge your ROI
Never has food been so fad-driven: what is en vogue one day can feel passé the next (see: freakshakes) so how can hotels create a food and beverage strategy that sticks? Let Cheila show you how to leverage your F&B offering so it feels authentic, appears cutting-edge and tastes as good as it looks ­– including understanding your customers' expectations; measuring yourself against – and bettering – your competitors; altering your menu to maximise ROI; and capitalising on the ever-growing trend for seeking local, independent culinary experiences.

Workshop: PORTION CONTROL: How to stop F&B draining your profit
The mind behind some of London’s most buzzed-about restaurants, including Burger & Lobster and Dean Street Townhouse, Cheila Gibbs will share exclusive insights into how to make better food & beverage decisions. From labour costs to measuring your beverages; portion control to dealing with suppliers, you’ll leave this can’t-miss workshop equipped with the tools to help you make F&B an invaluable (and cost-effective) asset to your business.

Portuguese-born, Swiss-educated and London-based, Cheila is a true multi-hyphenate and citizen of the world who has opened some of the capital’s most talked-about venues, including Bistro du Vin, Burger & Lobster, Dean Street Townhouse and West 36 — to name but a few. After graduating from École hôtelière de Lausanne and working everywhere from Austria to America, Cheila founded Create Generate, a hospitality consultancy who open, manage and transform exceptional restaurants, hotels and members’ clubs. Most recently, they have helped develop and open Terry Venables’ La Escondida Hotel in Spain, which was nominated as one of the world’s 15 best new hotels in its first year of trading.

Talk: FROM THE GROUND UP: How to build an independent hotel
As the founder of luxury hotel PR agency Mason Rose, Tanya Rose and her team of experts know a thing or two about making a boutique hotel a storming success story. Three specialists (from PR, sales and digital) will explore how a 360-approach to PR, sales, partnerships, and digital communications is the secret sauce to ensuring independent hotels can flourish.

Workshop: SALES AND STORYTELLING: How to make your boutique hotel flourish
Let Tanya Rose, founder of luxury hotel PR agency Mason Rose, and her highly experienced team guide you through a deep-dive into the building a successful luxury hotel business. This intimate workshop will take a candid look at specific challenges faced by today’s independent hoteliers, to help them find the best way to prioritise, promote themselves and tell their stories in a way that resonates.

Tanya is the founder of Mason Rose PR and a recognised authority in luxury travel.