The Hotel Photographer

Mauro Risch is an award-winning photographer specializing in conceptual still life shots and lifestyle. Involved into the world of Photography since the age of 13, he loves the chance of telling stories through the images he creates. A lot of warm and vibrant colours are the unmistakable elements of his style. He became a member of Melbourne Advertising And Design Club (MADC) in 2007 and a member of Australia Commercial And Media Photographers (ACMP) in 2008, establishing his base in the Studio at Aileen Ave, Melbourne, Australia. Hotels & Resorts have become a major subject in his photographic life, shooting for the hospitality industry in Asia-Pacific and in South America.

BIG4 Holiday Parks — CEO

Accomplished marketing strategist Sean Jenner was appointed Chief Executive Officer of BIG4 Holiday Parks in July 2021 to steer its network of more than 200 holiday parks and partners through its post-pandemic business recovery and beyond. Sean has more than two decades’ marketing and commercial experience, previously holding senior positions at some of Australia’s and the world’s leading brands including Nike, Virgin, Starbucks and Myer, while based in Australia and Europe. Most recently, Sean was Head of Marketing at SWEAT, a highly successful global technology start-up in the health and fitness sector.

Sean’s expertise and passion for digital transformation has come to the fore in his leadership of the development and execution of BIG4 Holiday Parks’ new digital strategy, aimed at aggressively expanding the brand’s digital footprint across the country as well as strengthening its overall brand. A key enabler of this transformation is for BIG4.com.au to be the leading portal for Australian holiday parks. A major component of the digital strategy and BIG4’s evolution has been the expansion and improvement of its website (BIG4.com.au) to better meet the needs of customers and trends towards ease, choice and user experience.

During his first two years as CEO, the company has achieved 30% growth in online revenue, brought 40+ new parks into the BIG4 network and launched the brand’s largest ever brand campaign.

Sean is based in Melbourne, married and a father of two young boys. He is an avid runner, movie lover and wine enthusiast.

Revinate — Country Director - Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific

Lylo — Managing Director

Young Hotel Leaders | Novotel Geelong — President | General Manager

Pacific STR — Sales

Experienced digital marketing and revenue professional with a demonstrated history of working in the hospitality industry. Specializing in revenue management, digital marketing, and market intelligence. Currently supporting the hospitality sector at STR and CoStar, providing data-driven insights that help hotels, investors, and industry stakeholders optimize performance and strategic decision-making.
Expertise includes yield management, revenue analysis and hotel management, with a focus on leveraging benchmarking data, market trends, and competitive intelligence to drive revenue growth. Committed to helping independent and chain hotels develop effective pricing, distribution, and marketing strategies that maximize profitability and market positioning.

A passionate advocate for tourism, destinations, and immersive travel experiences, with a deep understanding of hospitality analytics and industry dynamics. Dedicated to empowering hoteliers with actionable insights, helping businesses enhance visibility, optimize channel distribution, and capitalize on market opportunities in an evolving landscape.

Salter Brothers Hospitality — Chief Development Officer

lacollective — CEO

Luxury Escapes — Co-Founder + CEO

Adam Schwab has built Luxury Escapes into one of Australia’s most successful and loved businesses. Luxury Escapes is expected to turn over $1 billion this year and has more than 600 team members across four continents.

Adam started life as a corporate lawyer specialising in mergers & acquisitions at one of Australia’s largest legal firms before becoming a founding what would become Luxury Escapes with school friend, Jeremy Same in 2010.
Luxury Escapes: Luxury Escapes was named the fastest growing company in Australia by BRW in 2013 and by the Australian Financial Review in 2017. It was also ranked #1 in Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 while Adam was the Young CEO of the Year in 2015 and was nominated for the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2014 (Southern Region).

Since 2004, Adam has been a financial journalist and business commentator specialising in corporate governance, economics and start-ups for The Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald and BRW.

ODIN360 — Managing Director

The Langham — Regional Director of Marketing, Pacific

Accommodation Australia (Vic) — General Manager

Title Hospitality — Director

Gatehouse Hospitality — Managing Director

Fastrack Digital — Digital Marketing Specialist

Heyward Group — CEO & Founder

Michael Heyward is the CEO and Founder of Emekeli Research, a company which was set up in 2024 to advance the profession of Revenue Management in Meetings and Events for Hotels by establishing industry standards for measuring performance and providing benchmarking on these metrics. Michael has over 30 years of experience in Hotel Operations and Revenue Management, across Europe, Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, at the leading edge of the development of Revenue Management as a discipline in Hotels. The drive to innovate and challenging the way we work continues.

Pan Pacific Hotels Group — Country General Manager, Oceania

David Tonkin is Country General Manager, Oceania at Pan Pacific Hotels Group, responsible for overseeing the operations, commercial performance and strategic direction of the group’s Australian hotel portfolio. David joined Pan Pacific Hotels Group in September 2015, bringing with him a wealth of hospitality experience, accumulated throughout Australia and the Middle East. Prior to joining Pan Pacific Hotels Group, David worked with Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific, overseeing the management of the company's assets in Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia. David also enjoyed a long tenure with EVT’s Rydges Hotels & Resorts.

YHA Australia — CEO

Urban Rest — Chief Commercial Officer

Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) — CEO

Ovolo South Yarra — F&B General Manager

I’m Jaqui Rosenstengel, the Food & Beverage General Manager at Ovolo South Yarra. In my current role, I oversee all food and beverage operations across the hotel, including events and Lona Misa, our one-hatted vegan restaurant. I joined Ovolo South Yarra as part of the pre-opening team 4.5 years ago and have since built 16 years of food and beverage experience across Melbourne hotels.

I’m passionate about the industry, love bringing people together to create lasting memories and believe it’s essential to stay ahead of new trends in our fast and ever-evolving hospitality industry.

Revstar Group — Group Director of Revenue

With 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Miranda is a seasoned professional and Group Director of Revenue for Revstar Group. Throughout her career, she has built a deep understanding of revenue management and operations, having worked across nearly every market in Australia, as well as in international destinations like Singapore, French Polynesia, and The Philippines. As well as being a wife and mother of two, she is also soccer enthusiast and travel buff who counts Zimbabwe as her second home.

BIG4 Holiday Parks of Australia — Head of Marketing

Tash Prendergast is a seasoned marketing leader with a passion for building brands that connect meaningfully with customers. As Head of Marketing at BIG4 Holiday Parks, Australia’s leading holiday park network, Tash spearheads a dynamic team of marketing professionals dedicated to delivering integrated campaigns that elevate customer experience and drive commercial success. With a strong track record in strategic marketing, Tash has led BIG4 to expand its digital and social presence. Her leadership drove initiatives like the “GO BIG” campaign, boosting brand awareness and bookings while cementing BIG4’s status as Australia’s most recalled holiday park brand. Tash combines creativity and collaboration with data-driven, customer-focused strategies that build vibrant communities and deliver measurable impact.

The Royce Hotel — Hotel Manager

Accor — Vice President Operations Leases Australia and HMA Victoria

Sunday Lunch — Founder

Mia Barry is the founder of Sunday Lunch, a creative studio specialising in food, drink and travel that's shaped how some of Australia's celebrated venues and boutique brands tell their stories. Mia brings creative vision and strategic precision to every project – from viral social content to internationally acclaimed brand identities and PR campaigns that reach millions globally – with an audience-first approach that translates online buzz into real-world commercial outcomes.

eeger — General Manager

Emilie Howe is a passionate advocate for Australia's visitor economy, with a career spanning leadership roles in tourism, training, and workforce development. Originally from Tasmania and now based in Sydney, Emilie brings a deep understanding of regional tourism and the evolving needs of the sector.

As the inaugural CEO of Visitor Experience Training (VXT) in Tasmania, Emilie spearheaded initiatives to elevate service standards through targeted training and stakeholder collaboration. Today, she serves as General Manager of eeger, a national online platform dedicated to jobs, careers, training, and industry information for the tourism, hospitality, and travel sectors. Under her leadership, eeger has become a central hub for workforce development, connecting job seekers with employers and promoting lifelong careers in the visitor economy.

Emilie’s insights are shaped by her extensive travels across Australia, her hands-on experience within the tourism and hospitality sectors, and her active involvement in shaping industry standards—most notably through her role as a judge for the Tasmanian and NSW Tourism Awards. Her commitment to industry-led solutions is reflected in her work fostering collaboration, elevating workforce capabilities, and championing regional voices in national conversations.

Meriton Suites Melbourne — Hotel General Manager

Andrew Edwards is an accomplished hotelier with over 13 years of leadership experience across some of Australia’s most dynamic and high-performing hotels. Currently the General Manager of Meriton Suites Melbourne, Andrew leads with a strong focus on people, operational excellence, and financial performance — driving success through genuine connection, energy, and purpose. Prior to joining Meriton Suites, Andrew spent 12 remarkable years with TFE Hotels, where he held leadership roles across the Rendezvous and Adina brands before taking the helm at Quincy Hotel Melbourne. Throughout his tenure, he earned a reputation for his passion, professionalism, and ability to build engaged, high-performing teams that consistently delivered outstanding results. Under his leadership, Quincy became the first hotel in Victoria to achieve Climate Active Carbon Neutral Building certification — a testament to his commitment to sustainability and innovation. Known for his collaborative leadership style and deep understanding of the Melbourne market, Andrew blends commercial acumen with an unwavering dedication to creating exceptional guest experiences and empowering his teams to succeed.

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre — Chief Sles & Customer Experience Officer

Melbourne & Olympic Parks — Director of Customer Experience and Special Projects

Gatehouse Hospitality — Executive Director- Strategic Advisory

Sonia Vickers is Executive Director, Strategic Advisory at Gatehouse Hospitality. Sonia is a seasoned hotel management professional with an expertise in total revenue management across leading hotel brands and boutique groups. In her current role, she oversees multiple hotel asset management contracts throughout Australia and is uniquely placed in offering valuable insights into the challenges faced by hotel owners. Before joining Gatehouse, Sonia held senior management positions at IHG, TFE Hotels, and Accor. Sonia holds an MBA in Hospitality Finance from Les Roches Switzerland, a Swiss Hospitality Degree from ICHM Adelaide, and an Executive Certificate in Strategy and Innovation from MIT Sloan School of Management.

Magellan Travel Group & Helloworld Business — General Manager

Platinum Travel Group — CEO