Jodee Rich is a key speaker at AHICE this year
Jodee Rich is a key speaker at AHICE this year

The Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE), on October 17, is shaping up to be one of the biggest days on the accommodation industry calendar, in part thanks to the speeches expected from social media guru Jodee Rich and Orion Expedition Cruises’ founder Sarina Bratton.

Sarina Bratton, Founder and Managing Director, Orion Expedition Cruises is opening the 3rd Annual (AHICE) conference at the newly-renovated Swissotel, Sydney.

Bratton achieved international recognition as Vice President and General Manager Asia Pacific for Cunard Line and also won the 2004 Veuve Cliquot Award for Outstanding Women.

She is an exceptional role model in the tourism industry and she will discuss her personal story, the people skills that underpinned her success – the ability to engage, motivate and leadership. In essence it is taking you on a journey that can inspire success.

Bratton is one of many great speakers lined for this year’s AHICE, an event that will provide an opportunity to network and spend time with cutting-edge decision-makers and the leading Hoteliers from around the Asia-Pacific.

AHICE’s popular panel format will allow you to learn from more than 30 hotel owners, fund managers, CEOs, General Managers, social media and HR specialists.

Orion Expedition Cruises Founder Sarina Bratton

Some of the speakers confirmed include: Andrew McEvoy – Tourism Australia, David Baffsky, Raj Menon – Marriott India, Professor Dexter Dunphy – University of Technology, Sydney, Lyn Lewis Smith – Business Events Sydney, Jodee Rich – PeopleBrowsr, Paul Fishchmann – 8Hotels, Trent Fraser – Choice Hotels Australia, Ashley Spencer – Hilton Worldwide, Rachel Argaman – Toga Hospitality, James Hines – Hines Property Group, Harold Kopelowitz – Denwol Group, Warwick Evans – Aarons Hotel Group, Ben Palmer – Bankwest Business, Nigel Greenaway – Eureka Funds Management, David Bates – Workforce Guardian and James Wilkinson – HM magazine to name just a few.
Howard Kemball will once again MC the day and moderate a panel session on ‘What Owners Want’ – pulling together panellists to cover, development, operations, management, discounting, what drives revenue, occupancy, marketing, selecting a management company and more.

Two exciting new panels for 2012 include Emerging Markets and What Guests Want. Emerging markets will look at China, India and Indonesia, three countries being targeted by not just Australia and New Zealand, but the world. Featuring experts with knowledge of each market, this panel will uncover the potential from each country plus analyse tourist board efforts to entice travellers down under. For What Guests Want, AHICE will bring together several travellers from different market segments to ask the question ‘what travellers want’. This panel will look at the demands of the modern traveller and what they look for in a home-away-from-home.

A first time presenter at AHICE, PeopleBrowsr CEO Jodee Rich will look at social media and cutting edge business practices.

Rich believes social media is creating a global collective consciousness that is rapidly shifting the power base from big business, religion and government to the global consumer.

In 2007, Jodee started PeopleBrowsr, a provider of social media data, campaigns and analytics. The company has developed a DataMine of 1,200 days of collective intelligence from social media to provide marketing campaigns and advanced analytics to Fortune 500 companies and agencies. In 2011 PeopleBrowsr launched Kred, an authoritative measure of community influence and outreach based on social media interactions.

Hotel groups previously represented at AHICE include Pan Pacific, IHG, Hilton, Accor, Quest, Choice, Eight Hotels, Constellation Group, Carlson Hotels, Swiss-BelHotel International, Mariott International, Hilton, Mantra Group, Wyndham Hotel Group, Art Series Hotel Group, Starwood and Emporium Hotels, amongst many other world-class independent brands.

AHICE will be a fantastic industry day and one not to be missed. Register now for early bird rates of just $350 + GST per ticket. Why not bring a group? We also offer book four pay for three discounts.

To register, visit www.ahice.com.au or call 1300 789 845 (within Australia).

James Wilkinson

Editor-In-Chief, Hotel Management