EVENT PROGRAM TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 MARKET OVERVIEW DAY 12:00 PM -2:00 PM EDT

BRAND USA WELCOME CHRIS THOMPSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO, BRAND USA

THE “DOWN UNDER” PANDEMIC EXPERIENCE MICHELE LEVINE, CEO, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH JO PALMER, DIRECTOR OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, BRAND USA

THE FUTURE OF THE AUSSIE AND KIWI TRAVELER MODERATOR: BRUCE PIPER, MANAGING EDITOR AND PUBLISHER, TRAVEL DAILY BRETT JARDINE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA TOUR OPERATORS TOM MANWARING, CHAIRMAN OF AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION OF TRAVEL AGENTS AND CEO OF EXPRESS TRAVEL GROUP BRENT THOMAS, PRESIDENT OF TRAVEL AGENTS ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND AND COO OF HOUSE OF TRAVEL

TARGETING AUSSIE AND KIWI TRAVELERS FOR RECOVERY BRENDAN WATMORE, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, TOURIST TRACKA

THE AVIATION OUTLOOK “DOWN UNDER” JULIE REID, DIRECTOR FOR AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND TAHITI SALES, UNITED AIRLINES TOMMY LINDBLAD, MARKETING MANAGER FOR AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, TAHITI AND SOUTHEAST ASIA, UNITED AIRLINES KATHRYN ROBERTSON, GROUP GENERAL MANAGER SALES,

HOW PREPARING FOR THE RETURN OF U.S. TRAVEL? MODERATOR: ROB MCFARLAND, AUSTRALIAN FREELANCE TRAVEL WRITER BEN GROUNDWATER, AUSTRALIAN FREELANCE TRAVEL WRITER STEPHANIE HOLMES, TRAVEL EDITOR, NEW ZEALAND HERALD

CLOSING REMARKS CHRIS THOMPSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO, BRAND USA

2 SPEAKER BIOS LISTED IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE

CHRIS THOMPSON PRESIDENT AND CEO, BRAND USA

Chris is president and CEO of Brand USA, the USA’s public-private partnership dedicated to increasing international visitation to the United States through marketing and promotional efforts. Chris is responsible for accelerating the organization’s efforts to build and execute effective marketing strategies to increase U.S. travel exports, create jobs, strengthen the economy, and help enhance the image of the United States internationally. Under Chris’ leadership, Brand USA has nearly tripled its partnership network and more than doubled its partner contributions and program offerings.

Chris has more than 30 years of experience in the travel and tourism industry. Before joining Brand USA, Chris was president and CEO of Visit Florida. Under his leadership, Florida realized record growth in international visitation. Throughout his career, Chris has been honored with a number of industry awards and recognized for numerous accomplishments. He was the first recipient of Skål International’s USA National Tourism Leadership Award in 2018 in recognition of his “very meaningful contribution to the growth and success of tourism in the United States,” and in 2015, Chris received the National Tour Association’s Pioneer Award for his accomplishments in producing significant changes in the travel industry.

3 THE “DOWN UNDER” PANDEMIC EXPERIENCE

MICHELE LEVINE CEO, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH

Michele was born with a passion for people and what makes them tick, social justice, and an insatiable curiosity about life. With more than 30 years of experience as a researcher, Michele has been responsible for thousands of surveys – including many of Australia’s largest research projects – which continue to play a critically important part in shaping society today.

With a fundamental belief in the empowering value of information, Michele was instrumental in developing and refining the Roy Morgan Single Source, the world’s leading consumer study (based on over 50,000 interviews a year) and, in 2010, the introduction of the Roy Morgan Business Survey.

Michele was ahead of her time in foreseeing the exponential growth of Big Data and, consequently, the need for software such as ASTEROID that can manage and order massive volumes of data as well as the need for highly trained analysts who can help make sense of the data.

JO PALMER DIRECTOR OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, BRAND USA

Jo founded tourism marketing agency Gate 7 in 1998. She’s been the driving force behind the organization as it grew and evolved to represent and market blue chip tourism destinations and products in the Australia and New Zealand market. Since 2013, Gate 7 has represented Brand USA in Australia and New Zealand, and Jo has been instrumental in developing and guiding the strategy for promoting the USA Down Under.

4 THE FUTURE OF THE AUSSIE AND KIWI TRAVELER

MODERATOR: BRUCE PIPER MANAGING EDITOR AND PUBLISHER, TRAVEL DAILY

Bruce is the publisher of Australia and New Zealand’s leading travel trade publications, including newsletters Travel Daily, Cruise Weekly, Business Events News and the monthly travelBulletin magazine. His company also publishes the consumer-facing Travel & Cruise Weekly and an inspirational weekly e-magazine called Keep Dreaming. In operation for more than 25 years, the business is the travel industry’s go-to source for deep insight, commentary, trends and inside information.

BRETT JARDINE MANAGING DIRECTOR, COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIAN TOUR OPERATORS

Brett is the managing director of the Council of Australian Tour Operators. He joined CATO in March 2018 with nearly 30 years of experience across segments in the travel industry that included wholesale, touring and cruise. From 2007 to 2017, Brett helmed the Australasian office of Cruise Lines International Association in a high-profile role that was an integral part of the global cruise sector.

At CATO, Brett led the transformation of the 21-year-old industry body that is the voice of the land- supply sector representing members that are predominantly Australian-based tour operators and wholesalers. From the development and implementation of member systems, services and government representation, the profile of CATO and the value being delivered to its members has grown significantly under Brett’s leadership.

5 TOM MANWARING CHAIRMAN, AUSTRALIAN FEDERATION OF TRAVEL AGENTS CEO, EXPRESS TRAVEL GROUP

Tom has extensive experience in the airline and wider travel industries in Australia and abroad. He is currently CEO and co-owner of Express Travel Group, managing director of Creative Cruising, chairman of First Travel Group and chairman of Australian Federation of Travel Agents.

ETG is now the largest fully independent multibranded aggregation and distribution travel business in Australia. It offers national representation for over 700 member travel agencies identified through the Independent Travel Group and Select Travel Group membership brands, as well as the italktravel & cruise and Independent Travel Advisors retail brands.

BRENT THOMAS PRESIDENT, TRAVEL AGENTS’ ASSOCIATION OF NEW ZEALAND COO, HOUSE OF TRAVEL

Brent started his career with what is now Ernst & Young before moving overseas to work in London and the Cayman Islands with Bank of America’s Mutual Funds division. The call of home brought him back to New Zealand, where he was drawn to the tourism industry at Tourism Holdings Limited before moving to House of Travel as the chief financial officer in 1998. Since then, Brent has held three subsequent roles at House of Travel: retail director, commercial director and chief operating officer. Brent is also the president of Travel Agents’ Association of New Zealand, the self-regulating trade organization representing the travel agent, travel broker and tour operator distribution system in New Zealand.

6 TARGETING AUSSIE AND KIWI TRAVELERS FOR RECOVERY

BRENDAN WATMORE CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, TOURIST TRACKA

Brendan’s career spans 20 years in marketing and technology. An experienced executive with a track record in generating value from digital and data assets, he helps tourism destinations and businesses know their visitors and find new visitors for the future. For the past 10 years, he has focused on the power of data to improve understanding of customers for businesses. Brendan is the CEO and co- founder of Tourist Tracka, based in Sydney, Australia. His previous experience includes mobile data consultant for Qantas, co-founder of Content Connect and commercial director for InMobi.

7 THE AVIATION OUTLOOK “DOWN UNDER”

JULIE REID DIRECTOR AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND TAHITI SALES, UNITED AIRLINES

Julie is the director for Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti for United Airlines and is responsible for all commercial activity. Julie has worked in the travel industry for over 30 years in Australia, Hong Kong and the U.K. with experience spanning hotel management, travel management and airlines. Julie is passionate about promoting Australia throughout the USA. Pre-COVID-19, United Airlines flew three daily flights from Sydney to the USA and two daily flights from Melbourne to the USA. United Airlines is the only airline that flew continuously from North America to Australia throughout the pandemic.

TOMMY LINDBLAD MARKETING MANAGER FOR AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND, TAHITI AND SOUTHEAST ASIA, UNITED AIRLINES

Tommy is the marketing manager for Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti and Southeast Asia at United Airlines. Based in Sydney, he oversees B2C and B2B integrated marketing activities for Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti and Singapore. Prior to joining United Airlines in 2017, Tommy spent more than a decade with British Airways before serving as a marketing manager for Norwegian Air Shuttle and marketing and communications manager for South African Tourism, where he gained extensive experience in creating and delivering integrated marketing campaigns and sponsorships.

8 KATHRYN ROBERTSON GROUP GENERAL MANAGER SALES, AIR NEW ZEALAND

Kathryn has worked in the aviation industry for 30 years and recently was appointed to the newly created role of group general manager sales for Air New Zealand. In this role, she leads and inspires global sales functions and sets the strategic sales direction to ensure future revenue growth and alliance sales plans are achieved.

With Air New Zealand, Kathryn has a substantial and successful sales background across a variety of roles and global markets. She was group manager for U.K./Europe, then became regional general manager for Australia for the past four years. During that time, she successfully led the region to achieve significant pre-COVID-19 growth ambitions. Prior to this, Kathryn led Air New Zealand’s sales and marketing efforts across both the North America and U.K./Europe markets and developed the commercial strategy for the U.K./Europe region.

Kathryn’s experience in the global aviation sector, her strong relationships and extensive knowledge of the Air New Zealand business gives her an intrinsic understanding of selling across different markets, environments and cultures.

9 HOW ARE MEDIA PREPARING FOR THE RETURN OF U.S. TRAVEL?

MODERATOR: ROB MCFARLAND FREELANCE TRAVEL WRITER SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH AND THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD

Rob is a regular contributor to the travel sections of Australia and New Zealand’s leading newspapers and magazines, including Traveller (Sydney Morning Herald), Escape (Sunday Telegraph), The New Zealand Herald, Qantas magazine and MindFood. His work has been published in National Geographic Traveller, GQ, The Guardian, The Observer, The Daily Mail, The San Francisco Chronicle and The South China Morning Post. As a travel expert, he has been interviewed on Sky News Business, ABC radio, and is a regular guest on Traveller’s Flight of Fancy podcast. He is a member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers and has won six writing awards, including ASTW Travel Writer of the Year.

Rob regularly speaks at travel events and also runs workshops for PRs, tourism boards and operators on how to pitch to the media.

BEN GROUNDWATER AUSTRALIAN FREELANCE TRAVEL WRITER SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, THE AGE AND LONELY PLANET

Ben—an award-winning feature writer and author—is one of Australia’s most widely read travel scribes. He is a columnist for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s print and online travel sections, hosts Australia’s popular travel podcast, Flight of Fancy, and has written three books. Ben was named the ASTW Travel Writer of the Year in 2014 and 2015, has appeared on TV shows, and is a frequent guest on radio stations such as ABC, 3AW and Triple J. Previous experience includes being the travel columnist for the Sun-Herald and sub-editor for . He has visited more than 100 countries and still occasionally gets lost.

10 STEPHANIE HOLMES TRAVEL EDITOR, THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD

Stephanie is The New Zealand Herald’s travel editor. She has been with the publication since 2016, first as deputy travel editor and has served as travel editor since November 2019. In May 2019, she launched the Herald’s podcast, Trip Notes, which features a celebrity guest each episode. Previously, Stephanie worked for a number of New Zealand outlets, including SKY TV New Zealand and Sunday Star-Times, among others. After growing up in England, Stephanie arrived in New Zealand as a backpacker in 2003 for a six-month holiday. She never left.

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