The 2024 Perth Airport Tourism Conference will take place in Mandurah on June 10 - 12, 2024. More information is available here.
Keynote Speaker
Justin Langer AM
Former Australian Cricket Team Batsman and Coach
Justin Langer AM is one of the country’s legendary batsmen. Having played 105 test matches with a total score of 7,696 runs (including 23 test centuries), Justin also went on to inspire the next generation of Australian cricketers as a deeply respected coach.
Since retiring from the cricket pitch, Justin continues to share his expertise with a successful coaching career. With years of success as the Coach of Western Australia, Justin was offered the highest position in Australian cricket when he was appointed Coach of the Australian cricket team in 2018. After four incredible years, Justin resigned from his role to spend more time with his family and friends.
He also gives his time to a range of organisations, including as a patron of Solaris Care, Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Foundation, Kyle Andrews Foundation. He is also a proud ambassador for The Fathering Project, the Ear Science Institute Australia, the Bravery Trust and Ovarian Cancer Australia.
Justin’s success is the result of hard work and unmatched determination. As an author, he has explored his philosophy for leadership and career success in a series of published books.
International Keynote Speaker
Peter Syme
Strategic Travel and Tourism Advisor
Peter Syme owned and operated adventure tourism businesses in three countries for over 20 years, looking after more than 250k guests. He has also travelled and worked extensively in over 130 countries. His current business is a global education platform for Tour Operators called Tourpreneuer, with 13k members. He is a regular speaker at travel events worldwide on how technology and tourism interact. He has spoken on AI's positive and negative impacts on travel and tourism in over a dozen countries.
Opening Ministerial Address
Hon David Templeman MLA
Minister for Culture and the Arts; Sport and Recreation; International Education; Heritage and Member for Mandurah
David has always had a deep interest in the local communities he has lived in and in 1994 was elected to the City of Mandurah Council and served the Council for seven years, the last four as Deputy mayor, before his election to the State Parliament in February 2001. In March 2017 David took on the ministerial portfolios of Local Government, Heritage, and Culture and the Arts. After the 2021 election, he was sworn in as Minister for Tourism, Culture and the Arts and Heritage. In December 2021 David took responsibility for the Culture and the Arts, Sport and Recreation, International Education and Heritage portfolios.
Dinner Entertainment
Simone Springer
Comedian and Author
Simone Springer winner of The Silver Doustie 2022 and The Comics Choice Award 2021 (WA comedy awards “The Dousties”). Simone is part of the sell out and award-winning comedy group The Motherhood Comedy and is the co host of Sunday Singles at the Comedy Lounge. She has appeared on Channels 10s The Project TV, Channel 7s Sunrise and was a regular on both ABC radio Perth as “Friday Morning Comedian” and Couch TV on Foxtel.
Mayor Rhys Williams
City of Mandurah Mayor
Mayor Rhys Williams was elected in 2017 as one of the youngest Mayors in West Australian history, and is a passionate advocate for addressing social and economic disadvantage. At the age of 17, Mayor Williams founded a youth development charity, and over the period of a decade, led a number of initiatives focused on the capacity building of young West Australians. For this work, he was recognised in 2015 as the Young West Australian of the Year. In his role as Mayor, Rhys is working with his team to deliver a transformational agenda for the City of Mandurah, with a strong focus on economic diversification, community wellbeing and enhancing community pride and aspiration.
Philipa Harrison
Tourism Australia Managing Director
Ms Phillipa Harrison is the Managing Director of Tourism Australia, the Australian Government agency responsible for marketing Australia’s tourism experiences to the world.
In this role, Ms Harrison is responsible for driving Tourism Australia’s strategies to create sustainable demand for Australia’s tourism experiences internationally, and working with the tourism industry to support the sector’s recovery from the impacts of the events of 2020.
Steph Underwood
Tourism WA Acting Managing Director
Steph Underwood is the Acting Managing Director at Tourism WA and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the agency, including the promotion of WA as an incredible tourism destination, working with industry and government to improve access, accommodation and tourism experiences and delivering a world-class events calendar. Steph managed the Strategy and Engagement division before her appointment to the interim Managing Director role, and oversaw Tourism WA’s Insights and Planning, Industry and Partnerships, and Corporate Communications divisions.
Anna Last
Tourism WA Executive Director Events
Anna leads the Tourism WA Events division, which develops, sponsors, markets and promotes a diverse calendar of sporting, cultural, arts and culinary events that showcase Western Australia and give visitors a time-specific reason to visit the state. This includes support for major and regional events through the Tourism WA Major Events Fund, Regional Events Program and Regional Events Scheme. Anna joined Tourism WA in 2021, with over a decade of experience in partnerships, media and communications, having worked internationally in London and in Melbourne and Perth. Most recently, Anna managed the Corporate Partnerships team at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.
Evan Hall
Tourism Council WA Chief Executive Officer
Mr Evan Hall is an economist with extensive experience in Federal and State industry policy and advocacy. A recognised tourism industry leader, Evan joined Tourism Council WA in May 2011 as Chief Executive Officer. Mr Hall is also the current Chair of the Australian Tourism Industry Council, responsible for national tourism advocacy and industry development programs, including the Australian Tourism Awards.
Nigel Russell
EarthCheck General Manager
Nigel Russell is EarthCheck’s General Manager, of Consulting with over 25 years of programme management, research & development, and stakeholder management experience in the tourism and economic development sectors.
Recent project work has included Ireland’s Sustainable Tourism Policy, Ireland’s bespoke certification program framework and business case, Ras Al Khaimah sustainability road-map and certification program, Brisbane 2031 Tourism Vision, and risk and carrying capacity studies of National Parks in Queensland. Nigel has extensive experience in supporting destinations and businesses to embed risk and disaster management as a business-as-usual process and has overseen the development of CrisisReady and Don’t Risk It programs across Australia.
Simon Brown
RSM Australia Principal
Simon Brown is a Principal of the Business Advisory division in Margaret River and Busselton. He is a chartered accountant with a wide range of experience in providing high level strategic advice on taxation and business matters and manages a diverse range of business assignments. Simon is a regular contributor for the Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association, writing on trending industry article topics and hosting numerous workshops and events.
Ben Daley
Emissions Reduction Collective Managing Director
Ben Daley is the CEO and Co-Founder of Emissions Reduction Collective Australia. Ben designed the ERC Protocol as a unique solution to enable mass coordinated participation of SMEs in formalised decarbonisation. The ERC Protocol takes a much-needed approach that empowers SME to achieve value, whilst also meeting the multiple and overlapping strategic and reporting needs of industry associations and corporate value chains.
Dave Cooper
Austrade Visitor Economy and Client Programs Division Manager
Dave Cooper is a Manager in Austrade’s Visitor Economy and Client Programs Division, covering tourism policy issues including aviation, accessibility and First Nations tourism. Prior to joining Austrade in 2023, Dave spent seven years in the Australian Treasury's International Economics and Security Division working on national security and international economic engagement issues, and has also worked in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. Dave heralds from Hobart but has been calling Canberra home since 2006.
Master of Ceremonies
Chrissy Morrissy
Presenter and Producer
As the Presenter and producer of the 9 Network’s DestinationWA and Explore series for almost a decade, and one of the early presenters on Getaway, Christina Morrissy has journeyed Australia and the globe discovering the destinations and bucket list experiences that fuel holiday dreams. Once back at home base she uses her experiences to create written contributions for various travel sites including Australian Traveller Magazine and is the go to person for numerous talk back radio stations around Australia.
Hannah Statham
Content Marketer
Hannah might only just clear five foot, but she could easily enter herself into a heavy weight content marketing competition. Her signature move? Planting a target on your audience’s back and hitting them with bullseye accuracy. She’s first and foremost a content marketer - creating words, images and videos for clients, the kind of content that stops people in their thumb-scrolling tracks. That’s why she’s now the founder and CEO of Media Mortar, a content marketing agency, which uses words, images and videos to share brand’s stories. As a marketer, she helps brands go from zero to successful using a range of creative, content and communication techniques. Whether it’s words, images or videos, at the heart of everything she does is storytelling; and she’s an advocate that it's the power of stories that drive sales. With fifteen years’ experience in tourism and lifestyle marketing, Hannah brings a contagious energy to every task she does. She’s as creative as she is strategic and spends most of her time unashamedly working on her client’s big picture. When she’s not behind the desk for clients like Tourism Australia, Sapporo or Brisbane Airport Corporation, she’s learning the art of patience. Her teachers are three and one years old, and a constant reminder that she has lots to learn.
Suzanne Derry
Arts Law of Australia Senior Solicitor
Suzanne Derry has worked at Arts Law for over 12 years, providing practical, strategic and commercial legal advice to arts organisations, local government, small businesses and creative practitioners. Suzanne is a presenter, facilitator and participant of Arts Law’s national education programming and combines community legal centre and boutique entertainment law practice to communicate and translate complex legal concepts for clients and audiences. Suzanne works across creative sectors, and has significant experience working for and with First Nations creatives and cultural practitioners to commercialise and protect copyright and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property.
Jo-Anne Driessens
Arts Law Centre of Australia Artists in the Black Coordinator
Jo-Anne was raised in Brisbane, Queensland and is a Guwa-Koa, Kuku Yalanji descendant. Having completed a photography cadetship in 1999 at the State Library of Queensland, Jo-Anne continued working as a photographer and also across various arts and curatorial specialised roles including archival and anthropological research; exhibition programs and Aboriginal Family history support. These skills have and continue to provide a holistic approach towards specialised projects including her current role as Artists in the Black Coordinator with Arts Law Centre of Australia which is a dedicated National service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artists of all creative disciplines.
Ben Aldridge
30 Foot Drop Managing Director
Ben (he/him) has been many things in his life, soldier, troublemaker and explorer. Currently he is a husband, a father, quadriplegic and a person living with mental illness. Ben has a lifetime of experience as an avid traveler both before and after his accident. Using his first-hand experiences of the barriers people with disability face when engaging in travel and leisure activities, he has tirelessly campaigned for change at all levels of the tourism industry. His message is that the best path to true inclusion for people with disability lies with moving conversations away from moral obligation and towards economic imperative whereby businesses and government understand that to remain competitive and efficient, disability inclusion must be ingrained as a cultural norm.
Ryan Mossny
Two Feet & a Heartbeat Co-Founder
Ryan Mossny is the co-founder of Two Feet & a Heartbeat walking tours and Matagarup Zip+Climb. His specialties include tourism product development, product planning, heritage/historical/cultural interpretation, tour guide training, financial sourcing/management, place making and grant application management. He provides these services to tourism organisations, governments and individuals. In 2007, he co-founded Two Feet & a Heartbeat, an organisation dedicated to interpreting history, heritage and culture. More recently Ryan is part of the ownership group of Perth’s newest adventure activity Matagarup Zip+Climb.
Juliane Bush
Horizon Power Community Engagement Manager
Jules, with her insightful grasp of the complex connections between tourism, regional communities, and environmental conservation, serves as a bridge between the dynamic energy sector and the vibrant regional tourism industry in Western Australia. Her impactful journey includes shaping marketing strategies, promoting sustainable tourism practices, and driving destination development. Now, at Horizon Power, she is passionate about actively engaging communities during the transition to renewable energy. Her unique perspective and valuable experience mean she’s well placed to contribute to the creation of an inclusive, equitable and sustainable future.
Carmen Fasolo
Albany Visitor Centre Coordinator
Carmen Fasolo, Team Leader at Albany Visitor Centre, is a proud Albanian in The Great Southern region, where she grew up surrounded by the natural beauty and rich heritage that define Albany and its surroundings. This deep-rooted connection to her hometown fuels Carmen's passion for promoting it as a premier tourist destination. With a background in Performing Arts, and retail management, Carmen commenced her journey in the tourism industry 7 years ago with the City of Albany. Carmen is passionate about showcasing the beauty and charm of Albany but also dedicated to supporting local operators and fostering tourism development in the greater region.
Erin Clark
Stories Unseen CEO
Erin is a serial entrepreneur that uses clever technology to build sustainable value. In the tourism space, Erin is the CEO of Stories Unseen, a pioneering self-guided tour business; Mather Farm, a Wheatbelt-based farm stay; and Wheatbelt Wanderlust, a property management service. She’s also a Director of The Exchange Collective, a consultancy specialising in pragmatic technology advice and low-code solutions.
Gareth Martin
Business Events Perth CEO
Gareth is proud to call Perth home and is a passionate advocate for Western Australia, with over 15 years in senior executive roles at the organisation promoting WA as a leading destination for business events. Gareth was appointed CEO in 2019 and is focused on working collaboratively with key stakeholders, clients and member partners to drive strong outcomes for the Western Australian business events sector.
Tabitha McMullen
FORM Building a State of Creativity CEO
Tabitha McMullan is a passionate visionary for arts and culture. Prior to joining FORM she held leadership roles in Activation & Cultural Experience; Community Development; and Arts, Culture & Heritage at the City of Perth. With over seventeen years’ experience in the international creative sector, across not-for-profit, university and local government organisations, she strongly believes in Western Australia’s place as a cultural leader on the world stage. She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has previously served as Chair of the CCCLM Culture and the Arts Policy Advisory Group and Principal Partnership Advisor for both the Perth Public Art Foundation Board and Heritage Perth Inc Board. For Tabitha, collaboration is critical to realising the state’s potential and driving ambitious cultural development and tourism programs.
Linda Tillman
Director of regional tourism development consultancy, Tilma Group, and co-founder of Australian Centre for Regional Events.
Linda is well known and respected throughout Australia as a regional tourism and event strategist and practitioner. She has over 20 years of extensive experience in holistic regional tourism planning and activation and strong connections and understanding of regional, rural and remote communities. She is a regional tourism and event strategist and practitioner boasting expertise covering all facets of the industry – strategic planning, product and experience development, destination marketing and branding, industry development and capability building.
