The 2025 Perth Airport Tourism Conference will take place in Fremantle on May 26 - 28, 2025. More information is available here.
Keynote Speaker - Wednesday
Gus Balbontin
Born and bred in wild Patagonia, Gus Balbontin never allowed his small town and humble beginnings get in the way of his big dreams. A healthy disrespect for authority and a severe case of FOMO (fear of missing out) landed him in Australia at the young age of 17.
By the age of 22 he had dropped out of uni, hitchhiked South America, set up his first business and landed his dream job at Lonely Planet. Fast forward a few more years and he was leading the company globally, working with companies such as Google X, Nokia and Amazon on the latest technology, creative cultures and high performing teams.
Seeking a change from corporate life, he hung up his boots as the executive director and CTO of Lonely Planet and decided to move back to his entrepreneurial roots, becoming an investor, founder and mentor across the start-up ecosystem in Melbourne. He loves sharing a story, but loves even more, knowing those stories make a difference to people, helping them in their own business and life.
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Keynote Speaker - Tuesday
Brant Garvey
Paralympian and Public Speaker
Brant Garvey’s passion for the pursuit of excellence in life and sport is equalled only by his desire to educate and inspire others to do great things in their lives. He is dedicated to helping others to develop the tools they need to face their fears, overcome their obstacles and to chase big dreams.
Brant lives to push the boundaries of what is possible and he thrills audiences with stories that are relatable to adults and children from all walks of life.
Brant did in his first ever triathlon in 2013 before competing in the triathlon at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. He says he wanted to compete in a sport "that was difficult for an able-bodied person let alone someone with one leg".
Brant’s finishing position at Rio was immaterial, saying that the race on the famous Rio beachfront was one of the highlights of his life.
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Nadine ToeToe
International Keynote Speaker
Nadine ToeToe brings over 25 years of experience in the tourism industry, having worked with some of New Zealand's most renowned cultural tourism providers. Her extensive background has given her the insight and passion to offer visitors something truly authentic—experiences grounded in real-life Māori culture and the values of community and regeneration.
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Anneke Brown
Tourism WA Managing Director
Anneke Brown is the Managing Director of Tourism Western Australia, bringing over 25 years of experience in the hospitality and tourism industry across Australia and internationally. Passionate about showcasing Western Australia on the global stage, Anneke began her career in hospitality while completing her Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Western Australia.
Her journey has included roles with Flight Centre during the 2000 Olympics, leadership positions with Aman Resorts across Asia and the Caribbean, and management roles in Margaret River, Uluru, and Perth, including 5 years as General Manager of COMO The Treasury, one of Perth’s most premium hotels.
In 2020, she established Anneke Brown Consulting, specialising in elevating hospitality and tourism projects. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Anneke has also served as Chair of Women in Tourism and Hospitality WA, and on the boards of the Rottnest Island Authority and Tourism WA.
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Phillipa 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.
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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 sixteen 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 two and four years old, and a constant reminder that she has lots to learn.
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Freda Ogilvie
Welcome to Country
As a Whadjuk/Ballardong Elder performing Welcome To Country, Ms Freda Ogilvie has also taken part in national forums on early childhood education, and contributed to Aboriginal early childhood programs in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
As a Welcome to Country speaker, Ms Freda Ogilvie plays a vital role in ceremonies and events, formally acknowledging the traditional custodians of this land. A tireless advocate for Indigenous rights and social justice, Freda is actively involved in initiatives that empower Indigenous communities, promote cultural diversity, and challenge the prevailing stereotypes and prejudices. Freda’s work is instrumental in bridging the gap and creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all Australians. Driven by her strong interest in political agendas, education and the strategic plan for Western Australian Public Schools, Ms Freda Ogilvie has been involved in educating and developing strategies and programs for students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. As a retired teacher, Freda has worked in policy development to enhance early childhood education and care within the Aboriginal community.
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Carmen Braidwood
Master of Ceremonies
A familiar face and voice to Perth audiences, Carmen is seen nation-wide as a presenter on the Nine Network’s Destination WA, a regular on Weekend Today, and is known for her time hosting breakfast shows on Perth radio stations 96fm and 6PR. Her appearances as a contributor include Sky News, Nine News, The Today Show, The Project and Today Tonight. Carmen is also in demand as a corporate media trainer, confidence on camera coach and speaker. Her dynamic keynotes, trainings and workshop presentations have developed a reputation for allowing delegates to go safely out of their comfort zone and are often voted a favourite by attendees.
She's also a proud poodle mum, an equally proud step-mum and considers herself an unofficial ambassador for her much-loved home state of Western Australia. Carmen loves to talk — in particular about health, functional/dysfunctional families and travel — and for a run of 7 years, lent her voice to co-hosting 96fm Perth’s breakfast show, “Carmen & Fitzi”.
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Chrissie Maus
Fremantle Chamber of Commerce CEO & Destination Perth Director
Chrissie was most recently the CEO of none other than the largest retail and entertainment precinct in Australia – Melbourne’s Chapel Street. She is now CEO of the prestigious Port Precinct Chamber of Commerce and sits as a Non-executive Director for Destination Perth. Earning her stripes in TV and radio over 20+ years ago, she’s gone on to carve out a reputation as a captivating marketing keynote speaker, accomplished Chief Marketing Officer, trusted non-executive director and cheeky industry trailblazer.
She is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, an alumnae of the Williamson Community Leadership Program. As an accomplished executive, she’s mastered the arts of guerilla marketing, strategic planning, project execution, talent management, publicity, risk mitigation and crisis management. This is evidenced by the many national marketing awards she has been decorated with across her career.
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Lawson Dixon
Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation CEO
Lawson Dixon is an experienced business leader - CEO, marketing executive, and entrepreneur who has worked in some of the largest multinational advertising agencies in Australia and Asia, and with major automotive brands. Lawson is CEO of Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation, a Western Australian Charity which provides youth development programs on the STS Leeuwin II - a three-masted 1850's style barquentine-built ship - Australia's largest sail-training tall ship.
He is the national General Manager for Black Dog Ride Australia Ltd, a leading grass roots mental health charity which promotes awareness of depression and suicide prevention. Lawson also a board member and chair of the investment committee of SensesWA, Australia’s leading deaf-blind disability services provider and also serves on the school council for East Victoria Park Education Support Centre.
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Sami Zouad
Fremantle Ports General Manager, Strategy, Planning and Performance
Sami Zouad joined Fremantle Ports in March 2023 and brings extensive experience across consulting, executive management, strategy formulation and implementation.
He joined Fremantle Ports from Jemena, a privately owned energy infrastructure company with over $11 billion of assets across Australia, where he held the position of General Manager, Business Development Western Australia for three years. In this role, he worked with their Board and Executive on their growth agenda, from defining their growth strategy to developing a portfolio of renewable energy projects across Australia.
Prior to this, he held the positions of Chief Financial Officer and General Manager Commercial Services at Horizon Power and Manager Strategy and Innovation at Synergy, leading both organisations’ new strategy development and implementation. Sami started his career with Bain & Company in Paris, consulting across media, mining and oil & gas industries and helped establish their Perth office in 2011. His credentials include an MBA from Columbia Business School in New York, and a Masters in Engineering (Optics and Physics) from the Institut d’Optique Graduate School in France.
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Frances Pollock
Wooleen Station Owner
Frances Pollock lives in the Murchison region at Wooleen Station—an award-winning eco-tourism and regenerative pastoral property offering experiences that are both ecologically and socially responsible. Passionate about tourism in outback Australia, Frances champions sustainable innovations that foster a deeper connection to culture and place. She is fiercely committed to delivering outstanding customer service and creating authentic, meaningful guest experiences. Frances also contributes her time through board roles with TrailsWA, the Mid West Food Industries Alliance, and the WA Station Stays Committee.
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Matt Hammond
City of Fremantle Director of Corporate Services
Matt is currently the Director of Corporate Services at the City of Fremantle and is responsible for delivering economic and tourism development outcomes for WA’s favourite Port City. Matt has extensive experience across Tourism, Local Government and private sectors having worked at Business Events Perth earlier in his career, as well as run major tourism attractions and services such as the National Anzac Centre, Albany Heritage Park and Albany Visitor Centre. Matt has also served on the board of Destination Perth and is a current member of TWA’s Cruise Working Group.
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Meng Wong
Blue Travel Owner
Meng Wong bought a share in Blue Travel in 1992 as a hobby, with the company growing to the point of employing more than 20 staff members and many local guides, experiencing success for two decades. Mr Weng is now enjoying a semi-retired lifestyle, whilst servicing loyal and satisfied customers.
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Jen Bane
Discovery Bay Tourist Precinct General Manager
Jen Bane leads Discovery Bay Tourism Precinct — home to Albany’s Historic Whaling Station, Regional Wildflower Garden and the Australian Wildlife Park situated in Western Australia’s Great Southern region— where immersive tourism experiences connect visitors to the stories of land, sea and community. With 25 years in the tourism industry and two decades in leadership, Jen is passionate about innovation that drives not only education and engagement, but also strengthens community ties and delivers sustainable revenue through authentic, place-based connection.
Outside the precinct, Jen contributes to shaping a stronger future through her roles on the Australian Maritime Museums Council board, the Southern Right Whale Tracker Committee and as a director for Advance Housing board — championing sustainability, community wellbeing and long-term regional resilience.
