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Executive Panel: Hotel Outlook: The state of the accommodation market and the challenges to sourcing hotels in 2017
- The Australian hotel landscape, the capacity outlook
- What are the external pressures (non-Corporate demand
- How do hotels demonstrate value through a Corporate Agreement
- What are the challenges to the hotel industry when negotiating corporate contracts
- Overseas corporate travel: a hotelier's view
Moderator: Microsoft, Group Manager, Global Travel, Meetings, Events, Georgie Farmer
- AccorHotels Australia, Director of National Sales, Elizabeth Georgopoulis
- Amadeus IT Pacific, Manager, Hotel Distribution - Pacific, Benjamin Weinmann
- CWT Solutions Group APAC, Senior Consultant, Caroline Bisiaux
- The Lido Group, Chief Commercial Officer, Jon West
Microsoft, Group Manager, Global Travel, Meetings, Events, Georgie Farmer
Georgie has over 12 years experience in procurement and travel management. She joined Microsoft Asia in 2008 and now has global responsibility for the sourcing of travel and payments, including the strategy for program content and supplier management. Microsoft's program spans 115 countries and has more than 75,000 travellers. Prior to Microsoft, Georgie was the VP Travel APAC for JPMorgan Chase, and before moving into procurement had over 10 years experience in the payments and airline industries. Georgie sits on the global Board of ACTE and holds a MBA from the Australian Graduate School Entrepreneurship.
AccorHotels Australia, Director of National Sales, Elizabeth Georgopoulis
Elizabeth Georgopoulos is the Director of National Sales overseeing the Corporate, Meetings & Events, Leisure and Sports segments for French Hotel Giant AccorHotels and is responsible for over 250 hotels, 33,000 rooms in the Pacific region.
Elizabeth has had an extensive and highly respected career in the hotel sector having worked in a number of executive management positions within AccorHotels receiving international recognition for her performance. Prior Elizabeth joining AccorHotels she worked for American Express Centurion. In addition to her local experience, Elizabeth is currently in the final stages of completing her International MBA with leading Swiss hotel school, Glion Institute of Higher Education, Switzerland
Amadeus IT Pacific, Manager, Hotel Distribution - Pacific, Benjamin Weinmann
With technology driving change in travel, distribution has become complex; it's about connecting the customer to the correct content point and understanding all the components that happen throughout the process. Few have taken the journey from hotelier to technology provider as Benj has, which equips him with a true understanding of the end-to-end process. Benj is the Manager of Hotel Distribution at Amadeus IT Pacific, where he supports his customers to develop and execute hotel content strategies so they can increase their efficiencies, remain relevant and provide a competitive product to their customers. Benj works across online and offline hotel content strategies, content distribution, consultation and education, hotel booking technology and payment solutions. Passionate and knowledgeable about the hotel sector, Benj is a former president of HSMAI Pacific and continues an active involvement at Asia Pacific regional level, and has previously held commercial roles at The Lido Group and Rendezvous Hospitality Group.
CWT Solutions Group APAC, Senior Consultant, Caroline Bisiaux
As a member of CWT Solutions Group, the consultancy division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Caroline is tasked with analysing large datasets in order to simplify and evaluate the story behind the numbers. She then translates this and advises travel managers how to drive opportunities, savings and value to their travel program. Caroline has worked for CWT Solutions Group in France & Singapore before moving to Australia this year. Prior to joining CWT in 2013 she worked for SII Group, a digital technology consulting firm based in Paris. A French national, Caroline has a master's in international business engineering from Télécom Ecole de Management.
The Lido Group, Chief Commercial Officer, Jon West
Jon West was the Managing Director of HRS, the global hotel solutions provider, in the UK and Ireland, until 2016. He is now Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing one of HRS's strategic investments, at The Lido Group, Sydney, Australia. Jon is a driving force within HRS, Jon has been responsible for the transformation of the UK business into a thriving enterprise with a clear focus on corporate travel and building effective partnerships to create industry-leading solutions for travel buyers. Jon has written many whitepapers on behalf of HRS, such as Content is King, Lowering the BAR and Cost of Choice, focused on Hotel Content, Hotel Price and Hotel Distribution for the corporate travel programme. The Lido Group is an established hotel solutions provider in Australia, Jon's role as CCO is to rapidly expand its Corporate and Government business over the next few years on the back of the Award winning Lido Chargeback solution, global hotel partnerships and distribution to the bookers' hand. Jon West joined HRS in 2009 from IS Solutions, where he had been for 12 years. Jon was Marketing Director at IS Solutions and was responsible for launching the internet and analytics divisions, as well as bringing new strategic clients on board.