Click on the speaker's name for a quick snapshot. Click on the company name for a detailed overview with picture and contact details.

(speakers are listed in their confirmation order)

Roy Graff

Managing Director

ChinaContact

With hands-on experience of developing tourism in China for three years and guiding travel related organisations into China since 2005, Roy has created the WTM-ChinaContact forum on China's tourism industry and will be chairing the event. He has extensive expertise on China's e-commerce environment, independent travel market and China focused marketing and PR. Roy's clients have included tourism promotion boards, hotel chains, inbound tour operators, online travel sites and exhibition organisers. Roy manages the world's most comprehensive blog for China's tourism industry.

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Serge is also the CEO of Beyond Luxury and previously founded and headed the world 's acclaimed and award winning International Luxury Travel Market ( ILTM, Cannes, December). Serge is the co-creator (with Reed Exhibition Companies and David Hammond) of Asia Luxury Travel Market which was held successfully in June 2007 in Shanghai. He will share his experience of researching luxury travel in China and engaging with the main players in this sector in China.

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Jacquie Craig

Tourism Manager

Value Retail (Bicester Village)

Bicester Village has been a must-have stop on Chinese tour itineraries to Britain for many years and has enjoyed a strong and positive reputation for shopping by Chinese visitors. Jacquie will discuss the reasons for its success, the shopping behaviour of Chinese visitors and how to maintain a strong brand image with this market.

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Erwin Van-Cooth

CEO

Ni Hao Europe

Erwin started Ni Hao Europe in December 2005 and has been travelling in and out of  China monthly since. He is a pioneer in delivering travel content to Chinese independent travellers by linking up service providers from Europe directly via a Chinese website to the Chinese consumers. He will share his experience of developing this business with his Chinese partner. We will gain an insight into the development and future trends of the online travel sector in China as it relates to outbound tourism.

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Sandie Dawe

Director of Strategy and Communications

VisitBritain

Sandie is responsible for the development of VisitBritain’s strategy to maximise the UK-wide tourism opportunities of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. She recently participated in an Olympic forum in Qingdao, China and will share her experience and thoughts on how the Olympic Games can link up China with Britain and how to use this linkage for tourism promotion purposes.

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Olivier Dombey

Regional Vice President, Asia Pacific

Pegasus Solutions

Based in Beijing, Olivier Dombey is Pegasus Regional Vice President Asia Pacific. Oliver recently spoke at the Travel Distribution Summit Asia in Singapore and has extensive experience with China's hotel sector and travel technology usage in China. He has spent many years in China and knows the local tourism industry very well.

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Chad Lion-Cachet

CEO

Sportsworld

Chad heads Sportsworld, a specialist in Sports events and hospitality which also has won the exclusive rights to sell Beijing Olympic Games tickets and packages in the UK market. He has been travelling to China regularly and has a unique insight into China's growing interest in Sports tourism and how European companies can take advantage of it.

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Professor Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt

Director

China Outbound Tourism Research Institute

Wolfgang is a renowned academic expert on China's outbound tourism industry, heading the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute based in Berlin and regularly speaks to audiences in Europe, China and Asia on China's tourism industry development. He has written a book on the subject as well as releasing 'The Shopping Behaviour of Chinese Tourists' last year. Wolfgang will give a keynote address and participate in the Expert's panel.

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Martine Ainsworth-Wells
Marketing Director

Visit London

Marketing Director at Visit London, Martine has travelled to China many times since Britain signed the ADS agreement to promote London in the Chinese market. Visit London is leading the way for regional tourism boards in Britain with a proactive approach to this market. In 2006, Visit London signed a tourism cooperation agreement with Shanghai, followed by a signing ceremony during the 2006 WTM-ChinaContact forum with the Guangzhou Tourism Board. In June 2007, they signed a third tourism cooperation agreement with the Beijing Tourism Administration at BITE, Beijing. Martine will share her experience of marketing London to the Chinese outbound market during the panel discussions.

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Rosita has spent many years developing the China business into Europe for Accor hotels and leading the program of preparing the hotels in Europe for Chinese guests. She will share her experience of marketing accommodation to Chinese visitors and participate in the panel discussion on hospitality for Chinese visitors.

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Based in Bangkok, Peter leads PATA and has been instrumental in enhancing the links between China and the rest of Asia's tourism industry. Peter's opening speech at the forum will set the scene for China's growing role in Asian tourism.

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