2026 Speakers

Tony grew up surrounded by the buzz of outdoor tourism, thanks to his family’s campsite in Donegal, Ireland, which they ran for over 30 years. This upbringing sparked a lifelong passion for the industry.

With over 15 years hands-on experience managing activity centres like Courtlough Outdoor Adventure (Dublin), Loch Insh Outdoor Centre (Aviemore) & Hangloose Adventure at the Eden Project, Tony understands the joys and challenges within the industry.

Now as part of the Anytime Booking team, he helps campsites thrive by simplifying their online booking process and reducing their daily admin through smart software solutions, always keeping the human side of tourism front and centre.

Kate Nicholls OBE is the full-time Chair of UKHospitality, the powerful voice representing the broad hospitality sector, and leads its lobbying, campaigning and media work. Kate was previously its CEO for seven years, since its inception in 2018. Kate previously worked as CEO and Strategic Affairs Director of the Association of Licenced Multiple Retailers (ALMR).

Kate sits on the Government’s Tourism, Hospitality, and Food & Drink Sector Councils, where she represents the wider hospitality and tourism sector. As a passionate advocate for inclusivity in hospitality, Kate is also the Government’s first Disability Ambassador for hospitality.

Kate is the Chair of the Institute of Licensing and ACC Liverpool, a board member of Best Bar None, and a trustee of Hospitality Action and Springboard. She has previously chaired the Tourism Alliance, London Night-time Commission, and London Tourism Recovery Board.

Kate initially worked as a researcher in the House of Commons and European Parliament on food, employment and environmental policy before joining Whitbread to work in Strategic Affairs. She has extensive experience as a political and strategic communications consultant and is a graduate of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and Kings College London.

John Doyle is the driving force behind Raceworld Indoor Karting in Exeter, a premier destination for memorable experiences and business events. Under his leadership, Raceworld has become a hub for collaboration and networking, earning prestigious accolades including Gold in the South West Tourism Awards for Active Learning and Experience of the Year and Business Events Venue of the Year, as well as the coveted Winner of Winners title among Devon’s top tourist destinations in 2024.

John and his team are also the creators and host venue of the Devon Business League, one of the region’s most anticipated annual events. This unique initiative brings together over 100 local businesses at Raceworld’s circuit, creating connections while raising vital funds for charity. In just two seasons, the Devon Business League has raised an incredible £282,000 for Hospiscare in Exeter, showcasing John’s commitment to community impact and business collaboration.

With over 25 years of experience in the events industry, Sam has a proven track record of delivering successful major events across Cornwall.  In recognition of outstanding contributions to tourism, Sam was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in 2016, acknowledging her dedication and impact within the industry.

As part of Visit Cornwall, Sam served as Lead Event Manager for high-profile events, including the start of the Olympic Torch Relay 2012 and the award-winning Tall Ships Regattas—the Falmouth Tall Ships Regatta 2014 and Funchal 500 Tall Ships Regatta 2008.

In 2015, Sam founded and now leads Perfect Events Group LLP, specialising in the organisation of high-profile events across Cornwall. Notable events include the Magellan Elcano Tall Ships Race 2023, Armed Forces Day National Event, Spaceport Cornwall Launch, and the Cornwall Tour of Britain Grand Depart Stage 2021.  Recently, she has played a key role in developing Cornwall’s Event Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2035, reflecting the current landscape and the evolving needs of event organisers across Cornwall.

Lesley has worked with many businesses over the last twenty years, helping them develop their brand and achieve growth through targeted marketing and PR.  Her specialism is with B2B, creating effective strategies using direct marketing, e-marketing, events and social media to build more meaningful connections and generate leads. Customers still engage with brands at an emotional level, so content remains a powerful weapon in the marketing armoury. With her practical style, Lesley will relate best practise to real examples in hospitality.

Tom is a corporate Partner at Stephens Scown, and heads the firms Intellectual Property, Data Protection, and Technology team. He works with a diverse range of hospitality and tourism businesses, from boutique hotels to multinational agencies, and has witnessed how disruptive technologies are transforming public interactions with businesses, from bookings and complaints to pricing and marketing.

Tom is a regular public speaker and has delivered guest lectures at the Universities of Exeter, Falmouth and Bournemouth.

Outside of work, Tom is a non-executive director of Food Drink Devon, a not-for-profit organisation set up to help quality food and drink producers based in Devon.

Pete Woodward is CEO and co-founder of Securious. He has over 20 years cyber and data security experience and has advised hundreds of organisations in the UK and internationally. 

His experience is backed-up with leading security and auditing accreditations, such as PCI QSA, 3DSA, CISSP, MCIIS, MBCS, ECSA(P) and BSi ISO Lead Auditor.

Pete and Securious were sponsors of the South West Tourism Awards Devon ‘Small Visitor Attraction of the Year’ Award and Pete’s mission is to help organisations – regardless of size – protect their business’s data and assets by optimising their cyber security.

In 2017 Alistair set up PASC UK (Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK), which focuses on a fairer regulation and taxation regime for the sector. This is now the largest Membership Association representing the sector in England and Wales and leads the sector in the drive for all paid accommodation to be safe and legal. PASC UK has recently supported the self-catering sector through the changes to Fire Regs and successfully led action groups against insurers in Covid, whilst gaining a voice for the sector in Government. The year ahead is focussed on mitigating the huge number of tax and regulatory interventions on the sector and trying to get Statutory Registration done.

Alistair is also active in lobbying for support for the wider tourism sector, he is a Council Member at the national Tourism Alliance, a Director of the Wales Tourism Alliance, is Chair of the SW Tourism Alliance, former Chair of the East Devon National Landscape and held previous roles as Chair of Premier Cottages and Chair of the South West Coast Path. He was awarded an MBE for voluntary services to tourism in 2018.

Professor Peter Jones, Chair of the Crumbs Project, the Dorset Tourism Awards Judging panel, winner of the 2024 Catey Award for Education and Training and last year’s winner of Outstanding Contribution to Dorset Tourism.

Joe Caley leads SEO and Generative Engine Optimisation at Optix Solutions, helping organisations understand and adapt to the fast-changing world of AI-driven search. With over a decade of experience, he has delivered organic growth for national and international brands across sport, travel, finance, ecommerce and SaaS. Joe specialises in technical SEO, large-scale migrations and building strategies that make search performance clearer and more effective. He has spoken widely about GEO and the future of search at industry events across the UK and internationally, including a Google-sponsored session exploring how AI is reshaping discoverability.

As Head of UK Business Solutions at Outdooractive, Jamie Carroll helps tourism destinations and visitor-facing businesses across the UK and Ireland unlock the economic potential of responsible outdoor tourism. He supports organisations in creating, managing and promoting high-quality outdoor content that engages a global community of more than 60 million outdoor enthusiasts. Jamie works with DMOs, local authorities and tourism brands to enhance visitor experiences, strengthen sustainability goals and grow year-round demand through digital innovation and data-driven insights.

Florence Bate is the founder of Florence & Fable, a PR agency based in Cornwall, serving clients across the UK. With roots in agency work and experience as a freelance PR consultant, Florence delivers high-impact campaigns in the travel and hospitality sectors, with clients such as St Austell Brewery, The Alverton, The Greenbank Hotel and GAIL’s. Florence has twice been recognised among Cornwall’s “30 Under 30” and is known for her integrity, results and ability to forge strong relationships with both clients and the media. 

I’m Aisling Magill, a brand photographer with over 25 years’ experience helping hospitality businesses present themselves with confidence and distinction. I work with hotels, restaurants and destination venues to uncover their true character and showcase the details that win awards and attract discerning guests. Drawing on my storytelling background in the press, I create imagery that elevates your brand, highlights your strengths and delivers a consistent, high-impact visual presence across all media. My goal is simple: to help your business stand out, stay memorable and convert both judges and clients through exceptional imagery.

Robin Tjolle is a Tourism and Destination Management specialist with over 30 years’ experience in the travel industry. He has held a number of high-profile roles including Chief Executive of Shakespeare’s England and Cotswolds Tourism. He has worked with visitor attractions, conference and event venues and was the International Travel Trade representative for the East and West Midlands promoting destinations across the region in North America and the Asia Pacific regions.

Robin is currently Regional Development Lead for the South West at VisitEngland. He is a trainer for VisitEngland’s “Taking England to the World” programme and has so far trained and supported over 2,500 businesses to reach out and succeed in the international markets.

Natalie is a Senior Lecturer in Sustainable Tourism Management at Falmouth University.  Her scholarly work primarily focuses on the delivery of effective destination management and the application of regenerative tourism within the UK.  Her research is diverse, pertaining to the hot topics of destination managers.  Most recently she has undertaken consultancy research to establish visitors’ perception of sustainable tourism, led knowledge exchange projects to determine the impact of technology on destination-based storytelling, and solidified her long-term cross-sectoral partnerships through a range of academic and action research projects.  It is through these industry engagements that Natalie continues to deliver value for practitioners and academics at the destination level.

Mark is a leading hospitality digital marketing expert specialising in Search Engine Optimisation and paid channels. He has experience working across numerous hospitality businesses, helping them to achieve excellent rankings in Google. As marketing manager for Clockwork Marketing, he is responsible for communicating the benefits of marketing for hospitality organisations and has insight into the leading trends and marketing practices for businesses of the future.

Mark leads regular online learning group calls and community discussions to give hospitality business owners and managers confidence and knowledge to do the right marketing at the right time.

Jennifer is Centre Director and Head of Fundraising for Calvert Devon, a registered charity and outdoor activity centre where adventure has no limits. Calvert Devon has been welcoming guests with physical, behavioural, sensory and learning disabilities since 1996 and is the only centre of this kind in the south of England. Open to all and specialising in accessible activities for all abilities, they make the impossible possible. Children, adults, families, groups and schools can feel the rush of zooming down a zipwire, conquering the climbing wall and paddling across open water, taking on thrilling challenges they never thought possible

Jennifer is an experienced senior manager who has worked in destination management, culture and the charitable sector for most of her career and is passionate about inclusivity in tourism. She is currently driving a step change in income generation, improved quality of provision, and the extension of the centre’s reach to a new customer base at Calvert Devon.

Emily is a solicitor in Stephen Scown’s Intellectual Property, Data Protection and Technology team. She has experience working on intellectual property portfolios, reviewing and advising on licence agreements, commercial terms and conditions, franchise agreements, and delivering IP Clinics to a range of SMEs, startups and entrepreneurs.

Emily is a Trustee for Stephens Scown’s Employee Ownership Trust, a member of the Giving Back team, and one of the firm’s B Corp Champions where she helps the firm and its clients build their purpose and positive impact.

Helping tourism to have a positive impact has been the focus of Neil’s career in tourism, focussing on accessibility and sustainability.

He works for Disability Together, a charity with a strong track record for enabling tourism businesses to become more accessible, managing Countryside Mobility – a Gold winning initiative in the South West Tourism awards – and part of the team delivering their consultancy work taking in training, auditing and the development of accessible visitor resources – a legacy of the Heritage Ability project, which won the National Lottery Awards for its work with over 20 of the region’s leading attractions.

Fraser is Founding Director of Kurb Carbon, an innovative consultancy that combines advisory services with innovative SaaS platforms to empower businesses for a low carbon future. Fraser’s experience spans across compliance, consultancy, carbon accounting, and strategy development and implementation across a range of sectors, including construction, social housing, professional services, residential, manufacturing, and education. Fraser’s fresh approach to driving sustainability uses his expertise in carbon emissions reduction, commercial sustainability landscape, data principles, and behavioural change theory to support businesses to truly embed sustainability into their day to day operations, empowering them for a more sustainable future

Dom Hine has an extensive background in SEO and over the past three years has spearheaded the SEO strategy at Clockwork Marketing, achieving remarkable results. His efforts have driven an average year-on-year growth in organic revenue of 180% across 25 diverse properties, showcasing his expertise in optimising online visibility and delivering measurable results.

Currently, as the Business Growth Specialist at Clockwork Marketing, Dom focuses on helping hospitality businesses thrive in an increasingly competitive market. By leveraging industry insights and in-depth online performance data, he provides strategic guidance that empowers clients to maximise their online presence, enhance customer engagement, and drive sustainable growth.

Dom’s deep understanding of both digital marketing trends and the unique challenges faced by the hospitality sector enables him to create tailored strategies that not only elevate brands but also deliver a significant return on investment. His passion for innovation and data-driven decision-making makes him a trusted partner in achieving business success.

Dan Frost is the Founder and Director of Prodigy Escapes & Experiences, an award-winning immersive entertainment company co-created and operated alongside his wife, Lisa. Together, they focus on designing people-first experiences that prioritise warmth, accessibility, and memorable guest journeys.

With a background in creative technology, hands-on fabrication, and a long-standing passion for motorcycles and mechanical design, Dan brings a practical, detail-driven mindset to experience design. From first arrival to final reveal, his work centres on how guests feel inside an experience, blending storytelling, thoughtful challenge design, and human-led delivery to create attractions that guests remember long after they leave.

Vince is Chair of the Devon and Partners Local Visitor Economy Partnership as well as Chair of Visit Devon.

Devon & Partners Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) was established in April 2024 as a public-private collaboration between local authorities, destination management organisations, and regional businesses. As England’s third-largest visitor economy, Devon boasts two National Parks, the country’s first National Marine Park, a UNESCO biosphere, the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark, nearly 700 KM of coastline and over 6,700 sq.km of stunning countryside.

Eddy Leviten is Executive Director of the Tourism Alliance, an umbrella trade association for the tourism and hospitality sector that comprises over 75 industry associations that together represent almost 200,000 UK businesses. 

With extensive leadership experience across policy, communications, and membership engagement, he works with government, industry, and stakeholders to ensure tourism has a strong voice at the heart of the UK economy. 

Eddy has previously led high-profile organisations in the intellectual property and creative sectors, driving growth, partnerships, and advocacy at national and international levels. He is passionate about championing tourism’s economic and cultural value and supporting members to navigate opportunities and challenges in a rapidly evolving environment.

Amanda Winwood is the founder of Made for Life Organics, a King’s Award-winning, B Corp-certified skincare and wellness brand recognised for its sustainable, heart-led approach. With over 24 years’ experience in wellness tourism, Amanda has advanced holistic wellbeing through organic skincare, Touch Therapy training, and nature-based healing underpinned by data and science. A TEDx speaker, industry leader, and Trustee of the Standards Authority for touch in Cancer Care, Amanda continues to champion compassionate, accessible wellness experiences that promotes growth within the tourism sector.

Mark Worden is a digital marketing expert within the tourism industry, having worked with more than 150 award winning accommodation providers, visitor attractions and hospitality businesses from across the UK. He is also trusted by some of the region’s most popular destinations, supporting the likes of Visit Cornwall, Visit Truro, Discover Dartmouth, Visit Exmouth and Visit Exmoor across a broad range of online areas.

Mark set up MiHi Digital on the Devon and Cornwall border 13 years ago, after working for two of the South West’s best known organisations. Since then, the business has generated close to £5 million in enquiries and attracted more than 600 clients.

Mark’s focus within the tourism industry is on increasing bookings, footfall and interest for those within the sector, regularly speaking at events on Google trends, tourism trends, social media and marketing in general.

Phil ‘Trev’ Trevett is the Learning and Development Manager for Somerset Larder based in and around multiple locations around Bridgwater. For the last 6 years ‘Trev’ has been responsible for the L&D of almost 500 catering staff across the Hinkley Point C project. In his wider role he also created and runs the Somerset Larder Academy: A project that looks to take the role of an employer directly to local schools to talk, demonstrate and educate those young people looking to make the transition from education to employment. Part of this project also sees him head up an award-winning apprenticeship programme which sees young chefs given the opportunity to learn the trade in a real world setting whilst providing fantastic growth and development opportunities not found with other programmes.

‘Trev’ is a life long ‘south-westerner’ and a huge advocate for local businesses, food producers and tourism. He can often be found fishing the regions many rivers, lakes, canals and coastlines of this area he is proud to call home.

Kevin started his career working for the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) assisting countries develop research and statistics departments for the measurement and tracking of their tourism sectors.  Then in 2010 he started to focus on destinations closer to home when Visit Bath engaged T-Stats to develop a tracking system for the city and wider North East Somerset area.

This led to the establishment, and increasing sophistication, of the T-Stats Solutions system that is today used by several destination management organisations and councils around the UK to track their visitor economies.