The Modern Traveller

How do we remain at the forefront of consumer trends? This panel will address the everchanging motivations of tourists, who are now seeking authenticity, personalisation and an “Instagrammable” experience.

Tourism Infrastructure Development

The development of tourism infrastructure contributes to destination competitiveness and increased visitor numbers. This panel seeks to focus on development at both small and large scales, including benefits to local businesses and their communities.

Shaun de Bruyn

Shaun de Bruyn is Chief Executive Officer of the Tourism Industry Council of South Australia (TiCSA). He is a dedicated industry advocate with 20 years’ experience delivering strong outcomes across the leisure, travel and tourism industry in South Australia. His background is both wide and varied, having worked within the roles of relationship management, business planning, destination and experience development, marketing and distribution, government engagement and strategic management. Shaun’s knowledge and experience, combined with his diverse skills and genuine passion for the industry, enabled him to take on the role as CEO of TiCSA in 2015. TiCSA’s purpose is to be a strong industry body advocating for, engaging with and strengthening tourism businesses to grow the visitor economy in South Australia. Shaun also represents the needs and interests of tourism operators through his participation on various councils, including Premier Steven Marshall’s Industry Response and Recovery Council.

Insurance

This discussion will cover the insurance problem that SA tourism operators are facing post-bushfires and the pandemic. Rather than just highlighting the problem, our speakers seek to offer tangible and realistic solutions.

Delivering Events in the Current Climate

A facilitated discussion regarding the way events are delivered amongst the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting challenges of cancelling, postponing and relocating events. The session will outline the realities of delivering highly successful events.

The Importance of the Events Economy

Nikki is the chair Business SA, Adelaide Economic Development Agency and SA Government’s Events Advisory Group. Nikki is a director of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and chairs ACCI’s Work Health & Safety and Workers’ Compensation Committee and a member of ACCI’s National Tourism Restart Taskforce. Nikki is a member of the South Australian Skills Commission (SASC) and chairs SASC Tourism, Retail, Hospitality and Services Industry Skills Council. Nikki owns and manages the nationally renowned Star of Greece restaurant in Port Willunga. She is a passionate South Australian keen to contribute to improving the economic outlook for the State.

A Year Like No Other

Soon after becoming Australian of the Year for 2020, COVID-19 landed, and the countless opportunities offered by this powerful role dissolved away before James’ eyes. He made the most of the pandemic and the new online webinar world to create powerful presentations which he then delivered from his study to the unseen faces beyond. 2020, the auspicious year for sight, became a year like no other. In this entertaining and amusing presentation, James shares the highs and lows of his challenging but fascinating experience.

Dr James Muecke AM is an Adelaide-based eye surgeon. Following his internship, James lived and worked as a volunteer doctor in Kenya in 1989. After completing ophthalmology training in Adelaide in 1995, James worked as an eye surgeon in Jerusalem for 12 months. He undertook subspecialty training in eye cancer in London and then returned to Adelaide in 1998, where he has been a Visiting Consultant and Senior Lecturer at Royal Adelaide and Women’s & Children’s Hospitals. James has taught the diagnosis and management of eye cancer in ten countries in Asia. He founded not-for-profit organisation Sight For All in 2008, turning his boundless energy into a fight against blindness in the Aboriginal and mainstream communities of Australia and some of the poorest countries of the world. Sight For All’s comprehensive and sustainable projects are now impacting on the lives of over one million people each year. His commitment to social impact and humanitarian endeavours has earnt him several awards, including 2020 Australian of the Year.

Expert Panel: Labour & Skills

The skills shortage. Everyone is talking about it, but what is the solution? This panel will discuss navigating the labour market and how to become an employer of choice.

Premier Marshall

Steven Marshall is South Australia’s 46th Premier. He was elected to the South Australian Parliament as the Member for Norwood in 2010. His electorate has since been renamed Dunstan. In 2013, Mr Marshall became the Leader of the Liberal Party and the State Opposition. He led the Party to victory on March 17, 2018. Mr Marshall is responsible for Tourism, Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Defence and Space Industries, the Arts, Veterans’ Affairs and Multicultural Affairs. Prior to entering public life, Mr Marshall worked in the manufacturing industry, running his family’s furniture manufacturing business Marshall Furniture from 1997. Mr Marshall was born and educated in Adelaide, South Australia. He completed his secondary schooling at Immanuel College before studying at the University of South Australia. He graduated with a Business, Marketing degree. He also received an MBA from Durham University. Mr Marshall is a patron and ambassador of numerous sporting and community organisations.

Eoin Loftus

Eoin (Owen) Loftus has over 27-years’ experience in the South Australian tourism industry and is CEO of Culshaw Group of Companies incorporating SA owned and operated Majestic Hotels and numerous commercial property investments. Within the Majestic Hotels portfolio are Majestic Roof Garden Hotel in Adelaide, Majestic Old Lion and Tynte Street Apartments in North Adelaide, Majestic Oasis Apartments in Port Augusta, Majestic Minima Hotel in North Adelaide and the new $50M M-Suites hotel accommodation in North Adelaide.

MC Jessica Adamson

Jessica Adamson has forged a reputation as one of the state’s finest journalists after 24 years in television news. She is a presenter, facilitator and one of South Australia’s most sought-after MC’s. Jessica’s upbringing on the family farm at Hallett, in the Mid North of South Australia, gave her a solid background in rural affairs. Jessica’s media career began at the Stock Journal Newspaper after she completed a Journalism Degree at the University of South Australia. Jessica joined 7NEWS in 1997 and was the 7NEWS crime reporter for more than a decade. Jessica’s extensive reporting roles at Seven include the Sydney and Beijing Olympic Games, the Tour de France, the Beaconsfield Mine disaster, the drug trials of Michelle Leslie and The Bali Nine, the Bali bombings and the devastating Boxing Day tsunami, where she spent time reporting from the devastation in Banda Aceh. In 2015 Jessica was announced the Best Broadcaster of the Year at the SA Press Club Awards. Jessica has won a number of other awards in her time at Seven, including SA Journalist of the Year (2006). She is a passionate ambassador for CanTeen and a board member of the Breakthrough Mental Health Research Foundation, Sids and Kids SA.