Welcome
Welcome to the Focus Partners Conference 2025 in the vibrant city of Liverpool. This will be my first FPC experience having joined Focus Travel Partnership as Managing Director in April. This year the conference will be as much about addressing the topics that a CEO, MD or Senior Director will be wrestling with - as it will be about our sector, our supplier relationships, our data managementand Focus’s own performance. We have curated a diverse agenda of speakers discussing topics including procurement, financial, risk management, business process and payment solutions, along with business management specialists. We will be announcing new supplier deals as well as more opportunities for TMCs to earn and deliver a quality service to clients.
As ever, and as we communicated at our “Supplier Day” held in London last month to 45+ attendees, our efforts continue to concentrate on our Air Programme – the UK's leading buying consortium for SME TMCs. As we’ve said throughout the year: “Some things change, but some things remain the same”. And talking of change, we will also cover the evolution of content distribution and the role of automation and outsourcing – both as they affect the complexities of travel management and the way owners of businesses control their costs in a challenging economy.
Finally, as most of you know, this conference is an opportunity to engage with your peers, with key suppliers, and with the Focus Board, management and central team. We have organised some wonderful evening entertainment too, perfectly befitting the spirit of Liverpool! Our supplier partners are the backbone of our events, so a huge thank you to our sponsors for their collaboration and support, especially Lufthansa Group who are our headline sponsor. Thank you for joining us, have a brilliant conference.
Paul Spencer
Managing Director - Focus Travel Partnership
Hear from our Headline Sponsor
We are thrilled to be headline sponsors of the 2025 Focus Partners Conference! This year, we launched Lufthansa Allegris, our new long-haul experience designed around what travellers really want - more flexibility, comfort, and privacy. Enjoy innovative seating, premium materials, and cutting-edge technology across all classes. Looking ahead to 2026, SWISS Senses will transform long-haul travel with redesigned cabins, Swiss-inspired comfort and exceptional culinary experiences.
The Lufthansa Group's sustainability mission is to connect people, cultures, and economies in the most sustainable way. Our Green Fares allow travellers to offset CO₂ emissions through Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and climate projects, while PartnerPlusBenefit our corporate programme for SMEs, lets companies redeem for SAF and receive Scope 3 CO₂ certificates, supporting responsible business travel.
In 2026, Lufthansa celebrates a century of aviation excellence, honouring 100 years of connecting people and cultures worldwide. Your partnership plays a vital role in linking travellers to our global network, and we’re excited to strengthen our collaboration in Liverpool.
Patrick Kevin
Patrick Borg Hedley Kevin Young
General Manager - Sales, UK, IE, IS Senior Account Manager
Thank you to our sponsors
Venue Addresses
The welcome evening and conference venues are located near to each other in the Pier Head area.
The evening drinks reception, dinner and entertainment venues are located near to each other in the Cavern quarter.
The nearest mainline station is Liverpool Lime Street. All venues and recommended hotels are within a 15min walk of the train station.
There is a variety of chargeable city centre parking available.
British Music Experience Cunard Building, Pier Head, L3 1DS
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Royal Liver Building, Waterside Entrance, Pier Head, L3 1HU
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Bar Four at the Hard Day’s Night Hotel, Central Buildings North, John Street, L2 6RR
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The Cavern Restaurant and The Cavern Club, 8-10 Mathew Street, L2 6RE
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The Museum of Liverpool, North Steps Entrance, Pier Head, L3 1DG
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Agenda - Evening of Tues 11 Nov at the th British Music Experience
1830-2130
Everyone is invited to join our informal Focus Partners Conference Welcome Evening and Networking, with drinks and buffet dinner at the legendary British Music Experience - where over 600 stage outfits, instruments, and memorabilia are on display from artists like The Beatles, Adele and David Bowie.
Kindly sponsored by Travelport
Agenda - Weds 12 Nov at the Royal Liver th 0915-0940
TMC registration and arrival refreshments on the 1 floor st 0945-1045
TMC Closed Session - Focus Welcome, Updates, Strategy & Vision with Paul Spencer and Dani Ives 1050-1115
Hear from Patrick Borg-Hedley General Manager Sales, UK, Ireland & Iceland - Lufthansa Group, our headline sponsors 1115-1130
TMC Tea & Coffee Break with the Focus Team & Lufthansa Group 1115-1130
Supplier registration with arrival refreshments available on the 9 Floor th
Agenda cont’d- Weds 12 Nov at the Royal Liver th
1135-1200
Full conference opening with Paul Spencer and “Welcome to Liverpool” with Joseph Roberts
1200-1240
“Threat Landscape” with Barry Gooch of PROFiT “Economic & SME Landscape” with Jonathan Wall of Xeinadin
1240-1250
Recap and afternoon plans with Paul Spencer 1255-1415
Lunch & Networking with pre-booked group tours to the Royal Liver rooftop (two groups of 40please listen out for group instructions or stay in room until the first group departs and then enjoy lunch if you are not participating). Kindly sponsored by British Airways
Agenda cont’d- Weds 12 Nov at the Royal Liver th 1415-1430
Welcome Back and update from our Youth Homelessness Charity partner Depaul UK -
(please donate with a chance to win £500 Brussels Airlines vouchers plus other prizes)
1435-1510
“Cadence - the key to high performance teams” with Leanne Spencer 1510-1530
Coffee & Biscotti break - kindly sponsored by ITA Airways 1535-1600
“A Hard Day’s Insight with Front” with Chieu-Anh Lefevre, Darragh Vallely and Joe O’Sullivan of Front & Tony Edge 1605-1620
“Sustainability from a TMC viewpoint” with Sam Cande of Greengage
1625-1645
“BD & Procurement - a Buyers Insight” with Andrew Neilson of Twisted Orange 1645-1700
Wrap up and overview of the fantastic evening plans ahead! Donate & win
Evening
Celebrations - Weds 12 Nov th
1815-1915
“Come Together” for Drinks & Canapes at Bar Four at the Hard Day’s Night Hotel
kindly sponsored by Singapore Airlines 1930-2130
“Let it Be” traditional informal Scouse dinner at the Cavern Restaurant kindly sponsored by Lufthansa Group, Air Canada & United Airlines 2130-2330
“Ticket to Ride” exclusive celebration evening at the world famous Cavern Club with The Cavern Club Beatles performing exclusively, kindly sponsored by Lufthansa Group, Air Canada & United Airlines
Let’s Make Your Business Smarter Together
Procon Solution is a trusted business travel solutions provider, helping agencies:
Save time on daily operations
Streamline workflows for efficiency
Simplify administration and reporting
Meet us at the Partners Conference to see how we can make your business faster, smarter, and more effective.
th
Agenda - Thurs 13 Nov at Museum of
0815-0845
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Liverpool
Morning “Wellness Netwalking” along the pier head to Albert Dock kindly sponsored by Air India. Please meet Laura, Vic, and Lee Wakefield at the Crowne Plaza Hotel
0845-0900
Morning Energiser Drinks in the Museum Gallery, please enter via North steps closest to the water and Crowne Plaza
0905-0935
The “Focus Eco-System” with Dani Ives and Tony Edge, featuring Joseph Roberts
0935-1025
“All Things Must Pass: Building the future of generational workplaces” with Dr Paul Redmond, keynote 1025-1130
TMCs - Please move downstairs to dedicated breakout sessions in the Global City Theatre
“Turning Payments in Profits”: How TMCs can unlock new revenue through FinTech with Pliant
“Outsourcing in 2026: Time to Think Again?” with Apply Minds
Suppliers - Please stay in the main room with Dani Ives & Joseph Roberts
1130-1150
Refreshments & Turkish Treats kindly sponsored by Turkish Airlines
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Agenda cont’d- Thurs 13 Nov at Museum of Liverpool th 1155-1225
Ground Transportation and Steering Group Launch with Leanne Riley and Ash Seed from CMAC, & Paul Spencer 1225-1255
“Future of Distribution” with Louise Wates - Amadeus, Jorge Diaz - AirGateway, Alison Carpenter - Atriis, & Tony Edge
1255-1305
Hear from our hosts Nykeith Lee & Hannah Chorley from National Museums Liverpool
1310-1415
Networking Lunch and short tours of Wonderous People space, kindly sponsored by Qatar Airways. (Groups of approx 20)
1420-1435
Hear from the Director of Aviation at Manchester Airport Group - Robert Smith 1435-1455
Focus Awards & key take aways
1500
Annual General Meeting for Focus TMCs with Adrian Parkes & Paul Spencer
Thank you to our sponsors
Indeep Rajah
United Airlines
On behalf of myself and United Airlines, I am delighted to be attending the Focus Partners Conference as your UK Account Manager.
It is a pleasure to participate in this event. We truly value the remarkable contributions of Focus Travel Partnership TMC partners and look forward to meeting and reconnecting with you all. We are also proud to sponsor the dinner at The Cavern Restaurant alongside our JV partner, Air Canada. We hope you enjoy the evening!At United Airlines, we’re on a mission to transform your flying experience. From departures that are more stress-free, to inflight bliss, we’re easing the customer journey with a revamped fleet with comfort, inclusivity and technology built in. United Airlines opens a world of exploration with a comprehensive route network, including up to 20 daily flights from London Heathrow to seven US cities: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark/New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC, with connections to over 250 destinations across the Americas.
Hear from our Sponsors...
Jeremy Moore Air Canada Matilda Goes
Our relationship with Focus has been nothing short of exceptional. Over the years we have built a strong foundation of trust and collaboration that has been integral to our mutual success. And that will continue. We are excited to be joint evening celebration sponsors again this year, and we are excited about the opportunities to grow our business together, particularly through the networking events that foster deeper connections and open doors to new possibilities. It is exciting times at Air Canada, we have just announced our Capital Connector, London-Ottawa now operates all Year round. LHR-BOMBringing India's financial capital closer new service started October 25. And returning in 2026 - we are again operating out of Edinburgh to Montreal 4 times a week. Enjoy your conference and thank you for your support of AC.
ITA Airways
It’s an honour for ITA Airways to be participating in the 2025 Focus Partners Conference. We thank you, the Focus Partners, for putting your trust in us to transport our mutual clients on their business and leisure trips. We thank the Focus core team and Board members for your collaboration and open dialogue. On 15 October ITA Airways celebrated its 4 birthday. In this time our network covers fifty-four destinations using one hundred and one aircraft solely from the Airbus fleet. The next few weeks and months, with our booking class realignment to match Lufthansa Group; and the return to Heathrow in the Summer 2026 schedule, will open another chapter presenting exciting new opportunities for ITA Airways and our trade partners. I look forward to sharing more information with you over these few days.I wish you an enjoyable and successful Conference full of enlightenment, engagement, and entertainment. th th
Jose Ortega Medina
Avanti West Coast
Avanti West Coast is redefining rail travel for business passengers, offering exceptional comfort while helping companies meet sustainability goals. Operating across 49 stations and connecting three countries via the West Coast Main Line, Avanti provides frequent, fast services linking major cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow. As the only UK train company with three travel classes, passengers can choose from Standard, First, or Standard Premium, with extra legroom, larger seats, and guaranteed tables. Free Wi-Fi, power sockets, and comfortable seating make every journey productive and relaxing. In 2024, Avanti introduced its Evero fleet, featuring ergonomic design and bi-mode technology that cuts carbon emissions by around 60%. With ambitions for net zero by 2031, Avanti is driving greener, smarter travel. I am looking forward to reconnecting with many of you throughout the conference.
Hear from our Sponsors...
It is with great pleasure that I extend a warm welcome to you on behalf of British Airways & Iberia at the prestigious Focus Partners conference. We are honoured to have you join us for this significant event, where we will delve into key industry insights and strengthen our valued partnerships.
At British Airways & Iberia, we acknowledge the substantial value of the Focus Travel Partnership as we come together to network, learn, and innovate.
This remarkable event offers a platform for TMC Partners and Supplier Partners to connect, collaborate, and inspire each other.
Thank you for being part of this event. We look forward to seeing you there.
We are delighted to be lunch sponsors at this year’s Focus Partners conference. As a multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways has been named ‘World’s Best Airline’ an unprecedented nine times at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. We set the standard for premium travel, offering the ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Lounge’, and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ensuring that your clients experience world-class service at every touchpoint. With flights departing from London Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, and Edinburgh, we connect travellers to over 170 global destinations via Hamad International Airport, winner of ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ accolade for 11 consecutive years. This conference is an opportunity to share insights, strengthen partnerships, and drive forward the future of corporate travel. We look forward to engaging with you, learning from your expertise, and working together to elevate your clients travel experience.
I am delighted to be joining you for the upcoming Focus Partners’ Conference. The event will provide a timely opportunity for me to share the latest developments in our current Air India transformation programme. In October 2025, Air India increased services from London Heathrow to Delhi to four a day - providing seamless onward connections to destinations within India itself and beyond. Our “Journey of Transformation “includes a $400million retrofit of 66 aircraft plus the continued arrival of brand new aircraft into our expanded fleet. In addition, a total refurbishment is underway of our International Departures lounge at Delhi to provide our global clients with an enhanced refreshing and relaxing traveller experience
I look forward to strengthening our partnership in the coming year.
Karim Ismail
British Airways
Matt Pitman Qatar Airways
Lee Wakefield Air India
Mark Davey Singapore Airlines
On behalf of Singapore Airlines, I am delighted to be at the Focus Partners Conference in Liverpool. I am joined by Jane Tyson-Moore, Corporate Sales Manager UK & Ireland, whom many of you know, as she has looked after Focus for many years. This year we marked our first year anniversary flying from London Gatwick, and next year we celebrate 40 years of flying from Manchester, and 55 years of flying from London Heathrow.
2026 is set to be an exciting year with the rollout of our new long-haul cabin products on the A350 aircraft. As soon as we have more details you will be the first to know and hopefully, see, the new product.
The Focus Partners are essential to our success and we thank you and your teams for your continued support. I look forward to meeting you during the Conference and hosting you for drinks & canapes at the Hard Days Night Hotel.
Hear from our Sponsors...
We are on a mission to simplify the complex industry we have known and loved for decades. Where others add features, we invent new solutions.
Where others are beholden to certain partners, we are unconflicted. While others wait for the future to happen, we race towards it. By focusing all our energy and expertise on connecting buyers and sellers of travel through a single, independent marketplace, we’re reinventing a better future for our industry.
Our team has the insight, experience, and fearlessness to challenge what’s been done before, seize opportunities, and drive the industry into a bold new era.
Travelport is a GDS but we’re not just any GDS. We’re a modern, AI-powered platform built for today’s travel industry.
I am looking forward to the welcome evening that we are sponsoring at the British Music Experience.
Aviation
Welcome to the Focus Partners Conference! I’m a Senior Business Development Manager at ACC Aviation. We specialise in delivering tailored private charter solutions for both businesses and private clients - whether it’s executive travel, group movements, or individual VIP flights. We work closely with travel management companies, acting as an extension of their services to provide seamless, flexible, and reliable air travel options.
This is our second year attending Focus Partners Conference, and we’re excited to be part of this event. We’re looking forward to connecting with you over the next few days and learning more about what you do.
Claire French Travelport
Charlie Tyzack ACC
Hear from our Sponsors...
Yvonne Rascan
Midoco’s MidOffice and Umbrella Traveller Profiles solutions give Travel Management Companies (TMCs) a clear future proof backbone by streamlining operations and improving data integrity. The MidOffice platform automates complex back-office processes such as booking reconciliation, invoicing, and reporting—reducing manual effort, minimising errors, and increasing efficiency. Umbrella Traveller Profiles provides a centralised, GDPR-compliant system for managing traveller information consistently across all booking channels and suppliers. Both enable TMCs to deliver highly personalised service, maintain regulatory compliance, and respond swiftly to client needs. TMCs benefit from real-time visibility, seamless data synchronisation, and scalable automation. We are glad to sponsor the Focus Partner Conference and look forward to spending time with all the wonderful Focus partners.
Turkish Airlines
We are delighted to join the Focus Partners Conference as one of this year’s proud sponsors. Turkish Airlines, established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, is now a global carrier flying to more countries than any other airline — connecting travellers to 355 destinations across six continents. Recognised as Europe’s Best Airline by Skytrax, we continue to combine innovation, comfort, and value for both business and leisure travellers. This event provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen our partnership with Focus Travel Partnership, explore new possibilities, and celebrate our shared commitment to delivering exceptional travel experiences. We look forward to connecting with all Focus TMC partners and building bridges that bring the world closer together
Procon is pleased to take part in the Focus Partners Conference 2025. It’s an event we value for its open atmosphere, relevant conversations, and the chance to connect with leaders across the industry. As a supplier partner, we appreciate being part of a setting where ideas are shared freely and different perspectives are welcomed.
At Procon, we help travel agencies simplify and strengthen their mid and back office processes with ProTAS – a flexible solution designed to support modern travel operations. We look forward to useful insights, good discussions, and the opportunity to reconnect with familiar faces – and meet a few new ones along the way.
We’re honoured to be at the Focus Partners Conference in Liverpool and extend a warm G’day to all. We are excited to sponsor the Social Media Challenge where you can post and win prizes from Business Class PJ’s to a return ticket on our A380 to Singapore in Premium Economy! Qantas is one of Australia’s most iconic brands and has played a central role in the development of the aviation industry since 1920. Renowned for offering the only direct air links between Europe and Australia, we aim to connect travellers around the world with outstanding inflight service onboard our award-winning aircraft. By the end of 2025, a new option to Auckland will take off from London, connecting Europe to New Zealand in only one stop via PER. Coming soon is our highly anticipated launch of Project Sunrise, connecting London to Sydney non-stop. Focus and Qantas share a commitment to innovation and excellence, and we look forward to connecting with you all at the conference.
Midoco
Mehmet F. ÖZAK
Henrik Lykke Hansen Procon
Amandeep Marway Qantas
Headline Sponsor and Special Guest Speaker..
Patrick Borg Hedley is the General Manager Sales for the Lufthansa Group in the UK, Ireland, and Iceland, a role he has held since September 2024. With over 30 years of experience at Lufthansa, Patrick has built a distinguished career in aviation, specializing in sales, operations, and business development. His international journey includes leadership roles in Yemen, Cyprus, the UAE, Portugal, and the Nordics, where he served as General Manager Sales for Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Known for his strategic insight and cross-cultural expertise, Patrick has consistently driven commercial success and strengthened Lufthansa’s market presence across diverse regions. His deep industry knowledge and commitment to excellence continue to shape Lufthansa’s growth in key European markets.
Joseph Roberts is an award-winning 22 year old Poet from Liverpool. He has had his work featured on the likes of TNT Sports, Amazon Prime and the Premier League. He provides poetry workshops within the community and takes on commissions to connect premium brands with people through the power of spoken word.
Joseph is a poet for the people, with motivational intentions and always has community cohesion at heart.
Joseph Roberts
Spoken Word Artist
Patrick Borg Hedley
General Manager Sales for Lufthansa Group in UK, Ireland and Iceland
Keynote - Dr Paul Redmond
Building on the success of his keynote at our Focus Partners Conference in Belfast in 2023, we are pleased to welcome back Dr Paul Redmond, one of the UK’s leading experts on generational change and the future of work.
Formerly the Director of Student Experience and Enhancement at the University of Liverpool, where he continues to lecture, Paul has held visiting lectureships at various leading universities and has been responsible for guiding the careers of thousands of students and graduates. Paul’s research into ‘Generation Z,’ the rise of ‘Zombie Jobs’ (the theme of his recent TED talk), techniques for building excellent intergenerational communications, and ‘Helicopter Parents’ has garnered him praise and respect from a range of national and international organisations.
Paul is the author of the best-selling ‘The Graduate Jobs Formula,’ and the highly popular diary column for the UK’s Institute of Student Employers’ magazine and has just released his new book ‘The Rise of the Zombie Jobs’ – which reveals, for the first time, those jobs and careers that are most likely to be lost to AI and robotics – and those that (for now) are likely to be safe.
Paul was recently awarded a Fellowship of the British Royal Society of Arts.
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Ryan May Apply Minds
Welcome to the Focus Partners Conference! At Apply Minds, we’re proud to support the event and connect with like-minded professionals shaping the future of travel management. Apply Minds provides smart outsourcing solutions that help businesses streamline operations, boost productivity, and scale efficiently. From travel industry support and administrative services to creative and digital business assistance, our teams deliver exceptional quality and value across every project. We believe in people-powered performance combining expertise, innovation, and flexibility to help our partners achieve more with less. We’re excited to meet you, share insights, and explore new opportunities for collaboration throughout the conference.
Conference Speakers...
Chiêu-Anh is Principal Partner and Manager at FRONT, the AI-powered communication platform trusted by over 100 leading travel management companies, is proud to welcome you as a supplier partner at the 20th Focus Champions conference.
During our session, we are looking forward to showcasing how Front empowers you to provide seamless, scalable service across communication channels in one unified workspace. In the world of travel, speed and service quality are paramount. Whether its updating itineraries, handling cancellations, or managing VIP travelers, see how Front can help you respond faster and delight your customers. We are looking forward to discussing all of this and more, and with our recently announced agreement with Focus, all TMC partners can truly unlock the benefits of Front.
Barry is UK Ambassador for the Global Cyber Alliance and has been a leading figure in the travel industry’s fight against economic criminals since the late 1990’s being the founder of Prevention of Fraud in Travel, the travel industry’s counter crime body.
As well as successfully obtaining police action in many cases of fraud and identity theft, initiating police Operations Chilton, Neon and St£rling and supporting police operations including Podium, Falcon, and Wentletrap, Barry is responsible for the introduction of best practice as well as guides to the industry which have helped reduce the enablers of economic and cybercrime.
Barry ome Officepreviously worked in enforcement and was the head of legal compliance and latterly company secretary at the Teletext group of companies (the world’s largest Public Service Text provider at that time) for around 14 years
A professionally qualified and award-winning procurement and supply chain executive with over 25 years of experience delivering world class procurement transformational change programs for globally recognised organisations.As a Fellow of some of the world renowned institutes, I am recognised for my distinguished contributions and industry-leading expertise across procurement, supply chain, leadership, and professional development. Leveraging extensive corporate and cross-sector experience, I now deliver end-to-end commercial, sourcing, procurement, supply chain, and logistics solutions to organisations of all sizes worldwide. My work spans consultancy, interim leadership, and the design and delivery of targeted training programs in procurement, sales, commercial relationship management, and operational excellence.
Chiêu-Anh Lefevre Front
Andy Neilson Twisted Orange
Barry Gooch PROFiT
Jonathan Wall Xeinedin
Jonathan Wall is a Partner at the Top 20 accounting firm Xeinadin. He heads Xeinadin's Travel Industry specialism and also Practice Growth as well as being Area Managing Partner for Central London. Jonathan is well recognised as a leading advisor to the Travel Industry, acting over 30 years for hundreds of clients from large international businesses to niche independents in all sectors of a fragmented industry.
Jonathan revels at being described as the "least accountant like accountant you will ever meet."
Away from work, he is devoted in no particular order to his wife, 4 children, 1 new granddaughter, Arsenal and Bruce Springsteen.
Conference Speakers...
For over a decade, Leanne has supported global clients and large-scale travel programs to simplify ground transport. Her consultative approach ensures TMCs and corporate travel leaders are able to solve complex challenges around traveller safety, fragmented booking processes, and compliance as they scale internationally.
Leanne now leads business growth for CMAC, helping TMCs and their clients to enjoy truly connected end-to-end journeys and streamline operations, reduce admin, and deliver duty of care - wherever the work takes them.
With over 15 years in the industry, Ash is passionate about driving both customer success and commercial growth. As one of CMAC’s earliest team members, he’s played a pivotal role in transforming how ground transport is managed - pioneering innovations like the click-to-book technology that we all enjoy every day.
Ash understands the critical role TMCs play in today’s travel ecosystem and is committed to building partnerships that deliver real value. From reducing admin to unlocking new revenue streams, he’s on a mission to help TMCs turn ground transport into a strategic advantage.
Muks is Head of Sales UK & Ireland. With over five years’ experience in B2B payments, Muks brings a wealth of knowledge from working with some of the world’s leading TMCs. Pliant is a leading payments provider for TMCs, supporting them with virtual credit cards for supplier payments, lodge cards for centralised travel bookings, and white-labelled expense cards for corporates and travellers. Having helped global TMCs innovate in payments, we’re excited to bring the same expertise to the Focus Travel Partnership. As travel and expenses evolve, we’re here to help SME TMCs boost revenues, streamline operations, and compete confidently in this new market.
Leanne Riley CMAC
Ashley Seed CMAC
Muks Iqbal Pliant
Robert joined Manchester Airports Group (MAG) in 2011 as the Aviation Development Manager for Bournemouth Airport, responsible for developing all aspects of the aviation business there, inclusive of passenger, cargo and executive aviation. In 2012 he moved to Manchester and took up the role of Aviation Account Manager. Since then, Robert has held a range of roles within the aviation team both at a Group level as well as at an individual airport perspective. Prior to the pandemic Robert lead on all aviation business development activities targeting new carriers to the airport. Robert now leads on all aspects of commercial aviation for Manchester airport holding the role of Aviation Director. Robert and his team are focussed on delivering passenger growth as well as building on the diverse airline mix that the airport is proud to serve.
Before MAG, Robert was with Transport for London and has a master’s degree in Transport Planning and Management.
Conference Speakers...
Louise Wates is an experienced Account Manager specialising in Amadeus Business Travel solutions, supporting travel agents including the Focus Travel Partnership. With over 32 years in the travel industry, Louise has worked across multiple sectors including tour operations, hotel bed banks, and technology with Amadeus. Holding a degree in Management Studies, Louise has successfully led teams and managed projects throughout her career.
Louise is passionate about delivering exceptional service and partnerships. Outside of work, Louise loves nothing more than exploring the great outdoors.
With a career of 30 years in the corporate travel industry, Alison Carpenter has held a variety of roles across Travel Management Companies and travel technology organisations. As a Senior Customer Success Manager at Atriis Technologies, she is passionate about helping customers achieve their strategic goals through innovation, collaboration, and the smart use of technology. Building trusted relationships and ensuring customer success are at the heart of her approach. Beyond her professional role, Alison serves as an elected local councillor for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, where she is actively involved in community initiatives and local governance. When she’s not working or representing her residents, Alison enjoys spending time with her lively cockapoo, Saxon, and making the most of life in Windsor.
As founder and CEO of AirGateway, Jorge Diaz leads a company at the forefront of implementing New Distribution Capability (NDC) solutions for airline retailing. He is an acknowledged expert with a clear understanding of NDCs full impact (technical, operational, and commercial).
Jorge regularly shares his insights as a sought after speaker and panellist at major global events like IATA NDC/Offers & Orders Implementation Forums, WTM, FITUR and ITB.
Amadeus
Alison Carpenter atriis
Jorge Diaz Air Gateway
Robert Smith
Manchester Airports Group
The Cadence Approach - Leanne Spencer
Designed for leaders and teams in fast-paced, high-pressure environments
Leanne Spencer is an award-winning speaker and a leading
voice on integrating wellbeing into high performance cultures. With over 13 years in the wellbeing sector, 13 qualifications in exercise and nutrition, and more than 1,000 presentations delivered, she brings deep expertise to every stage.
Leanne has delivered a TEDx talk with over 133,000+ views, authored three bestselling books, including Cadence, a finalist in the Business Book Awards, and was Highly Commended in the Speaker Awards in 2023.
Through her signature keynotes — Cadence, BOND and Sustain — Leanne shows audiences how to achieve sustainable performance by managing energy, strengthening connection and building personal resilience.
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Win a return Premium Economy Flight to Singapore! (plus other prizes..)
Post on your LinkedIn profile with the #QantasFPC2025 and tag @Qantas & @FocusTravelPartnership.
Question: What do you love about Qantas?
The winner will be selected at random
James Turner 360 Private Travel
Cilla Goldberger ABT-UK
Charles Tyzack ACC Aviation
Rolando Gonzalez Aeromexico
Virginie Bernier AFKL
Manoj Gunawardena Air Astana
Sarah Hurst Air Europa
Lee Wakefield Air India
Raimonda Douglass Air Transat
Jorge Diaz AirGateway GmbH
Louise Wates Amadeus
Ryan May Applyminds
Benny Yonovich Arbitrip
Mark Hopper Arbitrip
Nir Harel Arbitrip
Kim Henstock arrangeMY
Nick Scott arrangeMY
Alison Carpenter Atriis Technologies
JOSE Ortega Avanti West Coast
Karim Ismail British Airways
Matt Warwick British Airways
Registered Attendees
Zareen Meherji British Airways
Kseniya Vashchenko Berkeley Travel LTD
Shauna / Burns / Claire Cassidy Beyond Business Travel
Nick Hart Blue Cube
Sarah Bardell BS Executive Travel
Kate Benson-Brown Business Travel Centre
Paul Edge Business Travel Centre
Jorge Herrera Capable Travel Ltd
Chai Phianphithak Cathay Pacific
Judy Ponnampalam Cathay Pacific
Lou Braeger Chartwell Travel
Leanne Riley CMAC Group
Tony Breeze Dawson & Sanderson
Alick Bisset DP&L Travel Ltd
Caroline Runciman DP&L Travel Management
Tyrone Francis Easy Avenues
Shaan Qureshi Easy Travel & Tours Ltd
Rob Pimenta efr ltd
Kate Fitzgerald Emirates
Stuart Weston Emirates
Louise Perrin Etihad
Martyn Bell Etihad Airways
Emma Owers Evolvi Rail Systems
James Newns Fello
Ricky Aldred Fello
Sarah Rushton Forward Travel
Lorraine Brown Fred Olsen Business Travel
Chieu-Anh Lefevre Front
Darragh Vallely Front
Joe O'Sullivan Front
Fiona Gravesande Frosch
Sophie Lyons Gem Travel
Scott Pawley Global Travel Management
Sam Cande Greengage
Paul Baker Global Travel Management
Nadia Spita Gulf Air
David Blackledge Harridge Business Travel
Moises Cedeño-Tovar Iberia
Sian Sayward Inntel Ltd
Kerry Jenkins Ison Management Limited
Matilda Goes ITA Airways
Cameron Harding Japan Airlines
Registered Attendees
Rachel Small jetBlue
Kevin Young Lufthansa Group
Patrick Borg Hedley Lufthansa Group
Gary Dellar Lupus Travel Ltd
Robert Smith MAG Airports
Emily Lockwood MAG Airports
Sharukh Kotwal Malaysia Airlines
David Hugo Mann Link Travel Limited
David Thompson Marine Travel
James Beagrie Meon Travel
Stephen Inskip Meon Travel Management
Ceri Edwards MIDAS Travel
Yvonne Rascan MIDOCO GmbH
Pete O'BRIEN Nomadic
Alastair Ruffman Norseman Travel Ltd
Francesco Deluca Omega World Travel
Ali Elmes Photographer
Muks Iqbal Pliant
Nicolai Nordbo Meldal Procon Solution A/S
Henrik Lykke Hansen Procon Solution AS
Barry Gooch PROfIT
Samantha Wallace QA Travel
Stephen Clark QA Travel
Amandeep Marway Qantas Airways
Matt Pitman Qatar Airways
Alan Skirvin S & N Pickford Ltd
Svetlana Wolff SAS - Scandinavian Airlines System
Aurora Kataroshi Saudia
Frank Valle SAUDIA
Claire Jackson-Duncan Simplexity Travel Management
Jane Tyson-Moore Singapore Airlines
Mark Davey Singapore Airlines
Andrew Edmonds Special Guest
Mark Colley Sunways Business Tracvel
Samantha Nolan Sunways Business Travel
Sarah Holden Talma EMEA
Tracey Wilson Talma EMEA
Mildred Sanchez TAP AIR PORTUGAL
James Ferguson TBR Global Chauffeuring
Angelina Fairgrieve The Travel Company Edinburgh
Kenneth McNab The Travel Company Edinburgh
Niki Brooks Total Management Group
Anne Bromley Travel Bureau
Michael O'Mara travelharbour
Bobby Riley Travelport
Claire French Travelport
Noah Meyerson Traveltrust
Adam Green TripStax
Sean de Lacey TripStax
Mehmet Ozak Turkish Airlines
Andy Neilson Twisted Orange Ltd
Indeep Rajah United Airlines
Gerald Brace Virgin Atlantic Airways
David Schaffer Wayte Travel Management
Wendy Walker Wotton Travel Ltd
Jonathan Wall Xeinadin- Travel Accountants
Save the dates 2026
Regional Focus on Tour: 14,15,16 April
Focus Champs: 14-16 June
Focus Partners Conference: 17-18 Nov