BTA Belfast Conference 2022

BTA Conference Belfast 2022

Welcome from Clive Wratten and Suzanne Horner, The BTA Welcome to the wonderful city of Belfast!

As many of you will know we had planned to hold our annual conference in Belfast in 2020 but a certain world event came along, and we had to postpone our arrival until now. There is a phrase that says the best things come to those who wait and that is certainly true of Belfast and the BTA 2022 conference.

We want to express our gratitude to all the partners in Belfast who have been so accommodating in helping us cancel the arrangements from 2020 and re-arrange for this year. The team at Visit Belfast, Tourism Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council have been simply awesome, Aileen at Hastings Hotels is a legend and the teams at the Assembly Rooms, our conference venue, the evening locations, and the caterers have all been amazing.

We suspect many of you will be visiting Belfast for the first time or maybe re-visiting for the first time in a long while, either way we are sure you will be delighted by the warm welcome given to you by the fine folk of Belfast.

Almost 50% of our delegates attending a BTA conference for the first time, which we think reflects two things, firstly the huge amount of change caused by Covid and secondly the number of new members and partners we have welcomed to the BTA since last year in Liverpool. Along with our conference returnees, we are delighted that you can join us, and we hope you find the conference both informative and fun.

The BTA conference sets out to deliver our delegates a programme of outstanding speakers from outside and within our sector and this year we think we have excelled ourselves with A listers in their respective fields, right across the programme. Additionally this year, as a result of feedback from previous conferences, we have included a chance for all of us to work together to do a little bit of good for the world. So please throw yourself into this session and make a difference to lives elsewhere in the world.

Forprogramme and what we have lined up for you is sure to have you heading home having experienced a Of course, no BTA conference would be complete without a fun social little bit of what the Belfast craic is all about.

Thank you to all our sponsors for helping us make this event special, we truly appreciate it and couldn’t do it without you. We also want to say a huge “cheers” to all our members and partners for your loyal support of the BTA, we love representing the industry, creating industry debate, and seeing our sector work together to make it better for all.

We hope that when you touch down on the mainland after the conference each and every one of will have learned something new, will have expressed your view, will have made a contribution to someone less fortunate than ourselves, will have met someone new, will have laughed a lot and maybe even danced a little!

Have fun and best wishes

Clive and Suzanne

Conference Venue - The Assembly Rooms Built in 1905, in the style of a Scottish Baronial Castle, The Assembly Buildings is a ‘one of a kind’ conference and meeting venue in the centre of Belfast.

Following an £8 million refurbishment in 2010 and a further multi-million pound re-development in 2018, the facility offers state-of-the-art technology in a historically rich setting.

Monday 26th September

12:30pm - Welcome Lunch at the Assembly Rooms 1:45pm - Conference Welcome Welcome from Suzanne Horner, Chair of the BTA Ministers Welcome Visit Belfast Welcome CEO Fireside Conversation with Suzanne Horner and Clive Wratten Platinum Countdown Giving Back BTA AGM

#BTABelfast2022

Monday 26th September 20:00 – Welcome Party at The Dark Horse, 30 Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LB The coaches will depart from Grand Central Hotel at 19:15

The party will be held at one of Belfast's most popular venues - The Dark Horse. The BTA will feed and water you courtesy of our amazing partners Avis who are hosting the welcome party once again. You will have plenty of time to chat and when it’s time for music we will have one of Belfast's finest to entertain you.

#BTABelfast2022

Tuesday 27th September 7.00am – 5k run 7.00am – 1k walk

9:00am - Welcome to Day Two Economist Andrew Webb - Grant Thornton Political Update Steve Richards Coffee Break Cyber Crime Kevin Curran - Ulster University ESG Update Mark Wilkinson - easyJet Breaking the Mould Caoimhe Devine - Enterprise, Lucy Robinson -British Airways, Gill Best - Spirit Aerosystems

For

Lunch Budget Chris Orme - Travelodge, Leanne Riley - CMAC, Frank Wagner - Lufthansa Premium Nadia Clinton - Delta, Anna Doran - Avanti, Danny Chesworth - Carey, Natasha Maraj - NH Hotels Coffee Break

#BTABelfast2022

Tuesday 27th September

Buyers Leila Dunphy - Eaton Industries, Robert Murphy - MongoDB, Calum Hawley - Endeavour Mining Associations Clive Wratten - BTA, Mark Tanzer - ABTA, Scott Davies - ITM Keynote Dame Arlene Foster It's a Wrap Clive Wratten - BTA and Sarah Travers - Moderator Free time Gala Dinner

For

#BTABelfast2022

Tuesday 27th September

Gala Dinner We are holding our gala dinner at the stunning Titanic Hotel. Described as the 'Cape Canaveral of its time', the Harland & Wolff Headquarters building was once the nerve centre of the largest shipyard in the world. The gala dinner is very kindly sponsored by Tourism Northern Ireland.

The coaches will depart from Grand Central Hotel at 19:15

#BTABelfast2022

Keynote Speakers Sarah is co-founder & director of Bespoke Communications, a leading training and professional development company serving the UK and Ireland. Sarah is a former BBC news journalist and TV presenter.

Sarah Travers Moderator

Andrew is an enterprising and commercially focused Chief Economist at Grant Thornton. He has undertaken economic research and impact assignments across the globe and operates at the most senior levels of government and business to provide economic analysis.

British Politician

DAME ARLENE FOSTER

Andrew Webb

Economist, Grant Thornton Dame Arlene is a British politician who has served as First Minister of Northern Ireland on two occasions between 2016 and 2021. She also served as Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 2015 to 2021 and is the first woman to hold either position

Dame Arlene Foster British Politician British Political Comentator Kevin is a Professor of Cyber Security, Executive Co-Director of the Legal Innovation Centre and group leader for the Cybersecurity & Web Technologies Research Group at Ulster University. He one of the most frequently interviewed computer scientists in the World and regularly speaks to Global Media Outlets including Sky News, BBC, ITV, RTE and CNN.

Kevin Curran Professor of Cyber Security, Ulster University

Steve is one of Britain’s leading political commentators and broadcasters. He has written columns for the Guardian, Independent, FT and Sunday Times and is a presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Week in Westminster. He is also a regular commentator on the BBC & Sky.

Steve Richards

Political Commentator

Speakers and Panellists

Anna Doran

Sales & Distribution Director Avanti West Coast

British Politician

Calum Hawley Global Travel Manager Endeavour Mining

Caoimhe Devine Assistant Manager Enterprise

Gill Best Chris Orme UK Sales Director Travelodge

Danny Chesworth Sales & Strategic Partnerships Director Carey International

Frank Wagner General Manager Sales UK Lufthansa

Senior Designer Engineer Spirit Aero Systems

Leanne Riley Head of Sales CMAC

Leila Dunphy Global Category Manager Eaton Industries

Speakers and Panellists

Mark Tanzer CEO ABTA

Scot Davies CEO ITM

Robert Murphy Senior Manager of Travel & Expenses, MongoDB

Nadia Clinton General Sales Manager Delta Air Lines

Natasha Maraj Global Sales Director NH Hotels

Lucy Robinson First Officer 777 British Airways

Delegates

Mark Tanzer, ABTA Kate Blythe, Accor Guy Snelgar, Advantage Travel Partnership Steve Banks, Agiito James Parkhouse, Agiito Claire Hodge, Air Transat David Baker, AirPlus International Sue Ancell, AirPlus International Maria Baty, Altour James Keyte, Amadeus Sean O'Kelly, Amadeus Steve Love, Amadeus Ben Hockley, American Airlines Johan Persson, Amex GBT Julie Murphy, ANA Lorna Thornton, Arriva Anne Sola, Arriva Adam Knights, ATPI Andrea Schuenzel, Atriis Anna Doran, Avanti West Trains Claire Walton, Avanti West Trains Stig Williams, Avis Paul Clark, Avis Natascha Duweke, Avis Michael Reilly, Barclays Martin Sandford, BCD Shauna Burns, Beyond Business Travel Paula Cullen, Black Box Partnerships Matt Warwick, British Airways Christine Larkin, British Airways Adam Bennett, British Airways Lucy Robinson, British Airways Joanne Layton, CAP Worldwide Danny Chesworth, Carey Abigail Simons, Cavendish Advocacy Redmond Walsh, Clarity Pat McDonagh, Clarity Chris Vince, Click Travel Leanne Riley, CMAC Mervyn Williamson, CTM Penny Munn, CTM Mark Kempster, CT Travel Clare Collins, CT Travel Vinny Atwal, CWT Paul Webb, Delta Air Lines Nadia Clinton, Delta Air Lines Christina Lawford, Diamond Air Christopher Airey, Diversity Travel Axel Joyce, easyJet Mark Wilkinson, easyJet Rebecca Duncan, easyJet Leila Dunphy, Eaton Industries Daniel George, EFR Travel Lisa Day, Egencia

Speakers

Calum Hawley, Endeavour Mining Roya Soleimanifar, Enterprise Holdings Oli Moore, Enterprise Holdings Caoimhe Devine, Enterprise Holdings James O'Donnell, Eton Travel Benedicte Taraconat, Eurostar

Nisha Botevyle, Sabre Ruth Scaife, Sabre

Yoann Meunier, Eurostar Melanie Glass, Evolvi Andrew Edwards, Evolvi Adam Murray, FCTG Flight Centre Paul Upton, First Travel Solutions David Gardner, First Travel Solutions Abby Preston, Focus Dani Ives, Focus Wendy Walker, Focus IRVING JOHN Catherine Logan, GBTA Chari Hettiararchchi, GHS Chief Executive, Liverpool

Darryl McGartvey, SAP Concur Lynne Griffiths, Sirius Talent Solutions Ainsley Ford, Situ Hannah Triggs, Situ

John

Francesca Mendola, Global Travel Collection Lennon Airport Andrew Sison, Good Travel Management Sue Ledgard, Grant Thornton Andrew Webb, Grant Thornton Jack Dow, Grapevine Suzanne Horner, Gray Dawes Group Dave Bishop, Gray Dawes Group Warren Dix, Gray Dawes Group Stuart Croxson, GWR Rob Joines, HotelHub Emma Stevenson, HotelRez Daniel Simmons, HotelRez Douglas O'Neill, Inntel Peter Vlitas, Internova Travel Group Scott Davies, ITM Jackie Clark, Japan Airlines Claire Herbert, JetBlue Bruce Tetheridge, Key Travel Sam McJKnight, LNER Frank Wagner, Lufthansa Tatjana Schoen, Mastercard Gianni Salvadori, Melia Sue Binks, Melia Robert Murphy, MongoDB Murray Burnett, Munro's Travel Natasha Maraj, NH Hotels Mick Gibbs, Norad Jonathan Adair, Northern Ireland Travel News Kirsty Johnson, Northern Ireland Travel News Francesco DeLuca, Omega World Travel Thyme Francis, Pembroke & Rye Luke Murphy, Premier Inn Aidan Walsh, Premier Inn

Peter Wilkins, RDG Richard Boardman, Reed & Mackay Julie Oliver, Reed & Mackay Richard Addey, Sabre Grant Smith, Sabre

Gill Best, Spirit Aerosystems Michelle Wray, StayCity Peter Snowdon, TAG Adam Garsdide, BTN Andy Hoskins, BTN Bev Fearis, Business Travel Magazine Susie Palmer, Trainline Charlie Baikie, Trainline Liz Hegan, Trainline Jill Bollard, Transpennine Express Matthew Brown, Travel Counsellors Nick Huges, Travel Counsellors James Diaz, Travel Planet Ian Taylor, Travel Weekly Carolin Bischof, Travelodge Chris Orme, Travelodge Paul Broughton, Travelport Alistair Rodger, Travelport Riona McGrath, Traveport Matt Gatenby, Travlaw Ami Naru, Travlaw Toria Houston, Trees4Travel Kevin Curran, Ulster University Michael Begley, Venue Directory Simon Goddard, Vibe Matthew Chapman, Vibe Tom Maynard, Virgin Atlantic Yogeeta Bagga, Virgin Atlantic Nicki Goldsmith, Virgin Atlantic Clive Cornelius, Visa Louise Millo, Visa Marcelo Velloso, Wex Clinton Vormawah, Wex Katherine Gershon, Wexas Simon Dugan, Wings

Further Information Dress Code Dress code for the conference sessions and welcome party is smart business casual - we want you to feel relaxed.

For the gala dinner, gents please wear jacket & trousers (no jeans) and for ladies it's cocktail wear.

Flights All passengers on both easyJet & British Airways will have one piece of checked in luggage. Transfers will also be provided between both airports and the conference hotel.

Accommodation All delegates will be staying at the Grand Central Hotel, a member of the Hastings Group of properties. The Grand Central is the sixth hotel in the Hastings Hotels Collection and has recently been awarded five star status. It is also just a three minute walk from the conference venue.

Giving Back On Monday afternoon we are inviting all delegates to take part in our 'Giving Back' session when we will be making water filter systems. The Water Works programme enables ordinary people across the world to get involved in building and donating a life-changing water filtration system that can save the lives of an entire community.

Tin and Toy We are delighted to be supporting a local charity in Belfast with the Tin and Toy donation. The People’s Kitchen began life in April 2017. It started quite inauspiciously, serving warm drinks and sandwiches from a tea For trolley in a doorway, seeking to help those experiencing homelessness and addiction problems. The soup kitchen grew as the need increased and recently, they moved to a larger location in order to support more people across Belfast.

Wellbeing On Tuesday morning Clive will be leading an eager group of runners on the BTA 5k run. Use the opportunity to clear your head before a busy day of conference. Meanwhile Dave will be leading a group of walkers who prefer to have a morning amble, maybe sipping a coffee and eating a pastry whilst taking in a few sights. If you would like to register for either please email davec@thebta.org.uk

Carbon Offsetting We are offsetting this conference with our partners from Trees4Travel. All our conference venues will be offsetting as will the airlines bringing you to and from Belfast.

Thank You To Our Destination Partners

For