Adventure Travel World Summit

Collaborative Learning New for 2009!
Collaborative Learning sessions provide presenters and Summit Delegates the chance to jointly explore real-world case studies to build understanding, to gain practical tools and insights, and to develop action plans for organizational implementation. Led by industry experts, pre-set agendas will guide each Collaborative Learning session. Real-world case studies (gathered and in the works in the months leading up to the October 2009 Summit) will provide the initial fodder for group discussion, followed by Delegate-offered case studies for group-think, discovery and solution.

Mark Campbell, Solaia Consulting
A traveler all his life, Mark’s career working in the actual business of travel began when he joined Mountain Travel Sobek as their Director of Marketing in the mid 1990’s. While at MTS, he helped to launch the Adventure Collection consortium. He and his family then moved to Seattle when Mark took the position of Director of Supplier Relations with Virtuoso, where he managed three lines of preferred suppliers: active/adventure tour operators, tourism boards and 120+ inbound ground operators, located in dozens of countries. While at Virtuoso, he helped co-found VAST (Virtuoso Active & Specialty Travel), a collective designed to showcase the tremendous depth and variety of Virtuoso suppliers in the active & adventure sector. In early 2004, Mark was hired as President of TCS Expeditions, the premier private jet adventure tour operator. In December 2006, Mark was awarded the Leader in Luxury award in the Tour Operator category at the 2006 Luxury Travel Expo, sponsored by Questex Media.

After leaving TCS in June of 2007, he enjoyed a six-month sabbatical during which he took his teenage son to Costa Rica and performed pro bono marketing work Seattle-based non-profit Bridges to Understanding. In late 2007, Mark was recruited by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, the nation’s leading boutique hotel operator. As Senior Vice President of Branding and Communications, he completed a major branding initiative and headed up their public relations and restaurant marketing functions. At the beginning of 2009, Mark moved back to his main passion – adventure & specialty travel– with the founding of Solaia (meaning “the sunny one” in Italian) his own marketing & branding practice in Seattle.

Topic: Image, Branding & Storytelling
Marketing is a discipline of building demand through persuasion. Every day, we as marketers face the daunting challenges of finding a competitive edge, discovering new ways of reaching people and capturing their attention— and most importantly, persuading them to buy our products and services.

In Marketing 101 we learned about selling features and benefits. Now, more and more, marketers are acknowledging the persuasive power of stories. After all, they are the fundamental form of human communication.

In order to get customers to act, we must engage them emotionally. The Collaborative Learning facilitators will share case studies of how companies discovered their story and changed their communications strategy and tactics to more persuasively connect with their customers.

Delegates will have the opportunity to learn about a process to help them discover and formulate their own persuasive story and to strengthen their communications.

To read more about the persuasive power of storytelling, download the two articles published this year in Marketing Management “The Persuasive Power of Story” and “Discovering Your Persuasive Story” at www.storytellings.com/library.htm.

And read the blog post “The Power (and Pitfalls) of Being an 'Inside Out' Brand “at www.solaiaconsulting.com/_news/.

Costas Christ, Global Travel Editor, National Geographic Adventure
Costas Christ is the Global Travel Editor for National Geographic Adventure. He is one of the world’s pioneers of ecotourism (he helped to officially define the term) and is an internationally renowned expert in sustainable tourism, traveling to 127 countries (at last count), including some of the most remote wilderness areas and archeological sites on Earth, home to vanishing cultures and endangered species. He believes that tourism, properly planned and managed, can be a powerful opportunity for protecting nature and sustaining the well being of local communities. It is a message that is helping to transform travel and tourism globally.

He appears frequently on television and radio, with appearances on NBC Today Show, Good Morning America, National Public Radio, Travel Channel, CNN, and BBC, to share his insights on places to go and how to have the trip of a lifetime while also helping to protect the planet. When not exploring the world, he spends his time at home in Maine on an organic blueberry farm, where he can still watch wild ducks land in the water near his house.

John Canning, MediaSherpa, LLC.
John Canning ’s career has spanned media production, delivery and platforms for over 20 years. Canning runs MediaSherpa Consulting and Productions that focuses on digital media and game strategy and technology consulting for major companies such as Mary Margaret Network, Disney as well as small startups. In addition, MediaSherpa Productions has done work for the likes of the Vatican, the Monaco Film Festival and ARC – The A&R Channel. John currently serves as the executive producer and videographer for Green Living Project.

Prior to MediaSherpa, John held several production roles including Senior Producer and Project Manager for Yahoo! Studios and Yahoo! News overseeing original productions as well as Director of Content Distribution and Field Producer and photographer for Richard Bangs Adventures.

Before Yahoo, John was a Technical Evangelist for Microsoft’s eHome Division where he led external evangelism for applications and services for eHome, working with external third parties in the areas of media and data distribution, content, and whole home control and services. In addition, he was Product Manager for the Microsoft TV division where he was responsible for VOD, interactive services, conditional access and billing integration into the MSTV Server solution.

Canning’s career in media-focused technology began on the hardware side at Scientific Atlanta, where he was an RF Engineer and Application Architect in the Set Top Box and Cable Modem divisions. Since then, his career has spanned the gamut of media technologies, providing him with unique insight into the influences and balances among those technologies, and how they can best be employed.

Jeff Dossett, Chief Executive Officer, AdventureLink, Inc.
As Chief Executive Officer of AdventureLink, Inc., Jeff oversees corporate strategy, sales, marketing, technology, product development, operations, customer care, financial management, human resources and investor relations.

Jeff joins AdventureLink from Yahoo!, were he was Senior Vice President, Audience Experiences for Yahoo! North America. In this role Dossett was responsible for editorial, content and programming of all consumer "touch-points" including Yahoo!'s industry-leading media, communications and community products and services in the United States and Canada. Prior to joining Yahoo!, Dossett was executive producer and general manager of the MSN Media Network in the United States, providing overall leadership for audience, content and programming strategy and execution. Dossett was recently named to The Hollywood Reporter’s “Digital Power 2009: The top 50 executives leading the charge in new-media content”.

Dossett joined Microsoft in 1991 as Director of Sales and served in a variety of senior sales and marketing roles including general manager of Microsoft’s Canadian subsidiary. In 1997, he transferred to Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington headquarters. At this time, he became general manager of the Internet Customer Unit, leading business development efforts to establish technology and service relationships with global network operators. In 2000, Dossett joined MSN to provide strategy and business development leadership for Microsoft’s leading e-commerce services. He then served as CEO of MSN Carpoint® (now MSN Autos), DealerPoint® and general manager of MSN HomeAdvisor® (now MSN Real Estate & MSN Lifestyle).

In 2002, Dossett took two years away from his career at Microsoft to pursue his passion for adventure with a goal to climb the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, known as the “Seven Summits”. Reaching the summit of Mount Everest on May 24, 2004, Dossett became the third Canadian in history to successfully complete the Seven Summits. In 2008, Jeff was expedition leader for Everest Team INSPI(RED), a personal initiative to build awareness of (PRODUCT) RED™ and to inspire others to join the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa (see www.teaminspired.com). On May 22nd, 2008, Jeff became the second Canadian in history to reach the summit Mount Everest for the second time.

Dossett serves on the Board of Advisors of 1) VillageReach (www.villagereach.org), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to save lives and improve well-being in Africa by increasing community access to healthcare and other essential services, 2) GOOD Worldwide Inc. (www.goodmagazine.com), an integrated media platform for people who want to live well and do good and 3) LiveMocha (www.livemocha.com), an online language learning service designed to help people communicate across borders, languages, and cultures by providing accessible and innovative language learning services in an engaging, interactive, social format.

Dossett holds a degree in business administration with honors from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. He is married and has three children.

Christopher Doyle
Chris Doyle has contributed more than 20 years of public relations, marketing and business expertise to the retail, technology, outdoors and adventure travel industries. Since 2004, he has served as the vice president of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (www.adventuretravel.biz) and director of the 2005-2008 Adventure Travel World Summit (www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com) events. He’s also the editor of the ATTA’s AdventureTravelNews™. An active (trail) marathoner, adventure traveler and guest speaker, Chris has managed corporate reputations, developed extensive national consumer awareness campaigns, supported the launch of six Internet concerns, and has enjoyed success with Doyle Public Relations, a PR consultancy he started in 2001.

Kathy Dragon, Traveler
Kathy has more than two decades of experience in the Adventure/Experiential travel industry. She’s been leading, designing, selling and operating small group adventure trips and has personally escorted over 3000 guests and worked with hundreds of guides and tour operators worldwide to design trips targeting particularly the North American boomer market.

She has been involved with the travel development section of with two substantially funded .com’s (WholePeople.com - a Whole Foods Market Company) and EONS.com (a social networking site for age 50+ consumers with over 1 million registered members) as well as growing well established Adventure Travel Companies: Vermont Country Cyclers and Country Walkers. Her own site, www.traveldragon.com (in private beta), is a currated source of over 5,000 unique itineraries offered by the top small/mediums size tour operators in the world.

Kathy is a frequent national speaker and consultant, strategist and SME (subject matter expert) in the categories of Boomers, Prime Time Travelers (50-70) & Women as they relate to and interact with TRAVEL, Social Media, Technology, Sustainability, Green, Outdoor, and Natural Foods Industries.

Richard G. Edwards, Director, Gap Adventures/Planeterra.org
Richard is the Director of Planeterra (www.planeterra.org), a non-profit dedicated to supporting sustainable community development through travel, where he is responsible for the overall direction of the organization and creating ways to better link travelers and local communities around the globe. Planeterra was founded by G.A.P Adventures, the largest independent adventure travel company in the world. Richard is also a member of G.A.P’s executive management team, where he helps oversee the company’s rapid growth.

Richard has worked in key management positions and as a consultant with several award-winning adventure companies, where he has been responsible for exponential increases in sales and online presence. He's also assisted large travel industry veterans, such as Hilton, Wyndham, Harrah's and American Express in developing their green and carbon management strategies. With over 20 years of experience in marketing, ecotourism and community development in Latin America, he is quoted regularly on CNN.com, MSNBC.com, National Geographic Adventure, Fast Company and numerous trade and consumer publications, and has spoken around the world on the topic of green travel. Condé Nast Traveler magazine lists Richard as a Top Travel Specialist, an honor he’s received for several years, consistently citing his travel creations as “Trips of a Lifetime”.

Megan Epler Wood, Founder, The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)
Megan Epler Wood founded The International Ecotourism Society in 1990 and led the creation of its website (www.ecotourism.org) in 1995. Under her leadership TIES built a membership program in over 100 countries; published best selling text books, led workshops and stakeholder meetings that reached tens of thousands; and an international communications and public awareness program that reached millions.

Megan was named by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine as a “Trailblazer” in the September 2008 World Savers issue and in 2009 was profiled in Emirates First and Business Class Magazine for her pioneering work developing ecotourism destinations in lesser developed countries.

Since 2003, Megan’s firm EplerWood International (www.eplerwood.com) has devoted itself to aiding some of the poorest countries in the world with sustainable tourism development, including the nations of Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, Mexico, El Salvador, Brazil, and Honduras.

Her published works includes; Ecotourism: Principles, Practices and Policies for Sustainability for UNEP in 2002. She has lectured at Columbia Business School, Harvard University, Wellesley, Duke University, University of Vermont, and The George Washington University.

Sarah Fazendin, President, The Fazendin Portfolio, LLC
Travel is truly a passion and a way of life for Sarah Fazendin. After a successful career in advertising, she managed all marketing and representation activity in North America for the Kenya Tourist Board. Despite significant market challenges, Sarah led Kenya to a North American market rebound with year-on-year growth at nearly 50% in 2004 and 2005. With this impressive record, she developed key relationships and great respect in the travel and tourism industry.
Since founding The Fazendin Portfolio in 2006, Sarah has worked tirelessly to generate critical, long-term relationships with top travel agents, tour operators and members of the media for the company’s clients. She values efficiency and sincerity in business and strives to open as many doors as possible for her African partners while implementing cost-effective, results-oriented integrated marketing programs on their behalf.
Active in her community, Sarah is president of the Rocky Mountain Association for the Promotion of Travel to Africa (APTA) chapter and is further dedicated to her profession as a member of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), the International EcoTourism Society (TIES) and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Sarah is a guest lecturer for the Hospitality, Meeting and Travel Administration undergraduate program at Metropolitan State College of Denver and sits on their Curriculum Advisory Board.
Sarah promotes the idea that travel fosters global understanding as well as personal growth, and strives to bring the power of African travel to the American market.

Judith Fein, International Travel Journalist
Judith Fein is an award-winning international travel journalist who lives to leave. She resided for more than ten years in Europe and north Africa, and has a passion for adventures that are exotic, authentic, quirky, historic and immersed in local culture. She has written travel articles for more than 80 magazines and newspapers including The L.A. Times, National Geographic Traveler, The Boston Globe, Sierra, Hemispheres, Travel Age West Magazine (for travel agents), Robb Report, Art and Antiques, Intermezzo, Continental, The Denver Post, New Mexico Magazine, The Dallas Morning News, Executive Traveler, Dreamscapes, TravelandLeisure.com. She was a regular reporter for "The Savvy Traveler" on national public radio for 6 years and writes a regular column for Spirituality and Health magazine called "Transformative Travel." She has been an acclaimed speaker for many venues like the Educational Travel Conference, Women in Communication, Northern New Mexico Press Women's Association, A Taste of Honey (Albuquerque), the Hospice Organization. With her photojournalist husband Paul Ross, she produces travel videos, slideshows and does travel performances. The duo teach travel writing and photography around the globe. Her website is: www.GlobalAdventure.us and she helms www.YourLifeisATrip.com and www.thewildpair.wordpress.com with partner Ellen Barone.

Jeff Gayduk, Founded, Premier Tourism Marketing
When he recognized that the rapidly changing group travel industry wasn’t being addressed by conventional group travel publications, Jeff Gayduk founded Premier Tourism Marketing in 1999. It was through his own company Jeff was able to specifically address the challenges facing the group travel industry, as well as the opportunities that lie ahead.

He started the company out of his spare bedroom, with a black & white magazine titled “Senior Group Travel.” Like anything people favor, word spread fast about the “industry news” readers were devouring on a regular basis and the magazine quickly gained in page counts, readership and popularity.

Since then, the vision to keep group traveler organizers informed on “industry news” has taken on new meaning. With five print publications and over a dozen websites and online directories, we are the trusted resource to deliver the “who, what, where, when and how” on all facets of the group travel industry. Premier Tourism Marketing has become the leading print and online publisher in the group travel industry.

Rogier Gruys, Manager of Experiences at the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)
Rogier Gruys is the manager of Experiences at the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) in Vancouver, BC. His team gathers the unique Canadian travel experiences that bring Canada’s tourism brand to life, and distributes the information to the CTC’s marketing, sales and media teams. He also manages the organization’s outreach programs on Canada’s tourism brand and experiential travel to Canada’s tourism industry.

Previously, Gruys worked in the CTC’s e-marketing unit, managing the organization’s consumer website. Before joining the CTC, he managed the main website at the University of Victoria, and taught web design at a Victoria college. Earlier, Gruys worked on various United Nations and Canadian aid projects in Bhutan, Mongolia, Indonesia and Malaysia. In Mongolia, he also worked as a tour leader and an adventure tourism product consultant. In his spare time, Gruys is an avid travel and outdoor photographer. His work has appeared in several magazines and books.
Gruys has an M.Sc. from the University of Alberta.

Christina Heyniger
Christina is the president of Xola Consulting, Inc and an associate with the Adventure Travel Trade Association. In collaboration with The George Washington University and the ATTA, Christina has been a driving force behind the creation of the Adventure Tourism Development Index, a tool supporting entrepreneurs and governments in developing and marketing sustainable adventure tourism products and services.

Christina has ten years experience in business management consulting, specializing since 2004 in marketing and development work for individual adventure tour companies. In cooperation with ATTA and the rest of the Xola team, Christina’s current focus is on supporting public and private sector initiatives which seek to create adventure tourism markets as a means of driving overall human and environmental development.
Christina’s work has supported adventure travel tour operators and governments around the world including Africa, Asia (particularly SE Asia), South America and North America. She speaks regularly at industry and academic conferences on topics ranging from small business management to humanitarian aid and international development through responsible tourism.

Christina earned her Bachelor of Science from Cornell University in 1993; her Master of Arts from Georgetown University in its Communication, Culture and Technology program; and her Master of Business Administration from American University specializing in Entrepreneurship in 2004.
Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Christina now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

K.C. Hoppe, Director - Destination Sales, Tour & Specialty Operators, Virtuoso, Ltd.
K.C. Hoppe joined Virtuoso in January 2007 as the director of their tour operator program, currently consisting of 70 suppliers. She also manages VAST (Virtuoso Active & Specialty Travel) – a collection of 43 active and specialty travel companies who collaborate on joint marketing and sales initiatives to maximize their exposure within the Virtuoso network and with consumers. Prior to joining Virtuoso, K.C. worked with Backroads as Marketing Partnerships Manager for 10 years. In this role, KC oversaw their travel industry program including their Virtuoso relationship and organized partnerships and promotions with internationally recognized organizations, foundations and publications. K.C. was instrumental in the launch of Virtuoso’s VAST program, having served as advisory board chairperson for three years. She also worked as a Concierge at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, San Francisco and in Paris, France as a Sales Assistant for Hotel Information Systems. KC enjoys biking, yoga, running and swimming and of course international travel. She works from her home office in Alameda, CA (a small island south of Oakland) where she lives with her husband, Ted, and 9-year old son, Jack.

Stephen Joyce, President, Sentias Software Corporation
Stephen Joyce has been working as a travel & tourism technology consultant since 1995. In 2005 Stephen and his company, Sentias Software Corp., began development on Rezgo.com, a next generation Web 2.0 tour and activity booking engine for SME travel suppliers and adventure tour operators. In June of 2007, Rezgo.com was officially released and now boasts a user base of 900+ companies. Stephen is also President of the North American Chapter of the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT North America) and sits on the Board of the OpenTravel Alliance. He is the publisher of the Tips from the T-List books, a series of ground-breaking books that bring together travel industry bloggers from around the World. The success of the book has resulted in workshops and speaking engagements on Social media and User generated content around the World.

Stephen is an avid outdoor enthusiast and enjoys snowboarding, hiking, and mountain biking. He is also a volunteer instructor with the Air Cadet program where he teaches outdoor survival and aviation. Stephen is a graduate of Capilano University, is a certified Commercial Pilot, and holds a certificate in IT Management.

Judy Karwacki, President, Small Planet Consulting and Vice President, Jubilee Travel and Cruises
Judy Karwacki is president of Small Planet Consulting www.smallplanet.travel and vice president of Jubilee Travel and Cruises www.jubileetravel.travel, and has more than two decades of tourism industry experience. She is a strong supporter and long time member of ATTA, and is thrilled to be a Summit contributor for the third time.

Judy’s key interest is tourism that provides communities with sustainable long-term economic, social and cultural benefits while protecting in their natural and cultural heritage. She has worked around the world on sustainable tourism development projects. In recent years, assignments have taken her to Guyana, Brazil, Jamaica, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Barbados, Guatemala and Fiji. Indigenous tourism is one of her specialties and she is considered an international expert in this unique market.

For almost four years, Judy has been the director of the Guyana Sustainable Tourism Initiative, a USAID-Guyana Tourism Authority joint project which was recently given an award by the Guyana Ministry of Tourism and extended until 2012. At the moment, she is also working on a three-year USAID tourism destination development project in Palestine in addition to other sustainable tourism projects in Guyana and elsewhere in the Latin America-Caribbean region.

When she isn’t travelling, Judy lives and works in beautiful North Vancouver, Canada.

Kurt Kutay, Founding Director and President, Wildland Adventures, Inc.
Kurt Kutay is the founding Director and President of Wildland Adventures, Inc. and the non-profit Travelers Conservation Trust. He has traveled and guided groups throughout the world since 1975. Kurt completed an M.S. degree in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan after conducting research in the National Parks of Costa Rica. He has also worked on international programs for the U.S. National Park Service.

Kurt has authored a chapter on adventure travel for Fodor's guide books and written many articles on ecotourism. As a founding member of the Board of Directors for numerous professional associations and conservation organizations including The International Ecotourism Society, the International Galapagos Tour Operators Association, and the Maasai Environmental Resource Coalition of East Africa, Kurt is recognized as a pioneer in adventure travel and ecotourism.

Nadia Billia Le Bon, Mountain Lodges of Peru
Nadia Billia Le Bon was born in Italy. During her college years, she pursued hiking and climbing in the Alps, and started her world travels in Afghanistan in the 70s. She eventually got her dream job as a trekking guide in the Himalayas. In 1983 she organized the first Italian women climbing expedition to the Indian Himalaya. The following year, she moved to California, and joined Mountain Travel Sobek. For 25 years, Nadia has held senior management positions in operations, and trip development.
She also handled the company's "Giving Back" and sustainable tourism programs. In 2008, she joined her husband Leo Le Bon at Wanderlust Consulting which represents Mountain Lodges of Peru and their non-profit organization Yanapana in North America. Nadia has traveled to all seven continents, explored remote mountain regions, kayaked and rafted from Alaska to Antarctica. She is a member of the Society of Woman Geographers. Her favorite activities include hiking, kayaking, sailing, and making new friends through travel.

Perry Lungmus, Vice President - Sales & Marketing, Travcoa
A 25-year veteran of the travel industry, Perry Lungmus literally grew up in the business. His family owned a travel agency in suburban Chicago. He worked there during summers, eventually managing it and helping it grow. Lungmus' family ties to travel enabled him to see the much of the world at a young age.

His resulting career choice solidly in place, Lungmus has since worked as an executive and consultant for some of the country's leading travel companies including Abercrombie & Kent, International, travel agency consortium, Virtuoso, and small-ship cruise operator Cruise West. Lungmus currently leads sales and marketing for the tour operator and expedition provider, Travcoa.

Thus far, Lungmus has logged personal journeys through more than 60+ countries, including travel deep into off-the-beaten-path destinations.

Lungmus resides in Seattle, Washington with his wife Cynthia, daughter Kara and son Jamie. An avid skier and hiker, Lungmus enjoys time in the mountains with friends and family.

Casey Marker, Director - Marketing & Sales, Zegrahm Expeditions
As Director of Marketing & Sales at Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions, Casey is responsible for the development and execution of strategic marketing initiatives utilizing direct marketing, web, social media, advertising, and public relations. She joined Zegrahm in 1997 and has over ten years of experience in marketing, internet project management, and customer relationship development. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire with degrees in English and Spanish, Casey has been interested in international travel and cultures from an early age. From diving with whale sharks in the Galapagos and cavorting with penguins in Antarctica to cosmonaut training in Star City, Russia and a six-week Spanish immersion program in Guatemala—Casey's travels have taken her to remote destinations across the globe. She brings with her knowledge of how to effectively sell to the affluent market, retain clients (Zegrahm has a 75 percent repeat client rate), broaden a client base, and build a brand. Casey lives in Seattle where, as a mother of two young children, she runs, scuba dives, reads, hikes, gardens, and relaxes—when not enjoying her family.

Brad Nahill, Director, SEE Turtles
Brad Nahill is Director of the SEE Turtles Program, a conservation project with the aim of inspiring people to visit sea turtle conservation projects around the world. He has spent the last decade working to protect sea turtles through nesting beach conservation, education, fundraising, and ecotourism. He has spoken about sea turtles at dozens of schools, nature centers, and other venues around the country and has recruited or guided more than 200 people to see turtles in the wild. Brad has worked in sea turtle conservation and ecotourism with organizations including Ocean Conservancy, Rare, and Asociacion ANAI (Costa Rica). He has also worked with or consulted for several ecotourism companies, including EcoTeach and Costa Rican Adventures. A co-founder of SEE Turtles, he leads project implementation, including working with tour operators and conservation partners, giving educational presentations, fundraising, and developing promotional materials. In addition, he has co-authored several papers on turtle conservation in Costa Rica and turtle watching best practices. Brad has a BS in Environmental Economics from Pennsylvania State University and is currently pursuing a certificate in Sustainable Tourism Development from George Washington University.

Alexia Nestora
Alexia Nestora is a voluntourism industry consultant, helping providers with strategy and monitoring industry trends.
Alexia previously ran the North American division of volunteer provider i-to-i and has recently helped with Mintel reports on volunteer tourism as well as articles in the WSJ, Smart Money and NY Times. Alexia frequently speaks about voluntourism at industry conferences and loves sharing marketing tips and tricks. She is an active member of the Building Bridges Coalition, Adventure Travel Trade Association and runs an industry blog to encourage the sharing of best practices (voluntourismgal.com).
Alexia has volunteered in Ecuador, South Africa, Thailand, Costa Rica, New Zealand and Switzerland but her favorite place these days is at home in Littleton, CO.

Chris Noble, General Manager, WorldNomads.com
Chris Noble is the General Manager for WorldNomads.com, a leading global travel insurance company and a co-founder of The Footprints Network, an alliance of e-commerce businesses funding community poverty alleviation around the world. Chris' passion for travel, marketing, social media, travel philanthropy and customer engagement has helped position WorldNomads.com as one of the most innovative travel services companies online. Chris has developed a number of successful travel programs from a documentary series currently screened on Nat Geo Adventure, travel scholarships and ambassador programs that engage an active adventure community of over 2 million travelers. When he's not wrestling with his kids and twittering from obscure locations, he can be found travelling off the beaten track, shooting documentaries and wishing he could hold a tune in Karaoke.

Helen Nodland - Founder, Nodland Travel Enterprises
Helen Nodland is a traveler. In 1990 Nodland Travel Enterprises came into being as a marketing and education company dedicated to introducing exotic, adventure, active and eco-friendly travel products whose stated mission is "to be a doorway to extraordinary, life changing travel experiences." Helen's travel industry experience has ranged from behind, in front of, and on top of the international leisure travel desk as agent, expedition leader, tour director, sales and marketing director, plus serving on Industry boards and committees. She presently serves as the Strategic Development Director in North America for the explora, the remote luxury lodges of Chile. She is called upon by media and industry to share her engaging expertise on adventure travel topics and trends. Helen was chosen as one of Chicago’s outstanding business women with the “100 Women Making a Difference” award. The recently published Adventure Travel Specialist, published by The Travel Institute in their Lifestyle Specialist series, was authored by Helen. She co-chairs the VAST network within the Virtuoso Travel Network. Helen proudly serves on the Board for ATTA. Helen lives high above and flies to and from her home in Chicago. Oh, and by the way, Helen knows how to throw a good party!

James O'Leonard, Founder & CEO, PEAK 15 Systems
James O'Leonard is the founder and CEO of PEAK 15 Systems, which provides the tour operator and outfitter industry with online tools to manage, strengthen and grow their business. James spent more than 10 years in product strategy and marketing positions with Silicon Valley firms such as Sun Microsystems. He holds an MBA from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and has a passion for travel, born in part by his experiences growing up in Kenya.

Daniela Papi, Director, PEPY
Daniela Papi is the director of PEPY, an educational non-profit organization which is funded through volunteer and adventure tours of Cambodia. PEPY's tagline, "Adventurous Living. Responsible Giving." highlights the dual mission of the organization. PEPYTours has won the University of Notre Dame's Social Venture Business Plan competition, CIMPA Humanitarian Travel Award, and was a finalist for the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards. Driven by a young group of social entrepreneurs, in the past four years PEPY has grown from a one-off bike ride which funded the construction of a rural school to a non-governmental organization working in over 10 schools and employing over 40 local staff. Recently, PEPY was chosen as a winner in the Ashoka and National Geographic Geotourism Challenge.

Daniela is active in the "Voluntourism" sector speaking regularly on the both the negative and positive impacts of this growing trend and encouraging industry players to be self-reflective and proactive in measuring their impact. The team at PEPY Tours worked with a range of industry professionals to create internal monitoring guidelines for voluntourism which was just launched on www.voluntourism101.com. Daniela grew up in New York but has spent the last seven years in Asia working in education and tourism. She currently manages PEPY from her home in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Heidi Siefkas-Cassemiro, Vice President of Marketing & PR, .travel
With over ten years in the hospitality and travel industry, Heidi is currently the Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations of .travel. As an international ambassador for .travel, Heidi builds strategic alliances with travel and technology organizations and creates marketing campaigns and initiatives that increase the awareness and usage of .travel.

Heidi has previously held key leadership roles in various hospitality and travel related companies in the Fort Lauderdale area. Originally from the Midwest, Heidi graduated from the University of Wisconsin and earned a Masters from the University of Massachusetts in Boston.

Anna Stancioff, Vice President, Hawkins International PR
Anna Stancioff is a Vice President at Hawkins International PR. With more than 11 years of travel PR experience, she is well-versed in the tourism and hospitality industries. Over the years, Anna has promoted brands ranging from active travel company Country Walkers to international brands such as Singapore Airlines. Her ability to think like a journalist and her strong media contacts have resulted in coverage for her clients in publications as varied as New York Times, Food + Wine, Forbes and DailyCandy.com to name a few.

Anna joined Hawkins International PR in June 2005. Her responsibilities include pitching and securing media placements, conceptualizing and executing media events and working closely with each client to craft a strategic public relations plan.

Prior to working with Hawkins International PR, Anna worked for three years at Weber Shandwick Worldwide, assisting with the Celebrity Cruises and Central Park accounts. As part of her work on the Singapore Airlines account, Anna was among the team that coordinated the PR campaign surrounding the launch of the record-breaking A345 aircrafts in February and June 2004. The campaign results included feature stories in the New York Times, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times, among others, as well as more than 650 television segments, including The TODAY Show and The Tonight Show.

Previously, Anna worked as a senior account executive at KWE Associates in New York. Anna started her travel PR career working with Jennifer Hawkins at Hawkins & Widness Public Relations.

Anna received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Hispanic Studies from Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. A Washington D.C. native, Anna knows how to pack light and find an adventure anywhere in the world.

Shannon Stowell
Shannon’s personal and professional background is well suited for the adventure travel industry. He’s lived in Fiji, trekked Indonesia, Thailand, Burma and China, and has spent time in many places around the world including Taiwan, South Africa, Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Brazil, Qatar, Norway, Mexico and Canada. Among the diverse adventures he’s enjoyed: summiting Mount Rainier & Mount Hood, diving in Mexico, sitting out a riot in Jakarta, being involved in Fijian kava ceremonies, caving in Thailand, and many more. Shannon is an active traveler, trail runner, swimmer, mountaineer, skier and fly-fisher. He brings a special passion to this industry borne of experience and a desire to see others experience the world in a richer way. His 17+ years of business experience, connections, marketing insight, environmental science, vision and passion for adventure travel have prepared him well to serve and lead as the president of the Adventure Travel Trade Association. Early in his career, with a B.S. Biology from Seattle Pacific University, Shannon worked as a fisheries observer on ships in Alaska for the National Marine Fisheries Service. After a stint on the Bering Sea, and work with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, he spent eight years at an environmental testing laboratory as a biologist/chemist. He was promoted into management to develop and spearhead the company’s international vision and Asian presence with the President of North Creek Analytical International.

Shannon then engaged in the dot-com revolution as a co-founder of Altrec.com, a successful outdoor and adventure travel gear retailer (www.altrec.com). He directed the company’s business development, affiliate marketing and non-profit relations for six years. Despite the dotcom boom and bust, Altrec survived, then thrived. During his time at Altrec.com, he struck deals with Amazon.com, CBS Sportsline, National Geographic and National Geographic Adventure, Backpacker Magazine, Virtuoso, Nike, Gore-Tex, Outward Bound, Virtuoso and Mountain Travel Sobek among many others. He wore many other hats during his tenure, overseeing aspects of marketing, PR, affiliate programs, ad sales, advertising program development and development of Altrec’s sister site, www.Greatoutdoors.com.
Under his leadership as president of the ATTA, the organization has grown into the largest international association of adventure travel companies with nearly 500 members and dozens of tourism boards, major corporations and influential individuals helping propel industry initiatives forward. The ATTA also hosts the Adventure Travel World Summits. Shannon also co-authored a book in 2008, published by National Geographic: Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean- A guide to 50 Extraordinary Adventures.

Committed to non-profit endeavors, Shannon served for four years on the Board of the American Hiking Society. He has also directed several community plays, been the vice-chairman in a community political group, serves with his local church and served on the Library Board at his local library. Raised on the Arkansas River in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, Shannon today lives with his wife, Shelly, and two children in the Seattle area.

Gustavo Fraga Timo, Executive Manager, Brazilian Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Trade Association (ABETA)
Gustavo Timo, Executive Manager Brazilian Ecotourism and Adventure Travel Trade Association – ABETA. Timo is involved with adventure and nature travel for 13 years. He is one of the first founders and Leaders of ABETA, the Brazilian Adventure Travel Trade Association, has served as an elected member of the board of Directors, as Technical Director, and now works as ABETA executive manager. He is also an advisory board member at the Adventure Travel Trade Association - ATTA.

At ABETA his energy is focus on developing, organizing and converging the adventure travel industry of Brazil in a movement that involves establishing standards, building qualifications and certifications systems and implementing search and rescue teams in main adventure travel destinations in Brazil, as well as turning Brazil an international adventure travel destination.

All this getting the attention and resources from the Brazilian Minister of Tourism, that have identified the Adventure Travel as a priority and strategic segment for the development of Brazil's Travel Industry and other organizations that are able to invest funds on the development of Adventure Travel.

Gustavo has an extensive experience as a Adventure Travel Tour operator, he was Executive Director of Brasil Aventuras Expedições for 8 years, a leading company in Brazil and experienced developing new destinations, marketing, establishing strategic partnerships, development distributions channels in Brazil and internationally and training adventures travel guides. He have also worked as a consultant in planning, developing and marketing destinations, training entrepreneurs to manage nature based tourism in many projects in Brazil. His experience as an expedition leader and guide involves mountaineering, backpacking, canyoneering and overland expeditions all over Brazil for more than seven years.

He is an experienced traveler and have visit most countries of South America, including the bioms of Patagonia, Andes, Pantanal, Amazon and Gran Sabana, have also being to other continents searching for adventure travel experiences . An outdoorsman and family man, Gustavo is and active diver, canyoneer, mountaineer and mountain biker, and now enjoy his time introducing his two daughters together with his wife Gisela to the outdoor world.

Michael Valkevich, Director, Global Customers IT Solutions, Amadeus
Michael joined Amadeus in 2006 in his native Boston, and recently relocated for a new role within the company at the Chicago Amadeus office. He manages relationships with some of the world's leading multinational travel agencies, who take advantage of the company's Global Distribution System and many other innovative software applications suited to the business of travel. Finding solution-oriented ways to help these companies optimize their business and stay ahead of the ever-changing landscape dominated by air carriers, the hotel industry, international travel's governing bodies, and many others is the crux of the challenge in this field.

Amadeus is the world leader in provision of solutions to the travel industry to manage the distribution and selling of travel services. Its solutions and services are used by our customer groups in different ways. Many of the industry's other leading travel service providers use our modular technology to optimise their distribution and internal operational requirements.

Michael resides in Chicago with his wife. Outside of work, he enjoys skiing, fly-fishing, cycling, and guitar playing.

Hege Vibeke Barnes, Sector Manager Tourism, Innovation Norway
Hege is responsible for all Innovation Norway’s tourism activities in North America. Innovation Norway is a government company functioning as an official tourist board with the purpose of promoting Norway as a desirable destination for travelers. With over 12 years working in the field of tourism, marketing, consulting and business development, Hege’s motivation is to work with her team to bring Norway on top of mind of all travel producers and travelers seeking nature based experiences that are unique for Norway. Hege’s main goal is to increase the awareness and knowledge of Norway among American travelers to ultimately attract more American visitors to experience the scenically beautiful, culturally exciting and fun destination of Norway. Hege has an extensive knowledge working in the travel industry and a wide network of contacts, often utilized to broaden the effect of marketing activities and promotions. Working as an International Sales Manager for an incoming operator gave her a wider perspective of what travelers and tour producers are looking for, and what ultimately are the key attractions of a destination. Her background as a business consultant and a Masters degree in International Business has proven useful in understanding the complex issues driving a company’s success as well as the unique characteristics driving today’s marketplace.

Hege has a passion for travel and loves interacting with new people, learning about new cultures and exploring new places, trying out new adventures. Hege grew up playing in the outdoors with favorite activities including skiing, hiking and tennis. Her other favorite activities include team sports such as soccer and European handball. Hege resides in Seattle with husband, two small kids and a Labrador retriever.

Alistair Wearmouth, Senior Editor, Away.com
Alistair Wearmouth is a senior editor at Away.com, where he develops content and products for sites including Away.com, GORP.com, GORPTravel.com, Outside Online, and Orbitz.com. He is responsible for Away.com’s social-media strategy, including blogging, outreach on social-networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, and expansion of the site’s user-generated content base. Prior to joining Away.com in 2002, Alistair lived and worked in London and Japan. A Scot born in Hong Kong, a lifetime of travel has taken him through countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. In particular, he enjoys exploring the outdoors on foot or by bike, though a masochistic streak would land him back in the rain-soaked Scottish Highlands if he had the choice. In addition to his work for the Away.com family of sites, Alistair has also written for online and print publications including Backpacker, The Washington Post, and Smithsonian.com. He lives in the Washington, D.C., area with his wife and two young children.

Dave Wiggins, Widness & Wiggin PR
Dave brings 30 years of adventure travel industry experience to Widness & Wiggins PR. Formerly he held the position of Marketing Director for Austin-Lehman Adventures. Prior to that, Dave served as Vice President of Supplier Relations and Marketing Communications for Away.com and GORPtravel. For 22 years he was the owner and President of American Wilderness Experience (AWE!). Under his direction, AWE! pioneered the wholesale and retail brokering of adventure travel becoming one of the industry's most recognized brand names in the promotion and sale of active and exotic vacations.

Jamen Yeaton-Masi, Director of Operations, Country Walkers
Jamen oversees new tour development, operations, and sales for Country Walkers, an international tour operator in the Green Mountains of Vermont. With over 20 years experience in international tourism, student exchange programs, and human resources, Jamen guides the company’s initiatives in offering amazing small-group walking and trekking tours around the globe. Recently nominated as one of Outside magazine’s “Best Places to Work,” Jamen strives to create a work environment which is stimulating, fun and makes being “green” part of the company’s DNA. Her passion for exploration and cross-cultural exchange emerged from years of traveling and living abroad. When possible, she still loves to hit the trails and recently returned from escorting the company’s Anniversary VIP tour to Egypt.

Jamen looks forward to sharing her experiences as well as the company’s recognized commitment to working with local guides to foster worldwide, sustainable partnerships at the ATTA Conference in Quebec.