(SEATTLE) - The Adventure Travel Trade Association announced its featured speaker roster for the 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit (ATWS) set for October 17-20 in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
Representing varied business disciplines, headliners for the adventure tourism industry's principal annual conference will address tourism trends, digital marketing, entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, indigenous tourism, values-driven business models, and demand creation.
Presenters for the 2011 Adventure Travel World Summit, themed, "Prosper with Purpose", and their respective talks include:
• Maryann Fernandez - Founder & President - Philanthropy Indaba: Fernandez explores how deeper-impact corporate social responsibility, traveler's philanthropy and volunteer programs succeed in an environment rich in mutual respect, shared values, and community empowerment.
• Leilani Latimer - Director, Sustainability Initiatives - Sabre Holdings: Through the lens of global strategy, marketing and business transformation, Latimer shares insights into how to create demand for sustainable product, while challenging problematic perceptions and stereotypes.
• Bruce Poon Tip - Founder - GAP Adventures: Poon Tip reveals his first-hand account of the artistic process of being an innovative and successful entrepreneur, of creating a company that represents one's own personality, the people who work within the business, and the spirit of an industry.
• Ben Sherman - President- Medicine Root, Inc.: Sherman shares ancient, universal values of native peoples and describes how to incorporate these values into practical, progressive and successful cultural preservation, environmental stewardship and community development models.
• Jens Thraenhart - Co-founder & President - Dragon Trail, previously with the Canadian Tourism Commission and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts: Thraenhart offers the industry's most comprehensive briefing on outbound Chinese tourism trends, followed by proven demand-generation strategies made possible through multi-cultural relevancy, social media and digital marketing solutions.
• Tensie Whelan - President - Rainforest Alliance: Whelan illustrates how using the power of markets, and connecting, educating and training the trade and consumers, helps to conserve forests and spur sustainable industries and economies worldwide.
"'Prosper with Purpose'" serves as our Summit theme this year as it reflects our undeterred interest in thriving and flourishing as businesses within an industry through gathered knowledge, thoughtful design and intent," said ATTA President Shannon Stowell. "We are determined to affect positive and measurable socio-economic and environmental change worldwide through adventure tourism- a model that serves as a powerful, real and sustainable economic force."
Entering its seventh year, the ATTA's Summit executive conferences engage, enlighten, inspire, and energize the leaders of the adventure travel community with networking, business and professional development programs, educational seminars and emerging adventure destination product review opportunities. Summit delegates, who also reflect ATTA's membership composition, include tour operators and adventure travel ground suppliers, tourism boards and destination marketing organizations, media, travel agents, lodges, and related tourism service organizations.
Industry and consumer research and trends, marketing and best practices will dominate the professional development sessions for the 2011 Summit. Political, economic and socio-cultural trends affecting adventure tourism, combined with emergent destinations, technology and niche products, will figure prominently into the research and trends track. For marketing, strategies addressing branding, marketing and advertising, with a heavy emphasis on digital marketing, will serve as focal points. On the tactical level, marketing session will address budgets, marketing mixes and integrated campaigns, backed by ready-to-use game plans for delegates. Integrated throughout the entire Summit, delegates also will gain education and training in best practices for sustainable tourism.
ATTA's full slate of speakers for 2011 ATWS and the complete, day-by-day agenda, is expected ahead of the April 15, 2011, Early Bird registration deadline.
Partners for the 2011 ATWS include the Chiapas Convention and Visitors Bureau, the State Government of Chiapas and the Tourism Ministry of Mexico and the Mexico Tourism Promotion Board.
Established in 1990, Seattle-based ATTA (www.adventuretravel.biz) is a global membership organization dedicated to unifying, networking, professionalizing, promoting and responsibly growing the adventure travel market. Host of the annual Adventure Travel World Summit executive trade conferences (www.adventuretravelworldsummit.com), the ATTA also makes possible www.Adventure.Travel, the traveler's hub of physical, cultural and nature-based adventure travel and guide to trusted tour operators.
