Professor and Associate Dean, William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration, University of Nevada Las Vegas

Dr. Billy Bai is Professor and Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies in the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). His current research interests focus on hospitality and tourism marketing with a particular emphasis on relationship marketing, customer behavior and loyalty, branding, and destination marketing. He has published numerous journal articles and serves on reputable editorial boards in hospitality and tourism research. He is a recipient of several research awards including the prestigious John Wiley & Sons Lifetime Research Achievement Award by I-CHRIE in 2015.

Head of Department of Tourism and Hospitality and Director of eTourismlab Faculty of Management, Bournemouth University

Professor Dimitrios Buhalis is Head of Department Tourism and Hospitality, Director of the eTourism Lab and Deputy Director of the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research, at Bournemouth University in England. He is a Strategic Management and Marketing expert with specialisation in Information Communication Technology applications in the Tourism, Travel, Hospitality and Leisure industries. His research area is cutting across a number of disciplines and is looking into adoption of innovations for creating value for both consumers and organisations. Current research focus includes Smart Tourism, SoCoMo Marketing (Social media Context and Mobile Marketing), Augmented Reality, Experience management and Personalisation, Reputation and Social Media Strategies, Accessible and Special Diet (Alergens) Tourism.

Dean and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Editor-in Chief of Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing and Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research

Prof. Kaye Chon (Ph.D., CHE, FIH) is Dean, Chair Professor and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In 2011, Prof. Chon received the Ulysses Prize from the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Commonly known as “Nobel Prize in Tourism,” Ulysses Prize is annually given to one scholar for distinguished contribution to knowledge creation in tourism. Under Prof. Chon’s leadership, the School has arisen as one of the world’s leading institutions in hospitality and tourism management. According to Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, the School is ranked no. 2 in the world based on research and scholarship. 

Director, Creative and Content Marketing, Asia Pacific, Marriott International, Inc

Tony has more than 19 years of experience in the media, advertising, broadcast and communications industry, including 10 years in the digital media. He is an award winning Executive Producer & Producer & Director.  Over the course of his career, he has produced many award winning TV commercials, online videos and Television programs for major clients like McDonalds, Sony, Canon, P&G, Calvin Klein, Levi, StarHub to name a few, as well as for broadcast networks like Discovery Channel, National geographic, BBC, History, AETN, Fox International, CCTV China, Scripps andFood Networks USA/UK. Tony is currently the Director of Creative and Content Marketing for Asia Pacific of Marriott International. He is also a sought after speaker, strategic consultant & trainer at various international media events and a regular jury member of several international TV and Film awards which include the prestigious International TV Emmy.

Professor, La Trobe Business School, La Trobe University, Fellow - IAST; Fellow - CAUTHE; Senior Fellow - Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis

Geoffrey is Professor of Tourism Policy & Marketing in the La Trobe Business School, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. He is the Incoming Editor of the Journal of Travel Research, an elected Fellow in the International Academy for the Study of Tourism, and the 2012 recipient of the Charles R. Goeldner Article of Excellence Award for the best research paper published in the Journal of Travel Research and awarded by the Travel and Tourism Research Association. Geoffrey’s research interests span four main research themes, as follows: Tourism psychology and consumer behaviour; Destination competitiveness and management; Tourism marketing; and Tourism policy.

Professor and Director, Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute, University of Florida, Co-founding Editor, Tourism Analysis

Dr. Daniel Fesenmaier is Professor and Director of the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute (EFTI), Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management, University of Florida.  Dr. Fesenmaier is author, co-author and co-editor of seven books focusing on information technology and tourism marketing and has two new books which focus on design science in tourism and SMART tourism.  He is co-founding editor of Tourism Analysis; past Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Information Technology and Tourism and editor of the Foundations in Tourism Research Series, Journal of Travel Research.  Dr. Fesenmaier is a Fellow, International Academy for the Study of Tourism and has received awards for excellence in research including the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA) Lifetime Achievement Award, Hannes Werthner Tourism and Technology Lifetime Achievement Award (IFITT), The Michael D. Olsen Research Award (University of Delaware) and the Medal of Exceptional Scholarly Achievement (CPTHL).

Chief Academic Officer, Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne

Fabien Fresnel’s degrees include a PhD in Management Science at the Institute of Business Administration from 
Bordeaux University (France), a Master in Economics from Paris Sorbonne University (France), and a Master of Management in Hospitality from Cornell University (USA). 

Fabien Fresnel began his career in 1988 in Michelin star restaurants, then held Food and Beverage position in 5* hotels internationally. Then, he opened a hotel school attached to a 4* 100-room training hotel in Amman, Jordan. After that, he successfully launched his career as an entrepreneur in California, growing a high-end French bistro and pastry chain from 6 to 40 locations in less than 6 years.  

Dean, School of Hotel Management, Tourism and Gastronomy Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola Lima, Perú.

His professional background is in hotel management, service quality control and human resources training. He includes an international career as a consultant for the FO-AR (Argentine Horizontal Cooperation Fund) in the field of Human Capital Development for the Tourism Industry, working at Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in Santo Domingo as Director of the School of Hotel Management and Regional Project Manager of the EU Cooperation Development Funds. In 2008, he assumes his currently position.

He holds a PhD in Tourism from Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, Spain. He is also a Certified Hospitality Educator, CHE.

He currently lives in Perú working toward the development of the Tourism industry through education.

Chair Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Teaching in Travel & Tourism

Cathy Hsu is a Chair Professor in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). Her research foci include hotel branding, hospitality marketing, tourist behaviors, and service quality. Her most recent co-authored book, Tourism: The Business of Hospitality and Travel. (5th ed.), was published by Prentice Hall in 2013. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Teaching in Travel and Tourism. She received the John Wiley & Sons Lifetime Research Achievement Award (2009) and International Society of Travel and Tourism Educator’s Martin Oppermann Memorial Award for Lifetime Contribution to Tourism Education (2011).

Senior Lecturer and Course Director, SKEMA Business School, France

Mady Keup is Senior Lecturer and Course Director for the Master of Science programmes in International Hospitality Management and Strategic Event Management & Tourism Management at SKEMA Business School.

Mady worked for 12 years with the British Tourist Authority (now VisitBritain) in management positions in London, Madrid, Lisbon and Berlin. Mady was also Head of London Convention Bureau (now London & Partners).

She is an MPI (Meeting Professionals International) accredited trainer and an instructor for Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). She has spoken at many academic and professional events, including ITB and the Arabian Travel Market and consults on leisure and business tourism projects. Mady holds an MBA from the Open University.

Associate Dean and Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Joint-Editor-in-Chief, Tourism, Culture and Communication

Brian has held various industry and academic positions in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Pacific. He specializes in tourism marketing with an emphasis on cultural dimensions and emerging Asia-Pacific markets. He has published 
extensively on tourism marketing, resorts, VFR travel and Asia-Pacific tourism and has consulted on these topics to various international agencies and with Hong Kong. He is Founding and Current Co-editor-in-chief of Tourism, Culture and Communication and a Fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism. He has held senior roles in the tour operations, airline, cruise and destination management sectors.  

Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Honorary Advisor of Information Technology Division of Beijing Tourism Industry Association

Prof. Rob Law has worked in Canada and Hong Kong in both industry and academia. As an active researcher, he has received many research related awards and honors, as well as millions of USD external and internal research grants. He has edited four books and published hundreds of research articles in reputable academic journals. Since 2011, his publications have received 10,000+ citations, with h-index/i 10-index = 50/168. In addition, Prof. Law serves in different roles for 140+ research journals, and is a chair/committee member of more than 130 international conferences. 

Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, President of International Academy for the Study of Tourism

Dr Bob McKercher is a Professor of Tourism in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has been a tourism academic since 1990.  Prior to that he worked in the Canadian tourism industry in a variety of advocacy and operational roles.  He received his PhD from the University of Melbourne in Australia, a Masters degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada and his undergraduate degree from York University in Toronto, Canada. 

Dean, Asian Institute of Tourism, University of the Philippines

MIGUELA M. MENA is a Professor and currently the Dean of the University of the Philippines Asian Institute of Tourism. She obtained her Ph.D. in Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Master of Statistics and Bachelor of Science in Statistics at the University of the Philippines School of Statistics, and Diploma for Tourism Management (Highest Distinction) from Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management in Salzburg, Austria.  She has extensive experience in Philippine tourism education and training and has handled various technical consultancy and research projects for international organizations and non-government organizations. 

Professor, Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida, Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management

Dr. Okumus is a Professor in the Hospitality Services Department at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. He was the founding Chair of the Hospitality Services Department from 2007-2013. He received his PhD in Strategic Hotel Management in 2000 from Oxford Brookes University, UK. His research areas include strategy implementation, competitive advantage, knowledge management, crisis management, destination marketing, information technology and developing countries. He has widely published in leading journals. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management (IJCHM) and also serves on the editorial boards of 18 international journals. He is a frequent speaker at international conferences.

Vice President of Education Services, edX

As vice president of education services at edX, Kathy directs and oversees the management of the course development teams and is responsible for university relations with edX consortium members. She brings extensive experience as a top executive in the software and financial services industries. Most recently in charge of global services at Courion Corporation, Kathy has a nationally recognized track record of success in expanding and streamlining businesses. She has worked in long-established businesses as well as start-ups, and brings her valued business acumen and organizational talents to edX. When she is not at edX, Kathy enjoys tennis, swimming, rowing, cycling, and watching her son play hockey. She holds a B.A. in economics from the College of the Holy Cross.

Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Editor, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management and Journal of Vacation Marketing on Special Issues for China Hotel and Tourism Development

Professor Hanqin Qiu Zhang is a Professor of international tourism. She received her BA from Nankai University in Mainland China, her MA from University of Waterloo in Canada, and her PhD from University of Strathclyde in UK. She has served as guest editors for International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management and Journal of Vacation Marketing on Special Issues for China Hotel and Tourism Development. She was also the regional editor for International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. She has published more than 50 refereed journal articles in major international journals (e.g. International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Travel Research, Tourism Management, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management and Journal of Vacation marketing).

Dean, Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management, University of Houston

Dennis Reynolds is a scholar, seasoned hospitality executive, prolific researcher and author, and dean of the University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Dean Reynolds is a frequent speaker to management groups in Asia, Europe, and North America and has been cited in various media (including Morning Edition on National Public Radio) as well as newspapers and magazines around the globe. His lively speeches cover such topics as maximizing productivity in the workplace and understanding the key value drivers in the global hospitality industry. Ranked 15th among the world’s most prolific hospitality-management authors, Professor Reynolds has authored over 50 articles and five textbooks with his latest in its tenth edition.

Professor and Graduate Program Director, School of Hospitality Leadership, DePaul University, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research

Dr. Chris Roberts is Professor and Director of Graduate Programmes in the School of Hospitality Leadership at DePaul University. He received his doctorate in Strategic Management from the University of Massachusetts. Professor Roberts has eight years of hotel experience in both operations and reservation centers. He owned a travel agency for another eight years. He also has eleven years of corporate marketing experience. Dr. Roberts has published more than 50 publications in journals and industry publications, co-authored three books, and has given more than 80 presentations. His research is centered up on hospitality education, strategic decision-making, leadership, and hotel executive teams.

Professor, Waikato University, Editor-in-Chief, Tourism Management

Professor Chris Ryan has been at the University of Waikato since 1998, having arrived from his previous post of Professor of Tourism at the Northern Territory University. Chris is the editor of Tourism Management and Tourism Management Perspectives and has written well over 200 academic journal articles, book chapters and conference papers. He has sat on a number of international and national committees including the APEC Tourism Ministers Advisory Committee and New Zealand Chinese Advisory Committee for the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment.

Associate Dean (Research) and Chair Professor, School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of China Tourism Research

Professor Haiyan Song has a strong background in Economics. His main research area is tourism economics with a particular focus on tourism demand modelling and forecasting. He was educated both in China and the UK, and has extensive research and consultancy experiences in areas such as foreign direct investment (FDI) in China and economic issues related to China's tourism sector. Over the years, Professor Song has been involved in a number of projects on tourism demand forecasting in the Asia Pacific region.  He is also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of China Tourism Research. 

Professor, University of Surrey, Editor, Annals of Tourism Research and Journal of Hospitality, Leisure Sport and Tourism Education (JOHLSTE)

John Tribe is Professor of Tourism at the University of Surrey, UK. His undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral studies were all undertaken at the University of London. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism, Fellow of the Association for Tourism in Higher Education and Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences. His research concentrates on sustainability, epistemology and education and he has authored books on strategy, philosophy, economics, education and environmental management in tourism. He was the specialist advisor for tourism for the UK government’s 2008 Research Assessment Exercise and panel member for the assessment of tourism research for the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF). He is editor of the top tourism journal Annals of Tourism Research and The Journal of Hospitality, Leisure Sport and Tourism Education (JOHLSTE).

Vice President and Assistant Director, STR SHARE Center

Mr. Duane Vinson is a Vice President and the Assistant Director of the STR SHARE Center (Supporting Hotel-related Academic Research & Education), a program that in cooperation with EI (American Hotel & Lodging Association Education Institute) and ICHRIE (International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education), works with hospitality and tourism schools around the world to provide thorough and timely data for academic research and to provide comprehensive and relevant training materials for the classroom.  The SHARE Center has been warmly received by the academic community, with nearly 550 universities and colleges in 57 countries around the world now involved.

Dean, College of Professional and Continuing Education, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Professor Peter P. Yuen is Dean of the College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPCE) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). He is also Professor in the Department of Management and Marketing of PolyU. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology and Master in Business Administration degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo, USA, and his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Health Economics from the University of Birmingham, UK.

Professor Yuen is currently the Chairman of the Federation for Self-financing Tertiary Education (Hong Kong). He sits on a number of Government committees on education, manpower, and Qualifications Framework.

Business Development Manager, STR SHARE Center

Anthony Zhang is the Business Development Manager of STR who is responsible for the company expansion in Greater China area. Before joining STR, he was doing project development in Langham Hospitality Group. Anthony was graduated as Master of Science from School of Hotel & Tourism Management of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Now STR has over 3,900 hotel users around China, representing 2 million rooms. As the leader in hotel data, STR provides the one-stop shop to gain access to data relating to the hospitality industry and we can be of assistance to operators, owners, investors, vendors, developers, advisors and financiers alike, including revenue, profitability, supply and forecast. STR and STR Global cover hotel markets across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa.