WIT heading for Melbourne

The inspiration and mentoring event, run by Singapore-based Web In Travel, will be coming to Melbourne.

Dan Lynn, managing director of Expedia Asia Pacific, will kick off the first WIT*e to be held in Australia on November 25.

In a conversation with Yeoh Siew Hoon, editor and producer of WIT-Web In Travel, Lynn will share the latest trends in the online travel business as well as talk about his career path and lessons learnt with the audience of students and young talent expected to attend the evening event held at Softel on Collins, Melbourne.

Lynn, who is based in Sydney, leads the development and operations of the four Expedia-branded sites in the Asia Pacific region (Australia, New Zealand, Japan and India) and oversees the Asia Pacific growth strategy for Expedia Worldwide, the Expedia, Inc. business group responsible for all 19 Expedia-branded sites across the globe.

Held in partnership with HSMAI Asia Pacific and Accor Asia Pacific, WIT*e in Melbourne will also feature a panel of industry experts comprising Paul Southey, vice president Asia Pacific, TravelCLICK; Kate Smith, managing director of Waldron Smith Management; Nigel Gaunt, managing director, The Mint Organisation; and Henrik Berglind, director of sales & distribution-Australia, Accor.

WIT*e is the Inspiration & Mentoring event launched by Web In Travel to groom tomorrow’s tourism leaders.

It’s been held six times in Singapore and went to Bangkok for the first time on September 26 this year, in partnership with HSMAI Asia Pacific.

“We are delighted to bring the idea of WIT*e to Australia,” said Yeoh. “ We believe that grooming tomorrow’s tourism leaders is something all of Asia Pacific needs to do at the rate our tourism industry is growing.

“Travel and tourism students need to be mentored by industry professionals and to be inspired to stay on in the business. Let’s face it, all of us got our start because someone gave us a chance.

“And it’s not only a one-way street – we have found with WIT*e we have run so far, industry professionals who attend are as inspired by the enthusiasm of the young.

“WIT*e is about connecting future leaders with industry professionals so that both can learn from each other.”

Admission is free to all students and industry professionals who want to be part of this inaugural event in Australia.

To register, contact [email protected]

Or Gerry Pang