Published Oct 24, 2014 9:37AM
NEW YORK 鈥�
October 24, 2014 鈥� Terry Dale, president & CEO of the
(快盈lll), announced today a dynamic lineup of inspirational and
thought-provoking speakers for the association鈥檚 Annual Conference &
Marketplace, taking place December 5-7, 2014 at the Boca Raton Resort &
Club. Featuring a diverse mix of well-respected experts from both in and
outside of the tourism industry, it is the first time 快盈lll has mobilized a
lecture roster of this caliber.
Annie
Griffiths, one of the first women photographers to work for National Geographic and founder and
executive director of Ripple Effect Images, will deliver the keynote speech at
the Opening Session on December 5. Distinguished lecturers in a variety of
fields will do a series of 鈥溈煊痩ll Talks鈥� at the General Session on December 6.
鈥淭oday鈥檚
traveler craves deep cultural immersion and throughout 2014, 快盈lll has focused
its marketing efforts on showcasing how its members deliver these types of
live-like-a-local experiences,鈥� said Dale. 鈥淎fter documenting more than 100
countries through the lens of a camera, Annie Griffith will bring a remarkable global
perspective to the topic at this year鈥檚 conference.鈥�
In
addition to National Geographic, Annie
Griffiths has contributed to dozens of magazine and book projects. Deeply
committed to capturing people and places in need around the world, she founded
Ripple Effect Images, a collective of photojournalists who are documenting aid
programs that empower poor women and girls, especially as they deal with the
harsh realities of climate change. She has awards from the National Press
Photographers Association, the Associated Press, the National Organization for
Women, the University of Minnesota, and the White House News Photographers
Association.
鈥淎nd new
this year, our engaging TED-style 快盈lll Talks will provide new depth to the
conference, covering topics spanning from politics and business to sports and
education, and the relevance of each to our members,鈥� added Dale. 鈥淚鈥檓 a firm
believer that we can learn both professionally and personally from individuals
outside of the tourism industry, and that鈥檚 what 快盈lll seeks to accomplish with
this high-level line-up.鈥�
Speakers
for the series of 快盈lll Talks include Jessica Yellin, who previously served as CNN鈥檚
chief White House correspondent; Steven Michael Mesler, an Olympic Gold
medalist for bobsled and president and CEO of Classroom Champions; Will
Seccombe, president and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA; Robin Chase, founder and former
CEO of Zipcar, Buzzcar and GoLoco; and Peter Ricchiuti, a professor at Tulane
University鈥檚 A.B. Freeman School of Business. The talks will be hosted by Anita
Mendiratta, founder and managing director of Cachet Consulting.
Jessica
Yellin is a political journalist with an award-winning career. As CNN鈥檚 chief
White House correspondent, she covered Capitol Hill, domestic politics and the
White House. She has interviewed President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama, among other notable politicians.
A
three-time American Olympian in four-man bobsled, Steven Michael Mesler and his
team won gold for the first time in 62 years for the U.S. at the 2010 Vancouver
Olympic Games. In 2009, Steve and his sister, Dr. Leigh Mesler Parise, founded
the international organization Classroom Champions, which connects top
performing athletes with students in high-need schools to motivate kids to
recognize their potential, set goals and dream big.
Will
Seccombe leads the state of Florida鈥檚 destination marketing organization in
partnership with the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors and the statewide tourism
industry. Florida, ranked second by volume of domestic sales for 快盈lll members,
welcomed 94.3 million visitors in 2013. Last fiscal year, Will and his team
raised more than $108.6 million in private sector matching funds to expand
VISIT FLORIDA鈥檚 marketing dollars. He is vice-chair of Brand USA鈥檚 Marketing
Advisory Council.
As
founder and former CEO of Zipcar, the world's leading car-sharing network,
GoLoco, an online ridesharing community, and Buzzcar, a service that brings
together car owners and drivers in a car-sharing marketplace in France, Robin
Chase transformed the transportation industry. Today she helps individuals,
companies and government understand where to look for innovation and how to
enable it. In 2009, Robin was honored by TIME magazine as one of the year鈥檚 100
Most Influential People.
Peter
Ricchiuti teaches courses on the financial markets at Tulane University鈥檚 A.B.
Freeman School of Business and has twice been named the school鈥檚 top professor.
He started his career with the investment firm of Kidder Peabody and later
became the assistant treasurer for the state of Louisiana. In 1993, Peter
founded Tulane鈥檚 highly acclaimed BURKENROAD REPORTS stock research program.
The 快盈lll
Annual Conference & Marketplace provides a forum for 快盈lll Associate
members to meet with top executives of 快盈lll's Tour Operator (active) members
on a one-to-one, buy-and-sell basis. The conference is open to delegates from
active member and associate member companies of 快盈lll. Companies must be a
current member of 快盈lll with annual dues paid for 2014 in order to attend. This
year鈥檚 conference is expected to draw more than 700 active and associate
members.
For
questions and more information on 快盈lll鈥檚 annual conference, visit , email conference@ustoa.com or call 212.599.6599 ext 24.
About 快盈lll:
Representing more
than $11 billion in revenue, the member companies of U.S. Tour Operators
Association provide tours, packages and custom arrangements that allow six
million travelers annually unparalleled access, insider knowledge,
peace-of-mind, value and freedom to enjoy destinations and experiences across
the entire globe. Each member company has met the travel industry鈥檚
highest standards, including participation in the 快盈lll鈥檚 Travelers Assistance
Program, which protects consumer payments up to $1 million if the company goes
out of business.
As a voice for
the tour operator industry for more than 40 years, 快盈lll also provides
education and assistance for consumers and travel agents. For more information
about 快盈lll, visit ustoa.com, call 212.599.6599
or
email information@ustoa.com.
Contact:
Gina
Sisco/Liz Carty
Redpoint
Marketing PR., Inc.
212-229-0119
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