Keynote Address
Dieter Huckestein, Chairman & CEO Conrad Hotels & President Hilton Alliance

Setting the scene – Destination China - All Aboard!
How is the emergence of China as both future N° 1 tourist destination and N°1 source market for international travel changing the international tourism industry? What is the impact of China’s developing tourism market on the surrounding Asia-Pacific region and other world regions? What are the key drivers of this development both in China and the wider Asia Pacific area? What are the greatest threats to tourism in the short and longer term ?

Moderator: Nik Gowing, Main Presenter, BBC World
Panellists:
XU Jing - World Tourism Organisation Regional Representative for Asia & the Pacific - WTO
Jean-Claude Baumgarten – President, World Travel & Tourism Council
Peter de Jong – CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association
David McMillan, CEO, IH&RA

The Chinese Hotel market - overview
Leo C. Yen, Director, Horwath Asia Pacific
Who is travelling – and where are they staying?
Market segmentation: International travellers vs domestic travellers; luxury vs budget and mid-scale accommodation
What are the problems facing the Chinese market?

Setting up the right signposts - Brands
What is the value of international brands to the Chinese and wider Asian markets?
What is the outlook for international brands? What are their development strategies?
Who are their clients? National Chinese brands are now increasing their market presence - what are their development strategies? Who are their clients? How are they expanding beyond China? How long will it take for Chinese brands to become international?

Moderator: Nik Gowing, Main Presenter BBC World
Panel:
Christopher Bachran – President, Jin Jiang International Hotel Management Co
Simon Cooper, President & COO, Ritz-Carlton Hotels & Resorts
Stelios Haji-Ioannou – Chairman, EasyGroup
Nancy Johnson – Ex VP Select Service Hotels, Carlson Hotels Worldwide
Carmen Lam – Head Marketing & Branding, InterContinental Hotels Group, Asia Pacific
Zhang Rungang - President, BTG-Jingguo

Choosing the right track – Meeting Human Resources Challenges in the Hospitality Industry
Scene-setting presentation by Prof Kaye Chon, Chair Professor & Head, School of HTM, Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Lack of trained people is the major problem facing the industry internationally – in Asia and in the various world regions generally. What is the current and forecast scope of the skills shortage around the world? How can organisations like IH&RA help promote international worker mobility? How do the international brands respond to the challenge of human resource management in rapidly developing markets? How are Chinese companies responding to this challenge?

Moderator: Prof Kaye Chon
Panel:
Tim Gao - CEO, TEDA Hotels
Rajiv Gujral – SVP & COO Taj Hotels & Resorts
James Lu - Executive Director, Hong Kong Hotels Association
Kevin Michaels - CEO & President, International Service Alliance
Elizabeth O’Neill - VP Worker Mobility Programme, Council on International Educational Exchange CIEE
Judy Siguaw, Dean, Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management

Session sponsored by CIEE

End of Conference for the day

Beijing Food Street Evening, Seasons, Restaurant, Kempinski

Chinese Outbound Tourism - Full steam ahead!
China has now granted over 50 countries ADS (Approved Destination Status). As more and more Chinese travel outside China, what are their expectations? How can operators outside China best prepare to attract and welcome them? How can they train their staff to meet Chinese expectations? What specific characteristics should be taken into consideration? How can National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) best work with National Hospitality Associations to attract and retain Chinese visitors? The session will define 5 key components for doing this successfully.

Moderator: Nik Gowing, Main Presenter, BBC World
Scene-setting presentation: Ms. XU Fan, Consultant, co-author WTO-ETC Report Chinese Outbound Tourism
Panel:
Hans van Driem – Director Netherlands Tourist Board also representing European Travel Commission (ETC)
William Healey – Director, National Affairs, Australian Hotels Association
Yam Goh – VP & GM Business Travel China American Express
Anthony Pollard - President, Hotel Association of Canada
Prof Du Jiang – President China Tourism University
Ms Kate Chang - China Representative, Pacific Asia Travel Association

Looking down the Track – E-marketing & e-distribution
China and surrounding countries look poised to exploit the many on-line travel distribution opportunities developed in the US and Europe. However the region suffers from its own set of unique challenges. Will the Chinese consumer follow their Western counterparts and embrace the Internet as one of their primary booking channels for travel products? Will on-line intermediaries develop into dominant forces in the marketplace? Will it become easier for foreign customers to organise and book their own customised trips to China on-line? 

Moderator: Peter O’Connor - Associate Professor, Information Systems, & Co-Director IMHI-ESSEC Business School
Panel :
Peter Gould - Chairman, Great Hotels of the World Organization
Tim Davis - SVP Distribution & e-Commerce, Hilton International
Jim Young - SVP, Global Distribution, Inter-Continental Hotels Group
Nicolas Besse - Web Distribution Director, Accor

Session sponsored by IMHI - Essec Business School