Speakers announced for sell-out travel conference
Brendan Hall, Bonita Norris and Rachel Woolf will be guest speakers at The Travel Network Group’s three-night Beyond the Expected conference in Budapest next week.
In 2009 Hall led his his yacht to victory in the round the world yacht race, despite being the youngest and least experienced skipper in the race. "At the conference, he will share with delegates how he won the race, not by being the best sailor or strategist, but through having the most engaged and empowered on-board culture, together with a compelling vision, strong values and a continuous improvement mindset," said TTNG.
Norris, the youngest person to reach both the summit of Everest and the North Pole, has also conquered Lhotse, part of the Everest massif and the fourth highest peak in the world. In doing so she became the first British woman to reach the summit.
In Budapest, she will take delegates through lessons in harnessing self-belief that she learned facing up to the world’s toughest and most dangerous expeditions.
Woolf is an international coach and facilitator who specialises in leadership, strategy and top team development. She has extensive managerial experience and has also been a GB Rowing medallist at numerous world championships. She has driven global leadership and talent development programmes which have been rolled out on a large scale across multiple continents helping to increase employee engagement.
TTNG CEO Gary Lewis said: "We have selected three extremely highly regarded speakers for this year’s event, all of which have so much experience to share with our members and reinforce, perfectly, the conference theme: Beyond the Expected. They have all been selected on their ability to motivate and inspire and will share strategies that will help members develop their own teams and drive strong performance in the face of change, disruption and uncertainty."
The conference has attracted 515 delegates, including 327 members. "Our conference was a complete sell-out long before the speakers were announced, which is an amazing achievement and proves that they trust us to deliver a conference with speakers and content that will resonate with their business journeys," he said.
"We spend a great deal of time planning for our conferences, making sure that the-end-to-end experience for our members will be a completely enriching and rewarding experience for them. We believe that what we have planned for Budapest will make this year’s conference our best ever."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026