Clare Dewhirst Director City Nation Place +447455 232830

Clare is the Founder and Director of City Nation Place, the global forum for the people and stories behind places. 

City Nation Place creates connections and shares best practice between country brands, regional brands, and city brands around the world through articles, interviews, surveys, white papers, the advisory group network, and conferences.  

Clare’s interest in the complex area of place branding was sparked whilst working on a series of Nation Branding Masterclass events, led by Simon Anholt, one of the first thought-leaders to speak about and promote the concept of place branding. Having listened to Simon address audiences in Accra, Delhi, Dubai, London and Singapore on how policy, governance, and symbolic actions need to combine with branding and marketing to create a competitive identity and drive economic growth, she continued to follow the growth in this sector. 

Clare launched the first City Nation Place Global conference in London in 2015. CityNationPlace.com has been steadily building followers and in 2017, the first City Nation Place Americas conference was launched. In 2018 City Nation Place Asia Pacific took place in Singapore, and 2019 saw the first City Nation Place UK, specifically for towns, cities and regions across the UK, and the launch of the first City Nation Place LatAm & Caribbean event. 

Clare manages the small team at City Nation Place alongside providing event consultancy and management for a number of clients in the publishing and trade association sector, including running the World Media Awards for the World Media Group and event consultancy for the UK Association for Online Publishers.

Lord Kim Darroch KCMG Former British Ambassador to the USA and former security adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron

Lord Darroch is a retired UK civil servant and life peer in the House of Lords. His diplomatic career spanned over 40 years, primarily focusing on national security issues and European policy.

Most recently, Lord Darroch served as the British Ambassador to the United States (2016-2019). Prior to Washington, he was National Security Adviser to Prime Minister David Cameron (2012-2015), and in that role, oversaw issues such as the rise of Daesh in Iraq and Syria, Russian aggression in Ukraine, and the collapse of government authority in Libya. In addition, he worked in senior roles on UK-EU policy and multilateral negotiations, including spells as Permanent Representative to the European Union (2007-2011) and as EU Adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair (2004-2007).

Earlier in his career, Lord Darroch worked in a wide range of positions and policy specialties, including Private Secretary to Minister of State for the Middle East, Head of the Adriatic Department during the Dayton Accord negotiations, and as Head of the News Department at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

In addition to his two ambassadorial postings, Lord Darroch completed tours in Brussels, Rome, and Tokyo.

In 1997, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG), and as a Knight Commander (KCMG) in 2008. In 2019, he was made a life peer in the House of Lords.

He was born in 1954 in the village of South Stanley, County Durham in the North of England. He attended Durham University, where he read Zoology, and joined the Diplomatic Service in 1977. He married his wife, Vanessa, in 1978. They have two adult children, Simon and Georgina

Christian Biller Brand Strategist Swedish Institute (SI)

Christian Biller is a Brand Strategist at the Swedish Institute (SI), based in Stockholm. With a career at SI that spans over fifteen years since 2007, he has been working with the marketing and communication of Sweden through a variety of strategic initiatives. One of Christian's contributions includes the communication concept, "Pioneer the Possible," aimed at bolstering Sweden's position in export and investment promotion.

Currently, he is part of the Unit for the Image of Sweden Analysis, where he holds a specialized responsibility for the business sector, Sweden’s overall brand strategy and Sweden’s visual identity.

Neil Frauenglass Chief Marketing Officer Visit Philadelphia

Neil Frauenglass has over 25 years of marketing experience with McCann Worldgroup, Ann Taylor Stores and most currently, VISIT PHILADELPHIA. Over the course of his marketing career, he’s led integrated, multi-channel teams across agencies and countries to yield award winning campaigns for his clients. His experience spans a broad variety of categories, including travel, retail, consumer package goods and financial services. He is adept at building partnerships, understanding the demands of businesses that run at retail speed, and the power of branding to rise above deals and promotions. His clients over the years have included Qualcomm, OppenheimerFunds, HomeGoods, Coca Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Verizon, Kohl’s, and MasterCard.

At VISIT PHILADELPHIA, Neil leads advertising, social, web and paid media, and is currently leading efforts to build programming and marketing for America’s semi-quincentennial in Philadelphia throughout 2026.  

Neil currently resides in Old City, Philadelphia on Elfreth’s Alley, the nation’s oldest continuously residential street. He oversees the preservation and programming for this National Historic Landmark as president emeritus of the Elfreth’s Alley Association.

H. E. Nouf Mohamed Al-Bushlaibi Executive Director, Strategic Marketing & Communications Sector Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi

HE Nouf Mohamed Al-Boushelaibi is delivering transformative marketing and communications projects for Abu Dhabi.

As the Executive Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), Al-Boushelaibi’s mandate is to share Abu Dhabi with the world, delivering and enabling excellence in integrated communications and unified storytelling for DCT and its stakeholders.

To deliver on this mandate, Al-Boushelaibi continues to transform DCT’s marketing and communications across local and global markets, through innovative and cutting-edge campaigns. She is committed to equipping the next generation of Emirati’s with the skills and expertise they need, creating a diverse, high-performing team.

Under her leadership, she has guided the organisation and destination rebrand, unifying culture and tourism marketing and communications in the emirate, and successfully launched Experience Abu Dhabi brand, positioning the emirate globally as a unique and enriching cultural and entertainment destination.

Before joining DCT Abu Dhabi, Al-Boushelaibi was a board member of Experience Hub, and Director of the Destination & Marketing Management Department at Miral where she shaped the corporate narrative and culture, drove the global destination strategy and oversaw the overall Visitor Experience strategy for Yas Island. Previously she was Head of Corporate Communications for Abu Dhabi’s Water & Electricity Regulation and Supervision Bureau where she pioneered a consumer centric approach to the organisations strategy and communications. Al Boushelaibi also worked with Mubadala under the Aerospace Division.

She has a master’s degree in Business Information Technology from DePaul University in Chicago and also completed the Global Change Agents and Women in Leadership Executive Course at Harvard Business School. She also has a bachelor’s in Business Administration, with a concentration in Information Systems from Boston University.

Sithembile Ntombela Chief Executive Officer (Acting) Brand South Africa

Sithembile Ntombela has been part of the Brand South Africa team for over a decade. A prolific marketer with over 22 years of marketing experience in private and public sector and has a deep understanding of the marketing and brand environments.

She has extensive classical marketing experience in FMCG, global marketing, and destination (Nation Brand) marketing. A leader with the mission to innovate and improve overall company performance. She is a prudent decision-maker and an inspiring leader that strives to build high performing teams.

Sithembile has held senior managerial positions from diverse companies and her experiences include developing and implementing impactful, successful, and sustainable brand strategies.

Sithembile completed her Marketing undergraduate qualification at Mangosuthu University of Technology in KZN. She later pursued and completed a Post Graduate National Diploma in Marketing and BPHIL Honours in Marketing through the Institute of Marketing Management (IMM) and a Masters in Commerce (MCOM) from MANCOSA.

She is a Chartered Marketer (CM-SA) with the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA) and a member of Black Management Forum.

She is also an Advisory board member the CMO Council (Sub Saharan Africa) and City Nation Place where she continues to share her insights relating to dynamics in brand and marketing world.

Jess Radford Director of Place Branding & Operations Brand Tasmania

Jess Radford is the Director of Place Branding & Operations at Brand Tasmania.

Brand Tasmania is a statutory authority and State Government agency tasked with taking a best practice approach to ensure the Tasmanian brand is strengthened locally, nationally and internationally, and is promoted as a key asset of the Tasmanian community.

In her role, Jess leads Brand Tasmania’s corporate, strategic, and business planning activities, and manages Brand Tasmania’s government relations through a client-service agenda. Together with her colleagues at Brand Tasmania she works with partners on inventive projects to unite Tasmanians around a central brand expression, through communication and action.

Ben Lynam Head of Strategic Communications The Travel Foundation

Ben is Head of Strategic Communications at the Travel Foundation, a global sustainable tourism NGO which works with businesses and destinations to improve tourism’s impacts. He has been at the Travel Foundation for 12 years and has led the development of its influential industry research reports such as Destinations at Risk: The Invisible Burden of Tourism with Cornell in 2019, Towards Destination Stewardship published by the World Travel and Tourism Council in 2021, and 2023’s Envisioning Tourism in 2030 & Beyond in partnership with a Dutch university collaborative. This year he will bring us two new reports: “Climate Justice in Tourism: An Introductory Guide”, and the findings of a research project looking at delivering a more equitable distribution of value for destinations, which he will present at City Nation Place Global. He also chairs the communications working group for the Future of Tourism Coalition and is also part of the team that developed and supports the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism, launched by the UN World Tourism Organisation at COP26 in Glasgow, which is supporting destinations and businesses to halve tourism’s global carbon footprint by 2030.

Patrick Torrent Executive Director Catalan Tourist Board

Patrick Torrent is graduated in Industrial Psychology for the Organizations by the University of Barcelona and Bachelor in Law by the UNED, he has formation in Marketing Management from ESADE, and in Systems Management Information by Master Associates

From 2005 to 2009, he was Deputy Director General of Consorci Turisme de Catalunya and Deputy Director of the Catalan Tourist Board from 2010 when it was create until 2013. He is currently Executive Director of the Catalan Tourist Board.

He has participated actively in the creation of the new Catalan Tourist Board and stimulated the definition of three Strategic Plans of Tourism in Catalonia. He has also coordinated the two Tourism Marketing Plans of Catalonia.

He has been Associate Teacher at different universities and speaker and organizer of several symposiums, seminars, workshops and forums focused on tourism and its marketing.

Since 2015, Mr. Torrent has represented Catalonia at NECSTouR. From 2015 to 2021, he has held the Presidency and currently holds the Vice-Presidency of this network that brings together 41 Regional Tourism Authorities and 39 partner organisations.

Qasa Alom Presenter BBC

Qasa Alom presents the iconic “Today at Wimbledon” BBC Tennis programme and is on ‘The Travel Show”. He is an established broadcaster who has worked on various landmark events such as the Commonwealth Games, the London Marathon and several General Elections.

Qasa has a keen passion for environmental conservation and hosts the BBC Green Sport Awards as well as presenting programmes for The Climate Question, Costing the Earth and chairing panels for the UN at COP 26 & COP 27.

During his career Qasa has made an award winning investigative series on the illegal sex trade in Stoke-on-Trent and regularly presents on BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio 4 and The World Service.

Caroline Boccarosse Director, Advertising Sales, Western Europe BBC Studios

Caroline Boccarosse is Director, Advertising Sales, Western Europe for BBC Studios, the international commercial arm of the BBC.

Caroline joined the BBC’s London team in 2022 after 3 years working at the BBC in the U.S., where she led partnerships for clients based in the Midwest region. In her current role, Caroline oversees partnerships across multiple categories, including travel and tourism.

Prior to joining the BBC, Caroline worked at some of the world’s leading news media brands including the New York Times and the Washington Post, , developing experience across branded content, digital, programmatic, audio, TV, and print media.

Laura Citron OBE CEO London & Partners

Laura is CEO of London & Partners, the growth agency for London. Our mission is to create economic growth that is resilient, sustainable and inclusive. We drive investment, innovation and entrepreneurship and make London a brilliant destination for visitors and Londoners.

Laura is proud to lead the teams behind flagship brands including Visit London, Let’s Do London, Grow London, London Tech Week, MedCity London, DotLondon and Opportunity London.

Since Laura became CEO, London & Partners has created 42,500 jobs and added £1.9bn to the London economy.

Before joining London & Partners, Laura led the global Government & Public Sector Practice at WPP, the FTSE 100 global leader in marketing and communications.

Rossana Dresdner Cid Executive Director Imagen de Chile Foundation

Journalist from the University of Chile, she has a broad background in the field of Communications and extensive experience in Communication Management, Corporate Affairs, and Political Communication, where she has built a career as an advisor to political authorities.

She has held positions such as Communications Director for the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, Communications Chief at the Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage, Communications Advisor to three Presidents of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, and advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile for the national and international communications campaign on the implementation of the Chilean Vote Abroad. For over 10 years, she was a press advisor to former President Ricardo Lagos.

She is also a writer and published her first novel, “Pasajeros en Tránsito,” in 2012, and the second, "Honorables,” in 2020. Since January 2023, is the Executive Director of Imagen de Chile Foundation.

Asbjørn Overgaard Christiansen CEO / Managing Director Copenhagen Capacity

Asbjørn Overgaard took up the position as CEO in Copenhagen Capacity on 1 June 2020 being at the forefront of attracting and retaining foreign companies and talents, with the aim of creating growth and development in Greater Copenhagen. Throughout his career, Asbjørn has worked in both private companies and public organizations and close to the political decision-making process. Asbjørn has a long experience from positions as Director of Danish Shipping, a number of positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Private Secretary to the Minister of Trade and Investment, Deputy Ambassador and Deputy Director of Invest in Denmark.

Guðrið Højgaard CEO Visit Faroe Islands

Guðrið Højgaard is the Director of Visit Faroe Islands, the official tourist board of the Faroe Islands. Since 2012, when she moved back to her native islands after 20 years abroad, her job has been to put the Faroe Islands on the world map as a must-see tourist destination.

Since then, Visit Faroe Islands has won more than 100 international marketing awards and Guðrið was on the Politico 28 list over people likely to be “shaping, shaking and stirring Europe in 2019”, the first ever tourism director on the list.

Guðrið has vast experience in the tourism industry, having worked as marketing director for Visit Stockholm and marketing manager for Visit Denmark in Sweden. She holds a Master Degree (Cand.Merc.) in International Marketing & Communication from Copenhagen Business School and Stockholm University.

Since 2018 Visit Faroe Islands is a combined marketing and management organisation.

Adriana Acosta Rivas Marketing, Communication & Country Brand Director Essential COSTA RICA

Adriana Acosta is the Marketing and Communication Director of PROCOMER (The Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter) and oversees the strategic direction of the country brand Essential Costa Rica. Adriana has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and advertising, and she had been the head of conception and development of strategies for brands of diverse sectors such as real state, wines and distillates, premium brands, services, and fast-moving consumer goods.

Prior to joining PROCOMER, Adriana as a Marketing Director and Senior Executive, developed marketing strategies, frame and conduct marketing research, develop customer journeys and lead the social media and advertising strategy for different clients and companies. She also explored her entrepreneur side creating and managing her own advertising agency for 8 years.

Adriana is graduate of the Costa Rica University of Communication and Advertising program and has an MBA in Marketing. She has experience developing new business, leading marketing teams, managing the relation with advertising, social media and public relations agencies, commercial partners, press media and events agencies and has served as the spokesperson of different companies.

Wiktoria Herun Deputy Director for Academic Affairs and Economic Promotion Lublin Municipal Office

Wiktoria Herun - Deputy Director for Academic Affairs and Economic Promotion, Lublin City Office, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Department. 

Coordinator of Study in Lublin program in cooperation with 9 local universities. 

One of the many co-authors of the Lublin 2030 Strategy: The process of developing the Lublin 2030 Strategy involved a large team and required the use of carefully selected working methods and tools. Using innovative research methods, thousands of opinions and ideas were gathered, which have been poured into the city's policies for 2030. Focusing on the inhabitants and actively involving them at the stage of planning the future of the city made it possible to assign to them the role of co-authors of the Lublin 2030 Strategy.

Coordinator of the EuniverCities network. The aim of the cooperation is mutual learning how to create the most attractive conditions for studying, as well as the promotion of the existing scientific and didactic potential in a given city; 

Brisa Byford Lead Strategist CivicBrand

Brisa is a seasoned place brand strategist with an extensive track record of successfully leading place branding, planning, and community engagement projects. Her commitment to the vitality and identity of places is not just a profession but a passion. In her capacity as lead strategist at CivicBrand, Brisa assumes a pivotal role in steering the community engagement and brand strategy process. Her expertise lies in collaborating with communities to craft and share their unique stories, inspiring residents, investors, and visitors alike.

Andria Godfrey Vice President, Data Science Miles Partnership

Combining her passion for marketing and expertise in leveraging data strategies to drive destination growth, Andria leads data-driven initiatives and guides implementation of future-focused analytics at Miles Partnership. Prior to joining Miles, Andria led the Travel and Tourism team at Epsilon, developing global advertising and data management platforms to support the travel industry. Throughout her career Andria has focused on developing data solutions and bringing them to the global industry to promote travel and economic development across destinations.

Andria has held senior positions with Longwoods International, ADARA, the Georgia Department of Economic Development and Travel Texas. In addition to her role at Miles, she is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California where she teaches applied research and finance.

Erin Marvin Director of Communications Miles Partnership

Erin Marvin is the Director of Communications at Miles Partnership, a global marketing consultancy focused exclusively on travel and tourism.

Drawing on more than two decades of content marketing experience, Erin oversees the development and execution of Miles Partnership’s corporate communications and marketing initiatives to foster brand awareness, build strong relationships with key stakeholders and drive new business growth

With a keen eye for emerging trends and a deep understanding of the travel landscape, Erin also collaborates with account teams to identify innovative opportunities for client brand engagement and amplification. Her expertise in crafting compelling narratives and leveraging data-driven insights helps ensure that Miles Partnership and its clients remain at the forefront of the travel industry.

Fernando Prado Abuín Managing Partner Reputation Lab

Fernando Prado is one of the most recognised international experts in reputation and brand management. He is co-creator of cutting-edge reputation measurement tools such as RepTrak^® and RepCore^®. His branding and communication strategies, as well as his research projects on reputation and sustainability have won several national and international awards for their effectiveness and innovation.

Fernando has helped many of the largest companies in Spain and Latin America, as well as relevant multinational companies, in their reputation management. He is also an expert in the reputation of nations and has helped different governments in the management of their country brand.

Before joining Reputation Lab, he headed Reputation Institute (a world leader in corporate reputation measurement and management) in Spain and Latin America for 13 years. During his time at Reputation Institute, Fernando also led the company's global place reputation practice.

Previously, he worked for 10 years at WPP Group in positions related to brand strategy: CEO of Kantya Brand Strategies (Spain), Head of Strategic Planning at JWT Spain, Global BRANDZ Coordinator at Millward Brown Chicago and Strategic Planner at Ogilvy New York.

Fernando Prado holds a BA (Hons.) in International Business Management from ICADE (Madrid) and Middlesex University (London), and an MBA from IESE (Barcelona).

Natalia Arenzana Managing Partner Reputation Lab

Natalia Arenzana has an extensive background in scientific research and marketing. After several years in institutions such as CSIC (Madrid) and Columbia University (New York), in 2001 she joined the Marketing Department of Lilly in Spain, where she supported the launch of new products in Spain. She then worked at the advertising agency Tandem DDB in strategic planning, contributing to award-winning campaigns and the repositioning of IBEX 35 brands.

In 2004, Natalia joined Havas Media as Director of Strategic Projects, where she developed methodologies to innovate in the touch points between brands and consumers. Subsequently, at Havas Media Consulting, she led management and reorganisation projects in the communications areas of large companies in different sectors of activity. Between 2008 and 2014, she was managing partner at TheBigPic and Brandfusion, agencies focused on building strong brands and regular collaborators of Reputation Institute in branding and reputation measurement projects.

In 2017, she co-founded Reputation Intelligence, which was absorbed by Reputation Institute in 2018. In 2020, together with former colleagues, she founded Reputation Lab to continue advising corporations and institutions on brand and reputation management.

Natalia holds an MBA from the IE Business School, a PhD in Biological Sciences from the Complutense University of Madrid and a BS in the same discipline.

Chris Fair President & CEO Resonance

As President of Resonance, Chris leads a team of leading global advisors on placemaking, branding and marketing for destinations, cities, districts, and developments around the world. Chris holds a Masters degree in Studies of the Future and specializes in trend analysis, visioning, strategic planning and marketing for destinations, cities, and communities.

In 2016, he designed the World’s Best Cities rankings to define and benchmark the performance of more than 400 cities around the world. The Best Cities rankings have become one of the most trusted and cited metrics on urban perception and performance.

Chris is also a frequent speaker and commentator on global tourism, real estate and urban development trends, and is a past Chairman of the Urban Land Institute’s Travel Experience & Trends Council, a member of the Project for Public Spaces Leadership Council, and instructor in Placemaking at New York University.

Roland Kleve Managing Director Citymarketing Eindhoven – Eindhoven365

Roland Kleve is the brand-new Managing Director of City Marketing and Public Events in Eindhoven. He brings a broad career background with a strong focus on well-being.

Roland's journey in well-being—spanning hospitality, leisure, and customer experience—began in 1991 at EuroDisney France, a year before the park’s opening. This formative experience deeply influenced his career, driving him to executive positions at Stage Entertainment, Race Circuit Zandvoort, and Bobbejaanland. In 2018, he became the Dean of the Academy of Leisure & Events at Breda University. Now, back in his hometown of Eindhoven, everything has come full circle for him.

Today, Eindhoven is facing one of the largest expansion plans for the next 10 years. The city is experiencing enormous economic growth, leading to a significant demand for additional labor. But what about housing and infrastructure? How do we turn a house into a home? And what about the softer aspects—leisure, sports, culture, and recreation? How are we connecting with our communities and residents?

From these questions, our connection project, Open Eindhoven, was born.

Jose Torres CEO and Global director for Nation and Place Branding Bloom Consulting

Bloom Consulting CEO

www.bloom-consulting.com

Since 2003 Mr. Torres has been advising Countries in the field of Nation Branding and City Branding, working directly with heads of state, directors of National Tourism Organizations and Investment Promotion Agencies.

His clients include Countries, Regions and Cities such as Australia, Costa Rica, Israel, Jamaica, Poland, Sweden, Stockholm and many others spread across all five continents.

Mr. Torres collaborates directly with the World Economic Forum in the matters of Nation Branding and is a guest speaker in some of the most prestigious universities in USA and Europe, such as HARVARD, the London Business School, Stockholm School of Economics and many others, being interviewed by The Economist, BBC, Guardian and CNN.

Since 2011 his company performs a global research project called the Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking and most recently the Digital Country Index and the Digital City Index

Adriana Acosta Rivas Marketing, Communication & Country Brand Director Essential COSTA RICA

Adriana Acosta is the Marketing and Communication Director of PROCOMER (The Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter) and oversees the strategic direction of the country brand Essential Costa Rica. Adriana has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and advertising, and she had been the head of conception and development of strategies for brands of diverse sectors such as real state, wines and distillates, premium brands, services, and fast-moving consumer goods.

Prior to joining PROCOMER, Adriana as a Marketing Director and Senior Executive, developed marketing strategies, frame and conduct marketing research, develop customer journeys and lead the social media and advertising strategy for different clients and companies. She also explored her entrepreneur side creating and managing her own advertising agency for 8 years.

Adriana is graduate of the Costa Rica University of Communication and Advertising program and has an MBA in Marketing. She has experience developing new business, leading marketing teams, managing the relation with advertising, social media and public relations agencies, commercial partners, press media and events agencies and has served as the spokesperson of different companies.

Steve Duncan Managing Director C Studios

Steve Duncan is Managing Director of C Studios (www.c-studios.com), the marketing communications agency for places. With over two decades of expertise in place marketing, Steve has collaborated with cities, regions, countries, research parks, and real estate developments across virtually every major world region to reach executives and skilled talents.

A vocal advocate for digital place promotion, Steve has authored multiple studies on investment promotion, talent attraction and digital marketing. Those include "What Talent Wants: Capturing What Europe's Workforce Seeks in Jobs & Locations," “Winning Strategies in Investment Promotion Marketing,” and "The State of Digital Advertising in Economic Development." His speaking roles on these core topics have featured at City Nation Place Global, FDI Leaders Network, IEDC Annual & Leadership Conferences, MIPIM and various client stakeholder events.

At C Studios, Steve leads a team specializing in elevating place brands globally, focusing on strategy and implementation for international talent attraction, investment promotion, and trade promotion initiatives. Previously, he spent 19 years with Development Counsellors International (DCI), the New York-based leader in marketing places. His strategic approach and innovative thinking have made him a trusted advisor to organizations like Costa Rica's CINDE, Austrian Business Agency, Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, Luxembourg Let's Make It Happen, EDB Singapore, Invest Alberta, and Invest Puerto Rico.

A journalism graduate from Pennsylvania State University, Steve has dedicated his entire career to place marketing, continuously adapting strategies to meet the evolving digital landscape. His experience spans lead generation, public relations and advertising, all aimed at enhancing a destination's findability, credibility and lovability among decision-makers in an increasingly online world.

When not working to put places on the map, Steve is usually trying to put himself somewhere on it. He has cycled some of the world's most famous passes and mountain roads, is a wine enthusiast that has tasted grapes on four continents, and is known to get up before dawn to capture the perfect sunrise photo.

Beryl Koltz Head of Luxembourg Image Brand Promotion LuXembourg – Let’s Make It Happen

Film director and multimedia communication expert by profession, Beryl Koltz has been working since 2020 as the Head of the Luxembourg brand image promotion, better known as the “LuXembourg - Let's make it happen” initiative. Within the Ministry of the Economy of Luxembourg, the operational “LuXembourg - Let's make it happen” cell is a team of eight people responsible for inspiring and coordinating stakeholders in order to promote Luxembourg's brand image abroad.

Anu Koski Senior Manager, Talent Brand & Marketing Helsinki Partners

Anu is working at Helsinki Partners and responsible for international talent attraction brand and marketing. Anu has a long background on international destination marketing and has been working also on a national level in international visitor attraction. In her current position Anu is responsible for building and executing Helsinki’s brand and raising Helsinki’s global awareness as an excellent place to work and live. Additionally, Anu is a strong believer in diversity and international cities as well as working environments.

Ted Sullivan CMO Zartico

A global adventurer, Ted believes travel makes us kinder, smarter and overall better human beings. With over 25 years in the hospitality and tourism industry, he's covered a lot of ground and has extensive knowledge and experience in global travel marketing, data, analytics, branding and media. His goal for Zartico is to work with communities to improve the lives of its visitors and residents, as well as, our own employees.

Prior to joining Zartico, Ted led the global product development, marketing and sales of ADARA’s analytics products for destinations, airlines and hotels. Prior to ADARA Ted was the VP of Business Strategy for MMGY Global.

Mr. Sullivan’s goal is to change the KPIs of community measurement in the tourism and economic development industry to help destinations embrace the opportunity to make life better for all who live and visit the region.

He is a popular International speaker and contributor to industry publications and conferences. He educates the destination industry to embrace their inner geek, love of travel experiences and the utilization of data to make better, more impactful decisions. Ted just moved from London to Cape Cod with his wife Emily, their daughter Coley attends DePaul University in Chicago, and they welcomed their second daughter Izola to the world three years ago.

Whether he's 'working' or not you can find him in a quaint pub in Ireland, Orleans, Madrid, Slovenia or anywhere really... making friends with the locals and adding a bit of color to his stories for the benefit of those who are listening

Sarah Lehman CEO Zartico

Sarah Lehman is a dynamic leader, innovator, and the current CEO of Zartico. Her vision and leadership have been instrumental in shaping the company's path as makers of the first Destination Operating System. Zartico harnesses the power of data science, AI, and technology to create strategic planning and optimization solutions for destination leaders throughout North America.

Before stepping into her role at Zartico, Sarah Lehman was the CEO/President of ENVE Composites. Under her leadership, the company transformed from a startup into one of the most viable businesses in the cycling industry. This journey culminated in the successful sale of ENVE to Amer Sports Group. Her leadership at ENVE earned her prestigious accolades, including CEO of the Year by Utah Business Magazine, Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, and the Women in Technology Award.

Lehman also brings over twenty years of experience from the biotech and pharmaceutical sectors, where she held various marketing, sales, and operational roles. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA/BS from Boston University.

Lehman serves on several boards, including Visit Salt Lake City Board, U.S. Travel Board, and is current Board Chair of the Rowland Hall Board of Trustees. She has also served as Chapter Chair for Utah’s Young Presidents Organization and was a member of the Governor’s Economic Council, Utah’s STEM Action Center, and Utah’s Commission for Higher Education.

In her free time, she enjoys spending her free time hiking, biking, and traveling with her husband and three children. A native of Green Bay, Wisconsin, she is also a passionate Packers fan.

Konrad Jagodzinski Place Branding Director Brand Finance

Konrad leads Brand Finance’s place branding and soft power practice. He liaises with clients, directs consulting projects, and is responsible for the creation and promotion of the annual Global Soft Power Index, Nation Brands, and City Index studies.

Konrad has extensive experience in advising clients in the fields of place branding and public diplomacy. Before joining Brand Finance, he worked at the Polish Embassy in London where he developed and delivered successful marketing communications campaigns as well as media relations programmes of official engagements by the president, prime minister, government ministers, and the ambassador.

In his role at Brand Finance, Konrad has advised a variety of place branding organisations, including the GREAT Britain and Northern Ireland Campaign, Austrade, and Cape Town Tourism.

Before moving on to grow the place branding practice, Konrad was the Communications Director of Brand Finance and Managing Director of Brand Finance’s PR agency – Brand Dialogue for 5 years. He has a proven track record in executing integrated communications strategies, having been responsible for publishing nearly 100 industry and country reports on the world’s most valuable brands on an annual basis.

Konrad has qualified with the Professional PR Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). He studied European Studies MA at King’s College London and the Humboldt University in Berlin, and International Relations with Political Science BA at the University of Birmingham.

Artur Bryzghalov Place Branding Manager Brand Finance

Artur joined Brand Finance in 2018 after graduating from the King's College London in Political Economy. Artur is the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Artur is fluent in three languages - English, Russian and Ukrainian. Artur has experience in valuation, strategy, market research analysis for clients including Chevron, Iberia, Etihad, and stc. Artur also has experience in Brand Finance’s sports services offering, in particular, measurement and return on investment projects with global clients like Formula 1. Currently, Artur leads place branding projects at Brand Finance, in particular, the Global Soft Power Index and Brand Finance City Indices.

Simon Moriarty Vice President, Research and Analytics MMGY Global

Simon Moriarty is MMGY's VP of Research & Analytics, responsible for syndicated research across the Travel Intelligence portfolio globally. He has worked as a trend and consumer expert for nearly twenty years, and has led teams of researchers in Brazil, China, India, and the UK. As a keynote speaker he has presented at events all across the world, from Sao Paulo to Sunderland, and has been featured in publications including the Guardian and the New York Times.

Clare Dewhirst Director City Nation Place +447455 232830

Clare is the Founder and Director of City Nation Place, the global forum for the people and stories behind places. 

City Nation Place creates connections and shares best practice between country brands, regional brands, and city brands around the world through articles, interviews, surveys, white papers, the advisory group network, and conferences.  

Clare’s interest in the complex area of place branding was sparked whilst working on a series of Nation Branding Masterclass events, led by Simon Anholt, one of the first thought-leaders to speak about and promote the concept of place branding. Having listened to Simon address audiences in Accra, Delhi, Dubai, London and Singapore on how policy, governance, and symbolic actions need to combine with branding and marketing to create a competitive identity and drive economic growth, she continued to follow the growth in this sector. 

Clare launched the first City Nation Place Global conference in London in 2015. CityNationPlace.com has been steadily building followers and in 2017, the first City Nation Place Americas conference was launched. In 2018 City Nation Place Asia Pacific took place in Singapore, and 2019 saw the first City Nation Place UK, specifically for towns, cities and regions across the UK, and the launch of the first City Nation Place LatAm & Caribbean event. 

Clare manages the small team at City Nation Place alongside providing event consultancy and management for a number of clients in the publishing and trade association sector, including running the World Media Awards for the World Media Group and event consultancy for the UK Association for Online Publishers.

Joy Priya Somasundram Principal, fDi Strategies fDi Intelligence

Joy heads up the fDi Strategies consulting team and is a legally-trained FDI and economic development expert, with 10 years experience advising a diverse range of organisations from national and sub-national investment promoting authorities to development institutions and banks worldwide.

Joy has significant experience working on investment promotion strategies, business retention and expansion engagements, and best practice investment facilitation approaches for sustainable FDI projects.

Barry Rogers Head of the Dublin City Tourism Unit Dublin City Council Culture Company

Barry Rogers is the Head of the Dublin City Tourism Unit. The Unit is responsible for tourism development across Dublin City. The Unit is also responsible for the Smart Tourism Programme for Dublin which is focused on driving innovation in the tourism industry and establishing Dublin as a world-leading 'Smart Destination'. The programme manages over 20 projects across the city including the development of new and interactive experiences such as the Dublin Discovery Trails app.

Dublin’s Smart Tourism Programme recently won the prestigious Global Tourism Innovation award for best Digital and Innovation Destination and Dublin is also the 2024 European Capital of Smart Tourism. Barry has previously worked with Tourism Ireland in the areas of strategy development, corporate governance, policy and tourism data and Insights.

He has a BA and MA in Tourism Economics and Policy from the National Centre for Tourism Policy Studies at the University of Limerick.

Daniel Hengeveld Vice President of Investment Attraction Toronto Global

Daniel Hengeveld is the Vice President of Investment Attraction at Toronto Global, Toronto's Investment Promotion Agency. Toronto Global plays a crucial role in providing multinational firms considering international expansion with the strategic advice, guidance, and data necessary to advance their growth objectives. Daniel focuses on attracting high-impact investments from leading innovators and forward-thinking organizations that enhance Toronto's standing on the global stage. His work is pivotal in aligning innovation and economic growth, ensuring that Toronto remains at the forefront of a rapidly evolving global economy. In addition to his work at Toronto Global, he serves on the board of Impact Zero, an accelerator focused on the circular economy.

Janneke Hendrikx Global Head of PR Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC)

As global head of PR at the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC), Janneke Hendrikx plays a crucial role in enhancing the competitive position of the Netherlands and bolstering the NL brand’s reputation.

She thrives on moving projects and people forward, always bringing a positive attitude and a touch of humour to drive meaningful change.

NBTC is the Netherlands' national destination management organization, working for and with partners on positioning, development, and marketing to make the Netherlands a liveable, popular, and valuable destination for residents, visitors, and businesses.