Agenda

At this year’s event, we’re introducing even more hours of diverse content, presented in a variety of formats to cater to all learning styles. Recognising that everyone consumes content differently, we’re thrilled to offer a unique blend of experiences in Malta, helping our delegates get the most out of every moment. We have created a variety of session formats and engagement styles throughout the two packed days of content to ensure a wide variety of learning styles are catered for across our members and partners.

Key

Plenary Session/Breakouts

Social Events

Filter through the days through the menu below:

Tuesday 13 May 2025

14:00 - 18:00
Delegate Registration
18:00 - 19:00
Sponsor’s drinks – invitation only

This event is by invite only.

18:00 - 19:00
Buddy Drinks

Welcoming first-timer delegates and solo attendees to The Advantage Conference 2025. 

19:00 onwards
Welcome Party

A warm welcome awaits as we join together for the start of The Advantage Conference 2025. 

Merkanti Beach Club

Wednesday 14 May 2025

07:00 - 7:45
Air, Land & Water

Get your day off to a great start with a choice of morning wellbeing sessions

08:30 - 10:50

Morning plenary sessions

Grand Masters Suite

Welcome to Journey Reimagined

Speaker: Dr Charles Mangion, Chairman, Visit Malta

An update from the Malta Tourist Board.

Journey Reimagined - A welcome from The CEO of The Advantage Travel Partnership

Speaker: Julia Lo-Bue Said, CEO, The Advantage Travel Partnership

Advantage CEO, Julia Lo Bue-Said kicks off The Advantage Conference 2025, welcoming members, partners and friends of Advantage to this year’s event.

The Economic Journey Reimagined

Speaker: Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times

In the last 12 months there’s been governmental change in the UK, Europe and latterly in the USA. Our opening keynote speaker cuts through the TV media hyperbole to tell us straight on how things may pan out for the global economy in the coming months and year and what effect that is likely to have on our travel businesses and customers.

Journey Reimagined – A Leadership View

Speakers: Oli Winton, Senior Managing Director, FTI | Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor, The Times | Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive, Airlines UK | Julia Lo-Bue Said, CEO, The Advantage Travel Partnership | Sophie Morgan, Moderator.

Leaders from political consultants, industry associations and the media come together for a lively debate on the outlook for the travel industry.

Journey Reimagined – A Consumer Perspective

Speakers: Kelly Cookes, CCO, The Advantage Travel Partnership | Mark Cuschieri, GBTA President | Lisa Minot, Chief Travel Correspondent, The Sun

Moving the debate from macro-political and economical to a consumer-focused perspective, senior figures from leisure and business travel, joined by a leading travel media commentator, will talk candidly on how they see the industry, what travellers can come to expect and how we as an industry can adapt and improve to be ready and able to thrive in the market place.

10:50 - 11:30

Refreshment break

Lobby area

11:30 - 13:15

Delegates can choose to attend either the leisure travel plenary session or business travel breakouts.

Leisure travel plenary session
Grand Masters Suite 

The News at 11.32 
Speakers: Kelly Cookes, CCO, The Advantage Travel Partnership and members of the Advantage team.

A lively Leisure Newscast ably anchored by Advantage Travel Partnerships’ very own CCO Kelly Cookes, joined by a host of roving reports and even a weather report from Kerri Thorpe.  This opening leisure business update is not to be missed; it is a fast-paced and energetic start to the leisure travel main stage sessions. 

AI – Advantage Insight 
Speakers: Alistair Harris, CEO, Lokulus | David Seed, Head of Product Engineering, Lokulus | David Moon, Head of Business Development, The Advantage Travel Partnership | Shevaun Joy, Director, Destination | Jake Cullum-Hollins, The Good Travel Agent 

AI is the most prevalent tech acronym in the travel industry today. At the same time, many of us make great use of Chat GPT, Gemini, and other applications, but there is still much to understand about the practical application of AI in the leisure travel world. Our expert panellists use real-life case studies from Advantage members to provide two real-world examples of how they have supported members in using and implementing AI technology with excellent results.  
 
It’s a Social Thing 
Speakers: David Forder, Marketing Director, The Advantage Travel Partnership | Heath Michael Heise, Llama Consulting 

A look into how TikTok can transform travel marketing. Industry experts will share key trends, audience engagement tactics, and content strategies, with exclusive insights from TikTok. Gain practical knowledge to elevate your brand and connect with travellers in new and dynamic ways.

Values Reimagined
Speakers: Paul Bixby, CCO, easyJet holidays | Mark Duguid, Managing Director Kuoni UK | Eithne Williamson, Vice President, Princess Cruises UK & Europe. Moderated by John Sullivan, Commercial Director, The Advantage Travel Partnership 

Our leadership panel session brings senior figures from the world of luxury travel, packaged holidays and cruises to our stage to hear their views on the industry and how things may adapt, change and develop for agencies and customers over the coming year. Speakers will draw on their own personal development stories through the medium of Advantages' relaunched corporate values, highlighting how their journey and their values and mission align or differ from Advantage

Leisure travel plenary session close 
Speaker: Kelly Cookes, CCO, The Advantage Travel Partnership
11:30-12:10: Business travel breakouts – round 1 
Choose from one of the three sessions below, taking note of the session location: 

Presence Masterclass
Verdala
Speaker: Sarah Blumenau, Communication Practitioner

Life stories

Vilhena & Wingacourt
Speaker: Andy Boorman, Head of Business Development, Advantage Travel Partnership 

Design Thinking Exercise
Pinton
Speaker: Stephen Baxendale, Technology Partnership Manager, Advantage Travel Partnership, Andrea Caulfield-Smith, Managing Director Global Business Travel, The Advantage Travel Partnership

          _____________________________________________________________________________________________

12:20 – 13:00: Business travel breakouts – round 2 
Choose from one of the three sessions below, taking note of the session location: 

Presence Masterclass
Verdala
Speaker: Sarah Blumenau, Communication Practitioner

Netwalking
Vilhena & Wingacourt
Hosts: Claudia Colins, Senior Partnerships Manager, Advantage Travel Partnership | Pelin Dede, Head of Supplier Partnerships, Lodging, Advantage Travel Partnership

Design Thinking Exercise
Pinton
Speaker: Stephen Baxendale, Technology Partnership Manager, Advantage Travel Partnership, Andrea Caulfield-Smith, Managing Director Global Business Travel, The Advantage Travel Partnership
13:00 - 14:15

Lunch

14:35 - 17:35
Speed networking

Spinola Suite

19:00 - 19:45
Pre-Dine Around drinks

Kindly supported by Vertical Systems.

19:45 - 23:00
Dine Arounds

Join us in various locations for an offsite event at a high-end restaurant.

Thursday 15 May 2025

07:00 - 7:45
Air, Land & Water

Get your day off to a great start with a choice of morning wellbeing sessions

08:30-10:00

Morning plenary sessions

Grand Masters Suite

Delegates can choose to attend either the business travel plenary session or leisure travel breakouts. 

Business travel plenary session
Grand Masters Suite 

Trailblazing – Our Future Vision 
Speaker: Andrea Caulfield-Smith, Managing Director Global Business Travel, The Advantage Travel Partnership 

Welcome to the main stage of business travel: Managing Director of Business Travel, Andrea Caulfield-Smith, with special guests, outlines The Advantage Travel Partnership’s future vision for business travel. The high-paced session will outline how the organisation plans to pioneer in business travel and ensure that members, partners, and the organisations and travellers they serve are ready for the future.  


Have I Got Business Travel News For You 
Speakers: Jo Layton, Moderator | Mike Owens, Sequel Travel | Natasha Inglis, CT Travel | Sam Orton, Meon Valley Travel | Chris Lewis, Travelogix | Andy Boorman, The Advantage Travel Partnership | Kate Wye, The Advantage Travel Partnership 

Fingers on buzzers as we tested panelists from our membership, tech, payment and lodging along with other Advantage business travel friends, in a fast-paced quiz-style session. 


Now Departing – The Future Of The Trip 
Speakers: Ashley Bowling, Mastercard | Mark Cuschieri, GBTA President | Claire French, Travelport | Suzanne Horner, Gray Dawes Group. Moderated by Andrea Caulfield-Smith, Managing Director Global Business Travel and Stephen Baxendale, Technology Partnership Manager, The Advantage Travel Partnership 

To close the business travel main stage, let us take you on a journey unlike any you have experienced. By 2030, over one-third of the workforce will be Gen Z. With their desire for technology and a seamless experience, the trip has to change to keep managed travel and the businesses that support it ready and relevant for this new generation. Bringing to life four key areas where groundbreaking technology will make a significant difference. Grab your digital boarding pass and see what the future of the trip has to deliver.


Business travel plenary session close 
Speaker: Andrea Caulfield-Smith, Managing Director Global Business Travel, The Advantage Travel Partnership
Choose from one of the three sessions below, taking note of the session location: 
08:30 - 09:10: Leisure travel breakouts round 1 

Presence Masterclass

Verdala
Speaker: Sarah Blumenau, Communication Practitioner

Life Stories
Vilhena & Wingacourt
Speaker: David Moon, Head of Business Development, Advantage Travel Partnership

Llama Social Media Workshop
Speakers: David Forder, Marketing Director, The Advantage Travel Partnership | Heath Michael Heise, Llama Consulting
          _____________________________________________________________________________________________

09:20 - 10:00: Leisure travel breakouts round 2 

Presence Masterclass
Verdala
Speaker: Sarah Blumenau, Communication Practitioner

Llama Social Media Workshop
Pinton
Speakers: David Forder, Marketing Director, The Advantage Travel Partnership | Heath Michael Heise, Llama Consulting

Netwalking
Victoria Hopper, Senior Commercial Manager, Advantage Travel Partnership | Sarah Miller, Senior Business Development Manager, Advantage Travel Partnership
10:00 - 10:30

Refreshment break

Lobby area 

10:30 -13:30

Main stage plenary sessions

Grand Masters Suite 

Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable – Part #1 Neurodivergence

Speaker: Sarah Blumenau, Communication Practitioner 

Media reports, including the BBC, estimate the global value of disability travel at $8 bn. On our closing day, we will use the main stage to ask the audience to get comfortable with the uncomfortable and reimagine the journey with disability foremost in their minds.  

In the first of two sessions, ADHD UK ambassador Sarah Blumenau will bring to life what it’s like to live and travel with ADHD and explain how travel providers can adapt and hone their offerings to capitalise on the opportunities that neurodivergent travellers offer the market.  

Get Comfortable with the Uncomfortable – Part #2 Accessibility reimagined

A fireside chat with our conference moderator Sophie Morgan, facilitated by John Sullivan, Commercial Director, Advantage Travel Partnership.

Closing Keynote

Speaker: Giles Duley, Photographer

A born storyteller, Giles is renowned for his work that deeply explores the long-term humanitarian impact of conflict. He links the importance of managing control and overcoming fear with embracing change, a critical aspect of both travel and personal growth. His incredible journey and commitment to human rights make him a powerful voice, and we look forward to hearing his insights as our conference in Malta draws to a close.

13:00 - 14:15

Lunch

14:45 - 17:00
Travel as a Force for Good activities

Delegates will participate in a range of sessions designed to support and give back to the local Maltese community. 

1. Coast is Clear 
Take part in a rural site cleanup to help protect Malta’s natural beauty.

2. Friends of the Earth 
Support an urban garden project that brings Maltese communities together.

3. Zibel Beach Clean 
Join a large-scale clean-up at Golden Bay to help remove waste from the coastline.

4. Inclusive by Design: Rethinking the Future of Travel for All
This is a unique opportunity to join an intimate conversation with several of our keynote speakers as we explore big questions around inclusivity, travel, and what it means to reimagine the journey. Together, we’ll consider what a truly accessible travel experience could look like, and what it will take to make that vision a reality. This will take place at the Hilton Malta.

Delegates can select their chosen Travel as a Force for Good activity here.

19:00 onwards
Farewell Party

Join us for our farewell party in a stunning location, where we can celebrate our time together learning, networking, and collaborating while enjoying some fantastic Maltese cuisine.

Friday 16 May 2025

Delegate start to depart

08:00 - 15.30
Advantage Golf Tournament

Royal Malta Golf Club

Kindly supported by Dolphin Dynamics.

Golf is back for The Advantage Conference 2025! Join your fellow delegates for 18 holes, BBQ & drinks and the chance to win prizes.  

*Golf clubs and buggies can be hired at cost. 

If you would like to sign up to play, please email the events team at events@advantagetravelpartnership.com. 

Pre/Post Conference Excursions

At this year's event, we will have some optional pre and post-excursions and local activities kindly hosted by VisitMalta available. Click the link below to find out more details.

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