The launch edition of WiT Queenstown will kick off with an A-list cast of speakers ranging from Nikhil Ravishankar, CEO of Air New Zealand, to Omri Morgenshtern, CEO of Agoda, Sankar Narayan, CEO & Managing Director, SiteMinder and Katrina Barry, CEO, Webjet.
They join a line-up of close to 50 travel leaders from across Asia, Australasia and beyond who will debate “The Next 20: Innovation At The World’s Edge” on July 20-21 at the Queenstown Memorial Centre.
“The programme blends the best of global, regional and local voices and reinforces our purpose of bridging travel tech innovation across continents,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, Founder, WiT, the Singapore-based travel tech media and events platform, which is part of the Northstar Travel Group. “This is not just a New Zealand or Australasia event, but the world converging on Queenstown to explore innovation at the world’s edge. And as we know, great things often happen at the edge.”
Sarah Russell, CEO of Technology Queenstown, which is hosting the event, said, “We are excited to be releasing the programme for WiT Queenstown today, with a breadth of topics key to the future of the travel sector.”
In a first for New Zealand, this event will cover everything from global power plays in the AI-first travel economy, the changing marketing funnel and distribution landscape, and reinventing corporate travel, to how tech is improving the airport experience, the surge in experiences, and the evolution of payments in travel.
“The fact we have attracted such a high calibre of global players to participate in person is testament to the district’s strong reputation as a travel destination,” said Russell.
Technology Queenstown is spearheading efforts to position New Zealand on the global stage, expanding beyond traditional tourism into high-value technology solutions that can deliver higher-value economic growth.
“With a mission to build a $1 billion world leading technology sector in Queenstown Lakes District over the next 20 years, this is an important step towards leveraging that reputation to foster a testing ground for Travel and Hospitality Tech innovation that enhance the travel experience,” said Russell.
The WiT Queenstown programme is available here and tickets can be purchased here.
