Tourism Luminaries Headed to CHIEF Event in Miami

An accomplished roster of speakers, including a top executive from Virgin Atlantic, a leading authority on tourism intelligence and a host of respected hoteliers, will address delegates attending the annual Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum, slated to take place from June 2 to 4 at the Hyatt Regency Miami.

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association reports that Britain’s Mark Anderson, Executive Vice President at Virgin Atlantic, and Trinidadian Dr. Auliana Poon, Managing Director of Tourism Intelligence International, are among the list of speakers for the forum, which features a number of educational sessions.

At CHIEF, the region’s hospitality industry assembles to network, learn, share ideas and collectively brainstorm creative solutions to current challenges.

Caribbean hotelier Sir Royston Hopkin, KCMG, will keynote the conference, addressing the importance of excellence in Caribbean tourism.

Tourism executive and former CHTA President Simón Suárez, Vice President of Institutional Relations and Projects of Grupo Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, will also address conference-goers, along with Bonita Morgan, Director of Resource Mobilization and Development of the public sector Caribbean Tourism Organization.

Ewald Beimans, Owner and Managing Director of Aruba’s award-winning and environmentally friendly Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort; Sandro Fabris, General Manager of the acclaimed Half Moon in Montego Bay in Jamaica; and sustainable tourism specialist Denaye Hinds, Director of Sustainability of OBM International will also participate in the conference.

This year’s CHIEF offers attendees the chance to be part of intimate professional development sessions on Friday June 2.

During the CHIEF conference, attendees get to customize their experience with a choice of 16 industry-relevant topics throughout the conference.

General session tracks focus on leveraging marketing potential, embedding sustainability into tourism offerings, and LGBTQ travel.

Other more specialized sessions will highlight areas such as branding strategies, cost management, customer service, local sourcing and upselling.

CHIEF will also recognize Caribbean businesses that masterfully implement best practices in the categories of Operations, Sales and Marketing, Environmental Sustainability, and Social Responsibility.

— Dana Niland, CJ Contributor