One of the highlights of Luxperience has always been the vibrant social and networking events. For 2018, event organisers have completely revamped the opening night and Awards events. After all, the show is not all about work; there is plenty of time for play too.
For the first time, the highly anticipated opening night event for Luxperience 2018 will be combined with the excitement of the Luxperience Award winners being announced, all in the sumptuous surroundings of the Merivale ivy Ballroom this Sunday night, 16 September.
The Awards will recognise innovative products and services, exceptional experiential tourism products, examples of social responsibility and outstanding marketing campaigns. They will also highlight a visionary tourism office, which has influenced the development of luxury and experiential tourism within their country or region.
Over the years, Luxperience has built a reputation of hosting groundbreaking and motivating speakers and 2018 will be no different. This year’s keynote speaker at the Opening Session is the erudite and innovative Dr Jordan Nguyen (pictured above), inventor of the mind-controlled smart wheelchair.
“In line with this year’s theme: The Blue Print – A World Re-Designed, we have chosen an impressive speaker who embodies this ethos,” said Luxperience Event Director Michelle Papas. “Jordan’s life is spent re-thinking and re-imagining computers to enhance the lives of the less able-bodied: A noble cause and one we can all learn from to help us re-design our own lives.”
“The World Re-Designed theme is continued during the business component of Luxperience,” continued Papas. “Each day offers the delegates an unmissable seminar which expands their knowledge on the luxury industry and redefines ways for them to capitalise on this new found knowledge for their clients.”
Following the keynote speech and Awards, the frivolity and conviviality will continue at the ‘Welcome to Sydney Party’ next door at Merivale’s ivy Den and Lounge. Taste buds will be tempted by delectable morsels inspired by the multicultural delights hidden within the global metropolis of Sydney.
Luxperience partner, Merivale, is also the official Luxperience After Party venue. It is hosting those keen night owls at the Establishment on Sunday and Monday evenings and at Hemmesphere on Tuesday night.
The business action of the invitation-only Luxperience commences on Monday 17 September at 8.30am and runs through until Wednesday 19 September. Highlights include:
Monday 17 September: Engaging Guests with Sustainability – Business Beyond Green-washing
The panel will discuss the business challenges and successes of several case studies on sustainability and how businesses walk the line between green-washing and providing an exclusive and genuinely engaging experiences. It will talk about what appeals to those travellers looking to make a difference, to engage, or transform through meaningful travel and the importance of having metrics in place to measure the impact of this engagement.
Panel:
John Daw – Executive Officer, Australian Wildlife Journeys
James Wyndham – General Manager, Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley
Moderator:
Penny Rafferty, Global Manager Premium, Tourism Australia.
Tuesday 18 September: Luxury Market Insights Panel Discussion
This preeminent panel of cutting edge communicators will discuss the state of marketing in the luxury goods and service industry. It will look to where the communications world is heading. There will be time for questions from the audience to enable delegates to gain valuable insights from these experts.
Panel:
Chris Walton – Managing Director – Sydney, Nunn Media
Douglas Nicol – Co-founder and Partner, The Works
Nicholas Gray – CEO, The Australian
Laura Jones – Managing Director, Frank PR
Moderator:
Tim Burrowes – Content Director, Mumbrella
Wednesday 19 September: The One Business Elegance That Never Fades
Presented by: Mark Carter – Director, Presenter, Speaker, Author, & Coach
Inspired by Audrey Hepburn, a timeless role model and epitome of class and luxury, who lived by the philosophy ‘you’ve got to look at yourself objectively, analyse yourself like an instrument’. In the same vein, this golden age inspired business session will focus on classic themes for business success yet adapted for contemporary, creative relevance in luxury markets.
An official app has also been released, providing instant access to all of the latest event information including the official program, delegate diary, speaker profiles, event partners and more. Simply search ‘Luxperience 2018′ in the App store or Google Play to download the application.