Global adventure travel leaders, tour operators, national tourism offices, CVBs,
travel agents and other travel professionals are preparing to gather together for the first Adventure Travel Professional Symposium in Orlando, Florida.From September 8th-9th the industry will discuss adventure travel market trends, sales
strategies, emerging destinations, risk management, sustainable tourism, and other
timely topics.

“A top line up of speakers will address the state of adventure and active travel
today - one of the world’s fastest growing tourism specialty markets - while
providing hands on information for improving sales and marketing. This is a
conference for anyone in the travel industry who is interested in better
understanding current trends and developments in adventure and active travel,” said
Costas Christ, Conference Chair and President of the Adventure Council.

Fran Farrell, Publisher of National Geographic Adventure magazine will deliver the
Opening Keynote Address on The Adventure Travel Revolution: Opportunities and
Challenges. This will be followed by a panel discussion entitled The Future of
Adventure Travel: A 100 Billion Dollar Industry in Search of an Identity. Joining
the discussion will be Yiannis Skevis, President, Aegean Adventures, Nadia Le Bon,
Director of Special Programs, Mountain Travel Sobek, Richard Edwards, Executive
Director, Trusted Adventures, and Alexander Souri, President, Relief Riders
International. John Canning, Yahoo! Travel Media Group, will moderate the panel on
Staying Ahead of the Curve: Harnessing Innovation and Information Technology for
More Effective Marketing and Sales joined by James O’Leonard, CEO, Peak 15 , Amber
Hayes, CEO, Adventure Engine, Richard Weiss, Principal, R. Weiss and other IT travel
experts.

Ecotourism pioneer and Chairman of Judges for the World Travel and Tourism Council
Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, Costas Christ, will deliver the Luncheon Keynote, How
Responsible Tourism is Transforming the Travel Industry.

Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Secretary General of The Caribbean Tourism Organization
will moderate a discussion on Destination Success Stories: How States, Regions and
Countries are Positioning Themselves in the Expanding Active and Adventure Travel
Market. Joining him will be other distinguished professionals in the industry such
as Edward Bergman, Executive Director, Africa Travel Association, David Brown,
Executive Director, America Outdoors, and Leo LeBon, Founder of Mountain Travel
Sobek and Wanderlust Travel Marketing.

Jim Sano, CEO, Geographic Expeditions will serve as the moderator of Preparing for
the Unknown: Health, Safety, Security and Risk Management for Adventure Travel
Operators. He will be joined by Tom Zavadsky, Executive Vice President, Travel Guard
Insurance and Greg Takehara, Vice President, The Berkeley Group. 
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