John Sage

CEO & Founder
Sage Inclusion

John Sage is an industry leader in the large and growing accessible travel market as the founder and CEO of three accessible travel companies: Sage Traveling, which provides accessible vacations based on John’s first-hand accessibility inspections in fifty countries; Accessible Travel Solutions, which conducts accessible shore excursions for the cruise lines in more than 100 ports; and Sage Inclusion, which empowers travel businesses and destinations to succeed in the accessible travel market. John Sage is the only accessible travel company CEO who is a member of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

Angela Wiggins

Regional Manager
Viator-TripAdvisor

Angela Wiggins is the Regional Manager for New York City at Viator, where she has led the market for the past 10 years. With over 25 years of experience in the travel industry, Angela brings a diverse background that spans airline call centres, corporate travel, hotel revenue management, and roles at leading OTAs including Orbitz, Travelocity, and Agoda. She is a results-driven professional with a proven track record of exceeding revenue goals with a strong creative edge. Angela is widely recognised for her ability to build long-term, trusted client partnerships and was honoured as a 2024 NYC Women in Tourism award recipient for her leadership and impact in the industry.

Cristina Lopes

Global Director of Sales & Marketing
Hard Rock International

Cristina Lopes is the Director of S&M for all franchised cafes worldwide of Hard Rock International. She started her journey with Hard Rock Cafe Lisbon 20 years ago and today leads the teams of 117 cafes and 43 Rock Shops in 56 countries. Cristina Lopes was part of the Portuguese Army, where she worked in the Public Relations Office of the Army General Staff and participated in two Peacekeeping missions for the United Nations as a member of Civil Military Affairs. She attended the Lisbon School of Tourism and Hospitality in the area of PR and Communications. Her professional background includes part of the organising team of the East Timor Independence, Hard Rock Calling Festival (London), Pinktober and Veganuary globally. She has also successfully opened more than 30 new Hard Rock Cafe units in new markets across 5 continents.

Mario Alborés Rivas

Shore Excursions Product Development Manager
MSC Cruises

Mario Alborés Rivas is a tourism professional specialised in product development and shore excursion management at an international level. Based at the MSC Cruises headquarters in Geneva, he leads the creation and optimisation of programs for all customer segments, aligning innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence. With a strategic market vision and a strong attention to detail, Mario has built key partnerships with premium suppliers across the globe, transforming data and insights into memorable experiences that enhance brand value and guest satisfaction. Multilingual and with specialised training in digital marketing and tourism, Mario stands out for his strategic thinking, innovative approach, and excellence in supplier negotiations, bringing a modern and global perspective to cruise tourism.

Russell Hogarth

Branch Director West Midlands & Jersey
Towergate Insurance Brokers

Russell Hogarth is the Branch Director at Towergate Birmingham and Jersey. Towergate Insurance is one of the UK’s largest independent insurance brokers, providing a wide range of insurance products and services. Russell has been instrumental in leading the Birmingham and Jersey branches, focusing on delivering tailored insurance solutions to meet the diverse needs of commercial clients.

Russell has a notable presence in the insurance industry, with over 35 years of experience, 28 of which have been at Towergate. He therefore has many longstanding clients across many different industries and is able to assist the majority of businesses with their insurance requirements.

Warren Lai

Account Director
Towergate International

Warren is an accomplished Account Director at Towergate Corporate and International, bringing over a decade of multinational insurance experience to the role. Before joining Towergate, he was at Aon, where he played a key role in delivering innovative risk solutions for global clients. Warren specialises in structuring and managing complex, large-scale insurance placements, including non-conventional risk transfer strategies and global programmes spanning more than 20 territories. His expertise lies in navigating the intricacies of international insurance markets and delivering tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of multinational organisations. Throughout his career, Warren has been involved with several UK and global broking committees; his strategic insight and collaborative approach make him a trusted advisor to clients and colleagues alike.

Andrés Rodríguez

Market Development Director
Dragon Trail International

Andrés has a solid background in the Chinese travel market, having lived in China for ten years, eight of which working in the travel industry. Before joining Dragon Trail, Andrés worked in marketing & business development for two different Beijing-based DMCs. He also worked in the past for the global research firm YouGov, having conducted extensive research on the travel industry in Italy and Europe. Andrés has served at Dragon Trail as the main liaison for many entities in Europe
including Valencia and Madrid Regions, Turespaña, and ENIT.

Carla Bonacasa

Customer Management
ClimatePartner

Carla Bonacasa currently serves as Sustainability Account Manager at ClimatePartner, where she has advised companies from a wide range of sectors—including mobility and tourism—on the development and execution of their climate action strategies for more than three years. Her role encompasses end-to-end guidance throughout the entire decarbonization journey: from carbon footprint calculation and emissions reduction to offsetting and climate contribution, as well as strategic communication of sustainability initiatives.