Gebert Janssen is an international event professional, lecturer, author and speaker with more than twenty years of experience in the fields of events, hospitality and experience management.

Mark Rachuonyo Ogendi is a hospitality strategy and advisory professional with over 20 years of leadership and consulting experience across MICE development, destination strategy, healthcare hospitality integration, and institutional transformation in East Africa.

A certified meeting professional with a DCom in leadership performance and change. As an author, conference organiser, and industry speaker, she chairs Tourism Educators South Africa (TESA) and leads the Executive Development Programme for Women in Tourism at Unisa.

Over 30 years of industry and academic experience in tourism and hospitality industry, of which 15 years are in TVET teaching and training and 15 years in university teaching and training.

He is an international expert on Smart Tourism Destinations. He focuses on various research areas in Tourism like Innovation, Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, Smart Tourism/Smart Destinations, Rural Tourism, and Green Tech, in both the private and public sectors.

Paula holds two masters’ degrees: A master’s degree in International Development from the Instituto de Empresa (IE); and an Executive Master in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the Rome Business School. Furthermore, she has a double degree in International Relations and Translation and Interpreting from the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (ICADE).

Founder and CEO of Zuri Events, a pioneering business tourism, event
management, and sustainability consulting firm at the forefront of transforming Africa’s MICE ecosystem. A leading MICE (Meetings, Incentives,
Conferences & Exhibitions) development strategist in Africa, trade lawyer, and award-winning entrepreneur with close to 20 years of experience driving trade, investment, and destination competitiveness across global markets.