Can you believe it? Travel Massive Asia Conference in Da Nang is practically right around the corner. Get ready to meet fellow Travel Massive members from our network in Vietnam and across Asia — and from the UK, USA and beyond. We can’t wait to see you at Ariyana Convention Centre (at Furama Resort) in Da Nang.
You might have already noticed the growing speaker list on our event page. Plus, we’ve selected the finalists of the travel startup pitch competition who will be presenting on the stage and exhibiting at the Travel Massive Startup Booth on the exhibition floor at HorecFex on both days (26-27 August).
Learn from experts in tourism, travel tech, and hospitality at Travel Massive Asia Conference in Da Nang.
It’s going to be an incredible two-days at HorecFex and Travel Massive Asia Conference, and there’s still space for you to join — we’re expecting over 3000 attendees and 80 exhibitor booths at the show.
With the clock ticking down, we figured it was high time to reveal the rest of the Travel Massive Asia Conference lineup. So here we go!
Ian Cumming (LinkedIn) is the founder and developer of Travel Massive — the global professional network that connects thousands of innovators, executives and creators who are creating the future of travel. Ian is also a founding partner of Social Entrepreneurs in Tourism which provides industry support and recognition for social entrepreneurs to develop sustainable tourism projects in their local destinations.
Natalya Wissink (LinkedIn) is founder and CEO of Secret Experiences — providing cultural experiences and customized activities focused on food and beverage, and urban exploration. The company also hosts private events and corporate activities for global companies, including Google, Apple, Instagram, Deloitte, and Airbnb. Residing in Vietnam since 2013, Natalya also leads Travel Massive Vietnam and is actively involved in various programs supporting entrepreneurship and innovation across Vietnam’s tourism sector.
Megan Ly (LinkedIn) is the Country Manager of PR Newswire, a Cision company, where she leads strategic growth and communications initiatives in Vietnam. With a decade of experience in communications consulting, Megan works closely with brands across sectors—from hospitality and technology to FMCG—helping them amplify their voice and visibility on the global stage. She is passionate about helping organizations craft meaningful narratives and engage audiences worldwide through thoughtful, strategic communication.
Sally Bunnell (LinkedIn) is a founder and CEO of NaviSavi — a video-first travel platform that showcases authentic, bookable, and licensable UGC video content and experiences. As a former music industry executive, Sally has been involved in creating and marketing short-form video content for Millennials and Gen Z with influential artists and brands that have generated over 1 Billion cumulative YouTube views. Sally is also a digital nomad, having visited 118 countries (and counting) while developing her business.
Ric Gazarian is an extreme traveler who has visited over 185 countries, and is host of the Counting Countries podcast, where he interviews the world’s most traveled and interesting travelers who are pursuing the goal of visiting all 193 U.N. countries. Ric is also the founder of the Extraordinary Travel Festival — a global event that brings together the world’s most accomplished and adventurous travelers.
Seiya Hongo (LinkedIn) is co-founder and CEO of Shiitake Creative, a Tokyo-based multilingual creative agency specializing in crafting innovative promotional content for Japan’s travel industry. Working with both regional and national government bodies, including the Japan Tourism Agency and Japan National Tourism Organization, Seiya brings a global perspective to help share Japan’s culture with the world. A registered travel content consultant with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Seiya is passionate about updating traditional narratives and creating inclusive experiences for international audiences.
Ally Hongo (LinkedIn) is co-founder and chairperson of the Japan Travel Awards, Japan’s largest independent not-for-profit annual travel award program, created under the motto “Travel for Change. Change for Travel.” Now in its fifth year, the initiative spotlights sustainable and inclusive innovations shaping the future of travel in Japan. Originally from Bulgaria, Ally has lived in Japan since 2001, building a career at the intersection of media and tourism as a content creator and consultant.
Samuel Walter is the founder and CEO of Heads On Pillows. Based in Australia and Vietnam, his company supports hospitality, travel, and tourism businesses in building their digital presence across the APAC region through tailored digital marketing that focuses on increasing direct bookings. Samuel is a passionate digital entrepreneur and a. As the founder of 2 digital marketing agencies, his experience spans extensively across SEO, Performance Marketing, web design and social media for enterprises of all sizes.
Paul Heweitt is CEO of In Marketing We Trust, a distributed global digital marketing agency specialising in data-driven services to help brands grow their online presence — serving global travel clients including Expedia, ClubMed, and Globus. Originally from the UK and now based in Sydney, Paul is an advisory board member for Australia’s largest Association for Data-driven Marketing & Advertising, ADMA.
Max Kraynov (LinkedIn) is a seasoned executive and M&A advisor with over 25 years of experience in scaling technology businesses and facilitating strategic transactions. As the founder of IQaaS Advisory, he specializes in working with travel and media startups valued between $10m and $250m, providing advice to ambitious founders. Max is an exited founder and has been a CEO of two successful companies (Aviasales and FunCorp). He resides in Sydney, Australia.
Anne Somanas (LinkedIn) is a hospitality media & travel trade journalist with TTG Asia Media, contributing news reports, analyses and opinion pieces about matters that are impactful to the tourism industry. Anne is also a passionate community builder who helms numerous communities with united interests in Bangkok, most notably the Bangkok Recycling Chain - a grassroots movement to divert waste from landfills, find new homes for unused items and educate people about circular economy.
Jacobo Priegue Martínez serves as Head of Operations and co-founder of SODÅ, a fast growing agency which provides tailored hotel management services for long-term partnerships or specific consulting projects. SODÅ’s goal is to power free-spirited hotels, emerging hotel groups and visionary hotel developers to elevate their craft and become maestros of hospitality. Originally from Spain, Jacobo has been in Vietnam for over a decade collaborating with international management companies and hotel owners to lead a new wave of hospitality.
Tan Mai is the Founder & CEO of TravelThru, a travel tech startup transforming airport transportation with premium pre-booking and car hire services in 150+ countries and 700+ cities worldwide. Tan brings practical insight into creating seamless, customer-focused travel solutions with a background in B2B and B2B and over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry. TravelThru proudly sponsors major events including Vietnam International Fashion Week.
Crystal Phuong is an experienced leader in sales, marketing, and account management in hospitality technology across Asia Pacific and the Middle East. She currently serves as Head of Account Management, Asia Pacific at Hospitality Solutions (formerly Sabre Hospitality Solutions), where she leads a high-performing regional team focused on strategic partnerships, customer success, and helping hoteliers unlock new revenue opportunities through distribution, retailing, gift cards, and AI-driven guest solutions.
Phuc Le is the Director of the Da Nang Semiconductor and AI Center (DSAC), leading the city’s strategy to develop a competitive semiconductor and AI ecosystem. He and his team drive talent programs, industry partnerships, and startup support, including collaboration with global partners such as NVIDIA, Synopsys, Google, and Arizona State University. DSAC’s initiatives span design training, an advanced packaging lab effort, AI/HPC infrastructure, and policy facilitation for high‑tech investment. Phuc advises on AI and semiconductor policy and works closely with local and international stakeholders to accelerate innovation and market adoption in Vietnam and the broader region.
Chris Tran is the Creator and Host of Chris.Tran.Travels, a personal brand focused on travel, culture, and education. He creates content that helps overseas Vietnamese and global audiences reconnect with Vietnam through language, history, and immersive experiences. His work spans cultural storytelling, mutual aid, and heritage-inspired travel. Chris also runs Bamboo Bridge, the company behind language-learning platforms like Survival Vietnamese.
David Kaye is a branding and marketing industry leader, creative, writer, and editor. As Wink Hotels’ Marketing & Branding Director, David serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Dot Magazine — a popular insider guide to Vietnam. Before that, David helped build the international media company Vietcetera, where he launched the first Vietnam Food and Beverage Awards (nicknamed ‘the Banh Mi Awards’). In his free time, David also writes for international publications like Artsy, Drink Magazine Asia, and Condé Nast.
Maeve Nolan is Director of Product at EXO Travel, with over 25 years of experience shaping the landscape of high-end travel. Maeve is a recognized expert in B2B and B2C tourism who has called Asia home for over two decades. In her role as a product developer, she has built a career on creating authentic, experiential journeys. When not focusing on product and business development, she can be found exploring the world on two wheels — always seeking the next adventure, often in remote regions.
Panel: Top Travel Trends for 2026 — 2:35pm - 3:15pm
Alright, are you feeling suitably inspired and excited yet? We thought so! This is just a taste of the incredible energy and ideas you’ll discover at Travel Massive Asia Conference.
Workshops, startup pitches, in-depth discussions, networking opportunities, and an international community to help power you through the rest of the year.
So, what are you waiting for? Get your free pass and join us for an unforgettable day of learning and connecting. See you in Da Nang!
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Comments
Looking forward to all the exciting workshops, panels, startup pitches and networking! Can’t wait to see everyone in Da Nang next week 🤩
Hi everyone, we're so excited to be putting this event together! I've just arrived in Vietnam to help @natalya and the team set up for next week. The food in Da Nang is so good (and very affordable), and it's easy to get around using Grab app (download this if you're attending, it's a must). Da Nang is a very social and welcoming city, so if you hang out in a spot you'll make new friends in no time — there's a huge Digital Nomad scene out here from all nationalities. See you all soon down at the beach and at the conference! 🏖️