Da Nang is about to become the center of the travel world for two days — and you’re invited.
Travel Massive Asia Conference 2026 (August 21–22) brings together the travel industry’s brightest founders, creators, and marketers for two days of learning, connection, and big ideas at Ariyana Convention Centre with HorecFex (Day 1) and Namia River Retreat (Day 2) in Da Nang, Vietnam — where travel innovation, creation, and marketing take center stage.
Join Top Travel Innovators, Creators, and Marketers at Travel Massive Asia Conference 2026.
Across two days, expect expert-led workshops, industry panels, founder interviews, a startup pitch competition, tourism and creator masterclasses, and community activations. This year, we’re also introducing a hands-on masterclass program on Day 2 at Namia River Retreat — a five-star villa resort and meeting space in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hoi An. Plus, the team behind Secret Experiences will be revealing the venue for an exclusive afterparty on the day itself.
Travel Massive Asia Conference is produced in partnership with HorecFex (taking place August 21–22) — the premier technology event for the tourism and hospitality industry in Vietnam which attracts over 4,000 attendees and 80 exhibitors.
Here’s your first look at who will be on stage — a lineup that spans hospitality tech leaders, veteran journalists, YouTube creators, market researchers, startup founders, and extreme travelers, all united by a passion for where travel is heading next. Ready to join them? Grab your early bird ticket now.
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 Aven Hospitality (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.
Tracie May (Instagram) is an award-winning American PR and Marketing Executive, Event Producer, Magazine Editor, and internationally recognized content creator with more than 27 years of experience across hospitality, travel, fashion, beauty, and luxury lifestyle. A highly visible social-media KOL, she is known for creating engaging digital content spotlighting destinations, hotels, dining, fashion, and culture throughout Vietnam and beyond. Tracie hosted Chat.Travel, a popular YouTube series focused on hospitality, travel, and lifestyle in Vietnam, and has contributed hundreds of published features to leading U.S. media outlets. She currently serves as Brand Ambassador for Oriental Media and TravelThru, and has appeared as a guest judge on Top Chef Vietnam and Super Cake – Siêu Bánh.
Ivy Nhi Chau is the CEO & Founder of Ivy+Partners, a culture-focused Communications Consultancy in Vietnam. With over a decade of experience in PR & Communications, she has worked with diverse brands across Vietnam and the region, providing strategic direction and leading high-performing teams at Ivy+Partners to drive impactful success. Since 2021, Ivy+Partners has partnered with 80+ brands from 15+ countries, helping international brands enter Vietnam while supporting local brands in expanding beyond borders.
Lina Gedvilaite is the Co-Founder and COO of Seek Sophie, the curated travel marketplace that’s redefining travel as a force for good. Originally from Lithuania and shaped by many years in the US, she and co-founder Jacinta Lim launched Seek Sophie from Singapore in 2018. From the very start the intention has been that every experience benefits local communities, protects wildlife, and respects the planet.
Richard Burrage (LinkedIn) has 35 years of experience in market research and consulting, including 28 years in Vietnam helping numerous brands achieve market leadership. He is the Founder of Cimigo (cimigo.com), a leading market research agency, and has facilitated the creation of over 60 brands in Vietnam. A regular speaker on consumer trends, innovation, and customer experience, Richard also teaches Asian Consumer Behaviour at Loyola University Chicago’s Quinlan Business School. He is a trustee of the Saigon Children’s Charity and resides in Ho Chi Minh City with his three children. A passionate runner, he has completed 27 marathons worldwide.
Hao Tran is the CEO and Co-Founder of Vietcetera, Vietnam’s leading digital media network connecting the country with the world since 2016. Through editorial content, podcasts, and live events, he has created a platform where Vietnam’s next generation of leaders, founders, and innovators share ideas that matter. His mission is simple: bring Vietnam to the world, and the world to Vietnam.
Hoang Le Duy leads Vietnam market expansion at Headout, the global booking platform behind 50 million guest experiences across 500+ cities. German-born and Saigon-based, he brings a dual perspective as both a distribution operator and experience creator — having co-founded Vibeji, an experience booking platform, and produced the Mystic Night Show, one of Saigon’s most beloved live productions with 350+ performances.
Anne Somanas (LinkedIn) is is a hospitality media and 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.
Stephanie Hays (YouTube) is the co-creator of travel YouTube channel Steph and Pete (115K subscribers), and a travel advisor with Fora Travel. Her career spans digital marketing at G Adventures in London, CEO of a Mumbai-based social enterprise offering community tours across India, and Brand Director for Chattanooga’s tourism board. After 18 months of full-time family travel, she settled in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where she creates content, advises clients, and this past February led a student trip to Hoi An and Chiang Mai. Having visited 65 countries, Asia remains her favorite place to travel and live.
Ric Gazarian is an extreme traveler who has visited over 190 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.
Samuel Walter (LinkedIn) 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 two digital marketing agencies, his experience spans extensively across SEO, Performance Marketing, web design and social media for enterprises of all sizes.
Paul Hewett (LinkedIn) is 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.
Frederik Wissink (LinkedIn) is the author of Expat and photographer behind Vietnam Uninterrupted. He has spent over 20 years photographing Vietnam for leading travel and hospitality brands including Condé Nast Traveller, Four Seasons, Hyatt, Accor, and Zannier Hotels. His work has appeared on more than 60 magazine covers, and he has created multiple exhibitions. Frederik also leads photography walks for Secret Experiences, sharing the art of street photography and the history of Saigon.
Fran Dieguez (LinkedIn) grew up in his family’s guesthouse and never left the industry — he just decided to change it. As CEO of Nuna, he helps hotels break free from the grip of online travel agencies through direct sales strategy, booking technology, and smart marketing. His belief is straightforward: booking platforms shouldn’t earn more than hotel owners. Fran combines a hotelier’s instincts with a technologist’s toolkit to put more revenue back where it belongs — with the people running the hotels.
Garth Adams (LinkedIn) is the Founder of I Want That Flight and I Know The Pilot; Flight deal platforms with over 400k newsletter subscribers and 550k on Facebook. Since launching in 2016, Garth has built one of the most engaged travel communities in the region — powered by great deals and an obsessive focus on what travellers actually want.
👉 We’re quickly filling our last few speaker slots — the program will be published and announced on our newsletter and socials in the coming weeks. Secure your early bird tickets before we announce all the speakers!
This is just our first round of speakers — and we’re filling the remaining slots fast. The full program will be published in the coming weeks, with more names still to be announced.
Early bird tickets are still available, but not for long. Grab yours now and watch the lineup grow.
👉 Secure your early bird ticket before the full speaker lineup drops
And we’d love to hear from you. Drop a comment below and tell us which speakers you’re most excited to see in Da Nang! Mention a friend or colleague who should be there too.
— See you this August in Da Nang, Vietnam!
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Comments
So excited to finally share this! Me and @Natalya have been working hard behind the scenes for many weeks to put together a Travel Massive conference worthy of last year's incredible event, and I think we're well on our way. It's wonderful to be welcoming so many brilliant voices to Da Nang this August.
As well as the conference, Da Nang is one of my favourite destinations to visit for many reasons... including great city and beach vibes, amazing food, friendly locals, easy to get around, and a buzzing tech and expat scene. Plus, we have an incredible and vibrant Travel Massive community in Vietnam. I cannot wait to return this August!
And one more thing to watch for this week — we will be opening up the call for startups. If you or someone you know has something worth pitching, stay tuned! 🙌
Amazing to be part of this fantastic speaker line up!! Last year was a very rewarding experience for all, I know this year will be even better.