DST 2018 - Speakers at Plenary Session

Meet Plenary Session speakers.

Tuesday, 09. October 2018, Grand hotel Bernardin, Europa hall

In the central Plenary session, after the introductory examination of projects aimed at realising the objectives of the current strategy and an analysis of the performance indicators of the Slovenian hotel sector, we will focus on priorities, strategies and measures to make a breakthrough and achieve a higher price position and to increase added value in Slovenian tourism.

Detailed program

Zdravko Počivalšek

Minister of Economic Development and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia

Zdravko Počivalšek has just begun his second term as Minister. He gained his first leadership experience at the Šmarje pri Jelšah Agricultural Combine; he also served as the Managing Director of the Šmarje pri Jelšah Agricultural Cooperative and the company Mlekarne Celeia. Before he began his term as Minister, he managed Terme Olimia Spa, and received numerous recognitions of his work, such as the award of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia for exceptional achievements in business and entrepreneurship in 2005 and the prestigious Manager title in 2010. 

Realization of the Strategy for Sustainable Growth of Slovenian Tourism 2017-2021 

Andrej Prebil Linkedin

Chairman of the Tourism and Hospitality Chamber of Slovenia

Andrej Prebil serves as a member of the governing board and is an executive director for investments and real estate at the company DUTB d.d. He is the President of the Tourism and Hospitality Chamber of Slovenia and Chairman of the Board of the Slovenian Tourist Board. In his career, he has worked for companies that required business or financial restructuring and crisis management. He is an exceptional strategist, and a leader who excels in managing crisis situations.

Projects of the Tourism and Hospitality Chamber of Slovenia to increase added value in the Slovenian tourist industry

Peter Vesenjak Linkedin

director, Hosting d.o.o 

Founder and managing director of consulting company Hosting d.o.o. (LLC), Peter Vesenjak, has 32 years of intensive experience in all levels of tourism sector; management, consulting, operations and investment development in public and private sector in tourism and tourism related projects. Prior to his entrepreneurial career, he was engaged for 3 years as a State secretary for tourism in the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and prior to that for 5 years as Member of the local government of the City of Ptuj responsible for tourism and trade. 

Analysis of performance indicators, added value and price positioning of the hotel sector in Slovenia in the 2008-2017 period

Has the hotel sector created sufficient added value during the period of the growth of demand and physical indicators to guarantee competitiveness in the target markets of the future? Business results and the prices achieved in the sector in the preceding period pose great challenges to the hotel sector for achieving objectives.

Ivana Budin Arhanić Linkedin

Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Affairs

After graduating in Economics from Middleburry College, receiving MBA from Harvard Business School and spending three years as a strategy management consultant in Boston and in New York, Ivana Budin Arhanić joined Valamar group. She was appointed to the Management Boards of Valamar group d.d., Valamar Adria holding d.d., and Valamar Riviera d.d. as a member. Three years ago, she became Vice President of Business Development and Corporate Affairs.  

Valamar Business Growth & Development Strategy

Valamar Riviera d.d. is Croatia's largest and fastest growing tourism company, the most attractive employer in tourism sector, the biggest investor in touristic assets, products and services and an innovator in destination development, digitalization, corporate social responsibility and service excellence.

Doug Lansky Linkedin

Senior Consultant in Hospitality

Doug Lansky advises destinations and speaks at travel conferences all over the world and is the author of 10 books. Doug had a weekly syndicated travel column in over 40 newspapers for five years, hosted a Travel Channel show, served as travel editor for Scandinavian Airlines inflight magazine for three years and, more recently, as Destinations Editor and columnist for Skift. He has contributed to publications such as National Geographic Traveler, Reader’s Digest, The Guardian, National Geographic Adventure and Huffington Post.

Adding Smart Value to Hospitality

Travel, like almost all industries, is in a constant state of transition. That means no matter how much success you have achieved, the same strategy that worked yesterday to get you there is unlikely to carry you to the place you'd like to be.

Dodatne informacije