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Gen Z and the transformation of travel

Wednesday, 8 March | 14:00 – 14:45 CET | Convention Hall 3.1, Green Stage

Speakers:

David Chapman

WYSE Travel Confederation

Etienne Matichard

JO&JOE

Shayna Zand

WeTravel

Lauren A. Koenig

CELITECH

WYSE Travel confederation presents a panel of youth and student travel specialists who will share post-pandemic insights and discuss how motivations and behaviours will shape international travel and tourism in the years to come.

David
Chapman

Director General

WYSE Travel Confederation

For the past years as Director General of WYSE Travel Confederation, David has led the Amsterdam-based team in representing and advocating the youth, student and educational travel industry. During his tenure as Director General, WYSE Travel Confederation has expanded upon its legacy of producing essential market research and industry events, and supporting top-notch youth travel organisations worldwide.

Prior to becoming Director General, David was an active board member of STAY WYSE and chairman of WYSE Travel Confederation. He brought a wealth of experience in both the youth travel and hospitality sectors, having served for six years as COO and Deputy Director of a London based non-profit social centre with student accommodation. He also worked at some of the best hotels in Europe including Grosvenor House, The Waldorf and the George V in Paris before becoming General Manager of several of the UK’s top country house hotels.

Etienne Matichard - JO&JOE

Etienne
Matichard

Director of Sales

Ennismore
Etienne Matichard is the Director of Sales for Ennismore, a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with creativity & purpose at their heart. The collective’s JO&JOE brand is a hybrid hospitality concept dedicated to young travellers.

Etienne believes that youth travel is shaping the future of tourism and that the hospitality industry should follow its path. Following this philosophy, he has worked for different fields of the tourism industry in five different countries in Europe and the Americas. Having worked for companies such as Disney World, Sofitel, Generator and Accor, Etienne has become a “hotel geek,” a tireless business developer and a passionate traveller. He is also a member of the accommodation sector panel of WYSE Travel Confederation.

Etienne holds a BA in International Trade from the ESCE business school and a MA in International Business and Trade from the Sorbonne University.

Shayna Zand WeTravel

Shayna
Zand

Head of Partnerships

WeTravel
As WeTravel’s Head of Partnerships, Shayna Zand brings with her 10+ years in the tour operator space and working with various partners in the travel industry. She joined the team in May 2022 to build relationships with existing and new partners.
She also is the Vice-Chair on the Board of Directors for Tourism Cares and is based in Toronto, Canada. She loves to travel and has had the pleasure of visiting 85+ countries.
Shayna Zand WeTravel

Lauren A. Koenig

Chief Marketing Officer

CELITECH

Lauren is a change-agent by nature with deep experience in travel tech and a penchant for disruptive innovation. Born and raised in the American Midwest, she lived in France, Silicon Valley, and NYC, where she most recently founded TWIP—Travel With Interesting People—to address key gaps in travel personalisation. TWIP’s patent-pending technology empowers brands to engage with consumers at a meaningful, highly customised level. TWIP was recipient of the People’s Choice Award at Phocuswright travel tech conference and winner of Lufthansa’s innovation award given to startups igniting industry change. She also led digital (and the occasional tour) at the International Kitchen, an award-winning global culinary tour operator, and has worked on the front lines in the hospitality industry in Chicago and NYC. Lauren left growth consultancy Orchid Black as Brand Director to be the Chief Marketing Officer for CELITECH, an award-winning eSIM solution for travel providers. Great products, smart UI/UX, brand integrity, and most of all, travel technology is where she lives.