Steve Lowy, BETA Chairman & Session Moderator
Steve grew up in the Hospitality industry with both his parents working in the hotel trade. He went onto to study Hospitality & Tourism Management at the University of Salford. Having created the umi Hotels brand in May 2007, he launched Umi Digital in 2010 with the view providing the independents in hospitality a one-stop-shop for their digital needs. Steve lectures across the UK and Europe, to both businesses and hospitality students, as well as employing over 180 students in a variety of roles. With a specialism in youth travel and independent brands, he is the CEO of Anglo Educational Services and current serving chairman of the British Educational Travel Association (BETA).
Sally Cope, Regional General Manager UK & Northern Europe, Tourism Australia
Sally Cope joined Tourism Australia in September 2018 when she relocated to London, from her hometown in Sydney, to head up Tourism Australia’s operations in the UK and Northern Europe. She has over 25 years’ experience within the travel and tourism industry, focussed on marketing Australia to the world. Within her role at Tourism Australia, Sally holds the strategic lead globally on marketing Australia’s working holiday maker program – a valuable market segment contributing around 300,000 arrivals per year prior to the Covid pandemic.
Nejc Jus, Head of Research, WTTC
Nejc Jus is the Head of Research at the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and is based in London. He is responsible for shaping, leading and implementing the WTTC’s research agenda including the economic impact research. The research is a key pillar of WTTC’s advocacy and is used to support work in company’s strategic priority areas. Nejc is also responsible for building and maintaining relationships with company’s research partners. Prior to his role at WTTC, Nejc held various research positions at leading global real estate companies including JLL, Knight Frank and Savills. Nejc holds BA in Land Economy and Management Studies from University of Cambridge and MSc in Environmental Economics from University College London.
Sam Willan, Vice President, Marketing, StudentUniverse
A 15 year veteran of the travel industry, Sam currently leads StudentUniverse’s global marketing team, connecting student travellers with discounted flight & hotel deals around the world and supporting their partnership with Amazon Prime Student. Having spent his formative years travelling and working overseas, he has since worked with numerous travel brands and believes that travel is an essential part of a modern day education. Sam also sits on the board of directors of the British Educational Travel Association (BETA).