Keynote Speakers
The list of keynote speakers that will hold lectures at the Plenary Sessions:
Contemporary Trends in Event and Creative Industry
Professor Leo Jago
Professor at School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, University of Surrey (UK)
Professor Leo Jago is Professor of Hospitality and Events at the University of Surrey. Prior to joining Surrey in late 2014, Leo was the Chief Economist and General Manager of Tourism Research Australia where he was responsible for Australia's national tourism research agenda. Before that, Leo spent over 12 years as a Research Professor and Director of university research centres in Australia and the UK. Leo's personal research interests have focused in the field of events covering business events as well as festivals and sporting events.
Dr. László Puczko
Managing director and Head of Tourism Section Xellum Management Consulting, Founder of The Tourism Observatory for Health, Wellness and Spa (HUN)
László is the Group Managing Partner at APP. He graduated as an economist specialized in tourism at Budapest University of Economics and following his interests in culture, arts and experiences, he also graduated from Art & Design Management of the Hungarian University of Applied Arts. Supporting his academic rigour in business and teaching he completed his PhD in 2000. He has become a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) in 2003. Between 2006 and 2014 he was the president of the Association of Tourism Consultants (Hungary) and was manager at KPMG TLT (EMEA) between 2001 and 2004. He has working as a travel and tourism expert in the health, wellness, medical services and spa arena for over 20 years. He founded The Tourism Observatory for Health, Wellness and Spa (2012).He participated in more than a hundred projects in various fields: research, planning, product development, experience mapping and design, impact assessment and marketing. László is an internationally known and acknowledged expert, he lectures at various international professional and academic conferences and congresses. He is the (co-)author of numerous specialised books (e.g.: Health, Tourism and Hospitality, Impacts of Tourism) and articles in professional journals. .
Professor Margaret Deery
Professor at School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Faculty of Business, Economics and Law, University of Surrey (UK)
Professor Margaret Deery is at the University of Surrey and Visiting Professor at Leeds Beckett University. Margaret was previously the Professorial Research Fellow with the Australian government funded Sustainable Tourism Co-operative Research Centre, Director of the Hospitality and Tourism Research Centre at Victoria University in Melbourne, Principal Research Fellow at the University of Canberra and Adjunct Professor at Curtin University. Her key research areas are in the social impacts of tourism and events, business events, volunteer management, and hospitality and tourism human resource management issues.
Boško Savković
Director and author of numerous promotional and ducumentary films
Graduated at the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade, where he graduated at the Department of International Law. In the late eighties a few times at Columbia University in New York visited summer school of comparative law. In early eighties, worked on radio programs “HEART RHYTHM” (Studio B) and INDEX 202, (Radio Belgrade 202). Since 1985. in the student newspaper “Student” published to the end of the 1988. Since 1989. to 1995. the published in “Interview” political magazine and made the author TV shows on TV Politika. He has published 4 books “Fake fighters run lap of honor”, Belgrade 1989., “Rape of the fourth force “, Belgrade 1994., “Mystery”, Belgrade 1997. year, , “From the second page”, Belgrade, 2000. year. In early 1993. established Agency for marketing “Alternative” which still successfully working in TV production, publishing, graphic and web design. The founder, owner and editor in chief of the satirical magazine “Our sows” since 1996. to 2004. year. During the wars in the former Yugoslavia from 1993 to 2000, he worked as a associate producer of the American CBS TV Network. Since 1996. has been working on documentary films. First, a co-production with TV Politika, later independently, as a producer, writer and director. As a director, producer or screenwriter, signed documentaries: “The Balkan Gigolo”, "Belgrade by night", "New York for beginers", “Who’s there, putting up posters”, “At the end of the world”, etc.
re:)branding Serbia
Gordana Plamenac
Managing Director at the National Tourism Organization of Serbia
Ms. Gordana Plamenac has been the CEO/Managing Director of the National Tourism Organisation of Serbia since year 2007.
She began her career in tourism in the US-based Unitours travel company as a tour guide for American tourists travelling to Europe. Upon her graduation from the University of Belgrade in 1978, where she majored in International Law, she joined “Putnik” travel agency – the largest and oldest established travel organisation in Ex-Yugoslavia – to take the position of the Managing Director of Congress Department.
Her professional achievements as Chief Coordinator of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in 1989 and key managerial responsibilities on other major international congresses and conventions have led her to the post of CEO/Managing Director of “Zepter Passport” in 1992, where she continued to introduce, implement and specialise in new MICE industry practices.
Before being appointed to her current position in July 2007, she headed the Sales & Marketing Department of Serbia and Montenegro branch of the “Hogg Robinson Group”, a leading international corporate travel services organisation. Throughout her career, her experience and reputation have been acknowledged by being elected into several Boards of Directors of professional associations and organisations, such as the ETC – European Travel Commission (Vice President, October 2010–October 2012) and the DCC – Danube Competence Center, where she presently holds the position of the Chairperson of the Board of Directors. For her outstanding contribution to the meetings and incentive travel industry in Europe Ms. Gordana Plamenac received the prestigious IMEX Academy Award in year 2012. In April 2014 she participated at 14th WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council) Global Summit in Hainan, China as a panellist/speaker in the session “Beyond Economics: a new message for Travel & Tourism”. Since NTO Serbia is recognized as one of the key actors in the tourism sector, Gordana Plamenac became a member of the South East Europe Tourism Expert Group (TEG) and participated in three TEG meetings organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2014 and 2015.
As the head of NTO Serbia, she is focused on building up Serbia’s capacities in the tourism sector and strengthening the country’s position on the international travel market. At the same time she remains dedicated to enhancing regional cooperation and seeking ways for successful overseas promotion of Europe through Pan-European programmes. In view of all these facts, she gave strong and resolute support to the establishment of the Danube Competence Center, accurately recognising the significance that the River Danube has both for Serbia and Europe in general.
Milena Veselinović
Freelance journalist at CNN International
Milena Veselinovic is a London-based freelance journalist working for CNN International.
Her articles have been published in The Economist, CNN.com and various British national newspapers such as The Times and The Independent, where she conducted an investigation into Egyptian schoolgirls sold into consecutive short-term marriages with tourists from the Persian Gulf.
In December 2014 she was one of the producers of On the Road Serbia, a half an hour long feature show which explored the country’s history, culture and sporting prowess.
Milena also helped create CNN Style, a fashion and art section of CNN.com which was one of the most successful launches in the network’s history, clocking millions of page views every month. She has also covered Paris Fashion Week, and reported on the rise of millionaire style bloggers for CNN.
Milena has interviewed high profile political figures such as the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, as well as A-list celebrities like Dita Von Teese, the band Scissor Sisters, and artist Marina Abramovic.
Before her journalism career, she studied classical piano at the Royal College of Music in London and performed in concerts across Europe and the U.S., including the world-famous Bolshoi Hall in Moscow. Milena was born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, and speaks four languages.
Dušan Kovačević
Chief Executive Officer Exit Festival, Serbia
His rich social involvement began during his faculty studies. With his colleagues he formed the “Students Union of Serbia” in 1997, first independent student’s organization at Campus. He was one of the founders and main figures responsible for the creation of EXIT festival during the 2000, which is now, after the 15 years, proclaimed the best European music festival. He is also the founder of Sea Dance Festival 2014 at the coast of Montenegro. Through EXIT Fondation Dušan created and guided more than one hundred projects in the field of social activism: „Youth Fair” , „Rebrand Serbia” – Conference on National Re-branding, „KKIS – Conference of Serbian Creative Industries, „EXIT AID” – help for the flooded areas and etc. Above mentioned had a huge impact on public decision makers, which resulted with positive influence on social structure in Novi Sad and the whole region. His idea is to promote Balkan region as one of the most popular places for Youth tourism. Dušan Kovačević holds two MSc degrees (Faculty of Technical Sciences from Novi Sad and London School of Economics). He was also given a prestigious British scholarship “Chevening”.
"I am Serbia" - promoting Serbia through people
Veljko Paunović
Head-Coach of The youth (U20) national team of Serbia, World Champions 2015
Veljko Paunovic, who had a rich playing career representing 11 different clubs -- Partizan, Atletico Madrid, Hannover, Rubin Kazan and the Philadelphia Union among them -- started his coaching career with the under-18 team and continued with the under-19s, inheriting part of the team that won European title in 2013, leading them to the semifinals in the year that followed. He introduced a new approach that put the team first; the individuals were adjusted to fit within the system. He is pragmatic and easily adapts to the opposition, but he built the success around the team spirit and "one for all, all for one" approach. Even though this team lost some important players before the tournament, Paunovic's system was created so it could easily replace individuals.
"We are doing our best to represent Serbia in best possible way," he said. "We want people to respect us, but at the same time, we have to respect our opponents. We do not steal time, we do not dive, that is not the good spirit. We play football and enjoy it!"
Jovana Ružičić
Founder of Repats Serbia Association, PR Consultant, Founder and Director of Center for Moms
Jovana has a wealth of experience and has led a colorful personal and professional life: she organized a workers’ union; won chess competitions; cleaned houses; traveled and visited over 50 countries; installed elevators; founded the first feminist organization at her university, as well as an international Serbian organization RAS in Washington, DC; served as the Vice President of the Washington, DC branch of the Serbian Unity Congress; worked as a PR for the eminent American non-governmental organization, Environmental Working Group, and as part of that position as a spokesperson for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics in the USA.In Serbia, she worked as PR in marketing agency Leo Burnett, and for Komercijalnabanka, the largest Serbian bank. In addition to her role as founder and director at Center for Moms, a mom’s rights advocacy organization, Jovana is also a successful independent Public Relations consultant and, within her own program, public speaking instructor.
Jovana lived in USA for 11 years and in India for 6 months. She returned to Serbia in January 2010 because she wants to live in Serbia. A short time before her return, she founded a network of highly-educated Serbs who lived abroad and repatriated to Serbia—Repats Serbia, that now gathers over 1000 people.
Jovana has a Master’s degree in Public Relations from Michigan State University and Bachelor’s degree in psychology and journalism from Florida Atlantic University. She believes that anything is possible and that it takes many years to make “an overnight success.” She adores Serbia!
Dragana Kojičić
CEO of EARTH&CRAFTS and member of Repats Serbia
Engineer of architecture, graduated at Department of architecture of Novi Sad, and specialized in earth architecture at post master DSA Terre 2008-2010 at CRAterre in Grenoble, France. While her studies, she did several internships (Syria and Colombia) and several workshops (Rwanda, Spain, France and Bulgaria.) She spent 3 years in East Africa working on different modern architecture projects, but during this period got interested in vernacular and especially earth architecture. Returning back to Serbia, she worked for 3 years for a marketing agency „Kuća čuvarkuća“ on the raising awareness and promotion of earth architecture. For the same agency she is still leading an EU Leonardo lifelong learning project „PIRATE 2012-2015“ (pirate.greenbuildingtraining.eu) in which Serbia is participating for the first time as one of 18 countries on the establishment of new standards required for the growing market of building with earth in Europe. In 2010, she founded an association “Fine art and crafts club” in the village of Mošorin, where she started working on the reconstruction of an old rammed earth house and its adjustment to modern way of life, in order to establish there the first Center for earth architecture in the Balkans, self-sustainable workshop place for training in the field of (re)construction of earth houses. She’s been organizing theoretical courses and practical workshops and trainings in cooperation with many institutions and organizations in Serbia and the region (Provincial and State Heritage Preservation Institutes, Cultural Heritage Without Borders (CHwB), Faculty of architecture (Belgrade and Novi Sad), Society of conservators of Serbia, Society of architects of Novi Sad, Belgrade Design Week, Group of architects, IDC Belgrade, BINA (Belgrade international week of architecture) & Centre for the Promotion of Science, WWOOF Serbia, technical schools in Novi Sad and Belgrade, TEDxNoviSad etc.). Since last year, she is the owner of “Earth & Crafts” company for building with earth and other natural materials. You can follow her work at zemljanarhitektura.com
Charles Cather
"Say Serbia" founder and blog author SerbiaThroughAmericanEyes.wordpress.com
Charles Cather is the American from the center of the United States of America who came to Serbia on a two week vacation in 2010 and loved it so much he stayed. He has promoted Serbia through Youtube - 2.6 million views, co-founder of social network "Say Serbia" for Serbs, Diaspora and foreigners interested in Serbia, Facebook- 5K friends, 10,900 followers, Blog- thousands of views from all over the globe, and speaking engagements throughout Serbia. He assists Serbian university students in finding summer jobs in the USA through the Summer Work and Travel Program.
Jovan Simić
Humanitarian activist
In 2014, Jovan, regular 21 years old student from Belgrade organized two charity auctions of jerseys for the treatment of seriously ill Nadja Novaković, which managed to collect 80.000 Euros and move the whole sports community in the same direction. He saved life of little girl. This year, he organized a humanitarian event 'Sports Bazaar' for equipping the Elementary school 'Radivoj Popović' with a sensory and a 'snuz-led' room, citing many athletes, public figures and people from the cultural life of Serbia to get involved.
He always tries to motivate people in a different manner, linking his efforts with sport in ways that aren't ordinary. In organizing humanitarian actions, he always has in mind the three following principles: repayment of the debt to his family and parents who raised him (in what he considers is the best possible way); raising awareness among people at a given moment, about how important it is to help and actively engage in action; leaving a positive example for generations to come and perhaps an incentive for someone to do the same thing some day.
