Lesley has worked with many businesses over the last twenty years, helping them raise their brand and generate more sales through targeted marketing, including social media. Her specialism is with B2B, creating effective strategies using direct marketing, e-marketing, events and social media to build more meaningful connections and generate leads. Linkedin is a very powerful asset, which can be used more effectively to position hospitality businesses in both the leisure and corporate worlds. There’s a wealth of untapped potential in LinkedIn – but it’s just one of the marketing tools a business should be employing to drive sales.
In this practical session, Lesley will showcase examples of successful LinkedIn activity in the tourism and hospitality sectors.
Hannah is a dynamic project manager at leading hospitality marketing agency and B Corp, Clockwork Marketing. With a psychology degree that helps her truly understand people, she’s become a go-to expert for bringing hospitality businesses to life online. Hannah works closely with properties across the UK, creating websites and marketing that capture the real heart of each place.
Hannah helps businesses shine and attract more guests through smart, strategic marketing that really speaks to business owners and guests alike. By combining her understanding of people with years of hospitality experience and insight, Hannah turns complex marketing challenges into brilliant, guest-winning solutions.
Viki is the founder and director of Access Cornwall CIC, an organisation that is an accessible information guide for Cornwall, providing accessibility information for both visitors and local residents so that they can enjoy attractions, businesses and venues in the hospitality and leisure sector.
The information is researched and checked by a team of staff and volunteers who live with accessibility challenges ranging from wheelchair users, to those with hearing and vision impairment and other challenges such as neurodiversity and long term health conditions. Today the team help a range of organisations to review and improve accessibility, including St Austell Brewery, Cornwall Council and holiday cottage companies including Bosinver Farm Cottages.
Viki formerly worked as a journalist on lifestyle publications such as Cosmopolitan and GQ and is director of four businesses, including Dog Friendly Cornwall, Enable Accessibility and the Association of Accessible Employers. Previously Viki has also worked as both staff and volunteer for organisations such as the RNID and smaller charities supporting individuals with mental health challenges and learning differences. Her personal experience as a carer for her mother who was a wheelchair-user and her own lived experience of neurodiversity and her very neurodiverse family helps to drive her passion to support Cornwall's tourism and hospitality businesses to improve accessibility and to become more inclusive for all.
Josh Castree is the Marketing Manager at Seaton Tramway and Jurassic Discovery, where he drives dynamic campaigns to boost visitor engagement. Over his seven years at Seaton Tramway, Josh has written 19 successful award submissions, including 10 for the Devon Tourism Awards. Now, he and his team aim to replicate that success with the newly launched Jurassic Discovery attraction.
Josh is also an Officer for FedecRail, the European Federation of Museum & Tourist Railways, where he supports marketing and communications, and a board member of Devon’s Top Attractions, championing collaboration in the region's tourism sector.
Tom leads Stephens Scown’s Intellectual Property, Data Protection, and Technology team. He works with a diverse range of hospitality businesses, from boutique hotels to multinational agencies, and has witnessed how disruptive technologies are transforming public interactions with businesses, from bookings and complaints to pricing and marketing.
Tom is a regular public speaker and has delivered guest lectures at the Universities of Exeter, Falmouth and Bournemouth.
Outside of work, Tom is a non-executive director of Food Drink Devon, a not-for-profit organisation set up to help quality food and drink producers based in Devon.
Mark is a leading hospitality digital marketing expert specialising in Search Engine Optimisation and paid channels. He has experience working across numerous hospitality businesses, helping them to achieve excellent rankings in Google. As marketing manager for Clockwork Marketing, he is responsible for communicating the benefits of marketing for hospitality organisations and has insight into the leading trends and marketing practices for businesses of the future.
Mark leads regular online learning group calls and community discussions to give hospitality business owners and managers confidence and knowledge to do the right marketing at the right time.
Mike has over 20 years’ experience in commercial agency work, specialising in the hospitality sector across the Southwest. He acts on behalf of clients for pub, restaurant and hotel sales and lettings, ranging from owner operators, Regional brewers, hotel groups and National chains.
Covering the Vickery Holman patch from South Wales to Weymouth and all points West he has access to a strong network of operators who provide real time insight into trading conditions and general market sentiment. In turn he provides sale and letting strategies and negotiates with existing and new entrants for on and off market transactions
In 2017 Alistair set up PASC UK (Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK), which focuses on a fairer regulation and taxation regime for the sector. This is now the largest Membership Association representing the sector in England and Wales and leads the sector in the drive for all paid accommodation to be safe and legal. PASC UK has secured reductions in business rates for the sector, supported the self-catering sector through the changes to Fire Regs and successfully led action groups against insurers in Covid, whilst gaining a voice for the sector in Government. The last year has been spent lobbying against the abolition of the FHL Tax regime, a Tourism Levy in Wales and trying to get Statutory Registration done.
Alistair is also active in lobbying for support for the wider tourism sector, he is a Council Member at the national Tourism Alliance, a Director of the Wales Tourism Alliance, is Chair of the SW Tourism Alliance, former Chair of the East Devon National Landscape and held previous roles as Chair of Premier Cottages and Chair of the South West Coast Path. He was awarded an MBE for voluntary services to tourism in 2018.
Ellie, a Partner in Stephens Scown's Employment team, provides comprehensive advice to employers across all aspects of employment law, including disciplinaries and grievances, redundancy and restructuring, and departure situations. With the newly announced Employment Rights Bill set to bring significant changes for employers, Ellie is at the forefront of guiding our clients through these developments.
Dom Hine has an extensive background in SEO and over the past three years has spearheaded the SEO strategy at Clockwork Marketing, achieving remarkable results. His efforts have driven an average year-on-year growth in organic revenue of 180% across 25 diverse properties, showcasing his expertise in optimising online visibility and delivering measurable results.
Currently, as the Business Growth Specialist at Clockwork Marketing, Dom focuses on helping hospitality businesses thrive in an increasingly competitive market. By leveraging industry insights and in-depth online performance data, he provides strategic guidance that empowers clients to maximise their online presence, enhance customer engagement, and drive sustainable growth.
Dom's deep understanding of both digital marketing trends and the unique challenges faced by the hospitality sector enables him to create tailored strategies that not only elevate brands but also deliver a significant return on investment. His passion for innovation and data-driven decision-making makes him a trusted partner in achieving business success.
Dan Howson and Amanda Ringelberg unlock employment and training opportunities for prison leavers across the South West through employer support and collaboration.
Dan is a Director and Producer with a 27-year career that spans live, film and youth development. He has delivered projects seen by millions of people, paved the way for hundreds of candidates and built a CV that is an A-Z of famous names, brands and events. Dan is the Employment Advisory Board Chair at HMP Exeter.
Amanda is the owner of Granny Gothards International, an artisan ice cream producer with a passion for rehabilitation via employment. For over 25 years she was a Justice of the Peace sitting in courts in Cheshire, Manchester and Somerset. Amanda is a lead HMP Exeter Employment Advisory Board member.
Beth has been an integral part of her family business for over 13 years, growing from learning the fundamentals of the printing industry and customer service to a leadership role supporting business development and managing the company's transition into their purpose-built sustainable premises. Her role also includes the management of St Austell Business Park and Conference Centre, further driving business growth and operational excellence.
Beth's passion for sustainability has led her to spearhead the company's green initiatives, including the installation of solar panels and achieving key operational eco-accreditations such as ISO 14001, FSC certification and Carbon Balancing. Her latest mission is to lead the company through its next significant milestone: becoming a certified B Corp. Proving that printing and sustainability really can go hand in hand.
With a deep commitment to sustainability and a wealth of experience in the print industry, Beth is eager to share insights on how sustainable print and packaging can drive positive change and create value for businesses of all sizes.
Kevin started his career working for the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) assisting countries develop research and statistics departments for the measurement and tracking of their tourism sectors. Then in 2010 he started to focus on destinations closer to home when Visit Bath engaged T-Stats to develop a tracking system for the city and wider North East Somerset area.
This led to the establishment, and increasing sophistication, of the T-Stats Solutions system that is today used by several destination management organisations and councils around the UK to track their visitor economies.
Steve is a Partner in Stephens Scown's Commercial Dispute Resolution team. With over 20 years’ experience in regulatory enforcement and compliance, his expertise covers all aspects of health and safety, environmental, food safety, fire safety, and consumer protection law. Steve is our lead advisor on the developments of Martyn’s Law.
With three years of experience across NFU Mutual’s agency network, working in Group Change, Sales, and Robotic Process Automation, Anand now serves as a Business Development Consultant in NFU Mutual’s Wholesale Broking and Outplacement Division. He collaborates with NFU Mutual Agents, leveraging strong partnerships with brokers and insurers to outplace insurance solutions that address a diverse range of customer needs.
One of Anand’s primary areas of focus is Cyber Insurance, a vital solution that ensures businesses can safeguard their operations and remain resilient in a dynamic and complex digital landscape.
Brett Sinclair is a Senior Waste Management Consultant for DCW Ltd, a subsidiary of SUEZ recycling and recovery UK. He supports businesses across the South West, particularly in Devon and Somerset, to improve recycling rates and comply with evolving environmental regulations.
Passionate about sustainability, Brett leads plastic-free initiatives in Sidmouth and Teignmouth, organising community beach cleans to inspire local change. As well as speaking at this year’s West Country Tourism Conference, Brett will be on hand to offer advice or answer any questions about sustainable waste solutions for your business.
Lex is commercial director at Owens Organic Coffee, Devon's largest coffee roastery specialising in 100% certified Organic and Fairtrade specialty coffees since 2010.
Their dedicated roastery supplies some of the South West’s leading companies and operators with their award-winning coffees and Devonshire Tea range of plastic free tea bags and pyramids. It is also home to the South West Coffee Academy, where the Owens team provide trade customers and end consumers alike with expert coffee knowledge to SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) standards. Prior to coffee, Lex was a tourism, food & drink marketing specialist, working with food festivals, chefs, hotels and destinations across the world to deliver stand-out campaigns to boost the visitor economy.
As well as speaking at this year’s West Country Tourism Conference, Lex and the Owens Organic Coffee team will be on hand to offer advice or answer any questions you might have about coffee and tea supply or the challenges we all face with the upcoming packaging and waste changes. All over a mug of coffee or cup of Devonshire Tea, of course!
Robin Tjolle is a Tourism and Destination Management specialist with over 30 years' experience in the travel industry. He has held a number of high-profile roles including Chief Executive of Shakespeare's England and Cotswolds Tourism. He has worked with visitor attractions, conference and event venues and was the International Travel Trade representative for the East and West Midlands promoting destinations across the region in North America and the Asia Pacific regions.
Robin is currently Regional Development Lead for the South West at VisitEngland. He is a trainer for VisitEngland’s "Taking England to the World" programme and has so far trained and supported over 2,500 businesses to reach out and succeed in the international markets.
Richard Toomer is the Executive Director of The Tourism Alliance, the umbrella trade association for the whole tourism sector. The Alliance has more than 70 member associations which are all trade bodies, membership organisations or Destination Management Organisations. The Alliance’s main roles are to provide a unified voice for the tourism industry to government and parliament, to provide insight and coordination on policy matters to member organisations, and provide a forum for debate and discussion on important policy topics through its events programme.
Richard has been with the Tourism Alliance since 2022. He has previously had roles in communications, public affairs, policy, campaigning, and external relations with the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) and the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA). He previously worked as a parliamentary assistant for a Member of Parliament for five years.
Richard has a bachelor’s degree in politics from Durham University and a master’s degree in management from the Durham Business School. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (MCIPR).
Richard represents the tourism sector on a number of national boards and committees, including the Tourism Industry Council.
Helping tourism to have a positive impact has been the focus of Neil’s career in tourism, focussing on sustainability and accessibility.
He works for Living Options, a disability charity with a strong track record for enabling tourism businesses to become more accessible, managing Countryside Mobility – a Gold winning initiative in the South West Tourism awards – and part of the team delivering their consultancy work taking in training, auditing and the development of accessible visitor resources – a legacy of the Heritage Ability project, which won the National Lottery Awards for its work with over 20 of the region’s leading attractions.
Sally & Charlotte, alongside Craig are Directors of TTW Recruitment, a hospitality, tourism & leisure recruitment consultancy, supporting a range of businesses recruiting the very best management and chef talent. Based in Devon and Somerset they focus specifically on the South West from the Cotswolds to Cornwall.
With early careers in the hospitality sectors, they made the move into recruitment, working for some of the larger recruitment consultancies in London and Bristol before recognising a niche in the market and founded TTW Recruitment in early 2012. With a genuine passion for the ever evolving and dynamic tourism and hospitality sectors across the region, they keep their fingers on the pulse and are fortunate to work with some of the most entrepreneurial and pioneering organisations. They work in partnership with their clients, many of which are individual and independent businesses without large HR and recruitment departments and advise on recruitment strategy, best practice and how to attract the ‘best fit’ for each assignment or project.
Tony grew up surrounded by the buzz of outdoor tourism, thanks to his family’s campsite in Donegal, Ireland, which they ran for over 30 years. This upbringing sparked a lifelong passion for the industry.
With over 15 years hands-on experience managing activity centres like Courtlough Outdoor Adventure (Dublin), Loch Insh Outdoor Centre (Aviemore) & Hangloose Adventure at the Eden Project, Tony understands the joys and challenges within the industry.
Now as part of the Anytime Booking team, he helps campsites thrive by simplifying their online booking process and reducing their daily admin through smart software solutions, always keeping the human side of tourism front and centre.
Mark Worden is a digital marketing expert within the tourism industry, having worked with more than 150 award winning accommodation providers, visitor attractions and hospitality businesses from across the UK. He is also trusted by some of the region’s most popular destinations, supporting the likes of Visit Cornwall, Visit Truro, Discover Dartmouth, Visit Exmouth and Visit Exmoor across a broad range of online areas.
Mark set up MiHi Digital on the Devon and Cornwall border a little under 10 years ago, after working for two of the South West’s best known organisations. Since then, the business has generated close to £5 million in enquiries and attracted more than 500 clients.
Mark’s focus within the tourism industry is on increasing bookings, footfall and interest for those within the sector, regularly speaking at events on Google trends, tourism trends, social media and marketing in general.
Paul is a public speaker and guest lecturer on diverse subjects ranging from AI to entrepreneurship to the future of communications in the workplace to software accessibility. In an earlier life, Paul was a broadcaster in radio and a journalist having worked with the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Jack Anderson.
Paul has been an accomplished executive in the technology sector for 25 years, when he initially joined Amazon’s early retail management team in the UK in 1999. Paul has also been CEO for online gift and gadget site Firebox.com, COO of Stanley Gibbons' ecommerce operations in Jersey, and Business Development Director and Marketplace Director for Play.com.
Today, Paul is the co-founder and Chief Communications Officer with the INV Group, having previously served for 10 years as Group COO. INV Group is a dynamic collection of companies with over 100 employees, dedicated to unlocking potential, solving challenges, and enhancing efficiencies for government, defence, critical national infrastructure, and large, complex organisations. INV Group subsidiaries specialise in communication, compliance, digital user experience, and technical resource solutions, all aimed at delivering impactful, innovative services.
