Canadian Luxury Series - Creative Collaborations and Partnerships in Luxury Travel

Date:
Thursday March 27th, 2008

Time:
6:00pm-9:00pm


Location: 
The Grand Ballroom,
The Plaza Hotel,
Fifth Avenue & Central Park South, 58th Street Entrance


Please RSVP by replying to this e-mail or by writing to rsvp@luxurycouncil.com

As there are only a few spaces left, please RSVP promptly to avoid disappointment.

If you have already sent an RSVP for this event, there is no need to do so again.

In order to increase demand and visibility for its luxury products and experiences, the Canadian tourism industry has focused on identifying and creating strategic long-term partnerships with established luxury brands to redefine the luxury travel experience in Canada and in the minds of the consumer.

Our panelists will share their insights on how the luxury product experience is defined in Canada and discuss how specific partnerships and platforms within the luxury segment allow both tourism industry brands and luxury brands expand reach, leverage investment, and elevate the overall interest and awareness of the customer for both products. 

We do hope you can join us on March 27th.  Our panel discussion will be preceded by a beverage service and followed by a reception featuring a selection of beverages and hors d'oeuvres.

Since 1992, Susan Iris has represented Canada’s tourism industry, currently, as the Vice President, U.S., for the Canadian Tourism Commission. In her role, Susan oversees the development of new business opportunities and partnerships in the media, public relations, leisure, and meetings segments. Responsible for advancing Canada’s newly refreshed tourism brand, she created the CTC’s first global, multi-year partnership, and has designed a series of strategic alliances to bolster Canada’s tourism message and positioning through brand synergies and integration of distribution channels.  

A graduate of Boston College with degrees in Economics and Political Science, Susan has served on several trade industry boards, headed two strategic planning councils, and has been recognized for career accomplishment by the Professional Convention Management Association. Under her leadership, the CTC’s U.S. brand partnerships have been recognized with numerous awards citing outstanding achievements in marketing initiatives.

Murphy is a veteran magazine executive with a breadth of industry knowledge and experience.  Prior to joining American Express Publishing, Murphy held various sales and management positions at Newsweek, The New Yorker and Bon Appetit magazines.  During this time, she cultivated important client business relationships with notable Industry leaders across various categories including fashion, travel, jewelry, watches, and real estate.

A 30-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Jeff Senior joined Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in March 2005 as the company’s senior vice president, marketing & sales. In his role with Fairmont, Mr. Senior serves as the customer advocate; providing leadership and strategic direction for brand management, sales, marketing, and Fairmont’s branded lifestyle businesses, golf, spa, and retail. In addition, he directs the annual strategic planning process for the hotels and management company.
 
Prior to joining Fairmont, Senior was based at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts where he served as vice president, brand management, responsible for ensuring the successful implementation and enhancement of the company’s global brand strategy. An innovator, Senior was instrumental in the successful brand management and marketing plan development for Kimpton Hotels, one of the original boutique hotel companies. In addition, he has held positions of increasing responsibility in both operations and sales & marketing with Marriott Corporation and Doubletree Hotels.
 
Senior, a biology major at the University of California, Santa Barbara, also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University. He has been recognized on a host of travel industry group and association “most influential” and “top leader” lists.

René A. Mack is the President of the Global Travel Marketing Practice and Executive Vice President of the New York Consumer & Lifestyle Practice at Weber Shandwick. Over a course of 20 years, his journalistic training, ability to develop news, feature and lifestyle stories with the national, local and syndicated media has placed clients on the front pages and on the nation's top network and affiliate TV and radio stations as well as moved them into pop culture. His marketing-driven communications programs have helped created unprecedented media and marketing alliances and promotions, as well as crisis and reputation management programs contributed to the bottom-line and increase brand awareness. In his position he works frequently with the world’s leading advertising agencies on integrated marketing programs.

René joined the agency in 1996 and oversees some of the agency’s flagship accounts including The Islands Of The Bahamas, The Canadian Tourism Commission, Beverly Hills, Hilton Head Island, New Orleans, InterContinental Hotels, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Singapore Airlines, and project work on American Airlines and Harley Davidson.

In addition to receiving the HSMAI’s lifetime achievement Award in 2005 ( the Winthrop Grice Award) René has helped clients earn two Silver Anvil Awards of Excellence, a Bronze Anvil for podcasts, four PRSA Big Apple Awards; a CIPRA Award, the PR Week Award, the IABC Ace Award and more than 125 HSMAI awards for tactical programs as well as nine Platinum Awards for the most outstanding entry in a respective category (cruise line {3}, destination {2}, airline {2}, hotel and local attraction) and well as the 2003 Classic Telly Award (film) and 2003 PR News Award for Best of Show and 2003 Mercury Award Best of Show ( American Airlines on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno). In 2007 he led the team that garnered the Yahoo! Big Idea Chair Award for the most creative and outstanding idea in integrated public relations (Royal Caribbean launch of Freedom of the Seas/3-hour live broadcast of NBC Today Show from ship in NY Harbor)
 
René earned his B.A. in journalism from New York University. He is a member of Association of Food Journalists, SATW and HSMAI and is an Eagle Scout, former actor and soloist with New York’s Metropolitan Opera and attended certification classes at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. He has traveled to 85 countries, sailed on 37 cruises and flown in everything from a blimp to Concorde to the last operational B-29. His quest for new travel and media experiences continues.

The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) is a national marketing organization. Our vision is compelling the world to explore Canada. With our partners in the tourism industry and all levels of government, we: advertise and market Canada in 10 countries around the world; conduct industry research and studies and promote product and industry development. For travel information, media resources, meetings and conference planning details, research and news or to create extra-ordinary stories all your own, visit www.canada.travel

Elad Properties excels in all aspects of it’s real estate projects including capital structures, site and property acquisitions, leasing, development, sales, marketing, and property management. It has become one of the largest developers of ultra luxury properties in New York, with a portfolio valued at more than $3.5 billion. The recent acquisition of The Plaza Hotel, New York City’s most coveted address, has made real estate history. Known as the city’s crown jewel, it is one of the most recognized brands in the world. Quickly becoming one of Elad Properties greatest success stories, the global identity of The Plaza is once again setting new standards of luxury. Building on the strength of The Plaza brand, Elad Group is marketing the power of The Plaza brand in London, Paris, Rome, Singapore, Tokyo, and Beijing and other key cities worldwide.

After a delicate and thoughtfully curated $400 million, two-year, lobby-to-roof renovation, The Plaza continues its tradition of defining luxury and delivering unmatched six-star service with a new contemporary spirit.  On March 1st the hotel reopened it's doors, with a grand opening celebration planned for May. The ultimate luxury lifestyle destination, the new Plaza features lavish hotel rooms, private residences, destination restaurants, an exclusive retail collection, and state-of-the-art meeting and event spaces.