29th International Hospitality & Tourism Research Conference, at HTMi The Guest Speakers
29th International Hospitality & Tourism Research Conference takes place on Thursday, 16th November and Friday, 17th November 2023
Conference Program
Thursday, 16th November 2023
10:00 to 10:30 – Dr. Kateryna Feodosova
10:30 to 11:00 – Dr. Richard Hrankai
11:00 to 11:30 – Dr. Asif Chowdhury
13:00 to 13:30 – Ms. Nazym Seitova
13:30 to 14:00 – Ms. Iva Benic
Friday, 17th November 2023
10:30 to 11:00 – Dr. Alexandra Witte
11:00 to 11:30 – Ms. Thi Thanh Hoa Pham
11:45 to 12:15 – Prof. Ioannis S. Pantelidis
13:45 to 14.15 – Dr. Viktoriia Bezlepkina
14:30 to 15:00 – Mr. Andrei Razvan Nacea
The Speakers:
Top (Left top right)
Dr. Asif Chowdhury, Corporate Value Officer, Arrowad Group, Saudi Arabia
Ms. Nazym Seitova, Senior Lecturer, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Studies School of Liberal Arts, M. Narikbayev Kazguu University, Kazakhstan
Prof. Ioannis S. Pantelidis, Head of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Ulster Business School, Ulster University, UK
Dr. Viktoriia Bezlepkina, Pediatrician, Odesa National Medical University
Dr. Kateryna Feodosova, Associate Professor, Hotel and Restaurant Business Department, Odessa National University of Technology (Ukraine)
Bottom (left to right)
Mr. Andrei Razvan Nacea, Managing Partner Nacea & Partners, Vision Partner Forbes Ignite New York, Career Coach
Ms. Iva Benic, Duty Manager at Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island
Dr. Alexandra Witte, Lecturer in Sustainable and Natural Area Tourism, Edinburgh Napier University, UK
Dr. Richard Hrankai, Senior Lecturer, Lee Shau Kee School of Business & Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Ms. Thi Thanh Hoa Pham, Sustainability Consultant, PEFC International, Geneva, Switzerland
The Speakers’ Bio
Ms. Thi Thanh Hoa Pham, Sustainability Consultant, PEFC International, Geneva, Switzerland
Topic: ”Sustainability, Certification and its relation to the Hospitality Industry”.
Bio: Thi Thanh Hoa Pham, or Claire Pham, graduated from HTMi as a Master student in 2019. Since graduating, Claire has constantly shown her sincere interests in the concept of sustainability and marketing. With the experience in marketing and knowledge in sustainability, which gained by conducting research for Master dissertation, Claire became Business Development Manager of PEFC Southeast Asia in 2021. During the time working at PEFC SEA, Claire was responsible for the market development of PEFC chain of custody certification in the supply chain of rubber, furniture, and woodchip sectors. Furthermore, she was one of the key contributors for the scheme system development process in Laos and Cambodia by connecting the private sector with the system development committee. Recently, by changing her residency from Vietnam to France, Claire has an opportunity to extent her expertise in sustainability. She is currently working as a Freelance Sustainability Consultant in France. One of her clients is PEFC International. She is working as the RED II Project coordinator (Renewable Energy Directive II). At the same time, Claire is a board member of the Nextgeneration Rubber Leaders (NRL) Programme initiated by the International Rubber Study Group (IRSG).
Ms. Nazym Seitova, Senior Lecturer, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Studies
School of Liberal Arts, M. Narikbayev Kazguu University, Kazakhstan
Topic: Innovations in the Service Sector
Bio: An MSc graduate (University of Sunderland, 2021, Distinction) with above two years of experience in teaching 300 hospitality students per year in various modules. The most recent ones include Bar and beverage management and Customer service and loyalty retention, which are a part of dual-diploma programme where I supervise students on the course of their internships with St. Regis hotel, Astana. Additionally, I am a member of the Academic Quality Committee at the M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University in Astana (TOP 3 in the country’s university ranking), responsible for the quality of all the syllabi for the specialisation of hospitality and tourism.
Dr. Viktoriia Bezlepkina, Pediatrician, Odesa National Medical University
Topic: In a Healthy Body & Healthy Mind
Bio: Dr. Viktoriia Bezlepkina is a pediatrician originating from Odesa in Ukraine. She is a graduate from Odesa National Medical University and the National University of Health of Ukraine. Her professional career has been with Into-Sana which is the largest private medical company in Ukraine. Dr Bezlepkina specializes in Evidence Based Medicine which is “the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients.”
Mr. Andrei Razvan Nacea, Managing Partner Nacea & Partners, Vision Partner Forbes Ignite New York, Career Coach nominated in “America’s Best Business Coaches”
Topic: The Use of Emotional Intelligence Throughout Your Career
Bio: It was a great privilege to be one of the first generations of Postgraduate and MBA graduate students at HTMi. All the courses were very action and career oriented, offering me the chance to see things from different perspectives, thus through a strong foundation and amazing teachers and lecturers I was able to have a clear professional road map ahead. I’m using every day the knowledge gained with HTMI in developing my expertise as international business advisor and entrepreneur. As a Vision Partner at Forbes Ignite New York, I had participated in research and investigative experiments around the power of diversity in teamwork and collaboration such as the recently published “Whitepaper – How Diverse Teams Succeed Under Pressure “Forbes Ignite is a global consultancy and changemaker network that unites diverse leaders to address global challenges at the intersection of technology, social impact and sustainability.
Ms. Iva Benic, Duty Manager at Waldorf Astoria Seychelles Platte Island – pre-opening
Topic: The Art of Luxury
Bio: Iva Benic, Duty Manager at Waldorf Astoria Seychelles. The esteemed Waldorf Astoria, located on a secluded luxury private island, this resort promises an unparalleled nature lover’s escape with top-notch hospitality, slated to welcome guests from late 2023. Iva is a passionate hospitality enthusiast with a commitment to excellence that has been honed through years of dedicated experience. Iva’s career trajectory has been marked by her unwavering commitment to luxury, both in operations and pre-openings within the Rooms Division Department. As she continues to study on Phd level, exploring the Sustainable Tourism Development at Croatian University of Tourism, Iva is a proud member of the pre-opening team for Waldorf Astoria resort on Platte Island. Iva will take you on a luxury journey, speaking about the hospitality pillars and passion for delivering outstanding service.
Dr. Asif Chowdhury, Corporate Value Officer, Arrowad Group, Saudi Arabia
Topic: Check-in and Check-out with Values
Bio: Dr. Chowdhury is a DBA from the Swiss School of Business & Management, Geneva, Switzerland. He had his Strategic Management and Leadership Thesis and MBA from the University of Derby, UK. Also, Dr. Chowdhury had Chartered Management Institute UK’s Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership from Durham College UK and a Study Skills Course from Oxford University UK. Dr. Chowdhury was one of the founding delegates of V20 Saudi Presidency 2020; was the Speaker of V20 (Values 20) Inaugural Summit of G20, 2020; V20 Italy 2021 , he was the Co Chapter Author of the two Task Forces: Solidarity and Sharing and participated in the panel discussion during the Summit in Rome.
Dr. Alexandra Witte, Lecturer in Sustainable and Natural Area Tourism, Edinburgh Napier University, United Kingdom
Topic: Tourism Mobilities on Heritage Routes: The case of China’s Chamagudao
Bio: Dr Alexandra Witte is a Lecturer in Sustainable and Natural Area Tourism at the Business School of Edinburgh Napier University. She holds a PhD in Tourism Mobilities from Leeds Beckett University and has since worked in tourism research and education at institutions across the UK, China, Hong Kong, Macau and the U.S. Her research focuses on tourism mobilities, the role of natural and cultural heritage in tourism experiences, the critical study of sustainable tourism development, and gendered experiences and practices of tourists and tourism practitioners. As an educator, Alex is passionate about supervising student research from undergraduate to PhD level and has taught across tourism, hospitality and events studies.
Prof. Ioannis S. Pantelidis, Head of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Ulster Business School, Ulster University, UK
Topic: Beyond Hospitality Marketing battle of the OTAs and Artificial intelligence
Bio: SFHEA, CMBE, FIH, FAHMA, is the Head of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, at Ulster Business School. He is a Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Prior to this role, he was Director of Help to Grow and Lead Academic for Knowledge Exchange for the School of Business and Law. He was also the Director of Doctoral Studies for Brighton Doctoral College. He sits on the Advisory Board for Be Inclusive Hospitality, is in the current executive, and is a Past Chair (2018-21) of The Council for Hospitality Management Education and director of The Association of North America Higher Education International. He has also served as a trustee on the Boards of the Institute of Hospitality and Tourism Concern. With a first career in hotels and restaurants, he has held academic leadership roles for the past twenty years.
Dr. Richard Hrankai, Senior Lecturer, Lee Shau Kee School of Business & Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University
Topic: The Transformative Role of Generative AI in Shaping Hospitality Service Delivery
Bio: Dr. Richard Hrankai holds the position of Senior Lecturer within the Department of Management and Strategy at the Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration, Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU). His academic journey prior to joining HKMU included a tenure as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Tourism and Service Management at Modul University Vienna, Austria. He completed his doctoral studies at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and earned his Master degrees from Edinburgh Napier University and the Hotel and Tourism Management Institute.
Dr. Hrankai is a specialist in applying cognitive theories in decision-making contexts related to the consumption of tourism and hospitality services and experiences. His research utilizes state-of-the-practice experimental and data modelling techniques to analyse and predict choice behaviour. While he conducted research on the importance of intermodal public transport systems in driving tourist flows to peripheral attractions at urban destinations, his most recent scholarly inquiry examines the impact of generative AI on the travel decision-making process.
Dr. Kateryna Feodosova, PhD, Associate Professor, Hotel and Restaurant Business Department, Odessa National University of Technology (Ukraine), Guest Lecturer SRH Dresden School of Management
Topic: Artificial Intelligence Revolution in Restaurant Business (Business Cases)
Bio: Dr. Kateryna Fedosova, PhD, Associate Professor of the Department of Hotel and Restaurant Business at the Odesa National University of Technology (Ukraine), Head of Restaurant Consulting Group ConsultingHUB, co-owner and art director of the Creative Studio DeFazz, member of the Southern Association of Chefs of Ukraine, InternationalCHRIE, La Fondation pour la Formation Hoteliere and a number of other organizations in the field of Hospitality and Tourism. She is an expert in restaurant business consulting and has experience for more than 10 years – organizing, developing and promoting restaurants. She is a lecturer in various courses in the field of Restaurant Business – ICT in the Hotel and Restaurant Business, Culinary Arts and Technology of Catering Products. She directs course and diploma projects of students, as well as international practice, within the framework of which about 100 students of ONTU annual pass training in theUSA, Turkey, Greece, France, Czech Republic and other countries of the world. She regularly reports at international conferences and makes seminars for restaurant managers on innovative technologies for promoting the restaurant on the Internet. She has completed a number of internships in the restaurant business in Europe and Ukraine. The list of basic teaching and methodological works is 18 titles (including “Information technology in the hotel and restaurant business’, “Gastronomy Tourism: typology with accent on Ukraine and Odessa region”, etc.). and has more than 100 publications
