Schedule & Speakers

All programming is held onboard the Valiant Lady, unless otherwise noted. 

Schedule is tentative.

You're Invited to World Travel Expo Miami!
The organizers of World Travel Expo Miami are offering complimentary registration to ASTA Premium Members who would like to stay in Miami following the Premium Business Summit for their Expo, October 21-23. View the custom agenda for ASTA Premium Members

Premium Members should register here and use code ASTAWTE for complimentary registration. 

Accommodations for World Travel Expo:
Uma House by Yurbban, South Beach, Miami
Promo Code: WTE24
Booking Deadline: September 16, 2024

Meet our Speakers
Zane Kerby
President & CEO - ASTA
As ASTA’s president and chief executive officer Zane Kerby reports directly to the board of directors on all internal and external ASTA business and is the primary spokesperson for ASTA. Kerby moved to ASTA after a successful career with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). Beginning in 2009 he held the position of senior vice president with responsibility for all aspects of GBTA’s global annual convention. Previously he was Deputy Executive Director, Vice President of business development, and held a series of other posts of progressively greater responsibility beginning in August 1999. Kerby earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts from Brigham Young University. He and his wife have five children and he currently is an assistant coach of a U12 basketball team. Cycling, swimming, and reading are just a few of his favorite activities. 

Erik Dominguez
Communication and Confidence Expert - Speak Up Stories
Erik Dominguez is not your typical speaking and communications trainer.He holds a B.A. in English Literature, an M.S. in Instructional Design, and is in progress for his M.S. in Strategic Communication. He is also a certified Advanced Professional Speaking Coach from the National Speech and Debate Association. But that’s not what sets him apart. While most communication training focuses on the mechanics of public speaking, for over 25 years, Erik has coached his clients on the art of speaking. He supports those in clarifying their message, crafting a powerful narrative, and delivering a talk that leverages the speaker's personality. As an immigrant growing up between two cultures, he felt firsthand the rejection and ridicule of being different. He learned that not having the “right” words, the same knowledge as everyone else, or the ability to say what he wanted to meant being an outcast. He knew he could play it safe by protecting himself from criticism or opening himself up to failure, committing to learning the tools and techniques, and giving himself the best chance to be seen and heard. That is one of the toughest choices that we can make for ourselves. And he knows that it is not an easy one. His mission is to support others to speak up through speaking, storytelling, and emotional intelligence training. And not just the generic and technical tips most coaches and speaking courses teach but the guidance, tools, feedback, accountability, and encouragement you to speak up confidently, powerfully, and joyfully! Now...Let’s transform your fear into fuel!

Jessica Klement
Vice President, Advocacy - ASTA
Jessica Klement is the Vice President of Advocacy at the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) where she advocates for the travel agency community at all levels of government, including federal and state lobbying, grassroots campaigns and the Society’s political action committee (ASTAPAC). Klement started her career on Capitol Hill working for a member of Congress from her home state of Wisconsin. Immediately prior to joining ASTA, Klement was the Staff Vice President of Policy and Programs at the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE), where she was responsible for carrying out the legislative, grassroots and political strategies of one of the nation’s largest federal employee and retiree organizations. She also oversaw NARFE’s Federal Benefits Institute, the association’s resource designed to help federal employees and retirees take charge of their benefits and guarantee a secure future. Klement’s policy analysis on federal employee and retiree issues has been featured in The Washington Post, CBS Evening News, NPR, USA Today and the Associated Press. Prior to joining NARFE, Klement served as the Government and Public Affairs Director at the Federal Managers Association, where she worked closely with Congress to advance legislation to strengthen federal employee and retiree pay and benefits. Klement has bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Finance from Marquette University.

Peter Lobasso
Senior Vice President & General Counsel - ASTA
Peter Lobasso has served as ASTA’s General Counsel since 2015. Prior to joining ASTA, Peter was a Managing Attorney for Berenson LLP, a specialty law firm based in Great Falls, Virginia. In practice for over twenty years, Peter has successfully represented clients in a wide variety of litigated matters before courts and administrative agencies at both the state and federal levels. Peter has also negotiated numerous multi-million dollar transactions on behalf of businesses throughout the country. Practice areas include, among others, corporate law, contracts, employment and labor law, intellectual property, real property, mortgage lending, and bankruptcy. Peter is admitted to the bars of New York, Virginia, and Washington D.C. He received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Central Florida in Orlando and earned his law degree at Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center on Long Island.

Alvin Adriano
Director of Education - ASTA
Alvin Adriano is the Director of Education for the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) which represents 80 percent of all travel sold in the United States through the travel agency distribution channel. He  is responsible for the development and execution of ASTA’s wide-ranging education agenda. Alvin is one of travel industry’s rising stars and has quickly become a recognized speaker at travel conventions, training programs and other business coaching seminars. Alvin’s philosophies revolve around creating leaders within your business/organization to build a culture of success. He is a passionate speaker who delivers simple, practical and realistic approaches to improve any business. Prior to his position in ASTA, Alvin served as CEO for 14 years for a global multi-million dollar travel agency and has worked with tourism boards, travel organizations, and influencers in the promotion of travel. Alvin was awarded the 2021 ASTA Young Professional of the Year Award and is a 2x Travel Weekly Magellan Award winner.

Eric Maryanov
President - All-Travel
In 1984 Eric Maryanov opened ALL-TRAVEL in West Los Angeles with one employee, a vision and determination to succeed in the travel industry.  All-Travel continues to thrive based on traditional core values of providing added value to their clients, delivering a high level of customer service by a dedicated and committed sales team, and cultivating true supplier-agency partnerships. Today, ALL-TRAVEL.com employs more than 45 people, with its headquarters in Los Angeles, California and storefront retail locations in Dublin, Ohio, Canton, Ohio and Fountain Valley, Arizona plus numerous home-based employees spread throughout the country. Through All-Travel’s web presence which first started in 1996, their client base is throughout the US as well as international, each handled very personally and without booking engines. Maryanov is a Certified Travel Counselor and Signature Travel Expert and has been in the travel business since 1980. He is a hands-on manager and is involved in the daily operations of the agency. As a published travel columnist, his business insight is sought after by a variety of industry trade publications, such as Luxury Travel Advisor where he was featured on the cover. He served eight years as the Chairman of the Board of Signature Travel Network, past treasurer and past vice chair. Recently he served 4 years on ASTA’s National Board of Directors – 1 year as Vice Chair and 2 years as Treasurer. Maryanov served for 3 years on TravCorp’s Advisory Board, Crystal Cruises’ first Advisory Board  until it disbanded due to COVID. He is an ASTA Premium Member agency. He has served on several industry advisory boards including Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Classic Custom Vacations, Club Med and Enterprise Rental Car. Additionally, he is President and facilitator of TAMS, an agency benchmarking consultancy company. He co-facilitated TAMS for 12 years before buying the company 8 years ago. TAMS meets quarterly and has 90+ member agencies. The agencies are broken out into different groups based on a variety of criteria. Members are from different parts of the country belonging to different consortias. Its strength comes in part from the variety of different business models

Jeannine Hankinson
Managing Director, Operations & Customer Experience - ARC
Jeannine Hankinson is an accomplished leader who has shaped strategy and driven success at Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) for nearly 30 years. As Managing Director of Operations & Customer Experience, Jeannine ensures ARC’s customers are met with efficient and secure care in an increasingly complex travel ecosystem. Beyond her strategic industry leadership, Jeannine is committed to safeguarding the integrity of ARC's customer’s businesses. She leads the charge against fraud, overseeing education initiatives aimed at empowering agents with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively combat fraudulent schemes. Jeannine's dedication to this cause underscores her unwavering commitment to ensuring the security and trustworthiness of ARC's services.

Timika Narine
Agency MNA Manager – Franchises (NYC) - Delta Air Lines
Timika leads Delta’s efforts to deepen our longstanding partnership with Internova Travel’s Travel Leaders Group division (Travel Leaders Network Franchises, Travel Leaders Vacation Centers, Nexion, Roadtrips and Barrhead Travel) as well as Uniglobe franchise network. Timika began her nearly 20-year Delta tenure in ACS Operations. She quickly excelled, filling roles of increased responsibility in ACS Operations, JFK Tower, Corporate Training and Inflight Operations as a Field Service Manager where she led a team of Delta’s finest flight attendants. In 2015, Timika joined New York Sales and has been leading National sales efforts spanning a diverse portfolio of agency and corporate clients based in New York. Timika is a graduate of Brooklyn College and is a celebrated Chairman’s Club Honoree. She resides in Brooklyn, NY with her two children, Levi and Samara. Outside of work she enjoys traveling, reading and volunteering in her community.

Paola Saraceni
Regional Manager, Business Development & Sales - Delta Vacations
Paola Saraceni serves as the Regional Sales Director for Delta Vacations and is based in New York. She is responsible for the Northeast region which expands from Maine to Virgina. She joined Delta Vacations in 2018 with already 20 years of experience within the travel industry. In addition to her daily responsibilities Paola serves as the leader of the Employees Engagement Council, she is also an honoree of the most prestigious recognition given to Delta Vacations employees: the President’s Club award - for her commitment to customers and each other and for demonstrating what it means to Go Beyond the Flight every single day. Paola believes the success of a workplace is based on carrying a positive attitude and building strong relationships based on integrity, respect, perseverance and servant leadership. In her free time, Paola loves to travel near and far and visits her home country - Italy - at least once a year.

Sam Hilgendorf
Chief Information Officer - Fox World Travel
Sam Hilgendorf has served as the Chief Information Officer for Fox World Travel since 2018. Sam is responsible for the vision and execution of Fox's technology portfolio, which includes IT, business intelligence, product development, and technology professional services. Under Sam's leadership, Fox has been awarded multiple Gold Magellan awards from Travel Weekly for technology innovations in travel. In 2021, Fox was recognized as a Distinguished Partner for SAP Concur for integration work with the Concur Travel platform. Sam was also recognized as Wisconsin CIO of the Year in 2023. Prior to joining Fox, Sam spent the majority of his career in IT consulting and professional services as a consultant and executive leader. He has helped advance the digitalization of some of the US’s largest organizations. Sam is a graduate of Concordia University Wisconsin with a bachelor's degree in Music, and has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and the Florentine Opera. Sam and his family reside in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Allison Yore
Sr. Director, Distribution Partnerships - Hertz
Allison Yore is the Senior Director of Distribution Partnerships at Hertz and has overall responsibility for some of the company’s largest partnerships in North America including Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), Travel Management Companies (TMCs), Global Distribution Systems (GDS), Online Booking Tools (OBTs), as well as travel wholesalers and travel agency consortia across the Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty brands.
Allison started her career at Hertz 10 years ago, holding various roles in the Sales Support and Operations organization with a focus on the corporate segment. In 2018, she assumed management of key OTA partnerships amongst other leisure partners as well as Hertz integrations with several OBTs. In 2021, Allison was promoted to Director of Travel Distribution where she added TMCs to her portfolio and signed some of the company’s first agreements with new major distribution partners. In her current role, she is focused on Hertz’s distribution strategy, reaching small business, corporate and leisure travelers. She resides in Estero, Florida.

Christopher J. Dane, CTIE
President and Managing Partner - Hickory Global Partners, LLC
Chris Dane has been in the travel industry for 5 decades and currently is the President and Managing Partner of Hickory Global Partners, LLC, a Travel Management Services Company whose members focus on Corporate Travel Management and HICKORY’s Products and Programs add value to our member’s efforts. He is also Executive Director and Partner for InteleTravel, the largest host agency in the world; and finally, a member of the Board of Directors for MGME, a Meeting, Incentive and Corporate Events (MICE) company. Prior to his current roles, he was President of HRG/Executive Travel Associates. The parent company of HRG/ETA was the 3rd largest travel management company in the world and has since sold to Amex Global Business Travel. Prior to joining HRG Worldwide, Dane had his own consulting company (Unlimited Travel Solutions. Inc.), which he still maintains. In that role, he has consulted a variety of traditional and new economy travel related entities. These assignments have included consulting for TripAdvisor.com in their start-up phase, interim COO for two dot-com travel related start-ups, strategic planning for companies like Sabre and Travelport, as well as numerous sales, marketing planning and implementation functions for a variety of travel related companies. Before starting his consulting company, he was one of the founders and held the position of Executive VP Operations with Vacation.com, the largest travel agency consortia in North America at that time. In this role, he was responsible for the roll-up of 1 Canadian and 7 U.S. consortia into a single cohesive unit. Prior to joining vacation.com, he held a Senior VP position and General Manager for Certified Vacations, where he was responsible for the management of Delta Air Lines Vacations, Marriott Villa Vacations and AAA Vacations. Dane spent over 22 years in the airline industry with American Airlines, Frontier Airlines and Eastern Airlines, working in various field and senior staff positions in Passenger Sales. He also spent time leading the largest field division at Sabre where he was responsible for the sales, service, training, and operational functions. Dane graduated from St. Louis University with a degree in Business Administration with a major in marketing. He earned his Certified Travel Consultant (CTC) from The Travel Institute in 1995 where he was also a member of the Board of Trustees from 1996-2002. He was also the first person to earn the Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE) designation. Currently he is on the advisory boards for BWG Strategy and Southwest Airlines and Amgine. He is married to Joan Duran and has 4 children as well as 5 grandchildren and his free time passions are of course travel, as well as golf and cars.

Paul McGannon
Global Account Executive, Travel Industry - Marriott International
Originally from Kansas City, MO, Paul now calls Miami, FL home, where he lives with his husband, Augie and their dog Mr. Garrison. Paul studied Hotel & Restaurant Administration and Spanish at The University of Central Missouri. He started his career with Starwood Hotels & Resorts in 2006, and has been with the company, now Marriott International, since then. In his current role, Paul manages Travel Agency partnerships in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Texas. In Paul’s free time, he enjoys gardening, cooking, plane spotting and yoga.



Bruce McIndoe
President - McIndoe Risk Advisory LLC
Bruce is a recognized leader in the risk management, security, travel risk, and intelligence industries. In 1999, Bruce founded iJET (rebranded WorldAware) which became the leading travel risk management intelligence and tech platform. Bruce received a BS in Physics and holds a MS in Computer Science. He was awarded the President’s Award from the Global Business Travel Association and was recognized by Business Travel News (BTN) as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Executives in the business travel industry for his work establishing travel risk management as a critical element of travel.



Marc Casto
Chief Executive Officer - MVC Solutions and Casto Travel Philippines
Marc is the CEO of Casto Travel Philippines, Inc. (CTP) and its holding company MVC Solutions (MVC). Based in Manila, CTP is the leading business process outsourcing firm focused upon the managed travel industry. As the CEO he is assiduously focused upon the strategy, execution, and operations of the company while ensuring it is in accord with its financial, ethical, and social requirements. He is driven and intent upon exceeding growth goals while investing in innovative solutions to propel the industry forwards. Prior to his current role, Marc was the President Leisure Americas for Flight Centre Travel Group [FCTG]. In that capacity he was ultimately responsible for the operations, marketing, product management, and strategic direction for all the Leisure brands in North America. This included the retail focused Liberty Travel and Flight Centre Canada, wholesaler GOGO, youth orientated StudentUniverse, and relevant Independent Brands. Before joining FCTG, Marc was responsible for the operations and direction of Casto Travel, a family company founded in 1974 and fully acquired by Flight Centre Travel Group in February 2019. As a highly engaged person within the travel industry he has served at an executive level on multiple travel and other industry related boards, including the American Society of Travel Agents (where he recently completed his term as Chairman of the Board), the Corporate Advisory Council, and the Mayor’s Task Force for San Jose Airport. Previously he also served as the Chairman of the Board for the San Jose Visitors and Convention Bureau/ Team San Jose, Chairman of the Board for the Commonwealth Business Travel Group, board positions for Business Travel News, CTAP, the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, as well as numerous hotel advisory boards. Marc is frequently sought for his professional advice and market assessments as a speaker as well as a contributor in the press including for the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, multiple trade publications, and more. Similarly, Marc has provided executive level training sessions on corporate sales management, travel innovation programs, human resource development, and business strategy. Marc has been recognized by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal and the San Jose Mercury News. In 2016 ASTA honored him as the inaugural recipient of the prestigious Paul M Ruden Award for Industry Champions. In 2014 he was the recipient of the Barbara O’Hara Advocacy Award by ASTA, and the same year as a “Distinguished Citizen” by the Boy Scouts of America. While a native of San Jose, California he recently moved with his family to Boston. You can generally find him lost in the streets of his new hometown while valiantly hoping to make his upcoming flight out of Logan. For the record, he is still a 49ers fan..

Robbi Jumaa Hamida
Senior Vice President - Nexion Travel Group
Robbi Jumaa Hamida, Senior Vice President of Nexion® Travel Group, brings 30 years of travel industry expertise. With prior experience in the airline industry, Robbi oversees operations at Nexion®, managing both customer-facing and behind-the-scenes aspects of the business. Actively involved in various travel industry committees and advisory boards, Robbi collaborates with partners to share ideas that benefit all stakeholders in the dynamic world of travel.



Dr. Jill Schiefelbein
Chief Experience Officer - Render
Jill Schiefelbein thrives at the intersections of communication, education, and technology. University faculty-turned-entrepreneur, she’s an award-winning business owner, author, and recovering academic. She taught at Arizona State University for 11 years, analyzed terrorist documents to provide counter-terrorism messaging strategies to the military, and was a pioneer in the digital education space. As a speaker, consultant, and owner at The Dynamic Communicator® Jill helps organizations navigate physical, digital, and technological communication spaces to attract customers, increase sales, and retain clients. She's Partner and Chief Experience Officer at Render, a start-up specializing in creating hyper-realistic avatars and providing integrated generative AI solutions. As the first known researcher studying the effectiveness of avatars compared to their human counterparts, she focuses on helping businesses strategize ways to improve their customers’ experiences through communication. An author of three books, her fourth, Effective Business Communication for Dummies, will be released in 2024.

John Sage
Chief Executive Officer - Sage Inclusion
John Sage is an industry leader in the large and growing accessible travel market. According to the World Health Organization, people with disabilities comprise 15% of the global population, and they are 20% to 25% of the population in developed countries and source markets. As Baby Boomers age, the population of people with disabilities grows. In 2009, John Sage founded his first accessible travel company, Sage Traveling, which provides accessible vacations to disabled travelers. John Sage has personally traveled with his wheelchair to inspect accessibility in hundreds of cities around the world, and Sage Traveling currently provides accessible accommodation, transportation, tours, pre-trip consulting, and emergency assistance in more than 50 countries. In 2016, Sage realized that no tour operator was focused on the accessibility market, so he founded his second company, Accessible Travel Solutions (ATS). ATS is now an industry leader in providing accessible travel packages to travel agents and has won Travel Weekly’s Tour Operator of the Year award. In 2017, ATS began providing accessible shore excursions to multiple cruise lines. ATS now offers accessible shore excursions in 140+ ports around the world. In 2021, he founded Sage Inclusion which empowers travel businesses and destinations to succeed in the accessible travel market. The industry-leading services include accessibility 1) assessments, 2) training, 3) certification, 4) marketing, and 5) consulting. John Sage is the first and only accessible travel company CEO who is a member of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). He was the primary author of the WTTC’s “Inclusive and Accessible Travel Guidelines”, and his “Top 10 Accessible Travel Tips for Europe” article has been published in Rick Steves' guidebooks. Sage received the Houston Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 award for executives and entrepreneurs. He is one of only a few individuals in the travel industry to have attained the IAAP Certified Accessibility Professional designation. He currently serves as accessibility subcommittee co-chairman for Destinations International (DI) and accessibility subcommittee chairman for the US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB) where he advises the US Secretary of Commerce on accessible travel issues. John Sage resides in the beautiful hill country town of New Braunfels, Texas where he enjoys handcycling, live music, and nature.

Kurt Gullikson
Director of Sales - Travel Guard Insurance 
Kurt joined AIG Travel in 2007. Originally from Wisconsin, Kurt moved to Asheville NC in 2008 to better serve our partners as the Director of sales for the SouthEast region.




Greg Takehara
Chief Executive Officer - Tourism Cares
Greg has been the CEO of Tourism Cares since 2019. He previously served on its Board, acting as its Chairman before becoming CEO. Prior to Tourism Cares, Greg was the President of Trip Mate, Inc., a travel insurance administrator. He began his thirty-five year career in the travel and tourism industry at The Mark Travel Corporation, where he served as General Counsel. Greg serves on the Board of the US Travel Association and has served on the Boards of NTA and the IGLTA Foundation, as well as numerous industry committees. He is from Chicago and has an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and a Juris Doctor degree from Washington University in St. Louis.


Karlene Angus Smith
Assoc. Director of Industry Affairs - Unique Vacations Inc / Sandals & Beaches Resorts
Karlene Angus Smith joined Unique Vacations Inc. in September 2002 as a Business Development Manager. She was later promoted to National Accounts Manager, where she oversaw one of the largest producing Retail chains, Flight Centre. Her career with the company continued as she moved to the Groups Department, where she took charge of the MICE Market for the Northeast Region. In 2019, she was promoted to Senior Regional Manager, where she managed the NE Sales Team. In 2022, her career with Unique Vacations grew, and she was promoted to Associate Director of Industry Affairs. Her new position allows her to strengthen her working relationships with Caribbean Tourist Board Partners and Travel Associations such as ASTA throughout the US. Her passion, enthusiasm, hard work, and dedication have never wavered throughout her career.

Julie Higgins
Sustainability Officer and Director of Hotel Operations - Uniworld Boutique River Cruises
Julie Higgins is the Sustainability Officer and Director of Hotel Operations for Uniworld Boutique River Cruises. Born and raised for the most part in South Africa, she has spent the first (and last), 20 years of her career working in various positions within Uniworld, specialising in both tour and product design and hotel operations. With her first decade spent working onboard of their river cruise ships, and the last decade being dedicated to travelling across the fleet, she considers these 20 years of her career as an incredible education and journey within tourism, an industry which has captured her heart from the very start. Julie recently furthered her learning and has graduated with an MBA in Sustainability Leadership, and has recently been honoured as a recipient of U.S.T.O.A.’s 2023 Future Light of the Tour Industry.  
She now spearheads all sustainability initiatives at the brand, and simultaneously oversees the fleet’s Hotel Operations, as they collectively work towards 11 strategic and ambitious sustainability goals, with the primary focus on reaching net zero by 2050 or before. Julie hopes that she can both continue her learnings in sustainable tourism, and pay it forward to those she is fortunate to meet along this shared journey.

John Diorio
Vice President, North American Sales - Virgin Voyages
John is part of a passionate and dedicated crew at Virgin Voyages that strives to be Brilliant To Do Business With for their First Mates (Travel Advisors) worldwide.  John leverages his 30+ years of experience in sales, leadership, and industry relations to lead sales and support in North America. Before setting sail The Virgin Way over six years ago, John was a member of The Mark Travel Corporation’s sales leadership team, held various senior leadership roles at Expedia Group, and provided strategic consulting in the travel realm. John is currently co-chair of the ASTA Proud Partner Committee, vice-chair of the CLIA Trade Relations Committee, and is a new advisory board member for Travel Age West.