THE KENO RIGHT DIRECTION CONFERENCE 2016 KEYNOTE SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

                                 Danny delivers a range of strategic and operational consulting support to venues of all sizes. Danny is a key driver of hospitality management study tours to major gaming destinations and has been involved in a number of projects including Government research submissions on local and international gaming, business planning for Australian casino properties, operational reviews, KPI programs and developing successful gaming strategies for national club and hotel operations. Danny is also a regular contributor to key industry publications and delivers to university lectures and industry forums on the latest gaming and online gambling trends. Fiona is Rowland’s Executive General Manager and a former journalist. She is an experienced trainer and presenter, having facilitated a range of workshops and training sessions for clients in the public and private sectors. Fiona has provided issues and crisis management support, community engagement and media and reputation management support to a cross-section of local, national and international organisations as well as all levels of government. Her work is complemented by specialist skills in corporate positioning and strategy, communication training and organisational change communication.

Session 2: The Evolution of Gaming – Where to from here? Danny Nixon-Smith Principal Consultant DWS Hospitality Specialists  

Session 3: Crisis Communication – How Prepared are you to Manage Your Reputation during a Crisis? Fiona Sperou Executive General Manager Rowland  

With a distinguished career spanning radio and television journalism, as well as capital city news presenting, Tony is one of Australia’s most experienced media and presentation skills trainers. He conducts communication training and provides issues management advice for a range of clients, with the principal focus being the effective presentation of your messages through multiple conduits, to ensure the protection and enhancement of your brand. What tools do we need to provide a mentally healthy, resilient and supportive workplace for our most important resource, our staff? Can a better understanding and awareness of mental well being assist the reduction of absenteeism and increase productivity. Richard will call on his experiences through 26 years in the hospitality industry and share the tools his employer Tatts Group provide to their staff to support wellbeing.        

Session 3: Crisis Communication – How Prepared are you to Manage Your Reputation during a Crisis? Tony Ryan Associate Rowland  

Session 4: Cable Ties can Save your Lives! Richard Burns State Sales Manager Qld Maxgaming Qld  

                           Hospitality Associates Managing Director Sandra Swatton is certainly someone who thinks “differently” about the sales process and is viewed by people inside and outside the industry as a highly effective and motivating leader. She is passionate about helping the hospitality sector look at the way they could do Sales & Marketing “differently”. Her 17 years’ experience working in strategic leadership roles in Sales, Events & Marketing in the Qld, NSW and Vic markets has been focused on turning revenue targets into revenue results.                              With 23 years of strategic management across all disciplines of Hospitality Management including operations, sales & marketing, food & beverage, HR & Finance, Lachlan demonstrates a high level of leadership and success using his creative and visionary strengths to influence growth. Articulate with excellent facilitation and project implementation skills, Lachlan communicates with influence, confidence and possesses excellent negotiation skills. With a strong work ethic and entrepreneurial leadership, he thrives in change management to increase performance, productivity, profit and employee and customer satisfaction. Lachlan’s experience is diverse across a number of hospitality divisions with roles including National General Manager - Qantas Lounges Australia, General Manager - Urban Hotel Group, Regional Sales & Marketing Manager - Mirvac Hotels & Resorts and over ten years domestically and abroad with the Accor Hotel Chain. Currently CEO of the Queensland Cricketer’s Club, Lachlan is using his hospitality background to reposition the clubs future addressing the membership benefits including the entire food and beverage offering by yet again thinking differently.

Session 5: Increasing Sales & Revenue – A Different Approach Sandra Swatton Managing Director Hospitality Associates  

Session 6: The Importance of Offering the Right Food & Beverage Lachlan Furnell CEO Queensland Cricketers Club  

  There is no way to shorten what Brigadier Field has accomplished so here is as short of a summary as we could come up with: • As a Lieutenant, he commanded a rifle platoon, which included service in

Malaysia, and served as mortar line officer in 2nd/4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.

• As a Captain, he was seconded as a military observer to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation in Israel, Syria, and Lebanon.

• As a Major, he commanded companies in 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and was operations officer during the Battalion's deployment as a lead infantry unit to East Timor.

• As a Lieutenant Colonel, he was a planner with the Third US Army / Coalition Forces Land Component Command during the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition, he commanded 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, which for 15-months was the core of Australia's Ready Battalion Group. During this appointment, he led a rapid deployment operation to the Solomon Islands, and assumed command of Coalition Joint Task Force 635, within 18-hours of notification.

• As a Colonel, he was Chief of Operations and Plans, Queensland Reconstruction Authority, reconnecting, rebuilding, and improving Queensland communities and its economy, during and after the January - February 2011 floods and cyclones, which affected all of Queensland.

• As a Brigadier, he was Deputy Commanding General - Force Development, Combined Joint Task Force-82, enabling a 45,000 Afghan National Security Force achieve independent and enduring police and army capabilities, in the 112,000km2, four-province, 42 District, Regional Command - South. He enabled professional and austere Afghan National Security Forces to self-generate leadership, planning, training, and, logistic capabilities.

Session 7: Enabling People to Reach their Potential Brigadier Chris Field, CSC Commander 3rd Brigade Lavarack Barracks  

Having spent 30 years working in the area of internet disruption or Information Economics, originally as a technologist with the Chamber of Commerce and then an academic and an adviser to the Health Department, he has now turned to putting the things he has learned into practice and for the last four years (for the first time in his life) is putting his own money where his mouth is and operates over 30 internet radio stations globally. Dual WNBL championship winner Mia Murray is one of Townsville's finest athletes. Having represented Australia at a variety of levels, Mia led Townsville to their maiden WNBL championship in 2014/15 - claiming the Rachael Sporn Medal as the Grand Final MVP - before helping the Fire successfully defend their title against Perth in March. In conjunction with her sporting career, Mia is in the final stages of completing a degree in education with the aim of being a primary school teacher.

Session 8: Breaking Down the Walls – Media Disruption in our Midst Wayne Bucklar CEO Vertical Internet Radio  

Session 9: Building a High Performing Team Mia Murray Townsville Fire  

Ian Giles commenced his induction into the hotel industry as Manager for the Jazz & Blues Bar at the Brisbane City Travelodge in 1995, before progressing to their Food & Beverage Manager in 1997. In 2001 Ian accepted a role with Lion Nathan as a Sales Representative and continued his career progression within the beverage industry via a range of management roles at Diageo Australia. Ian commenced with CUB in September 2010 as Sales Manager On Premise (Qld) and currently holds the role of Sales Manager (Qld). A Rugby fanatic and a one-eyed Queensland REDs supporter, Ian credits his signing of the REDS / Carlton MID sponsorship back in 2011, and the fact that they were now drinking Carlton MID, to the REDs win of the Super 15 that year. There are many sceptics….yet, as Ian says; it’s now recorded in history.

Peter Davis has 25 years of hospitality industry experience having worked in hotels for five years and previously at CUB for 15 years. The team at Coca-Cola Amatil sell across the soft drink, spirits, beer and cider portfolio to all licensed venues in QLD and Northern NSW. Bob Slade has had 26 years experience in the printing industry running his own business. Five years ago he started to concentrate the business on specialising in disposable drink coasters and is now offering scratchies as an extra promotional tool on his coasters. This innovative idea stemmed from our theme of “different thinking” and Bob will share his interesting journey of seeing a concept through to fruition.

Lunch Host and Speaker Ian Giles Sales Manager Qld Carlton & United Breweries  

Lunch Guest Speaker Peter Davis State Manager Licensed, Coca-Cola Amatil  

Lunch Guest Speaker Bob Slade Director Professional Drink Coasters  

                 Dinner Guest Speaker Tracey Lines is the General Manager, Economic Development of Townsville Enterprise Limited and with their mission statement of “To build and develop North Queensland to achieve sustainable economic and lifestyle benefits for the Region and Australia” she has to constantly think outside of the box and stretch her mind. In addition, Tracey is also a board member of the Queensland Transport & Logistics Council and has been named National Ports Leader of the Year in recognition of outstanding leadership in implementing Australia’s first national port strategy for the Mt Isa to Townsville Supply Chain. She was a finalist for Professional Manager of the Year award with AIM, a state finalist for Telstra Business Women’s Awards and named International Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport of Young Professional of the Year in 2011. Considered one of Queensland's business leaders we are delighted to have her speak tonight on how she uses “Different Thinking” to overcome challenges and extend not only herself, but her colleagues and enterprise as well.                                 Born in Casablanca in Morocco, Patrick first started his career with a hotel Chef’s Apprenticeship at just 14 in Montpellier, France. He moved from France to Canada before coming to Australia, expanding his love for food and skillset. Since arriving down under Patrick’s experience includes stints as Executive Chef (Chef de Cuisine) at prestigious restaurants in Brisbane, including the Cordon Bleu Restaurant, and 12 years at the iconic Breakfast Creek Wharf Seafood Restaurant as Executive Chef. He then moved up to Townsville as the Executive Chef for Metropole Hotel for seven years before taking the helm of the Townsville RSL for the past 15 years. During this time the Townsville RSL has won both restaurant & caterers awards including Caterer of the Year twice, Best Restaurant, Best Wedding Caterer and Best Function Caterer some of these going on to be national finalist numerous times. We also can’t forget to mention that he won Clubs Queensland Chef of the Year in 2015!!

Dinner Guest Speaker Tracey Lines General Manager Townsville Enterprise  

Executive Chef for Dinner Patrick Senent Executive Chef Townsville RSL  

For Trent, life has been a training ground for his life long dream and passion for music. At 25 years of age he has accomplished more than he ever imagined he would. In 2012 he came 3rd on channel 7’s Series of Xfactor as apart of Australia’s super group ‘The Collective’. Receiving GOLD on there debut single ‘surrender' and hitting top five on the ARIA charts on there self titled EP. Trent just recently embarking on his solo career and has released his debut single ‘Limitless’. This is just another part of his amazing journey and I’m sure you will see more of him in the years to come.

Pre Dinner Entertainer Trent Bell XFactor Finalist Professional Singer