More than 170 hospitality professionals will converge on the Gold Coast to share key insights and best practices at the annual Australian Timeshare and Holiday Ownership Council (ATHOC) Conference this week.

The event will include a robust program of panels and keynote speakers featuring industry leaders from around the globe at Mantra Legends Hotel on September 9 and 10.

High profile attendees include Barry Robinson, President and Managing Director, International Operations at Wyndham Vacation Clubs, and Olivier Chavy, President of RCI Exchanges. Both leaders serve on the executive team of Wyndham Destinations, the world's largest vacation ownership and exchange company. 

Delivering the keynote address to delegates, President of RCI Exchanges Olivier Chavy will be flying in from the company's headquarters in Orlando, Florida, USA to provide a global perspective on where he sees the future of the industry, as well as his key observations six months into his new role. 

With 30 years of experience in international hospitality and executive leadership, Mr Chavy is responsible for the strategic direction, operation and growth of RCI Exchanges, the largest vacation exchange network in existence, offering 3.8 million members access to more than 4,300 affiliated vacation resorts in 110 countries. Prior to joining RCI Exchanges in 2019, he served as CEO of Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts where he led the company's expansion through new resort openings, pipeline development and portfolio growth.

Mr Robinson oversees operations of Wyndham Vacation Clubs outside North America and leads the international growth strategy for the company's vacation clubs: Club Wyndham, Club Wyndham South Pacific, WorldMark by Wyndham, Club Wyndham Asia, and Margaritaville Vacation Club. Now dividing his time between Singapore and the Gold Coast, he previously served 15 years as President and Managing Director of Wyndham Vacation Resorts Asia Pacific from the Wyndham Corporate Centre in Bundall, where he was the driving force behind significant property acquisitions and enhanced resort developments, including growing the business to become the world's largest vacation ownership development operation outside North America. 

Conference sessions will explore trending topics such as customer experience, consumer protection, talent attraction and retention, and cybercrime. Speakers include leaders from Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific, RCI, DAE, Accor Vacation Club, Marriott Vacation Club and Classic Holidays, along with guest speakers including Trevor Hendy AM; Tom Scantlebury, Managing Director, SkyBlue Customer Service Experiences; Professor Michael Adams, Head of School of Law, University Of New England; David Coorey, Australian Financial Complaints Authority; and Paul Eastment, Senior Manager, Investment Managers, Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

The conference culminates in the annual ATHOC awards night, which is committed to recognising the wealth of talent in the timeshare and holiday ownership industry across Australia.