Attendees at the 2017 Tourism Summit this April will learn the answer to the question “Who Is That Elusive Profitable Traveler And Where In The World Is She?”  Sarah Quinlan, Group Head of Market Insights for Mastercard joins the lineup of global speakers at the Summit and will give her surprising answer to that question. 

Quinlan and other global experts will address the transformation and disruption of the global tourism industry, and how to lead in this new environment.  Sponsored by the University of Florida, this 2-day Summit will be held April 26-27, 2017 at the BoardWalk Inn at Walt Disney World.

Sarah Quinlan (pictured at left) is the Senior Vice President and Group Head of Market Insights for Mastercard. Providing macro-to-micro economic trends related to consumer spending and retail sales, Sarah advises executives across industries, including retail, banking, capital markets and government agencies.

Sarah and her team analyze and predict spending patterns, based on the billions of anonymous purchases Mastercard processes every year. Prior to joining MasterCard in 2013, Sarah spent 28 years in the capital markets as an investment banker, portfolio manager and hedge fund manager.

Sarah received her BA and MBA from the University of Chicago in Politics, Economics, Rhetoric and Law with Special Honors and in Finance and Accounting, respectively.

“Sarah represents the very essence of this D-Tour Summit; she culls Mastercard's deep data to find consumer trends and will give us a look around the curves on the road ahead,” said Mike Reid, Dean of the University of Florida.

“This conference will be unusual, exciting and information-rich. No long, boring talks. No tedious slide presentations. Instead, tourism executives will give attendees the most up-to-date information on a range of critical topics. The format will be lively, animated, a detour from the normal conference. Speakers will engage attendees and provide networking opportunities,” said Reid.

WHAT IS D-TOUR 2017?

Transformation and disruption on the global tourism stage are upon us. The top thinkers and change makers in tourism will be driving the agenda for the University of Florida's Global Tourism Summit – D-TOUR 2017 – we invite you be there and get ahead of the curve.  Press badges are available, check out the Content Hub on the website below.

Summit Topics to be addressed include:

• Identifying and maximizing opportunities in changing markets
• Turning sustainable tourism in a new direction
• How data, technology and innovation are transforming the industry
• How to manage a crisis and security predictions
• What it takes to lead through this disruption in a changing world

With a focus on seeking answers to global issues, the Summit is open to the tourism industry as well as to businesses that rely on tourism.

To be held at Walt Disney World April 26 and 27, 2017, for more information:  www.UFTourismSummit.com

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