Join climbing and mountaineering legend Conrad Anker for a presentation featuring some of his most challenging and exciting climbing adventures. Testing mankind’s desire to explore places unknown, Anker will show photos and video from these adventures and discuss the challenges and changes he has seen across the world and what that means for the business of adventure.
Harry Peisach joined Ski.com in 2003 as President and CEO. Ski.com is well-known as a retail business, but Peisach has been instrumental in implementing new software systems, an online booking engine and the acquisition of reservation systems, web properties and tour operators. He holds a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an MBA from the University of Michigan. He has founded several businesses in his forty-year career and headed several major software and technology companies, including Cybernetics Systems International and Interactive Software Systems. Peisach has lived in Aspen, Colorado, since September 2001. He was born in Bogota, Colombia where he and his family still have roots. He enjoys golfing and skiing.
Currently Executive Chairman at Couchsurfing International, and a Venture Partner at Technology Crossover Ventures, Erik has served as CEO of Expedia, Butterfield & Robinson and Terrapass. He is an active private company investor and serves on boards including Zillow, Siteminder, Glassdoor, Liftopia, Couchsurfing, and Choose Energy. Non-profit boards include The Cutting Ball Theater, and the U.S. National Council of WWF. Erik holds an AB from Princeton University and an MBA from Columbia Business School.
Kim Coupounas is the director of B Lab, a nonprofit that certifies “B Corporations” and serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good. She is also co-founder, former CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer of GoLite, a global, mission-driven outdoor apparel and equipment company, and past Chairman of the Board of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA). She currently serves on the boards of many academic, leadership and entrepreneurial institutions and organizations. She earned an M.B.A. from the Harvard business School and M.P.A. from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
Paul is an award-winning writer and co-founder of Context Travel. Context organizes small-group tours for the intellectually curious, led by scholars and experts, in over 30 cultural capitals around the world. Context is a certified B Corporation, and Paul has written and lectured widely on sustainable tourism and social entrepreneurship. He has recently wrapped up a 2-year, 14,000-mile sailing voyage from the Caribbean to Australia with his wife and young children during which, among other things, he learned how to run Context from an iPad and an Iridium.
Greg Klassen is a tourism specialist with over twenty years of leadership and marketing experience. He is currently the principal of Twenty31 Tourism Consulting, advising senior leadership teams and governments on competitive destination marketing strategies. At the helm of Canada Tourism Commission, Greg helped position Canada as the most recommended destination in the world to visit. Greg is a frequent contributor to travel and tourism industry media and is a sought-after speaker at events. He holds an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona and is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
Luis Vargas is currently the VP, Business Development & Experiences at The Clymb, based in Portland, Oregon. The Clymb is a 5 million+ member strong, e-commerce and content business selling gear, apparel and global adventure travel experiences. Luis has spent his career in the travel and tourism industry having held leadership roles at iconic brands such as REI, The Walt Disney Company and Backroads. He is a graduate of The Anderson School of Management at UCLA, a Certified Sommelier, and sits on the Board of Directors of Sustainable Travel International, the Adventure Cycling Association and is a frequent advisor to the Adventure Travel Trade Association.
About Us
Established in 1990, the Adventure Travel Trade Association is the largest global network of adventure travel leaders. Our community is made up of ~30,000 individual guides, tour operators, lodges, travel advisors, tourism boards, destination marketing and management organizations, outdoor educators, gear companies and travel media who share a belief and commitment to sustainable tourism. The connections and creativity of this vibrant community come together both virtually and in person to create and deliver the solutions that propel our businesses and our communities toward a responsible and profitable future.
