Mayor of the Town of Granby

Mr. Bonin was elected as a Granby city councillor in November 2009, then won the mayoral election in November 2013. Healthy lifestyles are one of Mr. Bonin’s priorities and that’s why he doesn’t hesitate to come to work by bike… he leads by example! In September 2015, he acted as a local and provincial leader for the rescue of the governmental maintenance program for Québec’s La Route Verte cycling network. He is president of the Corporation d’aménagement récréo-touristique de la Haute-Yamaska inc (CARTHY) and serves as a director of the Drummond-Foster Cycling Association.

Afternoon Keynote Speaker

Website: granby.ca & haute-yamaska.ca & tourismegranby.com

Owner

Amy Camp, owner of Cycle Forward, is a trails and tourism consultant, a placemaker, and a professional coach. She helped to launch the nationally-recognized Trail Town Program® in 2007, and now consults communities on how they can rethink trails and tourism. She has consulted and led workshops throughout Appalachia, the Rust Belt, and other locations in the U.S. and Canada. Her clients have included the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Project for Public Spaces, UNESCO Fundy Biosphere Reserve, Pennsylvania Recreation & Park Society, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, and the Gros Morne Institute for Sustainable Tourism. A list of consulting projects and services is available at www.cycleforward.org. Amy served on the Board of American Trails from 2012-17, acting as Board Secretary and Chair of the Hulet Hornbeck Emerging Leaders Scholarship Program. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she first grew to love communities and began her work to help improve them.

Speaking during afternoon Plenary Session – “Developing Cycle Tourism Product”

Website: cycleforward.org

Get Social!

Facebook: Facebook.com/CycleForwardpgh

Instagram: Instagram.com/cycle_forward

Tourism Experience Development Specialist

Kim has been with BruceGreySimcoe (RTO7) since April of 2015 and previously headed up the Tourism division at the County of Bruce. Throughout the span of her career, she has been leading, coaching and elbows deep in product and experience development.

Seeing the big picture, collaborating with others and telling your story are a few of Kim’s main philosophies when it comes to experience development. She has worked on large award- winning products like the Explore the Bruce Adventure Passport that span across an entire county and has helped small businesses develop their own experiences that will help add revenue to their bottom line. Her role as the Tourism Experience Development Specialist has her working with other regional tourism organizations, municipalities, destination marketing organizations, and individual businesses to create amazing things for people to do when they travel.

Kim brings a background in business administration and a flair for creative marketing. Although Kim is an “import” to Bruce County, she has fully immersed herself in its culture, complete with rubber boots and a plaid jacket.

Speaking during Afternoon Concurrent Session #1: “Knowing the Market and Measuring the Impact of Cycle Tourism”

Website: brucegreysimcoe.com (Consumer site)

Get Social!

Twitter: @BruceGreySimcoe

Facebook: Facebook.com/BruceGreySimcoe

Instagram: Instagram.com/brucegreysimcoe/

Executive Director

Maria is the founding Executive Director of Hamilton Halton Brant Regional Tourism Association and brings diverse tourism and non-profit sector experiences to her current position as Executive Director and is working with the Board of Directors to ensure the organization sustains itself. The organization will be heading into its 9th year of operation with ongoing focus to steadily move the tourism development pendulum in the region working in partnership and collaboration with industry stakeholders.

Speaking during Afternoon Plenary Session: “Building Cycle Tourism Product”

Website: theheartofontario.com

Twitter: @HHBTourism

Facebook: Facebook.com/TheHeartofOntario

Instagram: Instagram.com/heartofontario

Marketing and Community Relations

Cycle Adirondacks mission is to grow and support bicycle tourism in New York’s Adirondack Park and the surrounding region. Created in 2015, CycleADK began as a weeklong road cycling tour designed to connect people with some of the most spectacular landscape and communities in North America.

What resulted is a world-class ecotourism company that continues to provide unique experiences and connections while helping to strengthen the economy of Northern New York. Matt is unflinchingly dedicated to providing riders with a truly memorable rides.

As the lead marketing and community liaison CycleADK, you’ll find Doug constantly excited about pretty much everything… especially riding bikes. He lives in Saranac Lake with his wife Kat and their two constantly outside and dirty little girls, Gwen and Liesl.

Speaking during Morning Concurrent Session #1: “Building Cycle Tourism Through Cycling Events”

Website:cycleadirondacks.com

Get Social!

Twitter:@CycleADK

Facebook:Facebook.com/CycleADK

Instagram:Instagram.com/CycleADK

Specialist, Fund Development, Ontario & Nunavut Division

Multiple sclerosis has been a fact of life for Dana’s family for herentire life. Her mother, who was diagnosed with the disease 30 years ago, remains her primary motivation as she continues to grow with the MS Society of Canada. Having joined the organization two years ago, she’s had the privilege of working on six different MS Bike tours with a focus on both event execution and setting strategic direction in her current role as Fund Development Specialist.

During her tenure with the program they have raised over $12.6 million for those living with MS across Ontario funding research and much-needed client services. With hermother in mind, she looks forward to continuing to help researchers move towards their ultimate goal: ending MS.

Speaking during Afternoon Concurrent Session #2: “Marketing Cycle Tourism”

Website: MSBike.ca

Get Social!

Twitter: @MSBikeTour

Facebook: Facebook.com/MSBikeTours

Instagram: Instagram.com/MSBikeTour

National Chairman for Tourism,

Frank Hofmann (51) is a tourism manager with extensive experience and management skills. He worked for several tourism- and travel companies. For instance Frank was responsible as product director, sales manager, head of yield- and revenue management and as business development manager for well-known tour operators like TUI, DER Touristik, Unister / Urlaubstours and some e-commerce tourism businesses.

Frank Hofmann is ADFC member since 1986. He graduated in cartography and geography – tourism management. The theme of his diploma was the “Cycle tourism and its economic impact for Germany“ (1998). He was involved in several projects as the national cycle map (ADFC Radtourenkarte), the cycle-friendly accommodation network (Bett+Bike) and the national brochure and campaign “Deutschland per Rad entdecken“ (Discover Germany by bike).

Morning Keynote Speaker

Website: adfc.de

Get Social!

Twitter: @fahrradclub

Facebook: Facebook.com/AllgemeinerDeutscherFahrradClub

Instagram: Instagram.com/adfc.de/

Executive Director

Marlaine Koehler is the Executive Director of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust. She has spent the past 20 years developing and leading the innovative partnership regenerating the Great Lakes waterfront through the creation of the spectacular Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. Under her leadership, the Trust has garnered nearly $40-million in public/ private investment in the waterfront and brought together an innovative and active community partnership of 140 communities, First Nations, and NGOs. Together the Trust and its partners are leading a movement to regenerate and revitalize Canada’s Great Lakes. Awards include: David Crombie Urban Leadership Award (2013) Jessica Marland Partnership Award (2016) and OALA Service to Environment Award (2016).

Speaking during afternoon Plenary Session: “Building Cycle Tourism Products”

Website: waterfronttrail.org

Twitter: @WaterfrontRT

Facebook: Facebook.com/TheHeartofOntario

Instagram: Instagram.com/Waterfront_RT

Director of Logistics and Products

Nathalie Lauzon has been the Logistics and Products Director for Vélo Québec Voyages since 2013. She has been part of the Vélo Québec team for more than 23 years, of which the last 10 years have been at the Travel Agency department of the organization. She was involved in the development of the The Go Bike Montréal Festival’s Night Tour, among other things, and participated in the development of several summer event trips (Grand Tour, Petite aventure, etc). She leads the team that develops and implements all the trips the agency offers in America and around the world: VQV trip formulas (70 guided bicycle trips); Self guided tours (more than 20 destinations) and tailor-made trips.

Nathalie Lauzon holds a B.Sc. from the Université de Sherbrooke in Québec and a complementary course in Management. In 2017, as part of the Nature Cluster Seminar in Nice, she gave a conference presentation on “In Quebec and around the world, the Vélo Québec Voyages experience”.

Morning Concurrent Session #1: “Building Cycle Tourism Through Cycling Events”

Website: veloquebecvoyages.com

Twitter: @VeloQuebec

Facebook: Facebook.com/VeloQuebec

Partner

Shea grew up in Belleville, Ontario, riding bikes and playing hockey. He went to Montreal to study and fell in love with the city immediately by discovering it intimately by bike.

While backpacking in Europe Shea took a bike tour in Munich, and was so enthusiastic about the experience that the tour leader offered him a guiding job on the spot. Instead, he travelled to Melbourne, Australia, where 3 weeks after arriving he began guiding bike tours there. After 6 months of learning all about bike-tour business operations, Shea headed back to Montreal to start his own company.

Shea’s rides have always followed the idea that “touring with Fitz is like riding with your local friend for the day.”

Shea’s education in Cultural Anthropology and skills in Digital Marketing, coupled with Diego’s education in education in Communication Sciences and background in Systems & Procedural design has fostered an aspirational and confident plan to take their bike tour concept worldwide.

Speaking during Morning Concurrent Session #2: “Building Cycle Tourism Through Bike Tours”

Website:fitzandfollwell.co

Get Social!

Facebook:Facebook.com/fitzandfollwellco

Instagram:Instagram.com/fitztoronto

Instagram:Instagram.com/fitzandfollwell

Project Manager  Having lived, studied, and worked in the tourism industry on four continents and in three languages, Michael brings a global perspective to projects. He has a strong background in communications and marketing, product development and community-based tourism initiatives. Since joining Transportation Options in 2013 as Project Coordinator of the Ontario By Bike Network, Michael keeps busy by managing a network of over 1,500 certified ‘bicycle friendly’ businesses, establishing program outreach strategies, conducting cycle tourism and event research, facilitating cycle tourism development workshops, all the while keeping a keen eye on the development of new marketing and communication efforts for Ontario By Bike. Michael was the Assistance Conference Director for the 2016 Cycle Tourism Conference. He is always thrilled when he gets a chance to keep exploring more of Ontario by bike.

Website: OntarioByBike.ca  Get Social! Twitter:@ontariobybike Facebook:Facebook.com/OntarioByBike Instagram:Instagram.com/ontario_by_bike

Founder and Executive Director

Sara McEwen founded Humdinger Bicycle Tours in 2017, and Humdinger’s first tours ran in the summer of 2018. She is mostly retired from a career in the rehabilitation sciences, where she worked as a physiotherapist and a scientist interested in learning how best to help people achieve personally meaningful goals. Her cycling experience includes commuting, mountain biking, triathlons, road riding, cycle touring, cross/gravel biking, and one amazingly fun day on a downhill bike at Mont Ste. Anne, Quebec. She has been an invited speaker on many occasions locally and internationally as a scientist, but this marks her first foray into presenting to a cycle tourism audience.

Speaking during Morning Concurrent Session #2: “Building Cycle Tourism Through Bike Tours”

Website:humdingerbicycletours.ca

Get Social!

Twitter:@HumdingerTours

Facebook:Facebook.com/HumdingerBicycleTours

Instagram:Instagram.com/humdingerbicycletours

Owner

Robbin McKinney has probably guided more cycling trips in more places for longer than anyone in the active travel world. As a guide with Butterfield & Robinson, Robbin lead trips throughout North America and Europe and then in 1996 created an event management company that has produced many successful cycling events in Canada for charities such as Jumpstart and others. Robbin is the founder and owner of Great Explorations and Randonnee Tours: tour operators that specialize in active travel offering trips in over 26 countries. Robbin’s mission is simply to get more people riding bikes and traveling. With over 35 years experience guiding bicycling trips in every corner of the world, and as principal of two companies that seek to change the way we travel, Robbin has a unique perspective on the travel business and opportunities in eco-tourism.

Speaking during Morning Concurrent Session #2: “Building Cycle Tourism Through Bike Tours”

Website:randonneetours.com

Get Social!

Twitter:@RandonneeTours

Facebook:Facebook.com/randonneetours

Instagram:@randonnee_tours

Senior Director of Strategy & Communications

Kate Monk is the Senior Director of Strategy & Communications at RTO12, one of thirteen regional tourism organizations funded by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Sport. Also known by its consumer-facing name of Explorers’ Edge, the region includes Algonquin Park, the Almaguin Highlands, Loring-Restoule, Muskoka and Parry Sound. She oversees RTO12’s extremely successful content programs for domestic and international markets. She created the innovative suite of self-guided mobile tours for RTO12, which includes BikeCottageCountry.ca, a branded content marketing site that riders can use for trip planning and out on the road. Her ‘Share Your Canada 150’ strategy resulted in 1300 user-generated content stories being posted to the campaign’s site and over 7,000 international leads being added to the RTO’s database in just 5 weeks. She is also the in-house writer for Explorers’ Edge. Kate used to cycle but doesn’t anymore; she’ll tell you that story as well.

Speaking during Afternoon Concurrent Session #2: “Marketing Cycle Tourism”

Website: bikecottagecountry.ca & explorersedge.ca

Get Social!

Twitter:@tourtraintrek

Facebook:Facebook.com/explorersedge

Instagram:Instagram.com/explorersedge

Executive Director

Louisa has considerable experience working in the tourism industry and worked for private tourism businesses at international destinations before turning her sights on travel and tourism closer to home, in Ontario. As Executive Director of Transportation Options, Louisa has launched and manages a number of innovative programs including Ontario By Bike with a focus on developing and promoting cycle tourism across the province. Working with a wide array of partners, and under Louisa’s leadership, Ontario By Bike coordinates workshops, conferences, tours, marketing campaigns, research reports, a bicycle friendly certification program for tourism businesses and provides consulting services on regional and provincial wide projects. Louisa was also the Conference Director of the 2016 Cycle Tourism Conference and 2013 Ontario Cycle Tourism Forum and Assistant Coordinator of the 2009 Forum. A keen cyclist and outdoors enthusiast, she holds much knowledge of the cycle tourism and outdoor adventure sectors in Ontario – and is always keen to get out there to learn more.

Website:OntarioByBike.ca

Get Social!

Twitter: @ontariobybike

Facebook: Facebook.com/OntarioByBike

Instagram: Instagram.com/ontario_by_bike

Owner / Hotelier

Silvia is the owner and manager of the Lungomare Bike Hotel located Cesenatico, Italy, a coastal town on the Adriatic Sea, motherland of the great cycling champion Marco Pantani. The area is a hot spot for cyclists and the hotel caters to this market offering a variety of services exclusive to cyclists (plus their non-cycling companions) and by being a part of the Italy Cycling Holiday’s/Bici Amore Mio accommodation group.

The Pasolini family have owned the hotel since 1954 with all generations having a passion for cycling. Silvia remembers her father, Giuliano, returning from rides and tossing his wool cycling jerseys, heavy with sweat, aside before the days of more technical clothing. During the last decades, his legacy has been passed on to Silvia’s husband Lorenzo, sister, Francesca and son Filippo, who like to ride with the guests and also help Silvia with hotel management.

Speaking during Lunch Presentation and Bicycle Friendly Business Awards

Website: hlungomare.com & biciamoremio.it/en/travel/

Get Social!

Twitter: @hotel_lungomare

Facebook: Facebook.com/hotellungomare.cesenatico

Instagram: Instagram.com/hotellungomarecesenatico

Director of Account Management

As Director of Account Management in the travel, insurance and loyalty practice, Rosa Rumeo assists clients in achieving their marketing goals by providing guidance on solving business challenges using Environics Analytics products and services. For many clients this means identifying and understanding who their customers are, where to find them and how to best communicate and reach them. Rosa brings more than ten years of financial and marketing experience to Environics Analytics, having previously served as a director of customer information strategies at CIBC. She graduated from the Schulich School of Business at York University with a bachelor’s degree with honours in business administration.

Speaking during Afternoon Concurrent Session #1: “Knowing the Market and Measuring the Impacts of Cycle Tourism”

Website: environicsanalytics.com

Get Social!

Twitter: @EnvironicsA

Facebook: Facebook.com/EnvironicsAnalytics

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/environics-analytics

Partner

When Diego launched BA Bikes there were no bike lanes in Buenos Aires. He didn’t hire ‘cyclists’ as guides, but rather charming, personable hosts that would show guests why they loved their city so much. It paid off – within a few years BA developed an impressive network of cycle lanes and catapulted to #14 on the Copenhagenize index of bike friendly cities, and he had a staff of a dozen locals loving their jobs. His background in designing systems and procedures for other tourism businesses was put into practice in his own company.

Love would take him from Argentina to Quebec, where he has landed comfortably at Fitz & Follwell, and has helped integrate the company into the Velo Quebec headquarters in Montreal.

Shea’s education (see above) in Cultural Anthropology and skills in Digital Marketing, coupled with Diego’s education in education in Communication Sciences and background in Systems & Procedural design has fostered an aspirational and confident plan to take their bike tour concept worldwide.

Speaking during Morning Concurrent Session #2: “Building Cycle Tourism Through Bike Tours”

Website:fitzmontreal.com

Get Social!

Facebook:Facebook.com/fitzandfollwellco

Instagram:Instagram.com/fitztoronto

Instagram:Instagram.com/fitzandfollwell

Co-Race Directors

John Thorpe is the Race Co-Director of Paris to Ancaster Cycling Classic and has been for the last 25 years! John was founder and co-chair of Canada’s largest ribfest for 20 years, was Burlingtons Tourism Ambassador of the Year in 2008, and is a member of the Festival and Events of Ontario Hall of Fame.

Speaking during Morning Concurrent Session #1: “Building Cycle Tourism Through Cycling Events”

Website:parisancaster.com

Get Social!

Twitter:@Paris2Ancaster

Facebook:Facebook.com/Paris2Ancaster

Instagram:Instagram.com/paris2ancaster

Guest Relations and Event Operations

Cycle Adirondacks mission is to grow and support bicycle tourism in New York’s Adirondack Park and the surrounding region. Created in 2015, CycleADK began as a weeklong road cycling tour designed to connect people with some of the most spectacular landscape and communities in North America.

What resulted is a world-class ecotourism company that continues to provide unique experiences and connections while helping to strengthen the economy of Northern New York. Matt is unflinchingly dedicated to providing riders with a truly memorable rides.

Matt and his wife, Jodi, were born and raised in Upstate New York. They’ve returned there to raise their boys, Gavin and Gabriel, who are growing up seeing the world from the perspective their dad loves best.

Speaking during Morning Concurrent Session #1: “Building Cycle Tourism Through Cycling Events”

Website:cycleadirondacks.com

Get Social!

Twitter:@CycleADK

Facebook:Facebook.com/CycleADK

Instagram:Instagram.com/CycleADK

Marketing Manager

Matt brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Tourism North East, having returned to Australia from the US where he most recently worked as the Vice President of Client Services at global sports and experiential marketing agency GMR in San Francisco. He’s held a range of positions in the cycling industry, including Head of Marketing and Business Operations for cycling retailer/importer Above Category Cycling and Director at Rubber Side Down Cycling, which means he’s well positioned to drive growth in the region’s cycle tourism markets. He has also held senior state government tourism roles in addition to managing a boutique sports marketing agency in Sydney.

Speaking during Afternoon Concurrent Session #2: “Marketing Cycle Tourism” (By live video)

Website: ridehighcountry.com.au

Get Social!

Facebook:Facebook.com/ridehighcountry

Instagram:Instagram.com/ridehighcountry

Tourism Development Manager

Joanne Wolnik is the Tourism Development Manager at Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation (Regional Tourism Organization 1). In this role Joanne has the pleasure of working with tourism operators and other industry leaders to develop new and innovative experiences for visitors to enjoy in Ontario’s Southwest. Joanne appreciates that travel is a time for adventure, new experiences and making memories. Joanne completed her Masters in Business Administration from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, where she also completed her Honours degree in Outdoor Recreation, specializing in Tourism.

Speaking during Afternoon Concurrent Session #1: Knowing the Market and Measuring the Impacts of Cycle Tourism”

Website:ontariossouthwest.com(Consumer website)

Get Social!

Twitter:@OntSouthwest

Facebook:Facebook.com/OntariosSouthwest

Instagram:Instagram.com/ontsouthwest