WiT (Web in Travel) is bringing a speaker line-up of A-list of travel tech leaders from Asia, Australasia, and beyond to Queenstown on 21 July 2026.
The debut event already boasts an impressive first wave of speakers, marking a milestone for Queenstown as it positions itself as a hub for travel and hospitality technology innovation. It includes 15 confirmed speakers of C-suite leadership representing major travel tech platforms including Airbnb, Agoda, Booking.com, Serko, Expedia and more, alongside New Zealand’s most senior tourism industry public official.
“WiT has always been about blending the best of local, regional and global,” WiT Founder Yeoh Siew Hoon said. “Our line-up reflects that – movers and shakers from Asia, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. We’re thrilled to make our debut in Queenstown, not just to inspire on arrival, but to spark a travel tech community and forge new bridges of ideas between Australasia and the world.”
The one-day event is presented in partnership with Technology Queenstown, a not-for-profit agency founded by Roger Sharp, who also chairs global travel business Web Travel Group and tech investment bank North Ridge Partners.
“With this cast of speakers, WiT Queenstown feels like the beginning of a masterclass in travel tech,” Sharp said. “It’s an opportunity to bring the world’s best minds to our beautiful region – and a vital step in diversifying the Queenstown Lakes District economy, where tourism and hospitality today account for more than 50 per cent of GDP.”
Building Queenstown’s tech future
Founded in 2024, Technology Queenstown has a bold mission: to grow the local technology sector to $1 billion in annual GDP within 20 years. Its vision is to shift tech’s share of GDP from less than 2 per cent today to more than 15 per cent, creating high-value jobs and new economic opportunities.
“Launching a globally successful event like WiT is central to building out our travel tech sector,” Sharp added. “By amplifying the talent already here, we want Queenstown to be known not only for its adventure and beauty, but for solving real-world travel problems through technology.”
WiT Queenstown speakers:
- Omri Morgenshtern, CEO, Agoda
- Katrina Barry, CEO, Webjet
- Darrin Grafton, CEO, Serko
- Craig Gray, CEO, Tourplan
- Sankar Narayan, CEO, Siteminder (checking)
- Rene de Monchy, CEO, Tourism New Zealand
- Rod Cuthbert, Founder, Viator
- Kei Shibata, CEO & Co-founder, Travel.jp & Trip101
- Darrell Chan, Head of Legal Counsel, Airbnb
- Marcus Yong, Vice President, Global Marketing, Klook
- Hermione Joye, Sector Lead – Travel, Google APAC
- Todd Lacey, Regional Manager Partner Services, Booking.com
- Darren Karshagen, Regional Director, APAC, Expedia Group
- Kerry Healy, Chief Commercial Officer for Premium, Midscale & Economy brands, Middle East, Africa, Turkey & Asia Pacific, Accor
- John Boris, President & Chief Growth Officer, Big Red Group (BRG)
Event details:
- Date: 21 July 2026
- Location: QT Hotel, Queenstown, New Zealand
- Organisers: Web in Travel (WiT) in partnership with Technology Queenstown
A full list of speakers and registration are available on the website.
