Greece Talks, Crete Forward: Experience, Culture & Connection aims to capture the island’s modern identity.
Crete is at the centre of public debate through ‘Greece Talks, Crete Forward: Experience, Culture & Connection’, which will take place on 13 March at the Grecotel Amirandes in Heraklion.
The conference is organised by Travel.gr, Greece’s largest travel media outlet, in collaboration with Proto Thema and with the support of the Region of Crete, it aims to capture the island’s modern identity.
Crete is a region with a strong economy, which has been growing steadily for decades. Today, the island is at the heart of these developments, as significant investment, new infrastructure, international brands and growing interest are redefining its role on the European map. The conference captures this moment of maturity. Tourism, entrepreneurship, culture, architecture and gastronomy function as interconnected elements within a constantly evolving ecosystem.
Greece Talks opens a dialogue on Crete’s place in the new era, focusing on how the island makes a difference and points the way to the future. The discussion centres on tourism and development as the new great opportunity, the infrastructure projects that are reshaping the landscape and building Crete’s future, as well as the destination’s connection with the world in a context of increased international competition. The focus is on Crete as an experience and as a global tourism brand, with an emphasis on a strategy of outreach and the quality of the products it offers. At the same time, gastronomy is highlighted as an element of identity and the local music as a voice that transcends borders, weaving a modern narrative for the island as it evolves and confidently asserts its place on the international stage.
The conference will be attended by Kostis Hatzidakis, Deputy Prime Minister, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister for National Economy and Finance and President of the Eurogroup, Christos Dimas, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, as well as influential figures from Greece and abroad, from the fields of tourism, business, the economy, culture and gastronomy.
At the heart of the conference are the people who know Crete inside out: hoteliers who have set the standard for hospitality, investors with a long-term vision, institutions tasked with designing responsibly, and creators who showcase the Cretan identity.
The conference speakers
- Kostis Hatzidakis – Deputy Prime Minister
- Kyriakos Pierrakakis – Minister for National Economy and Finance, President of the Eurogroup
- Christos Dimas – Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
- Pavlos Geroulanos – Member of Parliament for PASOK-Movement for Change, Parliamentary Spokesperson
- Stavros Arnaoutakis – Governor of Crete
- Manousos Manousakis – President & CEO, ADMIE
- Andreas Fiorentinos – Secretary General, Hellenic Tourism Organisation
- Elias Kikilias – General Manager, INSETE
- Fokion Karavias – Chief Executive Officer, Eurobank SA
- Ioannis Grylos – Founder and President, IOGR Group (SKY express)
- Mari Daskalantonaki – CEO of Grecotel
- Kyriakos Mageiras – Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, Attica Group
- Anastasios Aranitis – Chief Executive Officer, AKTOR CONSTRUCTIONS & AKTOR HOLDINGS
- Dinos Benroubi – Vice-President & Chief Executive Officer, METKA ATE
- Christos Panagiotopoulos – Chief Executive Officer, TERNA S.A.
- Andreas Taprantzis – CEO of Avis Greece
- Michalis Lempidakis – CEO of Plastica Kritis
- Andreas Metaxas – Chief Executive Officer, Metaxa Hospitality Group
- George Spanos – Vice-President and Chief Executive Officer, Domes Resorts
- Elias Kokotos – Director of Business Development at Elounda Collection Hotels & Resorts
- Dimitris M. Kalaitzidakis – Operations Director, Grecotel Hotels & Resorts
- Nikos Douloufakis – Viticulturist, Winemaker, Oenologist
- Katerina Xekalou – President & CEO of AVLI AXTE
- Panagiotis Magganas – Owner of Peskesi restaurant and Peskesi organic farm
- Ross Daly – Musician, Founder of the Labyrinth Musical Workshop
The conference programme
10.00 Arrival
10.30 Opening – Welcome address
Androniki Kolovou, Director of Travel.gr
10.40 Crete: Making a difference, shaping the future
Stavros Arnaoutakis, Regional Governor of Crete
10.50 Tourism, development and the new great opportunity
Kyriakos Pierrakakis – Minister for National Economy and Finance, President of the Eurogroup
Fokion Karavias – Chief Executive Officer, Eurobank Bank AE
Michalis Lempidakis – CEO of Plastics of Crete
Moderator: Antonis Schroeter
11.30 Building the future of Crete: Infrastructure that reshapes the landscape
Christos Dimas – Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Pavlos Geroulanos – Member of Parliament, PASOK–Movement for Change, Parliamentary
Representative
Anastasios Aranitis – Chief Executive Officer, AKTOR CONSTRUCTIONS & AKTOR
HOLDINGS
Manousakis Manousos – President & CEO, ADMIE
Dinos Benroubi – Vice-President & Chief Executive Officer, METKA ATE
Christos Panagiotopoulos – Chief Executive Officer, TERNA S.A.
Moderator: George Eugenides
12.25 LUNCH BREAK
13.15 Crete: Connecting the destination with the world
Kostis Hatzidakis – Deputy Prime Minister
Marie Daskalantonaki – CEO of Grecotel
Ioannis Grylos – Founder and President, IOGR Group (SKY express)
Kyriakos Mageiras – Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, Attica Group
Andreas Taprantzis – CEO of AVIS Greece
Moderator: Babis Koutras
14.10 Experience with a global tourism brand
Andreas Fiorentinos – Secretary General, Hellenic National Tourism Organisation
Ilias Kikilias – General Manager, INSETE
Andreas Metaxas – Chief Executive Officer, Metaxa Hospitality Group
George Spanos – Vice-President and Chief Executive Officer, Domes Resorts
Ilias Kokotos – Director of Business Development at Elounda Collection Hotels & Resorts
Moderator: Kostas Panagakis
14.55 Crete: Gastronomy as Identity
Dimitris Kalaitzidakis – Operations Director, Grecotel Hotels & Resorts
Nikos Douloufakis – Viticulturist, Winemaker, Oenologist
Katerina Xekalou – President & Managing Director, AVLI AXTE
Panagiotis Magganas – Owner of Peskesi Restaurant and Peskesi Organic Farm
Moderator: Tina Mandilara
15.30 The Voice of the Place: How the Music of Crete Speaks to the World
Ross Daly – Musician, Founder of the Labyrinth Musical Workshop
15.45 END
Source: travel.gr