Greece Talks, Crete Forward: Experience, Culture & Connection aspires to capture the modern identity of the island.
Crete is at the center of public debate through Greece Talks, Crete Forward: Experience, Culture & Connection, which will take place on March 13 at the Grecotel Amirandes, in Heraklion.
The conference is organized by Travel.gr, the largest travel media in Greece, in collaboration with Proto Thema and the support of the Region of Crete and aspires to capture the modern identity of the island.
Crete is a place with a strong economy, which has been developing at a steady pace for decades. Today, the island is at the center of developments, as significant investments, new infrastructure, international brands and increased interest redefine its role on the European map. The conference captures this moment of maturity. Tourism, entrepreneurship, culture, architecture and gastronomy function as communicating vessels, within an ecosystem that is constantly evolving.
Greece Talks opens the dialogue around the place of Crete in the new era, focusing on how the island makes a difference and shows the future. The discussion develops around tourism and development as the new great opportunity, the infrastructures that change the map and build the future of Crete, as well as the connection of the destination with the world in an environment of increased international competition. The focus is on Crete as an experience and as a global tourism brand, with an emphasis on the strategy of extroversion and the quality of the product it offers. At the same time, gastronomy is highlighted as an element of identity and the music of the place as a voice that travels beyond borders, composing a modern narrative for the island that is evolving and confidently claiming its role on the international map.
The conference will be attended by Kostis Hatzidakis, Deputy Prime Minister, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of National Economy and Finance and President of the Eurogroup, Christos Dimas, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, as well as influential personalities from Greece and abroad, from the fields of Tourism, Business, Economy, Culture and Gastronomy.
At the heart of the conference are the people who know Crete from the inside: hoteliers who have built hospitality standards, investors who see far ahead, institutions who are called upon to design responsibly, creators who highlight the Cretan identity.
The conference speakers
- Kostis Hatzidakis – Deputy Prime Minister
- Kyriakos Pierrakakis – Minister of National Economy and Finance, President of the Eurogroup
- Christos Dimas – Minister of Infrastructure and Transport
- Pavlos Geroulanos – Member of Parliament PASOK-Movement for Change, Parliamentary Spokesperson
- Stavros Arnaoutakis – Governor of Crete
- Manousos Manousakis – President & CEO, ADMIE
- Andreas Fiorentinos – Secretary General, Hellenic Tourism Organization
- Elias Kikilias – General Manager, INSETE
- Fokion Karavias – Chief Executive Officer, Eurobank SA
- Ioannis Grylos – Founder and President, IOGR Group (SKY express)
- Mari Daskalantonaki – CEO Grecotel
- Kyriakos Mageiras – Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, Attica Group
- Anastasios Aranitis – CEO, AKTOR CONSTRUCTIONS & AKTOR HOLDINGS
- Dinos Benroubi – Vice President & CEO, METKA ATE
- Christos Panagiotopoulos – CEO, TERNA S.A.
- Andreas Taprantzis – CEO Avis Greece
- Michalis Lempidakis – CEO Plastica Kritis
- Andreas Metaxas – CEO, Metaxa Hospitality Group
- George Spanos – Vice President and CEO, 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 AVLI AXTE
- Panagiotis Magganas- Owner of Peskesi restaurant and Peskesi organic farm
- Ross Daly – Musician, Founder of Labyrinth Musical Workshop
The conference program
10.00 Arrival
10.30 Opening – Greetings
Androniki Kolovou, Director of Travel.gr
10.40 Crete: Making a difference, showing the future
Stavros Arnaoutakis, Regional Governor of Crete
10.50 Tourism, development and the new great opportunity
Kyriakos Pierrakakis – Minister of National Economy and Finance, President of the Eurogroup
Fokion Karavias – Chief Executive Officer, Eurobank Bank AE
Michalis Lempidakis – CEO Plastics of Crete
Moderator: Antonis Schroeter
11.30 Building the future of Crete: Infrastructure that changes the map
Christos Dimas – Minister of Infrastructure and Transport
Pavlos Geroulanos – Member of Parliament PASOK-Movement for Change, Parliamentary
Representative
Anastasios Aranitis – CEO, AKTOR CONSTRUCTIONS & AKTOR
HOLDINGS
Manousakis Manousos – President & CEO, ADMIE
Dinos Benroubi – Vice President & CEO, METKA ATE
Christos Panagiotopoulos – CEO, 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 Grecotel
Ioannis Grylos – Founder and President, IOGR Group (SKY express)
Kyriakos Mageiras – Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, Attica Group
Andreas Taprantzis – CEO AVIS Greece
Moderator: Babis Koutras
14.10 The experience in a global tourism brand
Andreas Fiorentinos – Secretary General, Hellenic National Tourism Organization
Ilias Kikilias – General Manager, INSETE
Andreas Metaxas – CEO, Metaxa Hospitality Group
George Spanos – Vice President and CEO, 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 Labyrinth Musical Workshop
15.45 END
Source: travel.gr