The Programme

Join us for a day of inspiring discussions, insightful conversations, and networking with leading industry experts.

Date : May 06^th, 2025
Venue : Kurumba Maldives

Agenda

Stay tuned! The detailed agenda will be announced shortly.

You can look forward to a dynamic mix of insightful sessions, engaging panel discussions, interactive breakout sessions featuring industry experts from eMarketingEye, Sabre, Lighthouse, Revinate, Yango Ads, and other leading digital marketing platforms. All alongside excellent opportunities for networking with peers and professionals from across the hospitality industry.

Agenda

08:30 - 09:00

Register, Meet and Mingle

Collect your lanyard and name tag at the registration desk, and savor a coffee while mingling with fellow conference delegates. The exhibitor booths are open to all conference delegates, offering a chance to meet exhibitors and gain new insights.

09:00 - 09:07

Introduction

09:07 - 09:15

Opening Remarks

Rajitha Dahanayake

CEO

eMarketingEye

09:15 - 09:30

Surf’s Up: Riding the Global Travel Trend Wave to the Maldives

As the global travel landscape shifts, the Maldives stands at the forefront of hospitality innovation. Explore how the digital revolution, evolving traveler expectations, and sustainability trends are shaping the future of the island’s tourism industry and how resorts can leverage these changes to stay ahead

Charithya Kandage

Vice President – Account Management

eMarketingEye

Salmah Rasheed

Associate Director and Head of Social Media

eMarketingEye

09:30 - 09:50

How retailing is enabling hoteliers to drive total revenue

What if you could easily drive more spend through merchandising to your guests at the time of booking, while delivering on the preferences and add-ons each unique traveler wants? Selling more relevant ancillary products has been shown to drive higher booking conversion. For hoteliers, having a successful merchandising strategy results in higher guest satisfaction, greater revenue, and strategic differentiation from competitors in an evolving industry. But what does it take to get there? How far are you willing to get out of your comfort zone? In this session, you'll learn how retailing and merchandising is changing hospitality as hoteliers drive revenue beyond the room.

Anshul Kumar

Director of Sales, SEA

Sabre Hospitality

09:50- 10:10

Set Sail for Success with EME: Supercharge Your Resort's Direct Booking Strategy

Unlock the full potential of your resort’s direct booking strategy with data-driven insights and innovative digital marketing campaigns. Discover how EME helps you elevate performance, and drive more direct revenue.

Dasun Premasinghe

Vice President - Digital Marketing

eMarketingEye

Chandima Welagedara

Vice President - Digital Marketing

eMarketingEye

10:10 - 10:35

Coffee Break

Expresso Yourself

10:35 - 11:05

Panel discussion

How Emerging Digital Strategies Are Redefining Marketing in The Maldives

This panel delves into innovative digital strategies that are empowering hotels in the Maldives to boost direct bookings, drive revenue growth, and strengthen their online presence in an increasingly competitive market.

Learn how to optimize digital touchpoints, harness performance marketing, and build stronger brand loyalty. Gain practical insights to reduce OTA dependency and maximize profitability through smarter online engagement.

Rajitha Dahanayake

Chief Executive Officer

eMarketingEye

Althaf Mohamed Ali

Chief Operating Officer

Pulse Hotels & Resorts

Ibrahim Shijah

General Manager

Baros Maldives

Sarawut Tantichote

Senior Director of e-Commerce & Digital Advertising

Minor Hotels

Nayomi Tennakoon

Manager Maldives

Sri Lankan Airlines

Moderator

Sathis Aravinda

Regional Sales Director

Duetto

11:05 - 11:20

Mastering Digital Marketing: The Hotelier’s Guide to Success

Gain valuable insights into effective strategies for hotel operators and uncover the key principles of digital marketing to enhance conversions on Brand.com. Elevate your direct channel to new heights by driving measurable results from clicks to conversions at scale.

Sarawut Tantichote

Senior Director of e-Commerce & Digital Advertising

Minor Hotels

11:20 - 11:40

Maximizing Profits in 2025: Spotlight on Maldives’ Tourism Trends

Unlock future opportunities with Lighthouse. We'll help you go From Data Overload to Actionable Insights, illuminating key travel trends and the journey From Searches to Stays. Forget the crystal ball – we provide the most probable forecast to optimize your revenue. Get ready for actionable takeaways on understanding future demand.

Kuan Yii Chan

Senior Business Development Manager, APAC

Lighthouse

11:40 - 11:50

Kahoot

11:50 - 12:10

Unlocking Russian-Speaking Tourism with Yango Ads: Trends & Strategies for 2025

Gain exclusive insights into how Russian-speaking tourists are traveling in 2025 and what it means for your business. Explore key industry trends, discover traveler preferences for Maldives, and see the impact of Yango Ads through a real-world case study

Junfeng Wang

Head of Partnerships at Yango Ads, APAC

Yango Ads

12:10 - 13:10

Lunch Break

Bon appétit

13:10 - 13:30

Track 1 - Session One

You can't rush Paradise! SEO Reloaded: Thriving in the AI Search Era

Explore how to thrive in the new era by mastering the SEO fundamentals that still matter: optimizing keywords with intent, building high-quality backlinks, and fixing critical technical issues that impact site performance. Discover how to align your strategy with AI algorithms and build sustainable, long-term success.

Kusalika Basnayake

Senior Vice President - Digital Marketing

eMarketingEye

Chandima Welagedara

Vice President – Digital Marketing

eMarketingEye

13:30 - 13:50

Track 1 - Session Two

Clicks to Check-ins: PPC That Converts

Explore how search, metasearch, and display advertising work together to drive high value bookings. This session covers strategies for capturing intent, increasing direct bookings, and using ads to inspire travel.

Kusalika Basnayake

Senior Vice President - Digital Marketing

eMarketingEye

Dasun Premasinghe

Vice President - Digital Marketing

eMarketingEye

13:10 - 13:30

Track 2 - Session One

Websites That Wanderlust How to design hotel websites that make you want to pack your bags

This session dives into the art and science of designing hotel websites that spark desire, stir emotions, and drive bookings. From stunning visuals and immersive UX to seamless mobile experiences and scroll-stopping CTAs, discover how to turn wanderlust into action with design that transports users—before they’ve even clicked “book now.

Suranga Rajakaruna

Senior Vice President - Web Solutions

eMarketingEye

Charithya Kandage

Vice President – Account Management

eMarketingEye

13:30 - 13:50

Track 2 - Session Two

Data Speaks. Are You Ready to Listen? Uncovering insights behind the numbers

Decode the numbers to uncover the stories hidden within your data, with a seamless tracking setup. Use these insights to take actionable steps that enhance your direct booking strategy.

Hiranthika Kothalawala

Associate Director - Digital Marketing

eMarketingEye

Sudharaka Dhammasena

Head of Digital Analytics

eMarketingEye

13:50 - 14:10

Break Down Data Silos to Drive Direct Revenue with a 360° Guest View

In today’s competitive hospitality landscape, data is your most powerful asset—if you know how to use it. Too often, guest data is trapped in disconnected systems, preventing hotels from truly understanding their customers. This session will show you how to unify and activate your data to create targeted, personalized campaigns that boost direct bookings, increase upsell conversion, and maximize lifetime value. Attendees will walk away with clear strategies to turn data insights into measurable revenue impact.

Sumit Saxena

Country Manager - Indian Sub-continent

Revinate

14:10 - 14:30

Sun, Sand, and Social: Your Ultimate Social Media Blueprint for the Maldives

In the world of endless scrolling, it’s not enough to just catch attention—you need to convert it into action. This session explores how to craft compelling social media campaigns that blend creative storytelling, performance marketing, and AI-driven personalization to boost brand visibility and drive bookings for your Maldives resort.

Salmah Rasheed

Associate Director and Head of Social Media

eMarketingEye

Haresh Sandanakrishnan

Manager Digital Marketing - Social Media

eMarketingEye

11:30 - 11:55

Illuminating the path to commercial success for hoteliers

An insightful insight on how hoteliers can maximise their revenue using data and the importance of AI in the hospitality space

Mohammad Abdul Ahad

Business Development - Indian Subcontinent

Lighthouse

11:55 - 12:20

Cutting-edge strategies for Hospitality Industry

Dive into detailed case studies of innovative strategies, and creative executions that achieved remarkable results. Uncover key tactics, and gain actionable insights to elevate your marketing efforts.

Kusalika Basnayake

Senior Vice President - Digital Marketing

eMarketingEye

Chandima Welagedara

Vice President - Digital Marketing

eMarketingEye

14:30 - 14:55