Maria Elena Rossi manages the Marketing and Promotion Department of the National Tourism Agency of Italy.

Her main role is to develop, implement and monitor marketing plans for the tourism promotion of Italy at national and international level.

Since 2010, she has also been a lecturer at the University of Turin and University of Eastern Piedmont.

After experiences in various segments of the MICE Industry, in 2009 he made the life-changing move that brought him to join the start-up team of the Sicily Convention Bureau, as Sales Manager.

He instantly fell in love with Destination Marketing, recognizing convention bureaus as his natural environment.

His passion and determination led him, in 2014, to the creation of Convention Bureau Italia, first as the Bureau Manager and eventually as its Director, contributing with his team to make it become, from scratch, a benchmark in the MICE Industry.

Anna Bettelli manages the Bologna Convention Bureau, the MICE business unit of Bologna Welcome, Convention and Visitors Bureau of Bologna.

Bologna Welcome deals with the development and implementation of the tourism promotion strategy of Bologna, working both on the business and leisure segments, a 360 degree understanding of hospitality.

With an experience of over 15 years in the Meeting Industry, as project manager in Bologna Congressi and Bologna Welcome, since 2016 Anna leads the promotion of Bologna as a MICE destination.

Bologna native, Andrea Blasi, graduated in Political Sciences at Bologna University. After a Master degree in International Cooperation, he worked for several tour operators and agencies in Italy and abroad.

Passionate for Italy and in particular for food and motors, in 2005 he decided to invest in incoming tourism in Bologna and Emilia Romagna and he founded Amazing Italy, a boutique tour operator and DMC specialized in tailor-made events, team building activities and incentive travel.

Today Andrea participates in several international fairs and workshops promoting Bologna and Emilia Romagna as a destination for events.

Calum Di Lieto is an award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience in broadcast, print and online media. In June 2017, he joined C&IT as Editor and has steered its evolution as it has gone from strength to strength. Whether it’s watched, read or listened to, Calum always ensures that the audience is at the heart of every piece of content that is produced. 

In 2020 and in 2019 Calum was recognised by Eventex as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the Events Industry. And in 2018, his work on C&IT resulted in him being recognised as one of the Professional Publishers Association’s New Talent 30 under 30, and Meetings & Events Editor of the Year at the British Travel Journalism Awards. Headshot attached!