2026 Speaker Line-Up
Paul Shoebridge
Business Development Director
Hoseasons
Chair & Facilitator
Paul is the Business Development Director for Hoseasons across Northern England and Scotland, bringing nearly 20 years’ experience within the UK holiday park sector. Passionate about creating exceptional guest experiences, he works with new and established operators to develop commercially successful, future-proofed holiday rental propositions that respond to evolving consumer demand.
With a diverse background spanning manufacturing supply chains, accommodation sales and distribution, logistics, and direct operator support, Paul brings a well-rounded perspective to the strategic growth of the Hoseasons Lodges and Parks programme. From greenfield developments and family-run businesses to established multi-site groups, his focus is on delivering high-impact rental strategies that enhance guest appeal, support sustainable growth, and maximise return on investment.
Peregrine Mears
Director & Chartered Architect
Peregrine Mears Architects Ltd
How to Use Space to Wow Your Visitors
As Architects with extensive experience of planning and designing leisure and tourism projects we have lots of insights that we could share with delegates. We frequently find we can help owners / operators of leisure sites use their spaces better – both on a micro, individual building level and a macro, whole site level. That can transform a site’s appeal and turnover and mean as operator stands out from the competition. This seminar will outline strategies and provide tips and tricks to do that by referring to a range of example projects.
Glenn Jones
Managing Director
Discover Parks
Things I Wish I’d Known Then
30 Years of Lessons, Mistakes & Surprises From Running Holiday Parks
In this candid session, Glenn shares some of the lessons he wishes he’d known earlier from why values really matter to how understanding different personalities can transform a team and why creating a culture where people feel safe to speak openly is essential.
No management jargon. No magic formula. Just a few hard-earned lessons from the school of experience.
Laura Read
Chief Executive
Marwell Wildlife
Reframing Sustainability; How Marwell Wildlife is heading towards a nature positive future
In an increasingly divided world, where climate change and biodiversity loss compete with an economic pressure for relentless growth, how can organisations move beyond traditional sustainability thinking and become genuinely nature positive? At Marwell Wildlife, we are exploring how this ambition can reshape not only how we operate, but our guest proposition, commercial thinking and organisational philosophy. This talk asks whether being nature positive can become more than an environmental responsibility, but a genuine differentiator for Marwell Wildlife and the wider leisure and attractions sector.
Ria Fox
Head of Revenue
Cove UK
Beyond the Booking: Turning Guest Experience into Commercial Value
As guest expectations continue to evolve, creating a successful destination is about more than securing the booking. This session explores the connection between guest experience and commercial performance, and how a Revenue led approach can help operators think differently about the entire guest journey. Also exploring how understanding guest behaviour, challenging traditional thinking and aligning commercial decisions with the guest experience can help unlock greater value and support longterm growth.