2026 Programme
The below programme is subject to change.
Monday, 14 September
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 08:30/9:00 - 12:00 | Giving back project sponsored by Alliance Strategies |
| 14:00 - 20:00 | Registration open |
| 15:00 - 17:00 | WYSE Travel Confederation AGM |
| 17:00 - 18:00 | Invitation only: WYSE Members Reception sponsored by InterExchange |
Tuesday, 15 September
| Time | Location | Activity | Session title | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:00 - 17:20 | Euskalduna Conference Centre | Registration open | ||
| 09:15 - 09:30 | Auditorium 0B | Welcome to WYSTC | Javier Garcinuño General Manager at Bilbao Ekintza Bilbao City Council Sébastien Leitner Cloudbeds Andy Fenner WYSE Travel Confederation |
|
| 09:30 - 10:15 | Auditorium 0B | Keynote | The power of story creation: Mobilising youth travel into a global force for peace | Bernie Hollywood OBE, JP Social Entrepreneur, Adventurer, Adviser |
| 10:15 - 10:40 | Trade hall | Coffee break sponsored by CIEE |
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| 10:40 - 13:00 | Trade hall | Business appointments sponsored by JO&JOE |
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| 11:00 - 11:40 | Auditorium 0B | Educational session | Authentic to whom? What do Gen X operators, Gen Z travellers and the arriving Gen Alpha cohort each mean by an authentic travel experience? | Panellists: Adam Cooper Alliance Abroad Luca Marra We Road Bettina Wiedmann Experiment e.V. Moderator: Vicki Cunningham JENZA, BUNAC & USIT |
| 12:20 - 13:00 | Auditorium 0B | Educational session | Resilience in motion: Cultural exchange through crisis and change | Panellists: Kairat Sadvakassov AirTravel Kazakhstan,LLC Robyn Walker Cenet Iza Gyuricza Smaller Earth Moderator: Mark Overmann The Alliance for International Exchange |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | Trade hall | Lunch sponsored by Alliance Strategies |
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| 14:00 - 15:20 | Trade hall | Business appointments sponsored by JO&JOE |
||
| 14:00 - 14:20 | Workshop area | Workshop | The travel readiness gap: Future proofing cultural exchange | Fariba Hicks CCUSA Mike Fried CCUSA |
| 14:40 - 15:00 | Workshop area | Workshop | A marketing playbook for the next generation of travellers | Eva De Narkevitch Saintlo |
| 15:20 - 16:00 | Trade hall | Coffee break sponsored by CIEE |
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| 16:00 - 17:20 | Trade hall | Business appointments sponsored by JO&JOE |
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| 16:00 - 16:20 | Workshop area | Workshop | Growing beyond borders: How industry associations accelerate the success of young international agencies | Luis Daniel Matias Grace International Exchange |
| 16:40 - 17:00 | Workshop area | Workshop | Beyond the bunk: How we built a full travel business from a hostel | Melina Saccal Milhouse Hostels & Tinto DMC (South America) |
| 19:00 - 20:30 | Sociedad Bilbaina | Welcome Reception sponsored by Cultural Homestay International |
||
Wednesday, 16 September
| Time | Location | Activity | Session title | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 - 18:00 | Euskalduna Conference Centre | Registration open | ||
| 09:00 - 11:00 | Trade hall | Business appointments sponsored by JO&JOE |
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| 09:20 - 09:40 | Workshop area | Workshop | Youth and work experience travel to Japan and South Korea: From niche to mainstream | Chris Engler World Unite! |
| 10:00 - 10:40 | Auditorium 0B | Educational session | Advocacy that matters: Strengthening government relations for the future of youth travel | Andy Fenner WYSE Travel Confederation Mark Overmann The Alliance for International Exchange Wendi Aylward AIFS |
| 11:00 - 11:40 | Trade hall | Coffee break sponsored by CIEE |
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| 11:40 - 13:00 | Trade hall | Business appointments sponsored by JO&JOE |
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| 12:00 - 13:00 | Auditorium 0B | Educational session | Update from the US Department of State | Rebecca A. Pasini US Department of State Mark Howard US Department of State Moderator: Casey Slamin InterExchange |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | Trade hall | Lunch sponsored by Alliance Strategies |
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| 14:00 - 14:40 | Trade hall | Business appointments sponsored by JO&JOE |
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| 14:00 - 14:20 | Workshop area | Workshop | How to leverage Canadian work and travel youth to your destinations | Amy Arnold IEC Liz Hong-Farrell IEC |
| 14:40 - 15:20 | Auditorium 0B | Keynote | Survivor power and resilience in uncertain times | Jerry White Co-leader, Nobel Prize-winning campaign to ban landmines |
| 15:20 - 16:00 | Trade hall | Coffee break sponsored by CIEE |
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| 16:00 - 16:40 | Auditorium 0B | Educational session | The coolcation effect: Why young travellers are heading south | Panellists: Khotso Micha Southern Africa Tourism Services Association - SATSA Christian Calomarde Hi Travel Veronica Ferreyra Interlatina Moderator: Luke Moran LA Collective |
| 16:00 - 18:00 | Trade hall | Business appointments sponsored by JO&JOE |
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| 16:40 - 17:00 | Workshop area | Workshop | Early recruitment strategies in Latin America: How to secure work & travel participants 6-9 months in advance | Guillermo Gilbert Work It |
| 17:20 - 17:40 | Workshop area | Workshop | The J-1 regulatory reset: End of Duration of status and proposed changes to 22 CFR 62 | Gennady Babankov Orbis Global Inc. James Brazelton Teacher Lounge |
Thursday, 17 September
| Time | Location | Activity | Session title | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:30 - 17:00 | Euskalduna Conference Centre | Registration open | ||
| 09:00 - 11:00 | Trade hall | Business appointments sponsored by JO&JOE |
||
| 09:20 - 09:40 | Workshop area | Workshop | Elevating BridgeUSA outcomes: The power of pre-departure orientations | Marianny Aquino ACE International Katie Porter Alliance Abroad |
| 10:00 - 10:40 | Auditorium 0B | Educational session | The state of U.S. exchange programs: A view from Washington after 18 months of the administration | Mark Overmann The Alliance for International Exchange |
| 11:00 - 11:40 | Trade hall | Coffee break sponsored by CIEE |
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| 11:40 - 13:00 | Trade hall | Business appointments sponsored by JO&JOE |
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| 11:40 - 12:00 | Workshop area | Workshop | Local trust, global opportunity | Muzo Unluel GEC Marianny Aquino ACE International |
| 12:20 - 12:40 | Workshop area | Workshop | From classroom to community: How university programmes in Asia create measurable impact | Chad Anderson Discova DMC |
| 13:00 - 14:00 | Trade hall | Lunch sponsored by Alliance Strategies |
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| 14:00 - 15:20 | Trade hall | Business appointments sponsored by JO&JOE |
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| 14:00 - 14:20 | Workshop area | Workshop | How Artificial Intelligence is being integrated into experiential youth travel: Opportunities and threats | Kim Roques All Out Africa |
| 15:00 - 15:20 | Workshop area | Workshop | The educator's guide to the West End | Bobby Szente TodayTixGroup |
| 15:20 - 16:00 | Trade hall | Coffee break sponsored by CIEE |
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| 16:00 - 17:00 | Trade hall | Business appointments sponsored by JO&JOE |
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| 16:00 - 16:20 | Workshop area | Workshop | How educational content became our strongest business asset | Dalvin Toledo SWDA ICEAA |
| 18:15 - 20:45 | Closing ceremony & Global Youth Travel Awards | |||
