Accor recently brought together over 350 general managers and regional leaders for its 2025 Pacific Leaders Conference on the Australian Gold Coast.
Revolving around the theme LEAD: Leadership, Elevate, Accelerate, Deliver, Accor’s leaders were invited to explore how strategy, sustainability, innovation, and people come together to create meaningful impact for guests, teams, partners, and communities across the region.
Accor Pacific’s chief operating officer Adrian Williams said of the event: “Leadership today is about more than just performance: it’s about perspective, partnership, and purpose. This conference brought our community together to exchange bold ideas, celebrate success, and reaffirm our collective ambition - to be the most sustainable, inclusive, and high-performing hospitality network in the region. At the heart of this is our unwavering focus on delivering strong results for our owners and partners, and optimising performance across every hotel we operate.”
Two dynamic days
The two-day conference agenda at the Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre, guided by emcee Melissa Doyle, included keynote sessions, business deep dives, breakout workshops, and thought-leadership forums focused on people and culture, loyalty, brand, commercial strategy, operational excellence, and responsible hospitality.
The conference opened with a welcome event hosted at the newly opened Mondrian Gold Coast, where the “surf shirt chic” dress code theme offered a lighthearted moment of connection and set the tone for two days of high-impact collaboration.
The following morning, a sunrise Surf Life Saving session was hosted at Northcliffe Surf Club, a nod to the Gold Coast lifestyle and a moment of wellbeing for delegates.
Underscoring leadership on all levels
Several of Accor’s global leaders were in attendance, including group deputy CEO Jean-Jacques Morin who delivered a keynote on the evolving travel landscape, Accor’s global momentum, and the importance of agility, resilience, and performance at every level of the business.
Meanwhile, Accor Premium, Midscale, & Economy Division chief financial officer Patrick Laurent presented a global financial perspective on performance strategy, investment priorities, and the importance of financial resilience.
A key highlight on the agenda was a dynamic panel discussion of leaders from Accor’s Middle East, Africa, Turkey & Asia Pacific, Premium, Midscale & Economy Division, led by Duncan O’Rourke.
An Emerging Leaders Forum also brought together aspiring General Managers for an afternoon of leadership insights and development.
Later, a Q&A session with Colliers’ Neil Scanlan and Accor’s Llewelyn Wyeth provided practical owner perspectives, while the LEAD workshop challenged participants to co-create solutions to real business challenges.
On the final day, a standout session featured Australian Paralympic gold medallist Curtis McGrath, whose powerful story of resilience, service, and transformation inspired leaders to reflect on the deeper impact of their work on people, purpose, and possibility.
Brand strategy also took centre stage in forums led by global brand presidents Benoit Racle and Jean-Yves Minet who gave participants an in-depth look at how each brand is evolving to meet the demands of tomorrow’s travellers.
A focal point throughout the conference was the Supplier Hub, a dynamic marketplace showcasing key partners and sponsors who play a vital role in Accor’s operations and future-facing innovations.
Their investment and presence added valuable connection points across every aspect of the programme.
