Speakers
MARYBETH BOND
Top Girlfriend Getaways: From Steals to Splurges
Sunday, noon.....National Geographic ADVENTURE Theater
Marybeth Bond is a travel expert for women. She’s followed the trends and written about them for two decades, most recently for the Wall Street Journal, More Magazine and NPR. She is the award-winning author-editor of 11 books, including bestseller "50 Best Girlfriends Getaways," "A Woman’s World" and "Gutsy Women," which landed her on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." She has appeared on more than 250 television and radio shows and is a frequent guest on CNN, Oxygen, NPR and in Reader’s Digest’s "Ask the Experts." Bond has traveled – alone, with her gal pals, daughters, sisters and mother – for more than 40 years to six continents and 70-plus countries. She reminds us that gal-pal time and trips are good for your health. Her website, www.gutsytraveler.com, offers advice, tips and women’s travel resources.
COSTAS CHRIST
Travel Green: How to Have the Trip of a Lifetime and Help Protect the Earth
Saturday, 4 p.m........National Geographic ADVENTURE Theater
Costas serves as chairman for the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, which recognizes the leading models in sustainable tourism that help protect the natural and cultural heritage of our planet. He is global travel editor and columnist for National Geographic ADVENTURE magazine and a founding member and former chairman of the board of the International Ecotourism Society. He is on the advisory board of the Adventure Travel World Summit, is co-founder of the Adventure Council, and also serves on the board of directors of Sustainable Travel International. His travels and work have taken him to more than 120 countries across six continents, including expeditions to some of the world’s most remote wilderness areas and archaeological sites. In addition to National Geographic ADVENTURE, Costas’ articles and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe and Sunday Times of London. He has appeared many times on TV and radio, including "Good Morning America," CNN, BBC, National Public Radio and PBS.
ARTHUR FROMMER
Travel Beyond Tourism: Traveling in a More Authentic and Affordable Manner in 2008
Saturday, 1:30 p.m................Los Angeles Times Travel Stage
Sunday, 1 p.m.................Los Angeles Times Travel Stage
Arthur Frommer’s career in travel began when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. In the course of that service, he wrote "The GI’s Guide to Traveling in Europe," which was an instant success. Upon his release from the Army, he took a summer off from working as a lawyer to write "Europe on $5 a Day" – a civilian version of "The GI’s Guide to Traveling Europe" – which was published in 1957. Today, Frommer’s travel guides consist of more than 340 titles reaching more than 6 million travelers every year. Frommer’s has also developed a major Web presence, and more than a dozen travel guide lines for every type of traveler, from budget to deluxe. Currently, Arthur Frommer writes a twice-weekly travel column, which is syndicated to major newspapers around the country. He also presents a weekly radio program syndicated to more than 100 U.S. stations. He has been a guest on TV shows such as "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Live with Regis and Kelly" and NBC’s "Today."
PAULINE FROMMER
Travel Beyond Tourism: Traveling in a More Authentic and Affordable Manner in 2008
Saturday, 1:30 p.m................Los Angeles Times Travel Stage
Sunday, 1 p.m.................Los Angeles Times Travel Stage
Pauline Frommer began traveling to Europe with her guidebook-writing parents at the age of just 4 months. Later, she helped found and edit the popular website Frommers.com, edited the travel section of MSNBC.com and contributed articles to such publications as Newsweek, Marie Claire and Budget Travel Magazine, where she was a contributing editor. She appears twice weekly on CNN’s "Headline News" to discuss the latest travel trends and has appeared on many other news programs, such as "The Early Show" on CBS, Fox News, MSNBC and National Public Radio’s "Talk of the Nation." The past few years have seen the launch of the Pauline Frommer’s travel guides. More about Frommer, including podcasts and information about Pauline Frommer’s travel guides, can be found at www.frommers.com/pauline.
GEORGE HOBICA
Online Travel Tips & Tricks from the Experts
Saturday, 12 p.m................Room 104A
George Hobica is a travel journalist, consumer travel advocate and creator of Airfarewatchdog.com, which was named "Best Web Site of the Year" 2007 by the CW Television Network’s CyberGuy, Kurt Knutsson. The site searches for the lowest airfares available, regardless of source or airline, and provides consumers with tips on saving money, avoiding travel problems and fixing problems if they arise. Hobica began his travel-writing career in the late 1980s, while still working full time, and has followed travel and airline trends for more than 20 years since. Hobica, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oxford, has written for such a diversity of magazines as Real Simple, Details, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Health, Travel + Leisure and Good Housekeeping. He has appeared as a travel expert on the ABC, CBS and NBC networks, on MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News and CNN, as well as on National Public Radio. His consumer tips appear regularly on MSNBC.com, Yahoo.com and Aviation.com.
TRIP JENNINGS
First Descents: Bringing Attention to the Fragile Nature of Wild Areas – Video & Discussion
Sunday, 10:30 a.m.......National Geographic ADVENTURE Theater
Trip Jennings is the owner and founder of the Epicocity Project. He has led white-water first descents and expeditions in seven countries on three continents. National Geographic ADVENTURE recently made Jennings an Adventurer of the Year honoree for his work on an expedition into the wilds of Papua New Guinea that included a voyage down a 55-foot waterfall. His latest project, Rivers In Demand, combines exploration, adventure and conservation in three threatened biological hot spots. He is a professional kayaker who paddles for Wave Sport, NRS and Smith Optics.
JOHNNY JET
Online Travel Tips & Tricks from the Experts
Saturday, 12 p.m................Room 104A
Johnny Jet travels more than 150,000 miles and visits more than 20 countries each year. He and his website JohnnyJet.com have been featured in USA Today, Time, Fortune and the New York Times, and he has appeared on ABC, CBS, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, the Fox News channel and PBS. JohnnyJet.com has been named "one of the top best money-saving websites for travel" by Budget Travel Magazine, while the L.A. Times calls it "one of the top 10 essential travel resources on the Internet." In the May 2007 issue of Outside Magazine, Johnny Jet was touted for having one of the world’s best "dream jobs." Every week, Jet hosts a "travel website of the week" for several radio stations around the country, writes weekly for Frommers.com and he has written for USA Today, the Boston Herald and Coast Magazine. Subscriptions to Johnny Jet’s free weekly travel newsletter are available at www.JohnnyJet.com.
PHIL KEOGHAN
Phil Keoghan, Host of "The Amazing Race" and Author of "No Opportunity Wasted"
Saturday, 11 a.m..............Los Angeles Times Travel Stage
Sunday, 2:30 p.m...............Los Angeles Times Travel Stage
Phil Keoghan is best known for his role as host of "The Amazing Race," which has earned him five Emmy Awards and has just completed its 12th season. He has worked in more than 100 countries around the world as a motivational speaker, author, television host, actor, producer and cameraman. A pivotal moment in Keoghan’s life came at age 19 when he got lost 120 feet under the sea inside a 22,000-ton shipwreck. After surviving the experience, Keoghan wrote a list of things to do before dying and developed a philosophy he calls "no opportunity wasted," or NOW for short. Keoghan has made frequent appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and is a regular motivational speaker. In 2004, Keoghan released a book called "No Opportunity Wasted, NOW: 8 ways to create a list for the life you want." The book was developed into a series for the Discovery Channel. Originally from New Zealand, Keoghan lives with his wife and daughter in Los Angeles.
JAIN LEMOS
Taking Your Best Shot: Making Digital Photography Work for You
Saturday, 12 p.m....................Room 104C
Jain Lemos has been involved with professional photography for more than 20 years. She has worn many hats – from writer and senior editor to agent, production manager and book packager – working with top creative teams at major publishers including the National Geographic Society, HarperCollins and Lonely Planet. She produced the New York Times No. 1 bestseller "James Cameron’s Titanic," a coffee-table book offering a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the blockbuster movie. Her articles on photography practices and digital work flow appear on websites and in newspapers and magazines across the country, including the Los Angeles Times and PhotoMedia. Lemos is a lecturer and consultant on the business of photography and the artistic process. She is an active member of the Authors Guild and the American Society of Picture Professionals.
JEN LEO
Online Travel Tips & Tricks from the Experts
Saturday, 12 p.m................Room 104A
Jen Leo currently writes for the Daily Deal Blog at latimes.com/travel. She is a leading authority in the online travel world. She has blogged for the BootsnAll Travel Network, HotelChatter.com, Weblogs Inc. and Six Apart. Better known as the award-winning editor of the popular five-book humor series that started with "Sand In My Bra (Travelers’ Tales)," Leo encourages others to hit the road as often as they can. If she could be anywhere it’d be bodysurfing in Australia, eating shrimp tacos in Baja or checking out a new hotel in Las Vegas. She loves finding vacation getaways, and if Leo can’t hit the road herself, she’s quick to point others in the right direction. Leo has earned mention on popular travel blogs and websites like Gadling, Gridskipper, Rick Steves, Mobissimo, Go Nomad, Transitions Abroad, World Hum and Rolf Potts’ Vagabonding.
JULIANA SHALLCROSS
Online Travel Tips & Tricks from the Experts
Saturday, 12 p.m................Room 104A
Since 2006, Juliana Shallcross has been the senior editor of HotelChatter.com. Prior to that she worked at a weekly television magazine and a Los Angeles-area news wire, all the while freelancing for HotelChatter. She’s also a graduate of the USC Annenberg School for Communication with a master’s degree in journalism. A native of New Jersey, Shallcross now resides in Santa Monica with her husband and their dog, Tank. Some of her favorite hotel amenities are free WiFi, lots of bed pillows and killer room views.
ANDREW SKURKA
A Great Western Loop – Discussion & Slideshow
Saturday, 1 p.m........National Geographic ADVENTURE Theater
Andrew Skurka has been described as "a Gen-Y version of Henry David Thoreau or John Muir" due to his passion for the wild lands he has crossed during his extended backpacking trips. Last November, he became the first person to complete the Great Western Loop, a 6,875-mile path that traverses 12 U.S. national parks and more than 75 wilderness areas; the feat took him 208 days to complete. In July 2005 he concluded a hike of the 7,778-mile Sea-to-Sea Route, a transcontinental network of hiking trails from Quebec to Washington. Skurka has also completed the 1,700-mile California section of the Pacific Crest Trail, the 480-mile Colorado Trail, the 2,170-mile Appalachian Trail, and a 385-mile trek through northern Minnesota in January. He has become an ambassador for lightweight backpacking and a strong advocate of living a "lightweight lifestyle" by doing more with less and minimizing one’s environmental impact.
RICK STEVES
Budget European Travel Skills with Rick Steves
Saturday, 3 p.m..............Los Angeles Times Travel Stage
Sunday, 11 a.m...................Los Angeles Times Travel Stage
Rick Steves advocates smart independent travel. As host, writer and producer of the popular public TV series "Rick Steves’ Europe" and best-selling author of more than 30 European travel books, he encourages Americans to delve deep into Europe and become "temporary locals." Over the past 15 years, Steves has hosted more than 100 travel shows for public television. He recently launched a weekly public radio program, "Travel with Rick Steves," which airs across the country and has spawned a popular podcast. Steves self-published the first edition of his travel skills book, "Europe Through the Back Door," in 1980. He has also written 12 country guidebooks, nine city and regional guides, six phrase books, and co-authored "Europe 101: History and Art for Travelers." His Italy guidebook is the best-selling international guidebook in the U.S. In 1976 Steves started a business called Europe Through the Back Door, which has since grown from a one-man operation to a company with a well-traveled staff of 70 full-time employees.
JAMES VLAHOS
The Vanishing: Inside the Search for Steve Fossett – Discussion & Slideshow
Sunday, 3:30 p.m.......... National Geographic ADVENTURE Theater
National Geographic ADVENTURE contributing editor James Vlahos has paddled rivers in the Arctic, explored caves in Puerto Rico, climbed 300-foot trees in Oregon and skied mountains in Iran. Passionate about both wilderness and science, his work has also appeared in Popular Science, Esquire and the New York Times. For a special report in National Geographic ADVENTURE, James Vlahos joined hundreds of search-and-rescue experts who searched for missing aviator Steve Fossett last fall. Vlahos was also part of a three-person expedition that made the first retracing of the escape route used in 1972 by rugby players Roberto Canessa, Nando Parrado and Antonio Vizintín two months after their plane crashed in the Andes, which spurred the book and film "Alive." Before launching his freelance career, James Vlahos was one of the founding editors of National Geographic ADVENTURE. He is based in Berkeley.
ROBERT YOUNG PELTON
Travel in a Time of War
Saturday, 2:30 p.m........ National Geographic ADVENTURE Theater
Author-filmmaker Robert Young Pelton’s recent journeys have taken him inside the siege of Grozny in Chechnya, the battle of Qala-I-Jangi in Afghanistan, the rebel campaign to take Monrovia in Liberia and the hunt for Bin Laden with the CIA. His efforts to be a neutral observer and accurate chronicler of events have earned him access on all sides of many wars. For instance he has been the only journalist to accompany U.S. Special Forces on combat operations in Afghanistan. Pelton has been kidnapped by right-wing death squads in Colombia and has survived a plane crash in Indonesia, a bomb put under his table in Uganda and a head-on motorcycle accident in Peru. In addition to his work for National Geographic ADVENTURE, Pelton has worked for Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, ABC News, "60 Minutes" and CNN. As an author of numerous titles, Pelton is best known for his guide to surviving danger, "Robert Young Pelton’s The World’s Most Dangerous Places," now in its fifth edition.
