Speakers

CEO James Lohan is one half of the couple behind Mr & Mrs Smith. His first company, Atomic, organised legendary London parties and corporate events. Working in industries he was passionate about, he moved in line with his target market and co-founded a restaurant and members' club the White House. Next, naturally, he turned his attentions to boutique hotels. Since Mr & Mrs Smith's first guidebook was published under the Spy Publishing imprint in 2003, Smith has grown under James' entrepreneurial eye from a labour of love to a multi-faced boutique travel provider. The introduction of an online booking service in 2005 and an in-house reservations team in 2006 shifted the business in an exciting new direction. The company has developed a three-tiered membership programme which includes a full travel and lifestyle concierge service, and has attracted over 75,000 active members. James' latest projects include launching the Smith brand the US and Asia-Pacific with offices opening in Melbourne and New York City, creating a series of online travel videos, as well as introducing a 24-hour telephone-booking service for luxury travellers worldwide.