Moderator & Speakers
Bettina Reventlow
Deputy Director of Copenhagen Convention Bureau
She has, for more than 20 years, worked closely with both associations, academia, organisations, companies and government on securing international congresses and conventions to the capital region, supporting their long-term, positive impacts and contributing to the continued development of the meetings industry.
Bettina has been the initiator and co-founder of Copenhagen Legacy Lab, which received the GDS Innovation Award 2021, the IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award 2022 and the GDS Impact Award 2024.
Strongly focused on close partnerships with the industry, Bettina is actively involved in organisations such as ICCA, BestCities, The ICEBERG, CityDNA and ESAE and is a frequent speaker on various international platforms.
She received the ICCA ‘Inspirational Woman Award’ in 2018, was named ECM Community Hero in 2020 and was awarded the ICEBERG Award for Excellence in 2025.
Paul Vallee
Consultant, GainingEdge - Project Manager of Copenhagen Risk Navigator
He has 35 years of experience in the tourism and business events industry. His background includes strategic planning with diverse stakeholders, destination master
planning, and board governance training—all areas where he has consistently
integrated risk‑aware thinking and resilience planning.
Paul has advised destinations and organizations throughout the world, helping leaders
strengthen decision‑making, scenario planning, and long‑term organizational preparedness.
He played a key role in the creation of the ICCASkills certification programme, contributing content development expertise and conducting training workshops. He has served on multiple boards and committees, including Destinations International, BestCities Global Alliance, Tourism Industry Association of Canada, 2010 Winter Olympic Bid Marketing Committee, and Vancouver Convention Centre Expansion Task Force. Paul has also been a faculty member in international destination marketing at Capilano University in Vancouver.
Steen Jakobsen
CEO of GainingEdge
Specialist consulting firm dedicated to advising the global tourism and business events sectors. A respected leader with over 25 years of international experience, Steen has held senior roles in both Denmark and the UAE. Prior to joining GainingEdge, Steen served as Vice President at Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, overseeing Dubai Business Events, the city’s official convention bureau. Before that, he was Director of Copenhagen Convention Bureau.
Steen has served as Vice President of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), Chair and Board Member of BestCities Global Alliance, and Executive Committee Member of the Dubai Association Centre.
He holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Commercial Law from Copenhagen Business School and the University of Sheffield.
Steen’s leadership and contributions have been widely recognized with several international honours, including ICCA’s Moises Shuster Award, MPI’s Honorary Award, and the IMEX-GMIC Green Meeting Awards.
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