Conference Speakers 2024

Scottish Agritourism Conference Speakers 2024

We’re delighted to confirm the following speakers are part of the Scottish Agritourism Conference programme in 2024.

Session 1 – Welcome to the Conference

Laura Paterson, Head of Brand and Stakeholder Engagement will present on Scottish Agritourism activity, showcasing achievements during 2024 and plans for 2025.

Caroline Millar, Sector Lead, will provide an update on progress with the National Agritourism Strategy and the Global Agritourism Conference in 2026.

Session 2 – Building Great Teams

Offering three different perspectives of building teams.

Sarah Heward of the Real Food Cafe in Tyndrum will share her story of buying a vacant Little Chef on the A82 and growing a hugely successful business recognised as a prominent local employer, named one of the Top 30 places to work in UK hospitality for two consecutive years – one of only two on the list in Scotland.

Beata Winiarska, Manager at Forest Farm Dairy, will offer an employee perspective telling us about her journey in hospitality and agritourism, beginning in Poland to her present role as Manager at Forest Farm Dairy, Aberdeenshire via USA, Belgium and Germany. Beata has a wealth of experience working with luxury establishments and has served some of the highest profile customers imaginable.

Richard and Anna Black from Lindores in Fife, have recently employed the first manager for their growing agritourism business and have successfully engaged and worked with external professional service providers as an alternative to employment, enhancing their agritourism offering and providing a collaborative team approach with additional expertise.

Sessions 3 Breakouts

Break Out Session 1 – Scottish Enterprise Region – Sponsored by Johnston Carmichael

Break Out Session 2 – South of Scotland

Break Out Session 3 – Highlands & Islands

Session 4 – Panel Session – Insights

A Visit Scotland 2023 visitor survey revealed a growing visitor demand for Scottish food and drink experiences. Incoming Chief Executive, Vicki Miller, Visit Scotland will present on the results of the survey.​

Amanda Brown, Programme Director, will present the latest insights from Scotland Food and Drink and following the presentations, there will be discussion around what these insights mean for agritourism and food and drink in Scotland.

Session 5 – International Agritourism

Our international speakers will bring a new perspective to Scotland’s agritourism sector demonstrating the successes and challenges we experience in common, and sharing  an insight into the agritourism sector in their own countries.

Pandurang Taware, India’s ‘Grandfather of Agritourism’, has spent two decades supporting thousands of Indian farmers out of poverty through agritourism, impacting entire villages and towns and empowering local women.

Marijke Dunselaman, founder of Agritourism New Zealand, is responsible for the development and delivery of the New Zealand agritourism monitor farm equivalent.

Both speakers will discuss innovative case studies and the latest trends from their respective countries.

Session 6 – Innovation

In the Innovation session, our speakers will provide a masterclass in innovation, demonstrating how they have changed and adapted to embark on new and successful business ventures.

Tom Lewis, has grown his brand portfolio from Monachyle Mhor Hotel, a stylish, boutique, award winning hotel; one of only a few agritourism hotels in Scotland, by applying the Mhor name to other successful business ventures including a bakery, motel and shop in keeping with the original brand values.

Seeing an increase in the demand for quality fibre and the potential to raise the profile of fibre through agritourism, Dr Jillian McEwan, Lunan Bay Farm, has applied unique style and innovative marketing to implement family farm tours and high end experiences with the farms herd of cashmere goats including the overwhelmingly popular, Goats in Coats.

Katrina Reynolds, is at the heart of the community with her successful family business the Allanton Inn and is maximising her farming background with the development of farm tours – including a visit to Scotland’s only tomato farm, a tour of the onsite AD plant which provides heat to the tomato green houses and delicious bowl of tomato soup.

Rob Bebbington is a 2009 Nuffield Scholar researching Collaboration and Alliances within Agriculture. Rob will share the highs and lows of his business journey from recognising an unprecedented demand for outdoor space, exercise and wellbeing to creating a major leisure venue on his family farm in Shropshire.

Session 7 – National Agritourism Strategy Updates with Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon

Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon will update delegates on progress with the national strategy for agritourism and take questions from the audience about policies supporting and impacting agritourism businesses. The Cabinet Secretary will then be joined on stage by Pandurang Teware, Marijke Dunselman and Caroline Millar for an update on the World Agritourism Conference 2026 and a panel discussion about what this will mean for Scotland and Scotland’s agritourism sector.

Session 8 –   The Future of Scotland’s Agritourism Sector

Views from the under 35’s participating in the Scottish Agritourism Development Programme supported by Scottish Rural Network.

Session 9 – Scottish Agritourism AGM

Members Only.