Speakers and moderators

Wendi Aylward

Wendi Alyward

Managing Director, AIFS Australia

Wendi has dedicated the past 30 years to the youth tourism sector, holding key roles with the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, the Council on International Cultural Exchange (CIEE), and the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS), where she has served as Managing Director in Australia since 2005.

A respected industry leader, Wendi has chaired multiple tourism associations and most recently served as Chairperson of the Backpacker & Youth Tourism Advisory Panel (BYTAP) from 2022 to 2024 and is a frequent media commentator.

In 2024, Wendi appeared before the federal government’s Joint Standing Committee Review on Migration and has represented BYTAP at the Tourism Visa Advisory Group (TVAG) for the past two years. Her career has taken her to Boston, London, and Tokyo—where she became fluent in Japanese. Closer to home Wendi is an active volunteer in her community and enjoys swimming, music and spending time with her family.

Why attend

  • Over 150 attendees from the cultural exchange, work experience and au pair industry
  • 30+ pre-scheduled business appointments
  • Educational sessions on the latest sector trends
  • Networking events