By Rick Shaver and Tim Skeet
Rick is the TCC vice-president, board member and chapter coordinator for Canada. Tim is the Centurian editor and a TCC past president. Both were attendees at the conference.
The Travelers’ Century Club’s global conference, held May 3–7, 2026, at the Meliá Hanoi, was by many accounts an outstanding success. Over 160 members from around the world gathered in Vietnam’s capital for five days of learning, exploration, and fellowship, with early feedback praising the conference’s content, excursions, hospitality, and organization.
A special and unexpected highlight came before the conference officially began. Vietnam’s only TCC member, Doan Van Binh, hosted an extraordinary gathering at his home for early arrivals. His generous hospitality, arrangement of cultural performances, and warm welcome created an unforgettable experience that set the tone for the week. Later in the conference, Mr. Binh gave each attendee a gift bag including Vietnamese peppercorns, coffee, a coffee maker and a personally signed copy of his travel book.
The event opened with a welcome reception celebrating the TCC’s 72nd anniversary — recognizing the incredible achievements of chapters and members since the Azores conference in 2024. A dinner followed with a reception welcoming new members who were presented with certificates by board members Steven Clift and Rick Shaver.
The second day kicked off bright and early for attendees. Inspirational keynote speaker Jamie Clarke compared his Mount Everest summit experiences to TCC membership. He motivated and energized us to be resilient in our future travels. Jamie said it right that we are part of “the club” where we are living life to the fullest! Following this, Tim Skeet chaired a diamond panel featuring David Yang, Sherri Donovan and Stephanie Liang. This generated a lively audience engagement and discussion with pre-recorded video questions from diamond members David Langan, Wendy Arbeit, and past president Pam Barrus. TCC president Jeff Houle and Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler also had thought-provoking questions for our diamond panel. The morning concluded with Riza Rasco who spoke about how Africa changed her life.
On the second day, members could select between presentations. Kicking off the morning, celebrated travel interviewer Ric Gazarian of the Counting Countries podcast talked about the history of his podcast while in the neighboring room, Susan Turnbull and Robyn Antill shared captivating strategies for tackling the South Pacific Islands. For the second session, members could choose between David Yang providing AI strategies in the travel space or Steve and Dianne Owad-Jones sharing their intimate knowledge of Australia Islands on the TCC list. Ending the morning sessions, Sherri Donovan spoke of her West Africa experiences, while Cathy Shelton hosted a whimsical quiz created by Andre Silva.
Beyond the conference sessions, members experienced some of northern Vietnam’s most fascinating attractions, including Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu, Hanoi’s Old Quarter, Co Loa Citadel, Bat Trang, and a variety of culinary adventures. Vespa foodie tours, cooking classes, and social events provided memorable opportunities to experience Vietnamese culture and connect with fellow travelers.
The success of Hanoi 2026 reflected the dedication of the planning committee: Amanda Davis, Kim Hester, Steve Owad-Jones, Dianne Owad-Jones, JoAnn Schwartz and Rick Shaver, whose efforts ensured a seamless and memorable event.
As attendees departed Hanoi, they carried home not only wonderful memories but also renewed friendships and a shared appreciation for TCC’s mission of promoting global understanding through travel. The results of the attendee survey are eagerly anticipated as planning for future conferences continues.
