TOPIC – KEYNOTE
The Universal Icebreaker: How the Unexpected Creates Genuine Connection
In an era where travellers crave authenticity and real human connection, how do you move beyond surface-level tourism and into meaningful interaction?
For Ross OC Jennings, the answer was unexpected and unmistakably loud!
In 2014, he set out to break a world record: to become the first person to play the bagpipes in every country on Earth. Twelve years on, what began as a simple travel companion has become the ultimate cultural catalyst. The bagpipes spark curiosity, laughter, confusion and, most importantly, conversation.
From remote villages to megacities, Ross has discovered that the most powerful travel experiences don’t come from blending in, but from showing up fully. His kilt and pipes have opened doors no guidebook could: invitations into homes, spontaneous celebrations, shared meals and moments that transcend language.
Through high-energy storytelling and sharp humour, Ross challenges the idea that cultural exchange is passive. Meaningful travel, he suggests, requires active participation and the courage to be conspicuously different.
This keynote is about more than music. It’s about curiosity as currency, courage as connection, and the power of carrying your own icebreaker.
BIO
Ross OC Jennings is a world-record-holding adventurer, travelling bagpiper and origin-story storyteller on a mission to uncover where the world’s everyday things come from. Having played in more than 116 countries, he is working towards performing in every country on Earth.
Raised in East Asia and educated in the UK, Ross has built a global career as a presenter, video-maker and cultural storyteller. Over the past decade he has collaborated with governments and international brands, using his bagpipes as an unlikely catalyst for connection. He has performed live to over half a million people and built a loyal global audience, through his bagpipe adventures and as host of So Where’s It From? a documentary-style YouTube series exploring the origins of everyday objects, foods and traditions.