In-Person

• Dave Serino, Founder & Chief Strategist, TwoSix Digital

Your industry is hurting and crying out for you to start marketing to bring visitors back. But your residents and government officials aren’t ready to welcome tourists back – and the media’s constant parade of stories showing mask-related fistfights and large groups flaunting social distancing measures isn’t helping your cause. Traditionally, destinations have targeted against attributes like HHI, interest-based personas and market origins, so, how do you a) target and recruit responsible travelers through your media strategy, and b) convince your residents and government stakeholders you’re not going to introduce the “second wave” of infections to your community? In this session, learn how you can work with programmatic and publisher partners to introduce new profile and targeting strategies for your media to ensure you’re bringing in the “right” visitors to your community, and how to convince skeptics that you’re not secretly trying to create herd immunity in your community.  

Speaker:

• Nate Huff, Senior Vice President, Miles Partnership

The tourism industry has been hit hard by COVID-19, forcing destinations to cut programs and scale back. But It’s also provided DMOs with an opportunity to rethink their strategies and investments. In this session, Simpleview will share a few examples of how destinations are using data to adapt their marketing strategies.

Speaker:

• Paul McLeod, Director of Business Intelligence, Simpleview

• Cree Lawson, Founder & CEO, Arrivalist

DMOs are inundated with data. While data can provide insights and information on what has happened, it does not always provide a holistic view of what to do next. This session will tell the story of how Visit Salt Lake used data intelligence to change government policy and increase funding for their hardest hit district. Though the State of Utah and the outskirts of Salt Lake City were recovering fairly well, the Convention Center District’s visitor economy was decimated. Through quick and agile leadership and armed with Entrada analytics, VSL improved the experience for the visitor and bettered the lives of the residents who live and work downtown.

Speaker:

• Ted Sullivan, CMO, Entrada Insights

The only constant is change. If we needed a reminder of how true that is, 2020 kicked us in the face with that reality. In a world where the economic downturns, health crises and natural disasters converge, even the idea of planning ahead seems like an impossible task. But with the right toolsets and mindsets, marketers can build strategies with the fortitude to handle swift change by planning for pivots and adapting to an increasingly volatile marketplace. If 2020 has a silver lining, it’s made us rethink the “truths” that have guided our thinking in the past and showed all of us how resilient we can be.

Speakers:

• Staci Mellman, CMO, VISIT FLORIDA
• Dulani Porter, Partner/EVP, SPARK 

Sponsored by

In the current travel landscape, data is one of the most important tools for marketers. Having access to the right data can inform marketing and audience targeting strategies, deliver powerful results, and demonstrate the true impact of campaigns. Join Expedia Group Media Solutions to learn how destinations are connecting to consumers across our global network of leading travel e-commerce brands. Plus, recent insights on traveler intent and sentiment, travel shopping trends and insights-led best practices for engaging with travelers on the road to recovery.

• Derek Price, Director, Business Development North America, Expedia Group Media Solutions

We’ve all heard enough about 2020. Now it’s time to focus on the future. A vaccine for COVID-19 is almost here and travelers are actively planning their first major post-pandemic trips. This means that the coming weeks and months are critical for DMOs. In order to take advantage of the opportunity on the horizon, they need to lay a strong foundation and have a clear vision for their 2021 marketing activities. The world has changed dramatically. Consumers have evolved: they’re looking for different experiences, have different concerns, and behave differently online. At the same time, marketing budgets and resources have been decimated, increasing the need for flexibility and collaboration. These qualities will continue to be crucial in the coming months. Success will require tapping into the resilience we’ve developed and nurturing new, innovative ideas that can meet the challenges of a very different world. At Sparkloft Media we are committed to sharing the data, insights and best practices needed to navigate the moment. We’ll identify new target audiences, test new content formats and platforms, and help you bring messages to life across increasingly important digital and social channels. Opportunity is on the horizon, and we’re here to make the most of it.

Speaker:

• Renata Tilkian, Account Director, Sparkloft Media

There’s no denying the damage and uncertainty COVID-19 has brought upon the tourism industry and local economies. DMOs need to adapt to today’s new normal and the future, to deliver results that meet and exceed stakeholder expectations. Now is the time to enact change. What you’ll learn in this session:

• Marketing strategies that lead to clear, demonstrable ROI for your community
• Rethink your role as DMOs—moving from simply marketing to management
• Specific action items to help ground your efforts and kickstart your evolution
• How to rethink your metrics and prove impact
• Insights from other destination marketers on their COVID challenges and successes

Speaker:

• David Chastain, Vice President Travel & Tourism, Epsilon

• Frank Vertolli, Co-Founder, Net Conversion

Learn about how Visit Park City has developed a digital strategy to reach travelers in the UK, Australia, Brazil and Mexico at a shoestring marketing budget. By applying data-driven content tactics, Facebook/Instagram and Google can help you find the right global audience that will book travel in 2021 and future years.

Speaker:

• Florian Herrmann, CEO, Herrmann Global

Sponsored by Expedia Group Media Solutions

Speaker:

• Leah Chandler, CMO, Discover Puerto Rico

• Mo Parikh, CEO, Bandwango

Now more than ever, having a personal and relatable experience with a destination is the key difference between booking and visiting or skipping entirely. To get there, you need to have influencers’ stamps of approval. Through their eyes you can showcase new safety guidelines, how welcoming and diverse your destination is, and how to experience your city or state in a new way. We’ll walk you through our 2021 influencer campaign guide — how to navigate uncharted times and shift to hit targets. Bring your notebook, because you’ll leave inspired, with actionable steps to plan for in the new year! 

Speaker:

• Jade Broadus, Vice President, Travel Mindset