Jim helps leaders grow companies. He specializes in the issues that fast growth organizations experience in their business models, talent, processes and systems as they reach higher levels of performance. Jim works with CEOs and leaders of high growth companies to identify and obliterate the things that stand between them and continued organizational successes.

Venue: Four Seasons Pool Deck

Cocktail reception with medium bites. Pool side (if weather permits.) Incorporate any pool side games available (corn hole, etc). 

Venue: Four Seasons

Welcome from Don Welsh, President & CEO, Destinations International

Becoming a Community Shared Value

Jack Johnson, Chief Advocacy Officer, Destinations International

•  Despite our collective efforts over decades, destination organizations continue to be regularly under attack - like they are stuck in some sort of Groundhog Day existence. Through the use of audits, freedom of information requests and public hearings, destination organizations are being labeled wasteful, poor fiduciaries of public money, bad community investments and examples of corporate welfare. Responses that have worked in the past no longer resonate and yet too many destination organizations continue to fall back solely on their economic development argument. In an era where industry performance measurements and ROI that are not understood or believed too many organizations have no other options in the playbook, no allies beyond the core industry partners and nothing to keep an elected official from leaving our corner.
•  Join Jack Johnson as he talks about a needed shift in the tourism lexicon and a strategy that will help destinations to positively engage and influence public opinion to shift the way the people of the destination view the CVB and raise the public’s awareness of the organizations’ value.

The Houston Story

• Houston is a city of growth and innovation. 

Venue: Four Seasons

Sessions:

Judy Kay, Senior Vice President, Strategy, Brand and Communications at HomeAway  

Influencing the Traveler of the Future  

-In 5 years, voice-enabled devices, personalization via AI, chat bots and virtual tours have become pervasive. As technology has changed the world so, too, has travel and consumer preferences for finding, booking and exploring the perfect destination. 

-David Burgess, CEO and President at Miles Partnership will facilitate a conversation with Judy Kay, SVP, Strategy at HomeAway around how data and new technologies are influencing the traveler of the future.



Keynote: Place In-Formation: How New Information Landscapes Help Shift Urban Experiences

Featured Speaker: Dr. Anijo Mathew, Associate Professor, IIT Institute of Design and Founder and CXO, Vamonde

Driven primarily by technology which has disrupted all previous forms of communication, we now live in a world that is highly connected and highly mobile. The result? Urban spaces are changing; the immaterial – new media convergences, fast-paced mobile connectivity, and disruptive social networks collide to shape and redefine the material – built environments and physical spaces. For the last 17 years, Dr. Anijo Mathew has been studying this transformation in cities around the world. In this talk, he will describe how the rules of the game are changing and how information landscapes fundamentally shift the scale and operation of urban place. Through the lens of his research and prototypes, he will show how innovative technologies and experiences can redefine what it means to be an urban citizen.

Venue:The Grove

Free networking lunch with peer to peer table activity to inspire discussion. 

Venue: The Grove

Speaker: Craig Compagnone, COO, MMGY

From threats of domestic economic recession to figurative (and literal) walls challenging inbound international tourism, what is on the horizon for our industry? Join Craig Compagnone, COO, MMGY Global, as he shares recent market research that helps reveal what is in store for tourism in the U.S. and how destination marketers can succeed despite bumps along the way. 

How Risk-Taking Led Visit Houston to Success

o  The team at Visit Houston has come a long way. From a small team with limited resources, to a force of experts with multiple dedicated sites and an augmented reality mobile application in their digital portfolio. 

o  But growth didn’t always come easy. Visit Houston worked relentlessly for years to push boundaries and create innovative solutions to their challenges. Disrupting the destination marketing space often came with significant amounts of pushback, even from citizens of Houston, who protested the launch of the LGBT-focused microsite “MyGayHouston.com” in 2009. But Visit Houston knew that bold moves would put them on the map, and they were willing to take the necessary risks in the moment, and ask questions and come up with resources later. 

o  Join Simpleview for a conversation with Visit Houston, as they provide insights into their success and take a detailed dive into their journey to get there. 

 Purposeful Planning & Advanced Performance Metrics

•  Travelers are frenetic in their planning, consumers are mobile and use media simultaneously and data-driven marketing is pervasive. Today's media strategies must adapt which means the analysis is more important and far more complicated than ever before. Join us in a discussion of how we ensure we adapt our metrics of success to align with the changing landscape.
•  Jessica Schultz, SVP, Media Strategy at MMGY will moderate a session with:
•  Suzanne Gunning, Vice President of Marketing, Visit Overland Park
•  Melissa Gogel, Vice President of Marketing, Tourism & Communications, Visit Phoenix 
•  Wendy Olson Killion, Global Vice President, Expedia Group Media Solutions

Tourism Lexicon

Speaker: Jack Johnson, Chief Advocacy Officer at Destinations International

Venue: Four Seasons, Grand Ballroom

Despite our collective efforts over decades, destination organizations continue to be regularly under attack - like they are stuck in some sort of Groundhog Day existence. Through the use of audits, freedom of information requests and public hearings, destination organizations are being labeled wasteful, poor fiduciaries of public money, bad community investments and examples of corporate welfare. Responses that have worked in the past no longer resonate and yet too many destination organizations continue to fall back solely on their economic development argument. In an era where industry performance measurements and ROI that are not understood or believed too many organizations have no other options in the playbook, no allies beyond the core industry partners and nothing to keep an elected official from leaving our corner. 

Join Jack Johnson as he talks about a needed shift in the tourism lexicon and a strategy that will help destinations to positively engage and influence public opinion to shift the way the people of the destination view the CVB and raise the public’s awareness of the organizations’ value.

Venue: The Rustic

Transportation will be provided

Venue: Four Seasons

Keynote: Piera Gelardi, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Refinery 29  

Speaker: Nick Evans, Social Media Director, Hills Balfour

Social Media's Role in Brand Education and the Complete Consumer Journey

Join a discussion with Nick Evans, Social Media Director, Hills Balfour, on the sector’s growth from a catalyst to wanderlust and inspiration into a fundamental tool for delivering brand education and developing destination awareness. Nick will discuss the role social media can play throughout the entire consumer journey and explore how education can happen despite platforms being in a constant state of evolution and consumer attention spans shifting. How do we measure all of this? Nick will look to build on the traditional approach to ROI and examine what social engagement really equates to, analyzing the return different forms of engagement give brands while sharing insights, best practices and case studies on this topic.

The Element of Inspiration –

Speaker: Tom Garzilli, Chief Marketing Officer wt Brand USA moderates a panel on the new dialog around place branding.

o  Panel:

• Leah Chandler, Discover Puerto Rico
• Jeremy Harvey, Visit Savannah
• Wendy Olson Killion, Expedia Media Solutions

Bernadette Smith

CEO, Equality Institute

Blurred Lines: How to Navigate the Changing Boundaries of Gender

31% of centennials and 20% of millennials are identifying as LGBTQ+. 10 states now offer third gender options on state IDs. Airlines now let passengers set their gender as "unspecified." What does this mean for your business? 

A lot.

In her thoughtful and humorous presentation, Bernadette will address the "blurred lines" around gender that can cause confusion and lead to missed business opportunities. She'll highlight everyone's role in creating an environment where the full diversity of gender is embraced and welcomed.

Ryan Thompson

Senior Vice President, Miles Partnership

Developing Story: Compelling Consumers to Action through Content

Explore the latest trends, data and shifting consumer behaviors that are driving the continued success of storytelling marketing in travel and hospitality. This session explores the step-by-step process behind great storytelling; combining the best of literature, journalism and marketing into a path for success. Learn how storytelling marketing is used to engage new and different audiences including the promotion of diversity and inclusion topics with travel brands.