This year, the Biz Operations Task Force rallied behind one unapologetic anthem: “Put some respek on our name.” A now-iconic line from Brian Christopher Brooks—better known as Birdman—a rap mogul turned billionaire executive who helped launch global icons like Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne.

No, we’re not managing music legends. But we are managing legacies.

While we may not have the star power of entertainment empires, what we do have is a big role. HR, Finance, IT—we’re the unsung infrastructure that keeps destination organizations upright, agile, and future-ready. We’re not just making an impact; we’re building the foundation.

This year’s Task Force, co-chaired by Roslyn Smith, VP of Operations & Culture at Ottawa Tourism, and me, leaned into two core missions:

• Earning legitimacy as a vital, strategic body within the industry.
• Tackling the biggest challenges keeping operations leaders up at night.

Let’s talk legacy. Not in a dusty, rearview kind of way—but in a blueprint-for-the-future way. One of our key initiatives is designing a Legacy Toolkit: a framework for future Biz Ops committees to keep operational excellence on the radar, not as an afterthought, but as a strategic priority.

We often think of Operations as the internal machinery, the invisible infrastructure that quietly holds a destination organization together. There’s no denying the power of Sales, often the engine that propels our organizations forward. Marketing plays its part too, igniting the brand with the fuel that keeps our destinations in motion.

But when it comes to staying on course, Human Resources keeps us between the double yellow lines. The policies we draft and enforce? They’re our onboard sensors—quietly guiding behavior, ready to hit the brakes to protect the entire vehicle. 

Finance, meanwhile, is the tires. We depend on them so much we often take them for granted—until the alignment is off. And when it goes unchecked, we all pay the price down the road. Finance teams juggle more than spreadsheets; they manage complex systems, from payroll to budgets that often require outside approval. They keep the wheels from falling off while driving forward at full speed.

Technology, Business Intelligence, and Research? They’re the dashboard, the indicator lights, the speedometer, the alerts that let us know when to pivot, slow down, or accelerate. We’re the ones protecting your cyber environments, keeping you on the road and out of the repair shop.

In the storm, we’re the windshield wipers—providing clarity through data so your sales and marketing teams can navigate confidently. And when things go dark? We’re the battery. You might get a jump once or twice, but if you don’t invest in your core operations team, eventually you’ll find yourself broken down on the side of the highway—waiting on that city government tow truck to haul your organization to the pound.

These operational teams aren’t just the backend—they’re the foundation and the culture. They don’t just support the mission; they shape it. We are the influencers in our organizations. 

Of course, the elephant-or should I say, the algorithm-in the room is AI.

• How do we govern its use?
• What kind of guardrails should be in place?
• Who’s winning the AI arms race—and where does that leave us in two or three fiscal years?

The sentiment around AI is part curiosity, part existential jitters. We’re all wondering: How do we stay ahead of the curve without falling off the cliff?

In our first webinar of the year, we focused on something just as foundational: accessibility. The session challenged us to better serve communities that have long been marginalized or overlooked. It set the tone for what’s to come: real conversations, real insights, and real accountability.

Over the next few months, we’ll keep that momentum going. Expect impactful webinars focused on AI governance, reserve funds, HR topics, and real-world use cases. All of this will culminate at the Business Operations Summit, October 28–30, 2025, in Jackson, Mississippi, where leaders will meet in person to reflect, connect, and share progress.

And here’s the truth: the intentionality this group brings—it’s not just talk. It’s industry evolution in motion.

One of the most powerful moments this year came during a session led by DI’s own Sophia Hyder Hock. We dove into the ripple effects of U.S. legislation and political leadership—not just on cities, counties, or states—but on something more intimate: how policy choices hit home in our cubicles, offices, and day-to-day operations.

That conversation was colorful, challenging, and deeply respectful. Sophia facilitated an environment that made space for complexity, candor, and hope. We looked inward. We looked ahead. And we balanced optimism with the sobering data that says: Yes, we believe in tourism’s power—but we’re not naïve about the challenges ahead.

So as we continue carving out our place, know this: Biz Ops is no longer the back-office whisper. It’s the strategic drumbeat behind the future of destination organizations.