We are at a point in time in the life of our organizations when the fundamentals are changing - a strategic inflection point. Learn what makes this opportunity different from others.

Historic travel industry losses continue to mount. However, signs of recovery point to big opportunities for destinations over the next 18 months. During this session, Adam Sacks will share Tourism Economics' latest views on the economy, expectations for how and when travel will fully recover, as well as perspectives on the interplay between advocacy and a sustainable long term recovery.

Destinations International has stated that it is the job of the destination organization to pitch in and help make a destination safe – to make the residents feel safe so that travelers can be invited to visit. If residents feel that they and their community are at risk, you may be courting disaster with any external marketing campaigns. Visitors must be made to feel that your destination is safe to travel to and that it has gone the extra mile to ensure that safety is the first concern.

Discover Long Island has been a leader in taking on this challenge with the hiring of an Official Health & Wellness Ambassador. Hear from both the President & CEO, Kristen Jarnagin, who adopted this strategy, and Dr. Michele Reed, who acts as an advisor on health and safety-related protocols to tourism industry leaders, as they share safe travel tips recommendations on how to enjoy Long Island’s tourism attractions and vast outdoor experiences.

Join us for specific case study examples presented by our industry partners.

Sessions:
• A Tale of Two Recoveries
• Broader Coalitions & Accountability
• Destination Resilience
• Proving Impact: Life Without a Destination Organization

Join us for specific case study examples presented by our industry partners.

Sessions:
• The Audacity of Future Proofing
• The Importance of Allies: Building Recovery Through Connection
• Using Research to Show the Value of the DMO
• Where Do We Go From Here? Evolving Your Mission

Communities are often the environment wherein residents develop identities, forge relationships with peers, and create meaning and coherence in their lives. A community's reputation - shared beliefs among residents about the positive or negative qualities of a community - can influence people's views about themselves and the broader community. We are excited to welcome back Longwoods International for this exclusive release of their 2020 Resident Sentiment study. We will be taking a deeper look at what changed for this year with a deeper discussion as to why this matters to a destination organization. Join us for part 1 of this discussion, to be continued at the November 12 Advocacy Summit.

At the 2020 Annual Convention, the Destinations International advocacy team introduced the concept of a Community Benefit Funding Model. This model is based not just on "heads in beds" but in a broader view of the direct beneficiaries of destination promotion. This session picks up where that session ended and will explore specific funding sources.

When it comes to engaging your community's residents or government officials at the statehouse or city hall, nothing beats assistance from an expert. Join us for this panel of four experts in community engagement and government lobbying, as they offer their thoughts on the current state of politics in Canada and the United States. They will also address successful community and government outreach strategies, tactics and messaging... critical areas that every destination organization must invest in for the next normal.

The Lexicon is based on the idea that relying merely on ROI numbers to defend the value and relevancy of a destination organization was no longer a viable advocacy strategy. Instead, destination organizations need to support that message with an emotional and value-based appeal to convince political leaders and community stakeholders that without a destination organization, these returns will inevitably vanish. Utilizing Quorum, the world's most comprehensive database of legislative information, we were able to build a list of key words that were used repeatedly by elected officials when talking positively about travel and tourism. We then ran an analysis of political discourse around related topics and public goods, and found that many of the same key words were being repeated by political leaders. In 2018 we released a master list of ten keywords. A year later, we updated that list and expanded it to twenty words. This year Destinations International released our 2020 edition of thirty words with country specific lists for Australia, Canada, and the United States. This session will review the words AND discuss strategies to put them in use at your destination organization.

Join us for breakout room discussions of current advocacy trends.

Breakout Rooms:
Learning From Our History & Destination Safety Sessions
Community Engagement & Grassroots Lobbying Session
The Unusual Suspects & Pandemic Recession Sessions
Resident Sentiment & Lexicon 2020 Sessions

Join two individuals with politics, government and destination organizations in their blood – Bryan Grimaldi of Greenberg Traurig, LLP and Jack Johnson of Destinations International - to discuss the intersection of those three and the impact of the recent US national, state and local elections along with a handful of Canadian provincial elections. With the position of destination organizations never being so fragile, the funding and policy impacts of this round of voting has never been so critical to understand.

Darrell Steinberg is one of Sacramento’s most accomplished public servants, serving the Sacramento community for more than 20 years as a city council member, state assembly member, state senator (serving as President of the Senate) and mayor. He has championed economic development, education reform, building sustainable communities and major investments in healthcare and education. Most recently he has secured significant new resources to tackle difficult problems such as homelessness and economic inequity. He also believes that travel is “an important part of our economy and community” and the work of Visit Sacramento is “not a luxury” and that it is critical “to grow our modern economy.” Meet Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Visit Sacramento President and CEO Mike Testa as they are interviewed by John Lambeth, President & CEO of Civitas Advisors.

In what has become one of the Advocacy Summit’s most popular sessions, the Destinations International Advocacy and Research team looks past the horizon and spotlights issues and topics that we see as ripples that will turn into waves of change for our sector. In a year of many sleepless nights, we once again return to peering beyond the cacophony of issues and unrest we have faced with focusing on just a few core trends we see for our next normal. Please join us once more into the fray.

Never before has two groups needed a strong working relationship than economic development commissions and destination organizations. Whether it is limited resources on one hand or a shared vision on the other, the need is there and there are no more excuses for not working hand in hand. Join two experts in the area who have worked together – Jeff Finkle, President and CEO of International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and Maura Gast, President and CEO of Visit Irving Texas as they are interviewed by Gabe Seder, Senior Director of Advocacy Policy and Program Development at Destinations International.

Destinations International's Chief Advocacy Officer, Jack Johnson, will walk attendees through. step by step, his outline for a successful Advocacy Plan. From assessing your current situation, to setting big goals to building coalitions to developing a constituency to using the lexicon in your messaging, this session will give you the basic architecture of a sound advocacy approach.

Destinations International Advocacy, Research and Products teams come together to walk you through products produced by Destinations International and its partners - most free with your membership - that can aid you in your advocacy efforts. Join Destinations International's Andreas Weissenborn and Alyssa Poulin along with partner Adam Sacks of Tourism Economics to cover a wide range of tools and products including a brand new one that measures economic ROI in a manner to establish the full value of destination organizations.

We opened this Summit with a look back at our history and we are closing it with a look forward. Join Don Welsh, Destinations International's President and CEO as he engages with three destination organization leaders who have been at the forefront of breaking new ground. Hear how what they think, with their vast knowledge of our industry, will define the next normal.