Destinations International Foundation Announces Applications Open for the 2024 30 Under 30 Program and Young Professional Leadership Development Program

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Destinations International Foundation Announces Applications Open for the 2024 30 Under 30 Program and Young Professional Leadership Development Program

Washington, D.C. (January 11, 2024) – The Destinations International Foundation today announced a call for applications for the organization’s 2024 30 Under 30 Program and the Young Professional Leadership Development Program with applications due February 9, 2024 at 5 PM ET.

A diverse and inclusive workplace is central to our industry’s ability to attract, develop, and retain the talent it needs to remain competitive, drive innovation and maintain relevance. Destinations International is committed to investing and preparing the leaders of tomorrow and developing future industry leaders that represent a diverse set of backgrounds and perspectives. Each year, 30 individuals under the age of 30 are selected to gain valuable industry networking opportunities and increased thought leadership throughout the year.

Now in its 14th year, the Destinations International Foundation’s 30 Under 30 Program will deliver even more opportunities for the 2024 30 Under 30 Class including increased year-round educational programming, a mentorship program, complimentary registration to the 2024 Annual Convention and access to networking with the 30 Under 30 community.

The program is supported by founding program partner SearchWide Global and sponsored by Fired Up! Culture and PCMA. Furthermore, the program is partially underwritten by the “Anne Daly Heller USAE 30 Under 30 Scholars Fund” and individual contributors to the Destinations International Foundation.

“The future of destination organizations worldwide remains dependent on today’s young professionals,” said Don Welsh, president and CEO of Destinations International. “The Destinations International Foundation continually invests in the leaders of tomorrow through professional development opportunities. We look forward to connecting with and celebrating the 30 future leaders throughout 2024 and their careers.”

“Investing in the leaders of tomorrow is critical for our industry,” said Ellie Westman Chin, President and CEO at Destination Madison and chair of the Destinations International Foundation. “The foundation is committed to investing in talent development by funding and operating critical programs, such as the 30 Under 30 Program, for the future success of our industry. We are looking forward to hosting these young leaders at the Annual Convention in July and working with them throughout 2024.”

You may click here to view more information about this year’s program. To be considered for the 30 Under 30 Program, nominees must submit an application with CEO approval by 5 p.m. ET on February 9, 2024. For more information and to apply, click here.

Program Benefits:

Year-round educational programming, including monthly professional development webinars.
Complimentary registration to 2024 Annual Convention.
Access to networking with the 30 Under 30 alumni community.

Requirements/Criteria:

Candidates must be under 30 years of age at the time of the submission deadline.
Must presently work for a destination organization, convention and visitors bureau (CVB) or tourism board that is a member of Destinations International at the time of the submission deadline.
Must be an employee of a destination organization for at least 1.5 years, with a minimum of at least six months in your current role (part-time employment and internships included) at the time of the submission deadline.
Nominees must have President/CEO support in order to apply for the program.
Submissions must include application, high-resolution headshot, resume, application and video.
Video submission must be self-produced; we are not looking for professionally produced videos by a marketing agency! Candidates are encouraged to be creative and make their video submission fun and entertaining. Additional essay and video guidelines are contained within the application.
Only one individual from an organization will be chosen if multiple applicants from the same destination organization are nominated.

In addition, and new in 2024, the Young Professional Leadership Development Program has also opened up its application process this week. In an effort to provide networking and leadership development opportunities to industry partners in addition to destination organization members, the program allows staff members of Pinnacle and Premier partners of Destinations International to join virtual leadership development and networking sessions alongside the 30 Under 30 class throughout the year. Applications for the Young Professional Leadership Development Program must be completed and submitted no later than Friday, February 9, 2024 and more information can be found here.
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About Destinations International:
Destinations International is the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations, convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and tourism boards. Destinations International is about serving destination marketing professionals first and foremost. For more information, visit www.destinationsinternational.org.

About the Destinations International Foundation:
The Destinations International Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering destination marketers globally by providing education, research, advocacy and leadership development. The Foundation is classified as a charitable organization, under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code and all donations to the Foundation are tax-deductible. For more information visit www.destinationsinternational.org.