Share Your Expertise with the DI Community
Want to Speak at a DI Event?
2027 Call for Speakers
Destinations International is building the 2027 stage, and we're looking for practitioners, challengers and experts who will shape it. Explore the season below, find your session type and submit your idea during the timeframe outlined below.
Event |
Call for Speakers Open Date |
Call for Speakers Submission Deadline |
| Marketing and Communications Summit | September 14, 2026 | October 13, 2026 - Submission Closed |
| CEO Summit | October 12, 2026 | November 9, 2026 - Submit Your Idea Here |
| Convention Sales and Services Summit | November 17, 2026 | December 15, 2026 |
| Visitor Services Summit & Annual Convention | February 1, 2026 | March 1, 2026 |
| Advocacy & Action: The Destination Impact Event | May 10, 2026 | June 7, 2026 |
| Business Operations Summit | May 18, 2026 | June 15, 2026 |
Each event carries its own submission window. Check the dates above for the event you're targeting. The call closes on an average at least 19 weeks before the event begins.
Session Format Guidance
We are seeking sessions that resonate with our audiences, deliver practical takeaways participants can put into action and incorporate diverse approaches to learning and engagement. Educational contributors may submit a fully developed session of their own design or propose a session that aligns with Destinations International’s established programming formats and themes.
Submit Your Own Session Concept
Have an idea that doesn't fit a category above but still deserves a place on the stage? Pitch it. Tell us the topic, the format and why it belongs at a DI event.
Evaluation Criteria
Scored using member feedback, event data and the DI Future Study across:
- Relevance
- Applicability
- Speaker Expertise
- Freshness
- Audience Fit
- Format Clarity
- Interactivity
- Content
- Themes
How it's scored: DI applies a blended system of technology assisted and human reviewed evaluation, ranking every submission across five layers: the criteria above, diversification across session types, alignment with content themes, alignment with the event learner journey and alignment with DI's event goals, agreements and strategic plans.
Open Call for Educational Collaborations & Content Development
Destinations International is seeking innovative partners to co-create high-quality virtual education and resources that address key challenges and opportunities for destination organization professionals worldwide.
Destinations International invites you to share your expertise and ideas. This form will guide you through submitting a proposal for an educational collaboration with DI.
Other Ways to Submit Ideas
Have an insight, case study or success story that could benefit the global destination community? Submit your thought leadership to Destinations International to showcase your work and help industry peers learn from real-world experience.
You can contribute a blog post, case study or social feature using the options below.
Get Published in the Case Study Library
Showcase your organization in a permanent, searchable resource for the industry.
Short form — takes about 5 minutes
Write for the DI Blog
Share your perspective with the DI community and establish your voice as a destination industry thought leader.
Short form — takes about 5 minutes
Get Featured on DI's Social Channels
Reach the broader destination community with a feature that highlights your organization's work.
Short form — takes about 5 minutes
What should I know before submitting?
Why contribute: Your blog gets professional recognition across DI's channels, visibility among 8,000+ peers from 750+ destinations, and featured exposure via blog, email, and social media.
Requirements: Blog posts should be 600–1,000 words, include actionable takeaways, and feature at least one destination example. Content must be original, created specifically for the DI blog. If AI is used, the author reviews it for accuracy. Products and services should educate, not sell. Authors must be DI members, business members, or partners in good standing.
Writing tips: Pick a lasting topic — visitor experience, cultural competency, sustainability, and traveler trends get higher engagement. Make it evergreen by focusing on challenges that won't go out of date. For your title, aim for 60–80 characters using a format like "5 Tips for…", "What is…", or "A Guide to…" and include an action word or industry term. Example: 5 Ways to Transform Your Visitor Center into an Experience Hub.
Have these ready: Your blog draft (Word, Google Doc, or PDF, 10MB max), a proposed title, a short summary (50 words max), a professional headshot, and a featured image. Don't have an image yet? You can email it later to [email protected].
After you submit: The DI content team reviews within 2–3 weeks. You'll hear one of three outcomes — accepted as is, accepted with suggested edits, or not a fit with suggestions for reframing. Accepted posts go live within 3–4 weeks. Questions? Contact Alyssa at [email protected].
Content Development Guidelines
Our content themes identify the most important issues facing destination organizations today. Updated every two years, these five themes guide all our work, from events and research to advocacy, professional development and product development.
Want to Have DI Staff Speak at Your Event?
Would you like to request a member of the DI team to speak at your industry event?
Want to Speak at Industry Events?
Interested in speaking at other industry events? Create your own dedicated speaker page for our membership to see in our new Speaker Directory.