Ben Darcie here, I’ve been in this great city for 16 years and have been an active member in the beer industry for 10  - from homebrewing to sales management to bartending - and I’m here to help you get the most out of your visit to the premier beer destination of the Midwest: Grand Rapids, MI - the reigning Beer City, USA. Fun fact: Grand Rapids first scored this nod to beer excellence 10 years ago, about the same time I was getting into the industry. Coincidence?

Start the Weekend Right!

If you haven’t heard, Grand Rapids has an array of out-of-classroom experiences designed for you to explore our host city while learning from industry leaders.

How to Create an Award Winning Entry

It's that time of year again! Awards submissions are open and we are ready to see the stellar work from our industry peers. 

Perhaps you're wondering what makes an award winning entry. Look no further because one of the judges, Humphrey Ho, Hylink North America, and former award winners dish out the best tips and tricks for creating a winning entry.

On behalf of the entire ESTO team and our hosts, the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A.

After a hiatus last year, the ESTO Awards are BACK! This year’s awards program will honor two years’ worth of destination marketing excellence displayed in 2019 and 2020 and will celebrate destination marketers who met these challenges head-on with some of the most innovative and creative campaigns ever created.

This year's ESTO would not have been possible without the support and engagement of our 2021 Planning Committee. 

CO-CHAIRS

Year after year, ESTO attendees enjoy kicking off ESTO activities by giving back to the communities we visit.  

Hosted by Cvent, Virtual ESTO will grant attendees access to unique, high-quality educational content from the office, local coffee shop or the comfort of your own home. 

LA is the place to chase your dreams. When I lived there, I realized some of my dreams, including some I didn’t know I had, like working in destination marketing at Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. I’m hoping as we join industry colleagues in person for ESTO in LA after the challenges of this past year, the dreams we all have for a quick and sustained recovery for each of our destinations will come true. Here are the top 10 reasons this year’s ESTO is a can’t-miss event for destination marketing professionals.

In February the ESTO planning team took up the challenge of planning a conference about destination marketing in a cloud of uncertainty about travel. No small feat.