Schedule



ESTO delivers bold content, dynamic learning formats and opportunities to connect and equip destination marketing leaders with insights they can immediately put into action.

Explore the full schedule to start planning your experience at ESTO.

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Monday, August 24
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1:30pm - 2:15pm

Concurrent Session: Presentation

  • From the Field of Play to the Feed: How Sports Tourism Fuels Destination Storytelling
    Franklin 5-7
    Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
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    Sports tourism has traditionally been measured in room nights and economic impact. But forward-thinking destinations are recognizing something even more powerful: sports events are storytelling platforms.
    From creator partnerships and user-generated content to earned media and community pride, sports events can fuel authentic stories that live far beyond the final whistle. This session will explore how destinations are breaking down silos between sports, marketing, and communications teams; maximizing the value of events already on the calendar; and turning a single event into months of content, engagement, and visibility.

  • How DMOs Can Support Community Vision Without Mission Drift
    Franklin 1-2
    Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
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    Visit Lake Charles evolved from a traditional tourism marketer into the strategic marketing and communications arm for Just Imagine SWLA, proving how DMOs can support community-led initiatives without losing focus on visitation, brand, or mission. This session explores how DMOs can responsibly step into deeper community roles when the opportunity aligns.

     

    Takeaways:

    • Evaluate community initiatives using a practical decision framework to determine when deeper DMO involvement aligns with mission, brand, and visitation goals—and when to say no. 
    • Implement governance and role-definition tools that establish clear boundaries, accountability, and expectations, protecting the DMO’s core   mission while supporting community-led efforts.
    • Apply a scalable communications-first framework to support community initiatives through marketing, storytelling, and earned media without absorbing ownership or operational drift.
  • Leveraging PR Strategy for Convention Center Transformations: Turning Construction into a Destination-Wide Story
    Franklin 3-4
    Philadelphia Marriott Downtown
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    Convention center transformations represent once-in-a-generation opportunities for destinations. When managed strategically, they are more than capital projects—they become platforms to elevate a destination’s brand, attract meetings, business, and engage national media. This panel session with Visit Austin, Visit Cincy, and Visit Milwaukee will explore how destinations and agency partners harness PR to maximize visibility and reposition their cities during and after convention center transformations. Renovating or expanding a convention center is a complex, multi-year endeavor. But beyond the hard hats and construction fences lies a powerful PR opportunity: the chance to tell a story of innovation, resilience, and citywide growth.

     

    Takeaways: 

    • Leverage milestone storytelling—from groundbreaking to ribbon cutting—to generate   consistent coverage and media interest.
    • Design curated media activations like familiarization tours, media dinners, and trade show press conferences to build buzz.
    • Expand the narrative beyond the facility to encompass sustainability, walkability, diversity, and culinary culture.
    • Integrated Approach of leveraging your paid media spend to help drive earned coverage in the meetings market. 
    • Maintain competitive positioning by sustaining coverage after reopening and aligning with editorial calendars and industry event.
    • Attendees will learn how to turn a construction project into a brand-defining communications moment for their destinations.