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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.

Monday, August 24
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10:45am - 11:40am

Main Stage

  • Grand Ballroom
    Philadelphia Marriott Downtown

    As destination marketers, the macro-forces shaping the travel landscape dictate the ceiling for local economic success. Yet, advocating for travel has never been more complex, sparking intense industry curiosity—and some consternation—around how we advance our priorities in a highly polarized political environment. 

    The session will begin with a talk from U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman, offering a candid assessment of the current state of the travel industry, the policy landscape, and the opportunities and challenges ahead. 

    Following Geoff’s remarks, he will join Julie Coker, President & CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions, for an unvarnished, moderated conversation and audience Q&A. Together, they will pull back the curtain on U.S. Travel’s advocacy strategy, dissect the realities of managing diverse stakeholders, and address the tough questions surrounding how the industry must collectively mobilize to protect and grow travel’s economic impact while navigating today’s political headwinds.

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11:40am - 12:25pm

Main Stage

  • Grand Ballroom
    Philadelphia Marriott Downtown

    The longer we manage a destination, a brand, or a team, the more likely it is that our hard-earned expertise has inadvertently created structural blind spots. In this high-energy Monday keynote, New York Times bestselling author and innovation consultant Diana Kander pulls back the curtain on how successful organizations unknowingly sabotage their own future growth by relying on past playbooks. 

    Drawing on core principles from her book, Get Curious and Grow, Diana shows us how we can level up the simple questions we ask ourselves on a daily basis to get significantly better results and drive meaningful innovation. She will dissect the trap of "additive bias"—our natural instinct to solve problems by adding more initiatives, technology, or layers to our plates when subtraction is often the optimal strategic move. Packed with practical tools to institutionalize curiosity as a daily habit, this session will shift your mindset from defending legacy models to actively de-risking new ideas, uncovering hidden opportunities, and framing the very questions you will reflect on throughout the event.

    Key Takeaways

    • How to ‘institutionalize’ curiosity in your organization with simple daily habits
    • How to dramatically reduce the ‘risk’ of new ideas and supercharge growth
    • How to avoid allowing your past success to sabotage your future growth