Program Schedule


What to Expect at ESTO

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

Session Format
  • Keynotes: Bold ideas and big-picture insights from industry leaders.
  • Mini Keynotes: Fast-paced spotlights on emerging strategies.
  • Presentations: Case studies and research-driven sessions.
  • Take-Off Talks: Short, story-driven talks with big impact.
  • Roundtables: Interactive discussions and peer exchange.

 

A Look Back at ESTO 2025

In Phoenix, the ESTO 2025 program set a new standard for how destination leaders learn and connect. Attendees experienced:

 

  • Immersive activations, including the hands-on AI Playground, where marketers explored practical applications of emerging technologies.
  • Fresh networking formats, such as Beyond the Classroom, designed to foster collaboration and exchange outside traditional sessions.
  • Purpose-driven engagement, highlighted by the expanded ESTO Cares initiative.

 

These highlights exemplify ESTO’s ongoing commitment to building programs that push boundaries and inspire action.

Event Policies

For full details including information around cancellations, substitutions, payments and photography, explore U.S. Travel’s general event policies and ESTO-specific guidelines.  

 

 

Print
Monday, August 18
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10:30am - 10:55am

Concurrent Session: Take Off Talk

  • Search Reinvented: Preparing Destinations for the Generative Era
    More Details
    Your destination’s digital presence depends on more than search rankings. With AI and generative tools shaping how users engage with content, it’s time to rethink your SEO strategy. This session gives you the tools to understand and apply Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) practices that ensure your content is found, trusted and surfaced in new discovery formats. Uncover the key shifts happening now—and how to lead through them.
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1:00pm - 1:25pm

Concurrent Session: Take Off Talk

  • From Visitors to Visionaries: Maximizing the Destination Funnel
    More Details
    Leisure and business travelers aren’t competing audiences—they’re connected ones. This session shows you how to break down internal silos and reframe your strategy to capture both. Using psychographics and AI, you’ll uncover what motivates your audiences, tailor campaigns accordingly and strengthen your brand’s impact at every touchpoint.
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2:00pm - 2:25pm

Concurrent Session: Take Off Talk

  • Your Oxygen Mask First: Creative Energy Management for Turbulent Times
    More Details
    Creative teams thrive when leaders protect their most valuable asset—energy. Designed for senior marketing leaders, this session explores how to build a high-impact team culture without burning out your people—or yourself. Tiffany Kerr, a recovering agency workaholic, former big-tech creative and now destination CMO, shares her approach to moving beyond reactive momentum and into intentional systems that foster deep work, strategic clarity and sustainable leadership.