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.
Monday, August 18
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10:30am - 10:55am
Concurrent Session: Take Off Talk
Concurrent Session: Take Off Talk
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10:30am - 11:30am
Concurrent Session: Presentation
Concurrent Session: Presentation
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In today’s rapidly evolving geopolitical climate, destination marketing organizations are being challenged to rethink how, where, and to whom they market. Join leading CMOs for an engaging panel discussion exploring how international marketing strategies are being reshaped in real time — from shifting market priorities and revised messaging to reallocating budgets toward domestic audiences. Whether you’re reassessing your international footprint or seeking insight on staying agile in unpredictable times, this session will deliver timely strategies and practical takeaways for destination marketers.
Experience
Experience
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Sponsored byAdara, Expedia, SPIRRA.io, Tiki, Tripadvisor
Get ready for fast, focused insights in the Solutions Hub—a series of rapid-fire, 15-minute presentations built to deliver real solutions to real challenges.
Adara: The Intersection of TV Viewership & Travel Intent
Visit Milwaukee wanted to measure actual visitation from hosting a major TV show and Visit Indy wanted to maximize the Caitlin Clark effect. Adara helped them both by combining the power of travel data and TV viewership. Join us as we dive into measurement surrounding Top Chef being filmed in Milwaukee in 2024, including top origin markets for those who watched the show, and Indy’s latest marketing efforts to WNBA game watchers. Bonus: Find out how these approaches can help destinations leverage the Mega Decade of Sports, too!
Expedia: More than a Game: How Sports Travel is Creating New Opportunities for Destinations
Sports tourism now accounts for 10% of global tourism spend – and that figure is expected to grow exponentially. From FIFA Club World Cup to F1 racing, and a whole host of other major tournaments happening in the coming months, tourism players are primed to generate greater value and revenue opportunities. This session dives into how sports fans – especially Gen Z and millennial travelers – are reshaping demand patterns, loyalty behaviors and destination choices. We’ll highlight how destinations can move beyond traditional travel marketing strategies to reach high-value travelers through targeted advertising and engaging content that captures sports-mad fans. Drawing from Expedia Group’s latest global research, we’ll share actionable insights and how to leverage Expedia Group’s travel media network to create end-to-end campaigns that reach travelers wherever they are, whatever the game.
SPIRRA.io: From Transactions to Relationships: Building Long-Term Partnerships with Travel Influencers
The influencer marketing landscape has shifted from one-off sponsored posts to strategic, long-term partnerships that build authentic destination advocacy. This session explores how DMOs can transform transactional influencer relationships into valuable, ongoing partnerships that drive sustained visitation. Using SPIRRA's relationship management and performance tracking tools, we'll demonstrate how to identify influencers who align with your destination's values long-term, track which partnerships actually convert followers into visitors, and structure ambassador programs that provide value to both the destination and creator. Attendees will learn strategies for moving beyond campaign-based thinking to relationship-based marketing, creating exclusive experiences that build influencer loyalty, and measuring the true long-term value of influencer partnerships versus short-term engagement metrics.
Tiki: From Monologue to Dialogue - The AI-Powered Future of Destination Advertising
Traveler expectations are shifting—from passive inspiration to active, real-time engagement. This session explores how AI is transforming destination advertising from static messages into dynamic conversations. Learn how DMOs can harness conversational media to guide, inform, and inspire visitors at every stage of the journey.
Tripadvisor: Tripadvisor Trendcast 2025
The future of travel just landed. We dug deep into millions of reviews, bookings, and convos on Tripadvisor to uncover the micro-trends and massive cultural swings that are rewriting the ways we go. Our first-ever Trendcast captures it all—it’s the ultimate pulse check on where travelers are now and what’ll be driving them forward for years to come.
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1:00pm - 1:45pm
Concurrent Session: Presentation
Concurrent Session: Presentation
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What if your media strategy could prove its economic impact with measurable results? VISIT FLORIDA has reimagined how destinations measure success—going beyond traditional models to create a more flexible, insight-driven approach. Take a closer look at how targeted audience engagement and KPI alignment can turn media programs into powerful economic engines. Get the latest trends, tools and takeaways to apply this thinking to your own campaigns.
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What gives a career in travel lasting meaning—and how do we help others find it, too? In this dynamic, multi-generational panel, seasoned pros and rising leaders share the pivotal experiences, mentors and moments that shaped their journeys. From the impact of representation to the value of mentorship, discover how these changemakers are investing in the next generation and reimagining what leadership in our industry can look like. Expect honest stories, actionable advice and inspiration to grow your own career while opening doors for others.