2025 Schedule of Events

Travel is essential to the U.S. economy, communities across our nation, and businesses large and small. Industry leaders will demonstrate travel’s role in economic stimulation, business growth, community development, cultural exchange, and social cohesion. This session will leverage data and insights from the four segments of travel: group, business, leisure and international to explore travel’s profound impact and give concrete examples to ensure that message resonates.

Win the moment. Impress and influence. Disrupt and defy. Inspire and aspire. Overdeliver, outthink, and outperform. Yes, it’s good to be better. But, it’s better to be different. In this session, we’ll dive into why we’re impressed by certain people and brands – and how to capitalize on your own. Join Sally Hogshead – a New York Times bestseller, a Global Brand Guru, and “force of nature” who “changed the face of North American advertising” to dive into what makes us each different based on our own results from Sally’s personal brand measurement, which identifies your most fascinating and impressive qualities. Be sure to take THE FASCINATE® TEST ahead of time to fully engage with this keynote. 

A FASCINATE® TEST code is available to all registered attendees.

In today's fast-paced world, effective crisis management and maintaining brand integrity are crucial for any organization and destination. Join Chris Chiames, Chief Communications Officer with Carnival Cruise Line for an insightful conversation into how Carnival responds to crises while balancing media needs and messaging to uphold its brand reputation. Chris will share real-life examples and case studies on how he’s handled communications for some of the biggest brands in the industry. Whether you're a seasoned marketer, emerging communicator, or business leader, this keynote promises actionable insights to help you effectively manage communication challenges and uphold brand integrity in an ever-evolving world. Through natural disasters, public health emergencies, politically charged challenges, and whatever comes next – it’s imperative for destination marketers to know and understand the strategies that will empower you to protect your destination’s reputation and appeal to visitors.