Creative partnerships can transform any event into a memorable brand experience. In this session, Choose Chicago Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Nucci shares how the DMO collaborates with local artists and designers to craft bold, unexpected moments that connect visitors to the heart of the city. From large-scale conventions to seasonal campaigns, artist-led activations—like murals, custom postcards and branded merchandise—offer a fresh way to express your destination’s identity. You'll leave inspired to engage your local creative community and rethink how your destination shows up when it matters most.
Tuesday, August 19
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10:45am - 11:10am
Concurrent Session: Take Off Talk
Concurrent Session: Take Off Talk
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10:45am - 11:45am
Concurrent Session: Presentation
Concurrent Session: Presentation
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Marketing to meeting planners isn’t the same as marketing to leisure travelers—and striking the right balance between sales goals and brand storytelling can be tricky. So what actually gets their attention?
In this fast-paced session, go beyond the guesswork with straight talk from marketers, sales professionals and meeting planners themselves. You’ll dig into what messaging breaks through, what creative actually converts, and how to align your brand with the needs of the group business market. Leave with actionable insights to elevate your approach—and help your sales team seal the deal.
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As destinations navigate a rapidly evolving world, the pressure to balance tourism growth with sustainability, cultural integrity and community well-being has never been greater. This session explores how leaders can champion destination stewardship that drives economic impact while preserving what makes a place thrive. Through real-world case studies and proven best practices, you’ll gain actionable strategies in collaborative governance, visitor management, climate action and community engagement — key pillars for building resilient, future-ready destinations. Leave inspired to rethink tourism’s role with a model that prioritizes people, planet and shared prosperity.
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11:15am - 11:40am
Concurrent Session: Take Off Talk
Concurrent Session: Take Off Talk
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Touchdown, Laurel Highlands! By partnering with two powerhouse NFL teams—the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers—GO Laurel Highlands turned fandom into brand fuel. Co-branded sweepstakes and smart campaigns delivered 20+ million impressions and 60% growth of their CRM database. Unpack the strategy behind the hype and learn actionable ways for your DMO to play in the big leagues in this session.
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12:00pm - 12:45pm
Concurrent Session: Presentation
Concurrent Session: Presentation
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When crisis strikes, how you communicate can make or break public trust, stakeholder confidence and event continuity. This session explores how destination leaders navigated high-stakes situations — from a terrorist attack in a major city to devastating hurricanes in North Carolina — while ensuring large-scale events moved forward and visitors felt safe.
Through real-world case studies, you’ll learn how DMOs, public officials and partners aligned messaging, managed uncertainty and maintained confidence among residents, travelers and media.
Key takeaways include:
- Enacting proven communication practices during emergency situations
- Aligning messaging across tourism, public safety and government partners
- Striking the right balance between speed, transparency and sensitivity
- Building proactive communication plans before a crisis hits
Whether you’re responding to immediate threats or preparing for the unexpected, this session will equip you with practical tools to lead calmly, clearly and effectively under pressure.
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In a sea of sameness, creative risk is your edge. Explore how destination marketers can take bold, intentional leaps in visual and storytelling campaigns—without losing brand trust or stakeholder support. You'll learn a buildable framework for testing creative ideas, explore tools to champion bold thinking internally and draw inspiration from proven campaigns that broke the mold and delivered.
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In a crowded market, loyalty is everything. This eye-opening case study breaks down what truly drives long-term brand love—from trust and connection to consistency and value. Hear what real consumers have to say about the brands—big and small—they stick with, and why. You’ll leave with fresh insights and practical takeaways to help your destination rise above the noise, grow market share and turn one-time visitors into lifelong visitors.