2021 Workshop Schedule
We will continue to add more information as more speakers and classes are added! In the meantime, learn about our 2019 presenters from our most recent 2-day workshop.
Day 1
MONDAY, NOV. 15TH
8:00 am Registration
8:30 am Networking & Introductions
9:00 am Welcome
9:15 am Presentation
TOURISM AND LOCAL MARKETING TRENDS
Sarah Benoit of JB Media Institute
In the fast-paced, ever-changing world of tourism marketing it sometimes seems impossible to keep up with all the trends. We’ll kick off our 2021 event with an update on the digital marketing trends you need to be watching. Whether you work in marketing for the TDA of a city, you are the marketing department of one for a rural region, or you are a small business owner, find out the best strategies, tools, and efforts to put your time, energy, and financial resources into this coming year.
10:15 am Break
10:30 am Concurrent Breakout Sessions
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING FOR A CHANGED WORLD
Sarah Benoit of JB Media Institute
Successful social media has always focused on telling stories people can relate to and that are relevant to their lives. Creating emotional connections to your audiences can take time but generates loyalty and engagement in the long run. Find out how all of the changes happening around the world are impacting social media strategy and how you can make sure your investment in social relationships produces the results you need to grow your customer and visitor base.
Google Ads 101 – Getting the Most Out of Search Advertising
David Gwaltney of JB Media Group
Join us for a presentation to learn how to efficiently run tourism and local marketing campaigns on Google Ads. We will cover targeting strategies, best practices for conversion tracking, local and tourism industry benchmarks, and keyword strategies. The team at JB Media Group has been managing Google Ad campaigns for tourism organizations, events, and local businesses since its founding in 2010. If you’re considering or currently utilizing Google Ads for your marketing strategy, you don’t want to miss out on these tips and tricks.
UPDATING YOUR MARKETING PLAN
Chris Cavanaugh of Magellan Strategy Group
It may be considered old school, but a good marketing plan is still essential in a new school world. We’ll discuss the process for creating or updating your marketing plan. This class will identify the most desirable components of a comprehensive marketing plan, look at the best ways of delivering the plan, discuss how marketing plans are evolving, and delve into examples of good marketing plans. You’ll learn about best practices, and even a few examples of common mistakes and what not to do.
11:45 am Lunch
1:15 pm Concurrent Breakout Sessions
YOUR GUIDE TO ETHICAL & PURPOSE-DRIVEN MARKETING
Justin Belleme of JB Media Institute
As technology evolves, the line that separates ethical from unethical digital marketing practices moves. To avoid embarrassing and costly mistakes, all businesses, especially purpose-driven businesses, need an ethical marketing policy and strategy. But what does it really mean to be an “ethical” marketer today? In this presentation, Justin Belleme will share an overview of the key topics and best practices to ethical, purpose-driven marketing, especially as it relates to local and tourism marketing.
PRIVACY MATTERS: NEW STRATEGIES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING
Sarah Benoit of JB Media Institute
Everyone has heard about the new iOS changes in 2021 and the battle between Facebook’s historical need to track user behavior and iPhone’s new commitment to their customer’s privacy, but do you know what these changes really mean and how they may be affecting you? Discover how to level up your advertising strategies so you can collect the data you need while still respecting your customers and visitors. Also explore why these issues are so important and the ethical issues you may need to be aware of going forward.
LEVERAGING STRONG INFLUENCER RELATIONSHIPS TO BUILD AWARENESS AND INSTAGRAM ENGAGEMENT
Led by Hana Bieliauskas and Amanda Ensinger of Inspire PR
The power of influencer partnerships for travel and tourism continues to grow. Influencers and bloggers, who have large and engaged networks of social followers, are the new travel agents. Instagram is today’s travel guide, especially for millennials. Learn how to identify and form strong relationships with the right national and regional influencers and turn them into ambassadors of your destination. Find out how to get the most out of investing in influencer partnerships—how to ensure they share quality social and online content and exceed expectations. Know what’s okay (and what’s not) to ask of an influencer—and for them to request of you. Get tips for leveraging top influencers’ Instagram accounts to share compelling, authentic content that fuels wanderlust and creates visitors.
2:45 pm Concurrent Breakout Sessions
THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL MARKETING TRACKING & REPORTING
Sarah Benoit of JB Media Institute
Data is something all marketers need to succeed, and tracking and reporting tools are the key to quantifying our success. In 2021 though we are seeing big changes in the world of data and in the public understanding of privacy and security. Learn more about tracking and reporting strategies and systems that can be beneficial for tourism-based organizations and companies. Understand where we are now and where we are headed in the future.
BUDGETING FOR DIGITAL ADVERTISING: COST-EFFECTIVE WAYS TO INCREASE REACH & WEBSITE TRAFFIC
Justin Belleme of JB Media Institute
Not all social media and digital advertising products are created equal. Each social media and digital advertising platform has strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately each platform delivers different costs per click, impressions, and engagement rates. During this session, Justin will explore a variety of strategies and approaches including: average cost per click and engagement rates, platforms and strategies to deliver the highest quality traffic for various tourism business goals, and how to evaluate and prioritize digital advertising options when working within a budget that needs to deliver a positive return on investment.
TBD
TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!
4:00 pm Closing Remarks
4:15 pm Adjourn
Day 2
Tuesday, Nov. 16th
8:00 am Networking
9:00 am Concurrent Breakout Sessions
GIVEAWAYS ARE STILL THE FASTEST WAY TO GROW YOUR EMAIL LIST!
Justin Belleme of JB Media Institute
Organically growing an email list can be a very slow process, especially for businesses and organizations that rely primarily on simple email newsletter signup forms to capture new subscribers. During Justin’s 18 years of experience in travel and tourism marketing, he’s discovered that nothing has performed better than a well-executed travel giveaway or sweepstakes for building an email list quickly. Even after all the newest platforms and post-COVID strategies have been tested, this tried and true strategy is still the winner. Join this session to learn how to cost effectively grow your email list.
MANAGING REVIEWS AND LOCAL SEO
Led by Rich Owings of Local Is Where It’s At and a special presentation by iHeartMedia
Local SEO differs in many ways from traditional search engine optimization. This session will offer tips for maximizing your listings on Google, Apple Maps, and other important location-based platforms. We’ll also delve into the importance of consistency across listings, leveraging the power of reviews, and how your website impacts local SEO. Additionally, we’ll look at the concept of “Google as the new home page” and what to do about the fact that 60% of mobile searches do not result in a click through to a website.
BRANDING OR REBRANDING FOR THE NEW TOURISM ECONOMY
Chris Cavanaugh of Magellan Strategy
The digital age, and more recently the COVID19 pandemic, have changed the execution of brand development and management, but the principles of strong foundational branding stay the same. This session will look at how to develop, maintain, revisit, and grow your brand using both traditional and digital media to establish a message that resonates.
10:15 am Break
10:30 am Presentations
Interactive Strategy Development Session - Marketing Managers Unite
Once you understand the tools and strategies covered at the conference, your final task is to create a unique and creative digital marketing campaign to execute and promote with your team and partners. During this final brainstorming workshop, we will break into small groups and engage in rapid prototyping exercises to generate fun and exciting campaign ideas. We’ll also create brief strategic outlines to help make your ideas come to life. The plans will then be shared with the group, allowing for cross-pollination and further exploration.
TOURISM DIGITAL MARKETING PLANS: CASE STUDIES AND EXAMPLE PLANS
Justin Belleme and Chris Cavanaugh
Developing a professional digital marketing plan requires creativity and cohesion across written content, social media, video, and email. Doing all of these things well is challenging yet achievable for any small organization as long as a solid strategy is in place. This class will explore successful marketing plans and case studies across tourism and local marketing and will include dedicated time for audience Q and A.
12:00 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Concurrent Breakout Sessions
TIK TOK MARKETING FOR TRAVEL AND TOURISM
Sarah Benoit of JB Media Institute
Tik Tok exploded on the scene in 2016, but in 2020 it exploded beyond what anyone could have imagined. As the platform expanded to include more than just young audiences and creators, Tik Tok soon became beloved by people across the world as a place of refuge, laughter, and activism while people were in lock down. Discover the value Tik Tok can have for your region, business or organization. Learn best practices for getting started and see some examples of some of the best Tik Tok creatives currently traveling and telling stories.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AS EFFECTIVE MARKETING
Chris Cavanaugh – Magellan Strategy Group
While not traditionally considered a component of tourism marketing, product development is an increasingly important part of destination management and marketing. The ability to choreograph the visitor experience through investments in capital projects, festivals and events, and numerous other initiatives can help shape the destination brand, enhance visitor satisfaction and spending, and improve quality of life for residents. We’ll also look at how COVID has affected the need for product development and its potential funding.
TBD
3:00 pm Adjourn
I loved the Tracking and Reporting Class with Sarah… she dove in and showed you realtime how Google Analytics worked and what you should be looking for.
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