The 2024 North Dakota Travel Industry Conference features a full agenda of inspiration, professional development and networking opportunities.
Additional agenda details forthcoming.
Monday, April 8, 2024 | ||
| Industry Meetings | ||
| 3-6 p.m. | Registration and Exhibitor Set-up | |
| 3-5 p.m. | Networking and Professional Development Colleague groups: sales, marketing, social media/PR, tribal tourism, visitor centers, administrators/operations, CEOs. | |
| 5-6 p.m. | New Attendee Mixer | |
| 6-9 p.m. | Opening Reception and Social at Brewhalla Brewhalla – North Lounge (Upstairs) Transportation information: All Occasions Limousine & Coach will be offering shuttle rides between the Delta Hotel and Brewhalla at approximately the following times:
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Tuesday, April 9 - WEAR YOUR LOGO DAY | ||
| 7:45 a.m. | Registration Opens | |
| 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | Sponsor Exhibits Open | |
| 8-8:45 a.m. | Breakfast Buffet with Exhibitors | |
| 8:45-9 a.m. | Welcome | |
| 9-10 a.m. | General Session – Do You Even Know Me? How Curiosity Creates Community in the Workplace
No organization wants its people to be apathetic – toward the work, the people or the community. Community ignites loyalty and drives retention in both in-person and hybrid workplaces, and is built with one simple thing: curiosity. Curiosity is the opposite of apathy. Events are ideal opportunities to authentically connect, reflect, validate, and innovate. In this hysterical and motivational keynote we will talk about how to ask better questions, change the way we hear people’s stories and insights, and adapt the mindset of curiosity. Let’s stop the apathy and the assuming and start learning about each other because curiosity creates community. | |
| 10-10:30 a.m. | Break with Exhibitors | |
| 10:30-11:30 a.m. | General Session – Travel Insights: Portrait of Travelers with Disabilities
The ability to have access to the same experiences as travelers without disabilities should be a priority across the hospitality, travel and tourism industries, as travelers with mobility disabilities spend $58.2 billion per year on travel. MMGY Global’s recently released Portrait of Travelers with Disabilities Mobility & Accessibility research hopes to be the call-to-action for every industry that caters to travelers. So they can better understand and meet the needs of the millions of people who use mobility aids and their traveling companions. | |
| 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Breakout Sessions | |
Inclusivity and Accessibility in North Dakota (panel)
Enhancing accessibility in tourism and recreation has positive impacts on community. Hear from tourism practitioners about their efforts to make all visitors, and residents, feel welcome. | ||
Elevating Tourism Business Development (panel)
This is a Q&A panel to show forward progress in tourism development, discuss practical tourism business development examples, including things communities and businesses should consider throughout the process, and discuss economic development and finance tools available for development. | ||
Driving Traffic to your Website and Making Them Stay
Explore effective strategies for increasing website traffic and optimizing user engagement for your destination website. From future-focused SEO techniques and content marketing to user-friendly design and analytics-driven decision making, discover actionable insights that will attract visitors. | ||
| 12:30-1:30 p.m. | Industry Luncheon Travel and tourism thrived in 2023, hitting significant milestones and achievements. Hear from North Dakota Tourism & Marketing Director Sara Otte Coleman as she provides a State of the Industry update over lunch. | |
| 1:30-2:30 p.m. | Breakout Sessions | |
Sparking Rural Tourism (panel)
Tourism is a vital part of a community’s economic development and growth, and for small communities and regions, presents unique opportunities and challenges. The Sparking Rural Tourism panelists will share their experiences and insights. | ||
Land Managers: Unlocking the Full Potential of Public Lands Through Responsible Tourism (panel)
This session will offer insights into mutually beneficial relationships between destination marketers and land management stewardship. We’ll examine the vital role these partnerships play in balancing conservation efforts with the growing demand for recreational access and visitor experiences. | ||
Finance for Executives – What a Tourism Executive Should Know, Be Asking, and How to Understand Basic Financial Statements
Learn about the most important pieces of financial management of a DMO. From understanding financial statements, what questions to ask your accounting/finance team and what to expect from an audit, we’ll help prepare you to lead your finances with confidence. | ||
| 2:30-3 p.m. | Break with Exhibitors | |
| 3-4 p.m. | Breakout Sessions | |
Crafting Successful Events that Foster Vibrancy and Belonging
Explore the art of event creation with Folkways' unique approach, where every detail is meticulously planned to serve a purpose, solve problems, and meet the diverse needs of attendees. Learn how Folkways designs events to entertain, connect, reflect, and enrich our community, ensuring everyone feels welcomed and valued. From considering the why and who, to the intricacies of what, when, where, and how, we'll dive into the elements that make an event successful—financial strategies, audience engagement, and the crucial role of inclusivity. Discover how to transform any gathering into a vibrant celebration of culture and community belonging. | ||
North Dakota’s Competitive Advantage: Global Talent (panel)
Labor shortages continue to challenge the hospitality industry. Learn about opportunities with global talent, the Office of Legal Immigration, visa pathways and resources available. | ||
Spotlight on Generation Z (panel)
By 2026, Generation Z will make up the largest share of the U.S. consumer population. Fortune magazine says they are reshaping the workplace. And Forbes says Gen Z is driving shifts in hospitality and travel. Get insights from our panelists on how they research travel, what’s important to them in trip-taking, and what do they prioritize when it comes to employment. | ||
| 4-5 p.m. | General Session – Headline News for All the Wrong Reasons
Too often these days, we are seeing destination marketing organizations in trouble for things that should and could have been avoided – and sometimes for just doing the work they’ve been asked to do. This session will look at case studies from the headlines and will explain how these things happened and most importantly provide tactics to avoid having your DMO become headline news for all the wrong reasons. | |
| 5 p.m. | Evening on Your Own | |
Wednesday, April 10 | ||
| 7:45 a.m. | Registration Opens | |
| 8 a.m.-12 p.m. | Sponsor Exhibits Open | |
| 8-8:45 a.m. | Breakfast Buffet with Exhibitors | |
| 8:45-9:45 a.m. | General Session – ChatGPT for the Tourism Industry
Unlock the potential of generative AI to streamline tasks from creating pivot tables to deciphering meeting attendee sentiment. Janette Roush, a recognized ChatGPT authority from New York City Tourism + Conventions, will demystify this tool, spotlighting applications for tourism marketers and highlighting ChatGPT’s challenges and opportunities. Ready to be inspired? Whether beginner or expert, you’ll leave eager to harness AI’s capabilities. | |
| 9:45-10:30 a.m. | Break with Exhibitors and Governor's Photo Contest Awards Presentation | |
| 10:30-11:30 a.m. | Breakout Sessions | |
New Adventure: Experiencing & Educating our Traditional Lands in our Own Ways
Members of the North Dakota Native Tourism Alliance and Native American Cultural Tours will discuss the opportunities to learn, experience and educate the world about native culture and history on Tribal Nations. “What is there to see? What is there to do? And how can people experience this by protecting, preserving and educating the traditional and cultural boundaries?” Partner with NDNTA and Tribal Tourism Offices to enhance the partnerships with Tribal Nations and the North Dakota experience. | ||
What DMOs Need to Know Transitioning from Google Analytics to GA4
Join this session for an in-depth exploration of Google Analytics 4, the latest evolution in web analytics from Google. Discover how GA4 is reshaping the landscape of digital analytics, offering powerful tools for understanding user behavior and optimizing online performance for your website. | ||
Why (and how) to Maintain a Marketing Schedule in the Travel Industry
Marketing is the lifeblood of an organization but knowing what to do, how to do it and how to organize it is challenging. This session will provide tips and tricks on how to create engaging content, examples of an ideal publishing strategy and how to organize this work in a Marketing Calendar to keep you on track and on top of your game. | ||
| 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Governor’s Awards Luncheon Honoring Leaders in Travel and Tourism The Governor’s Awards for Travel and Tourism recognize the passionate and dedicated North Dakotans who have contributed to the growth of travel and tourism, our state’s third-largest industry. These awards speak to the foundation gratitude important to Governor Burgum. | |
