Tourism Academy 2024
Full Conference Agenda
The tourism conference for professionals who are transforming the landscape of travel through technology and marketing.
Monday, June 10th (Pre-Conference)
Monday, June 10th (Pre-Conference) 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Registration
Monday, June 10th (Pre-Conference)
Westin Book Cadillac Lobby
Monday, June 10th (Pre-Conference) 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Explore Detroit With Us
Monday, June 10th (Pre-Conference)
Arriving early? Spend a few hours exploring Downtown Detroit alongside fellow Tourism Academy attendees on a guided walking tour. Advance registration is required. Click here to register now!
Monday, June 10th (Pre-Conference) 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Networking Happy Hour
Monday, June 10th (Pre-Conference)
Union Assembly | 2131 Woodward Ave
Kick off the conference with a little Motor City mingling. This casual get-together is your chance to network with industry veterans and newcomers alike. Enjoy light bites and drinks and fuel up for the exciting conference ahead!
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 6:30 AM - 7:30 AM
6:30 AM - 7:30 AM
Morning Fun Run
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Westin Book Cadillac Detroit Lobby
Stretch your legs and explore our host city with a three-mile guided fun run through downtown Detroit. Advanced registration is required. Click here to register now!
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Networking Breakfast & Registration
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Woodward AB
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Woodward AB
Welcome to Detroit! Join us as we kick off Tourism Academy 2024 with insights on industry trends and updates on the latest strategies and solutions Tempest is deploying to support destinations across North America.
Featuring:
Alex Heimann
CEO
Tempest
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM
9:15 AM - 10:00 AM
Interactive Session: Get to Know the Other Pros
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Woodward AB
Meet new industry experts and reconnect with destination marketing colleagues in this fun, engaging and Detroit-inspired ice breaker.
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
Training: Intro to iDSS Basics
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Woodward CD
Need a basic overview or refresh of iDSS? This session is perfect for new users to understand how iDSS can help you to save time and create effective workflows. Bring your computer and iDSS login for an optimal experience.
What's New with iDSS?
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Founders AB
It has been a busy year for iDSS. Join us as we review the latest additions and upgrades to our CRM solution and review practical applications of our newest integrations.
Crafting the Future of Destination Websites with Craft CMS
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Crystal Ballroom
Discover the new features available within the Craft CMS and how Tempest is deploying them to solve common digital needs of DMOs.
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Training: Intro to iDSS Sales & Services
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Woodward CD
Join us for a refresher on how to create, manage and send sales and services leads in iDSS. Familiarize or reacquaint yourself with lead distribution and take home actionable ways to improve your leads workflow so you can win new business. Bring your computer and iDSS login for an optimal experience.
Sports Tourism Best Practices for Markets of All Sizes
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Founders AB
At a lot of the trade shows across the tourism industry, the focus is on the larger markets and their big wins. Not this session! Our sports tourism breakout session will touch on markets of all sizes, small, medium, and large. Join us for best practices that you can take home and implement in your communities.
Rethinking Membership: Activating Partners Through Impactful Community Engagement Strategies
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Crystal Ballroom
In this session, uncover strategic ways DMOs are reshaping their community engagement strategy to reduce the strain on their internal teams, eliminating content limitations and improving overall partner sentiment and DMO impact.
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 11:45 AM - 12:30 PM
11:45 AM - 12:30 PM
Networking Lunch
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Woodward AB
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 12:45 PM - 1:30 PM
12:45 PM - 1:30 PM
The Destination Effect: Be a Catalyst for the Vitality of Your Community
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Woodward AB
The Destination Effect is more than a session; it's an opportunity to be part of a movement that recognizes the power of destination promotion. Using newly released research from Destinations International, attendees will leave with a clear understanding of the vital role destination promotion plays in community growth - it is the Destination Effect. Be at the forefront of Destinations International's new advocacy strategy that goes beyond tourism and taps into the essence of being a catalyst for your community's vitality. Delve into the compelling argument that destination organizations are not optional, but essential, and find out how you and your organization can be part of the movement making this case across North America.
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 1:45 PM - 2:30 PM
1:45 PM - 2:30 PM
Training: Managing Members & Partners in iDSS
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Woodward CD
This session is an introduction to managing partners and members within iDSS. Learn to manage terms, dues, and more — plus how to use the Extranet to help partners seamlessly pay invoices and update their business information. Bring your computer and iDSS login for an optimal experience.
Featuring:
Nate Davis
Client Support Manager
Tempest
iDSS Advanced Workshop: CRM Refresh
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Founders AB
Workshop: Join Visit Plano and Cobb County Georgia as they walk through the CRM Refresh process, including how the project was implemented and how it has since benefitted and boosted their team's productivity and performance.
Establishing Authority in an AI World: Content Strategies that Boost Traffic & Trust for DMO Websites
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Crystal Ballroom
The SEO landscape is changing, and solutions like Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) are dramatically impacting content discovery for DMOs. Discover how forward-thinking content strategies and proper content management can elevate your destination website, establish your DMO as the preeminent authority on destination experiences, and yield qualified organic website visits.
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Networking Break
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
Training: Visitor Centers & Inquiries
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Woodward CD
See how destination organizations are utilizing their CRM's visitor center and consumer data to monitor traffic, inquiries, and RFP distribution to improve their engagement with travelers. Bring your computer and iDSS login for an optimal experience.
iDSS Advanced Workshop: Monthly Sales Reporting
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Founders AB
Workshop: In this interactive workshop, join DMO representatives and iDSS as they walkthrough how to run Monthly Sales Reports to provide transparency into productivity for leadership.
Unlocking Opportunities: Why DMOs Should Embrace Lodging Booking Engines
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Crystal Ballroom
Dive into the transformative world of lodging booking engines, uncovering the game-changing advantages they bring to destination websites and answering the pivotal question of why DMOs should integrate these tools into their operations. With a focus on strategic insights and tangible benefits from real-world case studies, attendees will explore the compelling reasons behind adopting booking engines, from revenue augmentation to enhanced user experiences. Through this exploration, participants will gain actionable insights to optimize their DMO strategies, leveraging booking engines and indispensable tools for driving destination success.
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Training: iDSS Itineraries
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Woodward CD
Join Tempest's iDSS experts for an overview of the new Itineraries feature, including how enter basic Itinerary information, apply expenses, customizing beautiful brand on outputs, and send to internal and external contacts.
Featuring:
Jay Boling
Client Success Analyst
Tempest
iDSS Advanced Workshop: Auto Tasks
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Founders AB
Workshop: Join our iDSS experts for a live walk through, highlighting how to configure auto tasks for workflows within Team Activity, Leads, and Partnership/Membership.
The Destination Showroom: Tempest's Approach to Website Design
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Crystal Ballroom
Join us for an informative and inspirational overview of Tempest's creative process and strategy for destination websites, including creative briefs, community-inspired design elements, and recent web highlights, while gathering tips and tricks for achieving creative success with your next website project.
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1) 5:10 PM - 9:30 PM
5:10 PM - 9:30 PM
Detroit Baseball Experience at Comerica Park
Tuesday, June 11th (Day 1)
Comerica Park | 2100 Woodward Ave
Grab some peanuts and Cracker Jacks and join Tempest at Comerica Park in Downtown Detroit for a special baseball tailgate experience. Afterwards, stay and cheer on the Detroit Tigers as they face off against the Washington Nationals.
IMPORTANT: Tourism Academy event begins promptly at 5:10pm and ends promptly at 6:40pm at the start of the game. Tickets to the game included for all Tourism Academy attendees.
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 6:30 AM - 7:30 AM
6:30 AM - 7:30 AM
Morning Wellness Activity
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Activity information coming soon. Advanced registration is required. Click here to register now!
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Networking Breakfast & Registration
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Woodward AB
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
The Secret to Crafting an Unforgettable Destination Brand
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Woodward AB
Dive into the secrets of unforgettable destination branding with a look at Detroit's own journey. Discover how blending storytelling with a strong sense of community can make every visit feel like coming home, turning places into cherished memories.
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Training: iDSS Team Activity
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Woodward CD
Uncover — or rediscover — the basics of Team Activity in iDSS. Bring your computer and iDSS login for an optimal experience.
Roundtable: Sales Reporting Show & Tell
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Founders AB
Join the conversation and unlock new ideas as DMO Sales pros share best practices and iDSS solutions that have improved their reporting workflows and ability to convey measured success of sales efforts.
Featuring:
Brent Foerster
Executive Director
Tempest
Session Information Coming Soon
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Crystal Ballroom
More session details coming soon.
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
Training: iDSS Send Tips & Tricks
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Woodward CD
Did you know there's a powerful email marketing tool in your iDSS instance? Discover the latest tips and best practices for how to use iDSS Send and review recent email marketing campaigns that have captured the attention of visitors and community stakeholders.
Featuring:
Nate Davis
Client Support Manager
Tempest
iDSS Advanced Workshop: iDSS API
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Founders AB
Workshop: Learn how you can use the iDSS API to integrate iDSS with other platforms your organization utilizes in this instructional workshop. Join Banff and Tourism Montreal as they walk through their iDSS Integrations to connect to their partner platforms seamlessly to iDSS.
New Website Checklist: 5 Things You Can Do RIGHT NOW To Improve Your Web Launch
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Whether your website redesign is underway, or you're considering one for the future, don't miss this insightful overview of the key elements that will contribute to a seamless and successful destination website launch.
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Accelerating Your Destination's Sports Tourism Success: Sports Tourism Index & Scout
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Woodward CD
Discover how your organization can evaluate your destination's strengths and competition in the sports tourism market, secure and manage event leads, and measure the economic impact generated by sporting events for your communities via the powerful Sports Tourism Index and Scout platforms.
Community Connections: Honest Appraisals of Partnership Programs
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Founders AB
A diverse panel of Detroit community partners will join us to share honest opinions as to what stakeholders expect from a DMO partnership model while highlighting effective ways organizations can collaborate to uplift the destination and support businesses.
One Website, 39 Communities
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Crystal Ballroom
Learn how Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau created an award-winning regional tourism destination marketing website that serves as a platform for the latest information, community events and blog content inspiring travel to the only place in America where the Mother Road of Route 66 meets the Great River Road.
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Networking Lunch
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Woodward AB
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 12:45 PM - 1:30 PM
12:45 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch Keynote
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Woodward AB
Session information coming soon!
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 1:45 PM - 2:30 PM
1:45 PM - 2:30 PM
Roundtable: Membership
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Woodward CD
Collaborate with other DMO professionals on steps you have taken to engage your partners and members with the iDSS Extranet, what has worked, and learn from others how they have overcome any barriers in the past.
Panel: Achieving Sales Goals in 2024
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Founders AB
In this session, hear from superstar Sales experts as they share how they're running their department, what challenges they are currently facing and how they are identifying new strategies to deliver on their sales goals.
Who Killed the Website Traffic: An SEO Murder Mystery
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Crystal Ballroom
Embrace your inner Sherlock Holmes in this fun, immersive and interactive whodunnnit session as we search for the culprit — or culprits! — behind organic traffic declines for key website pages while unlocking savvy strategies to avoid a similarly eerie fate for your destination's content.
Featuring:
Detective Serp
SEO PD
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Networking Break
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
Training: Cvent & iDSS Integration
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Woodward CD
Learn more about the CRM integration with Cvent and how you can use this powerful new service to view, promote, and track the status RFPs sent through the Cvent Supplier Network directly within iDSS and easily share Cvent RFP information with local partners via the iDSS Extranet.
iDSS Proposals
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Founders AB
Discover how destinations are developing and deploying comprehensive, fully-branded proposals to prospective clients, all within iDSS Publish.
Eras, the Eclipse & Economics: How DMOs Leverage High Profile Events for Marketing Success
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Crystal Ballroom
Learn how DMOs are deploying original and engaging marketing activations and digital content to capitalize on major in-market events to drive business — and dollars — to local partners.
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 4:00 PM - 4:45 PM
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM
How to Win More First Time Visitors
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Woodward AB
After years of talking to 10,000 travelers per year in a mobile visitors center Josiah Brown, or the New York Sherpa as he is called, has learned how to “Sherpa” interested travelers into new destinations. Find out what words, images and stories travelers respond to and how to position your destination to benefit from first time customers.
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Dinner on Your Own
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Experience Detroit's superb dining scene. Then head to Saint Andrew's Hall for the big Tourism Academy Party (and Lip Sync Battle) beginning at 8:00 pm.
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2) 7:00 PM - 11:59 PM
7:00 PM - 11:59 PM
Party at Saint Andrew's Hall
Wednesday, June 12th (Day 2)
Saint Andrew's Hall | 431 E Congress St
Bring your dancing shoes! The house band will be headlining at Saint Andrew's Hall in Downtown Detroit! Live music, networking, drinks, and the return of Tourism Academy Lip Sync Battle!
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3)
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3) 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Registration
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3)
Westin Book Cadillac Lobby
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3) 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Networking Breakfast & Registration
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3)
Woodward AB
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3) 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM
9:15 AM - 10:00 AM
Workshop: Craft CMS Training
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3)
Woodward CD
In need of a refresher of Craft CMS best practices? Join our website experts for a hands-on training of essential Craft CMS features, including page builder must-do's, setting up maps, managing CMS forms, and more!
iDSS Advanced Workshop: Admin
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3)
Founders AB
Workshop: With so many options available to customize iDSS, admin-specific workflows are critical. Learn how to utilize configurations and admin workflows to improve your CRM processes during this interactive workshop.
Workshop: Custom Google Analytics 4 Reports
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3)
Crystal Ballroom
Workshop: Need help reporting out on specific metrics within Google Analytics 4? Join our team of experts for this collaborative working session, where we'll walk you through — step-by-step — creating powerful, insightful reports within GA4 that save time and improve reporting efficiency. Bring your computer and Google Analytics login for an optimal experience.
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3) 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
Roundtable: Sports
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3)
Woodward CD
Join an All-Star team of sporting event experts and DMO professionals in this collaborative conversation around sporting events and how iDSS can improve upon sports event procurement methods for your destination.
Featuring:
Jay Boling
Client Success Analyst
Tempest
iDSS Advanced Workshop: Query Tool
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3)
Founders AB
Workshop: Learn how to utilize iDSS' powerful Query Tool, its functionalities, and best practices in this interactive workshop. Bring your computer and iDSS login for an optimal experience.
Workshop: How AI Tools Like ChatGPT Can Personalize, Optimize, and Streamline Your Strategy
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3)
Crystal Ballroom
Workshop: Artificial intelligence has unparalleled potential to improve digital workflows for destination marketing experts. Join us — and follow along — as we break down clever AI solutions for website content, reporting and more.
Featuring:
Kyle Huff
Director, Growth Marketing
Tempest
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3) 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Workshop: iDSS Form Builder & Tempest Websites
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3)
Woodward CD
Workshop: Join our Web and iDSS experts as they walk through the new iDSS form builder and share tips on how to create and customize forms on your destination website and sync them with iDSS CRM.
iDSS Advanced Workshop: Attend
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3)
Ballroom FG
Workshop: See how Cedar Rapids Tourism and Visit Detroit have taken their housing events to the next level utilizing iDSS Attend for special events throughout their destinations.
Workshop: Back to SEO Basics
Thursday, June 13th (Day 3)
Crystal Ballroom
Workshop: Ideal for both those new to SEO techniques or industry veterans looking for a refresher, representatives from Tempest's Growth Marketing team will highlight impactful SEO strategies that are tailored to the destination marketing industry, including easy actions you can take RIGHT NOW to improve your content's ranking in organic search.
Save with Special Group Registration
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Save $125 per ticket by registering a group of 5 or more. Group discount applied automatically when you register the group together or contact team@tourismacademy.com to help you register a group and apply the discount.
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See Detroit in a whole new way with an invigorating morning run!
Center yourself on the second day of Tourism Academy with an invigorating morning wellness activity.
Explore our host city on a fun walking tour of Downtown Detroit.