Brand USA Talks Travel

Nan Marchand Beauvois gives us a sneak peak of what to look forward to at ESTO, 8/19-8/22 in Savannah, Georgia. Hear about the seminars, speakers and activities…plus find out Nan’s actual first name! Jody Raida also explains how to enter your destination video for Brand USA’s Storytelling Awards presented at the conference. Nan is U.S. Travel’s SVP, membership & industry relations and GM of ESTO. Jody is the Principal at Lemonade, a content consultancy.

We explore the curiosity that drives content creation about America’s strange and wondrous places. Doug Baldinger, Vice President at Atlas Obscura, and Dylan Thuras, founder of Atlas Obscura, discuss their unique approach to travel podcasting, books, websites, and video production. We also hear about the new episodes of GoUSA TV’s “Small Town, Big Story."

The Brand USA marketing team’s focus for the next year is on consumer campaign integrations, targeted media distribution, in-market collaboration, and building out our partner resource center. Cat Reith, Brand USA’s Senior Director, Partner Marketing Program provides the details and dishes a bit about her personal journey in travel and tourism.

When a consumer of travel content watches video, what is the value of that time? With the prevalence of FAST channels, on-demand apps, and social media, this is a highly relevant, yet complex issue. That’s why Ryan has assembled a committee of America’s destination leaders and major travel brands to solve this equation. Learn about the “Content Value Initiative” and how the results benefit destination marketers, production companies, and agencies. Ryan Thompson is Senior VP at Miles Partnership and Founder & Managing Director at Odyssey.

Geordie shares primary motivators for British travelers in 2023, describes travel stories that resonate, and reminds us of the tremendous variety of experiences that the USA offers to international travelers.

Did you know that American hostels welcome 2.5 million travelers each year? Russ Hedge, CEO of Hosteling International USA, details the history of hostels, talks about how they’ve changed, and how hosteling achieves sustainability goals. Russ has also served on the boards at US Travel, The Alliance For International Exchange, and the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

While many experience Brand USA's work, relatively few understand the structure. Aaron Wodin-Schwartz, Brand USA's Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, illuminates what it means to be a public-private partnership and discusses implementation of the Travel Promotion Act.

Get the insider perspective on state legislators from the CEO of New Orleans & Company, Walt Leger, who spent 12 years serving District 91 in Louisiana. We also hear interesting tips on partnering with local institutions, and discuss whether it makes sense to promote travel on Twitter.

Meet Brand USA's new Senior VP, Integrated Marketing, Staci Mellman, as she fields questions from colleagues related to female empowerment, advancement, and learning from role models. We also discuss her first international mission to Australia.

Nobody knows IPW like Malcolm Smith, so he’s the perfect person to get you prepared. We discuss country registration stats, the fun evening events, and since Malcolm is a San Antonio native, you’ll get tips for places to check out on your visit. Malcolm Smith is U.S.Travel's Senior VP of Business Development, and General Manager for IPW.