Brand USA Talks Travel

Sports has become one of the largest-growing sectors in the travel industry. Are you prepared to take advantage of all the major activities coming to the USA? Dan Mickelson, Sports Diplomacy Chief at the U.S. State Department, and Justin Charschan, Senior Manager, Ticketing, Tourism & Ancillary Revenue at Major League Baseball, are ready to work with the travel trade and destinations in generating incremental tourism opportunities. This is a must-listen for anyone interested in sports tourism.

Innovation meets opportunity as Jeremy explains how B.D. amassed and continues to grow 50 million+ social media followers. We also learn about their new artificial intelligence travel planner called “Ask Layla.” Jeremy Jauncey is Founder/CEO of Beautiful Destinations.

Rafael Villanueva and Art Jimenez take us beyond Burning Man and gambling in Nevada, diving into promoting cross-visitation and expanding engagement in international markets. Rafael Villanueva is the CEO of Travel Nevada. Art Jimenez is the Executive Director of Visit Reno-Tahoe. Believe it or not, they’ve known each other since they were kids!

Three short-form social media pros discuss content length, messaging frequency, internal staff size, and how to deal with weekend posting when consumers remain active. Pamela Knowles is Director of Brand & Content Strategy at Visit Savannah. Claudia Murtha is Multimedia Creator at Visit Bucks County. Joshua Albrecht is Chief Marketing Officer at Visit Milwaukee.

Researcher Philip Rist and CMO Shane Brossard discuss customizing travel experiences to take advantage of evolving consumer behavioral trends. You’ll also hear recommendations for adapting offerings to better align with economic realities. Shane Brossard is Chief Marketing Officer at Travel Wisconsin. Philip Rist is EVP of Strategy at Proper Insights & Analytics.

Perhaps the closest you can come to celebrity at ESTO in Columbus is meeting Amir Eylon, CEO of Longwoods International. We managed to pull him away from the crowds long enough to discuss politics and travel decisions, tourists using electric vehicles on vacation, and doing good with ESTO Cares.

One of the highlights at ESTO is the GoUSA TV Storytelling Awards, recognizing best-in-class storytelling from DMOs across the USA. Hear tips on how to create entertainment-first travel shows from Stuart Butler, Chief Marketing Officer at Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB; Mandy Barton, Manager of Marketing & Special Projects at New Orleans & Company; Sharon Broussard, Advertising and Campaigns Manager at Explore Louisiana; and Jordan Wollman, Vice President of Miles Partnership and Head of Creative & Development at Odyssey Studios.

Find out how it feels to receive this industry honor. Houseboats, pet tourism, and bourbon are also on the menu with Mike Mangeot, Commissioner at the Kentucky Department of Tourism and newly-named State Tourism Director of the Year at ESTO 2024. We finish up by touching on transitioning through various positions in travel to grow a career and GoUSA TV's "One Perfect Day In Kentucky."

Get an inside look at the partnership between Illinois and Expedia and learn what might work for you. Jennifer Andre from Expedia and Daniel Thomas from Illinois dish details about their global work together. We also discuss Expedia’s plan to be “The World’s Travel Media Network,” first-party data, an update on third party cookies, and IPW 2025. Jennifer Andre is Global Vice President of Business Development at Expedia Group. Daniel Thomas is Deputy Director at Illinois Office of Tourism.

Daniel Nāhoʻopiʻi, Interim CEO at the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, suggests solutions for overtourism to specific sites, tells us about a highly unique approach to inviting visitors to participate in volunteer programs, and discusses Hawai'i's sustainable future.