2025 Destination Marketing Summit Presentations

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14, 2025
AI for Destination Marketers: Maximize Impact, Compete Globally & Attract More Visitors
Gray Lawry Miles Partnership
Dan Janes, Madden Media
Robert Skrob, Destinations Florida
This session will equip you with the practical AI strategies you need to thrive—whether you’re new to AI, skeptical about its role, or already exploring its potential.

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025
Thoughtful Tourism for Recovery & Beyond: Lessons Learned Along Florida’s West Coast
Hunter Carpenter and Kelly Harb, Visit Sarasota County
Instilling confidence in a destination’s vitality relies upon the depth of community partnerships and, critically, trust from the people who call it home – especially in the wake of historic storms. In this session, discover how Visit Sarasota County navigated the aftermath of Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton through two key campaigns — #SupportThe941 and Florida’s West Coast. Focusing on the principles of “thoughtful tourism,” the session will highlight how the DMO balanced business recovery with resident sentiment through crisis communications and community collaborations. Attendees will also hear how Visit Sarasota County and its neighbor to the north, the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, collaborated to show the world that Florida’s West Coast was ready to welcome visitors again. Through these efforts, this session will demonstrate how DMOs can effectively tap into emergency preparedness and regional cooperation to advocate for and rebuild tourism after environmental challenges while maintaining a focus on responsible and impactful visitation.

Media Metrics Mapping: Aligning the Right Metrics to Drive Media Strategy
Summer Gonzalez-Mendez, VISIT FLORIDA
Andria Godfrey, Miles Partnership
The evolving digital landscape presents new challenges for marketers in developing both short-term and long-term measurement strategies. In this session, VISIT FLORIDA will share their approach to navigating the complexities of digital media measurement in partnership with Miles. You will gain practical insights and walk away with a framework for defining and aligning Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that effectively support your paid media strategies.

Ready to Play: Tampa Bay's Resilient Comeback through Strategic Marketing
Patrick Harrison, Visit Tampa Bay
In the aftermath of back-to-back storms, Tampa Bay quickly demonstrated its resilience and readiness to welcome visitors once again. While some misconceptions suggested heavy local impacts, we maintained sensitivity to the challenges faced by our neighbors across the state. This session will delve into Visit Tampa Bay’s strategic $6 million marketing investment, including a $1.6 million campaign designed to drive tourism during the critical months of November and December. Through compelling storytelling, we will showcase how a crisis can be transformed into an opportunity to attract travelers seeking adventure, relaxation, and culinary delights. Attendees will gain insights into how data-driven, targeted campaigns highlighted Tampa Bay’s strengths and delivered a powerful message: Tampa Bay is back—ready to welcome thrill-seekers, foodies, convention-goers, and vacationers alike. Note: This session does not cover public relations strategies related to local crisis management or advocacy recovery efforts.

The Navigator - Trends Reshaping Travel
Ileana Frascone and Elena Prostova, Miles Partnership
Join us for an exclusive glimpse into the future of tourism with The Navigator, our annual review of the trends and innovations shaping the tourism industry. The 2025 edition dives into experiential travel, the rise of sports tourism, advancements in AI and the evolution of media. Packed with cutting-edge research from leading industry partners, a global review of best practices and actionable examples from destinations worldwide, The Navigator is your guide to what’s next in the travel industry. Attendees will discover how to leverage these innovative ideas to create compelling campaigns and strategies that engage more visitors and drive visitation.

Transformational Events & The Palm Beaches Eudemonia - A Case Study on the Impact Transformational Events Can Have on a Destination
Milton Segarra, Kelly Cavers, and Erika Constantine, Discover The Palm Beaches
From strategic ideas to execution, learn how the development of a transformational event increases not only economic impact, but elevates your brand, increases future sales and brings a community of businesses together.

Code-Switching: The Secret to Modern Marketing
Matt Stiker and Kwaku Amuti, Madden Media
In today’s crowded, fragmented, and fast-moving marketing landscape, connecting with audiences requires more than generic messaging—it demands adaptability, cultural awareness, and authenticity. Join Kwaku Amuti and Matt Stiker for a powerful session on Code-Switching, a transformative strategy that allows brands to tailor their voice, tone, and style to resonate authentically across diverse audiences while staying true to their core identity. This session will explore how to align context, culture, and consistency to create campaigns that don’t just speak—but connect.

Amplifying Authentic Voices: Building a Diverse Content Creator Network
Adeta Gayah, Visit Orlando
Dive into the evolving landscape of content creation and discover the power of diverse voices in amplifying authentic narratives. Learn how Visit Orlando successfully established its own content creator network, nurturing relationships that ensure diverse storytelling and meaningful engagement. Gain actionable strategies to create impactful, authentic content that resonates with a wide range of audiences.

Riding the Big Wave: How GoPro and Catch Surf Amplified Jacksonville’s New “Soul of Surf” Campaign
Katie Mitura, Visit Jacksonville
Karlee Prazak, GoPro
Clint Shobert, MediaOne
Jacksonville and its beach communities long possessed an unheralded surf culture known mostly to the local insiders. Learn how Visit Jacksonville engaged its own stakeholders and partnered with professional athletes, artists and content creators from GoPro and Catch Surf to launch a multi-phase “Soul of Surf” campaign to reach new audiences. This panel will discuss the inspiration for the campaign, the benefit of aligning with authentic brands like GoPro and Catch Surf and the sustainable elements incorporated throughout the initial launch.

Winning Big by Promoting Small: The Results
John Solomon, Franklin County Tourism Development Council
This presentation will explore how smaller Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) can effectively market their areas by leveraging their unique attributes that may not be found elsewhere. We will discuss the latest trends and techniques in the ever-evolving landscape of DMO marketing, along with the most recent statistics on travelers to the state of Florida. Finally, we will review the results of implementing this strategic approach.

The 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Destination Trail
Katie Mitura, Visit Jacksonville
So, you think your destination needs an ale trail? An art trail? A food trail? Everyone is looking for the next big thing to set them apart from the rest, but is it the right thing to do for you and your team? Destination product development can be tricky, learn how to avoid making big mistakes at the start and successful ways to ensure your partner businesses will be happy. Pick up top planning tips from a destination who has tried a little bit of everything and seen a lot of success, and of course, a few fails.

Energizing Your DMO Surveys with Effective Design Strategies
Frida Bahja, PhD, Experience Kissimmee
Power up your in-house survey research with survey design strategies to collect more accurate and reliable data. Through a blend of research-backed principles and practical examples, discover how survey design choices can dramatically improve response rates and data reliability. Learn about common flaws that may compromise your survey quality, including questions that confuse respondents to scales that just don't work. Great surveys don't happen by accident. This session is your opportunity to discover what transforms basic questionnaires into powerful research tools.

Shaping Tomorrow's Destinations: Leveraging the UN 17 SDGs to Redefine Tourism Success
Barbara Karasek, Paradise Advertising & Marketing
Tourism has the potential to be a powerful catalyst for sustainable development, driving economic growth, fostering community well-being, and protecting natural and cultural heritage. The United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer a framework to guide this transformation, encouraging destinations to align their strategies with global priorities for a better future. This presentation provides a comprehensive roadmap for integrating the SDGs into tourism, highlighting key strategies, partnerships, and tools to redefine success for destinations.

From Assistant to Architect: Your Roadmap to AI Mastery in Destination Marketing
Robert Skrob, Destinations Florida
AI is no longer optional—it’s essential. Whether you're experimenting with GPT's to polish a press release or dreaming up a custom chatbot to guide visitors, your team is somewhere on the AI integration journey. In this hands-on session, we’ll walk through the 5 Phases of AI Integration at Work, designed specifically for destination marketing organizations. You’ll discover where you are today and leave with a practical roadmap to elevate your team to the next level—regardless of where you start.