Destinations International Releases Bevy of Fall 2018 Educational Events

April 8, 2018

Destinations International Chair Tammy Blount, FCDME and president and CEO of the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau and President and CEO Don Welsh recently announced the schedule for the organization’s fall educational summits.

“Destinations International is offering refreshed and new educational opportunities to provide critical learning, sharing of best practices, and network-building opportunities for every level of a destination organization,” Blount said.

He added, “From board governance to visitor services and everything in between, every member of a destination team will take away important skills and information from these events.”

Each summit concentrates on destination organization specific disciplines and is designed to provide the tools necessary for team members and the organization to achieve its goals and objectives.

In addition to the summits, Destinations International will offer additional educational opportunities such as Sales Academy, providing courses for new and advanced professionals and a C-Suite Session on Board Training and Governance that will be presented in partnership with ASAE.

“We continue to hear how important these peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities are to our members,” Welsh said.

He added, “They provide our members with a support network within their discipline, bring inspiration and provide education attendees can apply when returning to their destination organization.” 

Most events are offered at member and non-member rates. For more information visit www.destinationsinternational.org.

Upcoming 2018 summits and educational events include:

PDM Online Course: Destination Organization Operations: Technology & Human Resources

April 30 - May 7, 2018, Online

The Professional in Destination Management (PDM) program provides destination management professionals with less than three years of experience, cutting-edge education and empowers entry to mid-level professionals with the skills and knowledge critical to successful destination management and marketing. This course will review the role of technology and how to incorporate it into the destination organization's strategic planning and quality control processes, as well as manage its continual process improvement.

2018 Annual Convention

July 10-13, 2018, Anaheim, CA

As the premier event for destination marketing and management professionals, Destinations International's 2018 Annual Convention provides a unique opportunity for professionals to connect with and learn from peers and thought leaders from inside and outside the industry.

Summer Learning Week

July 6 - 10, 2018, Anaheim, California
Taking place before the association’s Annual Convention, Learning Week will include CDME courses and the PDM: Fundamentals of Destination Marketing and Management course.

C-Suite Session: CVBs Engaged!

August 17-19, 2018, Chicago, IL

This is a board governance-focused series co-presented by Destinations International and ASAE. One day will focus exclusively on content for CVBs and training on how to work with boards, succession planning and governance challenges. The following day, CVBs are encouraged to invite board members for a fully engaged training session from ASAE that will focus on building effective board relations, making board meetings more strategic and practices to enhance board structure and process. All registrants are then invited to participate in the ASAE Annual Meeting Opening Celebration, Opening Keynote, and the Association Solutions Marketplace.

Visitor Services Summit

September 23-25, 2018, Monterey, CA

This summit is for professionals vested in the planning, development and management of visitor experiences within their destinations. Attendees will be able to engage and exchange ideas with peers, hear from forward-thinking leaders on emerging practices and case studies, and network and connect with visitor services professionals from other destination organizations.

Membership Summit

October 21-24, 2018, Palm Springs, CA

This community of partners, inclusive of both membership and partnership roles, targets discussions about changing trends in the destination marketplace, redefining membership and partnership responsibilities to maximize impact and recalibrating the sponsorship value proposition. Attendees will leverage shared resources, exchange ideas and solutions and learn from experts.

Finance, Operations and Technology Summit

October 28-31, 2018, Cleveland, OH

This summit is both a disciplined-focused and cross-functional gathering of senior leadership in finance, administration, operations and technology. Attendees will learn new practices, opportunities and resources and network and connect with peers.

Advocacy Summit

November 7-8, 2018, Philadelphia, PA

Learn from experts and insiders about the latest trends and threats to our industry, discover tools and research available to you and enhance your leadership skills with advocacy training. Whether fighting for your funding, defending your destination against the weaponization of travel, or lighting the way through dark matter politics, this event will help you become a more effective advocate for your destination organization.

Fall Learning Week

November 11-16, 2018, Seattle, WA
This educational week will include CDME courses, the PDM: Fundamentals of Sales course and Sales Academy.

19th Annual LGBTQ Tourism Forum

December 2-4, 2018, Fort Lauderdale, FL

Destinations International is partnering with Community Marketing and Insights (CMI) for their annual event that brings together leading industry professionals to share learnings about the LGBTQ market.

Convention Sales & Services Summit

December 11-12, 2018 – Save the Date

For more information on Destinations International and its events, visit www.destinationsinternational.org.

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