Registration is now open:
The 2010 North Carolina Governor’s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism will be held March 21-23 at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center, a state-of-the-art meeting facility with the charm of North Carolina's colonial capital.
2010 Governor's Conference Agenda
2010 Sponsor Levels
Governor's Conference Information from VisitNewBern.com
Hotel and dining options.
In 2010, New Bern, North Carolina’s second oldest town, will officially be 300 years old, so you’ll want to attend this informative conference and become a part of the celebration. Two beautiful rivers meet in New Bern, where Tryon Palace, spectacular gardens, historic homes, quaint shops, cozy restaurants and lively entertainment frame downtown streets.
Speaker Lineup
An exciting futurist whose knowledge of technologies and their implications on the way folks live and work permeates his captivating presentations, Dr. Lowell Catlett will be the opening keynote speaker. Dr. Catlett, a professor and dean at New Mexico State University, uses his vast knowledge to astound audiences both nationally and internationally. His varied and upbeat presentations are thought-provoking and highly-entertaining. Dr. Catlett will present "Get Real: Understanding Today’s Economy and Tomorrow’s Future."
Geoff Freeman, senior vice president of public affairs for the U.S. Travel Association, will discuss national tourism policy issues and how they impact communities across North Carolina With issues like H1N1, new taxes and the Travel Promotion Act facing the travel industry as the country recovers from the current economic crisis, Freeman offers his front-row perspective as leaders shape national policies that affect the industry everywhere – from the largest visitor destinations to small towns.
Freeman leads all public affairs activities for the U.S. Travel Association, including lobbying, strategic communications, research and grassroots mobilization. He drives the organization's activities on near-term challenges, such as the recent assault on corporate meetings and events, and develops strategies to position the industry more favorably in the years to come. Freeman was formerly executive director of the Discover America Partnership, a coalition of business leaders dedicated to striking a better balance between homeland security and travel facilitation. Launched in September 2006, the campaign pushed meaningful visa and entry reforms through the United States Congress and drove more than 1,500 news stories about the importance of welcoming international visitors, laying the groundwork for the 2008 passage of the Travel Promotion Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Peter Shankman, founder of HARO (Help a Reporter Out), will be the closing keynote. An entrepreneur, author, speaker and worldwide connector, Shankman is recognized worldwide for radically new ways of thinking about social media, PR, marketing, advertising, creativity and customer service.
In under a year, HARO has become the de-facto standard for thousands of journalists looking for sources on deadline, offering them more than 100,000 sources around the world looking to be quoted in the media. HARO is currently the largest free source repository in the world, sending out over 1,200 queries from worldwide media each week. HARO's tagline, "Everyone is an Expert at Something," proves over and over again to be true, as thousands of new members join at helpareporter.com each week.
Educational Concurrent Sessions
Whether you are still breaking into the social media arena, figuring your way through the new world of public relations, working with fewer dollars and higher expectations or searching for the next big market to tap, the Governor’s Conference is where you should be. Educational breakout sessions prove to once again provide you with solid information that can be utilized the moment you return home. The sessions include:
Social Media 101 & 201- What’s a Tweet? Friend Me? You Tube?
Ready to delve into the world of interactive marketing through social media but unsure of where to start? Or have you started but are unsure how to use these outlets for better exposure, more visitors and demonstrate a return on your investment. These sessions focus on how to get started on popular sites including Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and MySpace. As social media continues to expand, learn how using these cost effective methods of communication and marketing will help you reach more visitors, broaden the scope of individual programs and achieve your business goals. Presenter: Peter Shankman, Founder of HARO and the Geek Factory, Inc.
Getting Communities Ready for Visitors - Where to Get Started
A how-to process on what rural communities need to do to be better prepared for and more attractive to visitors, including creating tourism development plans that map out assets and available resources for successful development. Sheila Armstrong from the US Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council moderates a panel of representatives from smaller North Carolina communities already implementing long-term strategies to enable tourism to be a viable economic engine in their area. The Division’s Director of Tourism Development, Russ Haddad facilitates a panel including Sheila Armstrong of US Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council; Stacy Tomas, NC State University; Tim Will, FarmersFreshMarket and Peggy Richardson, Warren County.
A Regional Perspective to Marketing Small Towns -Combining Resources for Sustainable Tourism
This panel discussion builds on the earlier breakout “Getting Communities Ready for Visitors.” Having addressed the importance of creating tourism development plans that identify assets and resources within your community, the focus of this session turns to the role of regional cooperation and how collaboration leads to rural community prosperity. Hear highlights and successes including joint itineraries built on mutual themes and sharing the costs of marketing. The Division’s Director of Tourism Development, Russ Haddad facilitates a panel including Sheila Armstrong of US Cultural & Heritage Tourism Marketing Council; Nancy Gottovi, Central Park NC; Cathy Robbins, Tweetsie Railroad/High Country Host; Kathy Prickett, NC Division of Tourism Film and Sports Development.
PR Boot Camp
This gritty PR session wrestles with the hard stuff. How do you communicate your brand in an email subject line? What words increase open rates for releases? How do you write a pitch that gets read? A release that gets attention? What are some of the critical do’s and don’ts in this new media environment? How do you leverage your web site as a media source? Answer these questions and learn other creative, bootstrap techniques to get your brand’s story out to the media—and the traveling public. Facilitated by Susan Dosier, PR Director at LKM with a panel of experts sharing their successes to help you better define and articulate your own story.
Meet the Media: Roundtable Discussions with NC Media Outlets
Get to know editors from some of the most important travel media outlets in the southeast at these roundtable meetings. The breakout will feature 10-minute rotating sessions where the editors will talk about what type of stories they are looking for and you will be able to tell them why they should write about your business or destination. Outlets include: Southern Living Magazine, AAA Carolinas Go Magazine, Carolina Country, UNC-TV’s North Carolina Weekend, WUNC-FM, WRAL’s Tarheel Traveler and freelance writers for national media outlets.
Successfully Leveraging Marketing Partnerships
An uncertain marketplace, shrinking budgets and sluggish consumers are among the many challenges travel and hospitality marketers continue to face.
Hear from your peers how they are using strategic partnerships to align their brands, leverage scarce marketing dollars and expand awareness to attract travelers to their destinations, properties and attractions. Jennifer Jenkins from LKM facilitates a panel including Cathy Robbins, Tweetsie Railroad/High Country Host and Janeen Driscoll, Pinehurst Resort.
Sports Marketing 101 - Want to fill hotel rooms – Guaranteed?
Attracting sporting events to your area, no matter the size, is easier than you think. What’s the difference between a sports commission and CVB sports sales? During this session you’ll learn the different target marketing efforts of each and how they work hand in hand. Even if you’ve never ventured into the world of sports marketing – find out how your area can benefit! Presenter: Jack Hughes, Executive Director CSEE, Gainesville Sports Commission Past Chair, National Association of Sports Commissions.
2010 Governor’s Conference Silent Auction
Place your bids on attractive donated items from across North Carolina. Proceeds support undergraduate and graduate scholarships for students attending North Carolina schools and demonstrating promise as future leaders of the tourism and hospitality industries. To submit a donation http://www.seenc.org/meetingsandevents.shtml
NCTIA Golf Tournament
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Emerald Golf Club in New Bern, North Carolina
For more information, player registration and sponsorship forms, please visit the NCTIA website at: http://www.seenc.org/meetingsandevents.shtml
The Division staff is now hard at work planning the conference and welcomes your input. Please contact Heidi Walters at 919-715-6702 or hwalters@nccommerce.com with your ideas.
Check back frequently for updates, including announcements about keynote speakers, the conference agenda and online registration.
2009 Governor's Conference Information
The 2009 North Carolina Governor’s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism was held March 1-3 at the Raleigh Convention Center and the Raleigh Marriott City Center. Industry leaders from the state’s resorts, attractions, destination marketing organizations, hotels/motels, estate rental companies, restaurants, and retail outlets met to find out about the latest trends and issues facing the travel industry.
Click here for an archive of information & presentations from the 2009 Governor's Conference.