There are those harnessing artificial intelligence right now. These pioneers are not waiting for the future to arrive; they are embracing AI tools already. Marketing Disrupter Henry Cowling explains how to “talk to your data,” how to speed up the creation of assets, and how AI can be used for better media placement. Henry Cowling is Chief Innovation Officer at Media.Monks, which has recently been named Adweek's AI Agency of the Year.

Mark dives deep into a terrific tourism relationship between Visit Greater Palm Springs and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. You’ll hear about how to grow mutual respect, understanding, and tourism from Colleen Pace, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at Visit Greater Palm Springs, and Kate Anderson, Director of P.R. for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Celebrate Native American Heritage Month by learning how you can take your destination to the next level.

At SXSW in Australia, we were introduced to “Song Confessional,” a mobile recording studio team who welcome attendees to anonymously confess secrets - from the mundane to the shocking - and then turn the confessions into one-of-a-kind songs. Mark speaks with Creator/Producer Walker Lukens, an Austin-based musician who’s been described as “the best songwriter in Texas,” and Rylan Keturi, of 7S Management. Hear about how they work with Destinations, and listen to a song from the mobile studio.

We meet with Hugh to discuss Brand USA’s recent participation with SXSW in Sydney, Australia, and hear other international possibilities for destinations. Few people are more tapped into event planning, developments in tech, music, and culture than Hugh Forrest, Co-President and Chief Programming Officer at SXSW. Anyone working in planning conferences and conventions in the Travel Industry can learn a lot from what Hugh says in this podcast. Plus, we discuss SXSW’s amazing historical...

Hear how the Tourism Exchange creates new opportunities for Suppliers, Distributors and Destinations. Early Travel Exchange adopters Nick Laister, Owner of Fairytale Farms, and Kathryn Davis, Managing Director of Visit West, share their experiences with this groundbreaking new platform. Nick runs a small business and Kathryn is at a destination. Nate Huff, President of Tourism Exchange USA, provides an overview. The session is moderated by Staci Mellman, Senior Vice President of Integrated...

British-American Broadcaster, Author, and Co-Host of the “Men in Blazers” podcast, Roger Bennett and Brand USA's Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Aaron Wodin-Schwartz, reignite a passion for all things USA in this Travel Week chat. We delve into the enduring promise of America, the growing popularity of soccer in the U.S. and commiserate over supporting losing sports teams on both sides of the pond.

Our expert panel discusses consumer demand for sustainability in travel, climate change effects, potential policy change, the latest research on the subject, and needed innovation. Panelists include Nejc Jus, Head of Research at the World Travel and Tourism Council; Chip Rogers, President and CEO of American Hotel and Lodging Association; and Eric Hansen, Senior Vice President of the US Travel Association. Moderated by Brand USA’s Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Aaron...

Phil Marshall from Sky Sports speaks with Rowena Samarasinhe, Dave Goodger & Ben Martin about the best to ways to position sports to drive visitation to America. The panel discusses creating a blend of memorable experiences that includes sporting events, authentic storytelling around sports, and the growth of international sports tourism. Dave Goodger is Managing Director, Europe and Middle East at Tourism Economics. Ben Martin is CEO, Pitchside Sport and Entertainment. Rowena...

Panelists Helen Brocklebank - CEO, Walpole, Karen Joyce - General Manager, EMEA, Virtuoso, and Toby Skinner - Features Director, Conde Nast Traveler dissect trends in luxury travel, the importance of storytelling in the luxury travel space, luxury travel experiences that transform, and different demo experiences. The panel is moderated by Brand USA’s Mathu Premaruban, Senior Director, Marketing Communications & Public Relations. This episode was recorded live at Brand USA Travel Week U.K....

Mark and John discuss how the travel industry can better serve the accessibility market, what options are available to DMOs who might not know where to begin, and current opportunities in accessibility marketing. John is one of the few people in the travel industry to hold the Accessibility Certification from the International Association of Accessibility Professionals. He is CEO of Accessible Travel Solutions.

Mark and Aaron Wodin-Schwartz sit down for a bittersweet farewell to Julie Heizer, retiring from her role as Deputy Director at the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Travel and Tourism Office. Julie shares lessons learned throughout decades of promoting travel and tourism to the United States, the unique nature of tourism as a business built on relationships, and how current travel and tourism professionals can welcome the next generation into the industry. And, oh yes, Julie names names!

Scott dishes on using card points to your benefit – knowledge he gained from his tenure as Executive Editor of The Points Guy. We also discuss the traveler's "bed-to-bed experience" as opposed to the traditional “sidewalk-to-sidewalk" approach, and how content curation can add authority to messaging. Scott Mayerowitz runs his own consultancy, GlobeTrotScott, and has a long career in editing and reporting on travel and business for ABC News and the Associated Press.

Marks digs into Matador's newest product, GuideGeek, one of the first artificial travel planners for consumers that offers answers to most questions concerning travel. We cover AI mistakes and how that affects brand authority, interaction of live agents with customers, and how destinations might utilize GuideGeek. Ross Borden is CEO of Matador Network.

Google Travel’s Head of Content Partnerships, Rachita Awasthi, helps destinations and their constituents drive discoverability online. She explains the Google travel initiative, free tools, education, and best practices for producing video to be surfaced on Google and YouTube.

John reflects on the history of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, being authentic with content and marketing, and expanding LGBTQ+ tourism by demonstrating its social and economic impact, along with offering convention details. John Tanzella is President/CEO of IGLTA.

“You don’t have disruptive technology if no one is getting upset,” says Chris. In this final episode from ESTO 2023, learn what A.I. tools you can use right now with travel images and video - plus, we touch on hallucination, scaling, and “Guide Geek,” a new A.I.-based travel planner on WhatsApp & Instagram. Chris Collins is Founder of Tipodean Technologies.

We discuss Expedia’s latest consumer study, “the new traveler path to purchase,” which includes Canada, U.K., Mexico, Japan, Australia, France and the USA. We also chat about cooperative marketing and our new Expedia/GoUSA TV partnership, the “Shop This Trip” platform. Krista Bentley is Strategic Accounts Director at Expedia Group Media Solutions.

The Travel Industry has a few mad scientists, and Mark obviously feels that Gray is one of these rare individuals who sees what others may not. The two discuss artificial intelligence as a parlor trick and its potential, plus ideas about data/metrics and the latest web development. Gray is Vice President, Strategy & Insights at Miles Partnership.

Mark dives deep into how to encourage disruption with Shawn Kanungo, even exploring what it means “to die at 23 years old, but not be buried until 87.” Hear how you can embrace change and personally take your organization to new heights of success. Shawn Kanungo is the best-selling author of “The Bold Ones,” and has a new special on Apple TV, Netflix, and Amazon.

This episode focuses on tips you can use in your content creation. We get the lowdown on how our winners created their series from Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at Visit Denver, Justin Bresler, and Chief Brand & Marketing Officer at Visit Salt Lake, Tyler Gosnell.

Mark & Dave focus on how destinations can positively change lives through travel and tourism. After you hear Dave's approach in Michigan, you will clearly understand why the industry named him State Tourism Director of The Year. Dave Lorenz is Vice President of Travel Michigan. This was recorded live at ESTO 2023 in Savannah, Georgia.

Learn how all DMOs can work with TikTok, either on their own channels or via Visit The USA. We also discuss how TikTok differs from other socials channels, the future of the platform, and advertising. This and more from Danielle Johnson, TikTok's Group Vertical Director for Global Business Solutions, and Staci Mellman, Brand USA's Senior Vice President, Integrated Marketing.

Live from ESTO, Mark & Brad discuss how important it is that local citizens are a full part of the tourism process – from marketing to sustainability. Plus, we hear what Brad has learned from adversity and challenges. Brad Dean is CEO of Discover Puerto Rico.

Why should you hire a full-time Research Director? Amir lays out the case. We also talk about the continuing impact of Covid on travel, the travel industry workforce, and ESTO Cares. This episode is live from ESTO in Savannah, Georgia. Amir Eylon is President/CEO of Longwoods International.

How can travel media publishers earn reader loyalty? We get the unique perspective of Bryan Kinkade, VP/Publisher at AFAR Media. Bryan shares insights gleaned throughout his 15-year career in travel and media, touching on the differences between digital and print content, the role of local voices in storytelling, and keeping visitation sustainable on an individual level. We also hear about Bryan's recent 6-week sabbatical across South America. The episode is live from ESTO in Savannah, Georgia.