There are quite a few tourism tech conferences each year, but only a few are truly valuable for our CVB / DMO peers. Sure, every tourism conference has a session on social media, but most, unfortunately are simple 'social 101' sessions...Twitter this and Facebook that. Very few actually go beyond the basics to introduce useful concepts, case studies and presentations.
The E-Tourism Summit is one of those few conferences.
If you are debating on where to spend your travel / conference budget, here are 5 reasons why you should attend the E-Tourism Summit.
5 Reasons You Should Attend the E-Tourism Summit
1. A Focus on CVB / DMOs
The E-Tourism Summit features peers and counterparts from some of the most respected CVBs / DMOs from around the world. Network, learn and discuss the latest interactive marketing techniques with people who share common goals, challenges and ideas.
2. Industry Experts
The speaker list is quite impressive: agency leaders, destination marketers, Jim Brody and a few people we would actually refer to as 'gurus.'
3. Beyond the Basics
How many conference sessions have you sat in, only to find yourself killing time with Twitter? Honestly, we don't need any more 'Introduction to Social Media' breakouts. We got it. Now tell us what the best practices are, show us some successful examples and for love of Trazzler, give us some actionable ideas.
4. Actual Case Studies
You want them, the E-Tourism Summit has them. Chicago Office of Tourism, LA Inc., Tourisme Montreal and many more. Real campaigns from real DMOs that show you the right, and sometimes wrong, way to develop your next interactive marketing campaign.
5. Travel 2.0 Will Be There
Alright, we are going to be there, but that alone is probably not reason enough to attend. That said, we have always kept a special place in our eHarmony heart for the E-Tourism Summit. Jake and the team asked us to present at ETS when we were just a young blog trying to make it on the internets. Ah, good times.
If you are interested, head on over to the E-Tourism Summit site for more information, speaker lists and registration details.
Hope to see you in NYC later this year.
Full disclosure: (Because we preach and practice transparency) I am assisting the ETS team with general recommendations for the conference. Subject matter, speakers, etc. Additionally, the E-Tourism Summit is a current sponsor of the Travel 2.0 blog, however the partnership did not include any advertorial content (i.e. this post). We really like the conference and think you should attend, hence the post.
Troy Thompson, a self-described technopologist, is a respected blogger, consultant and thought-leader in the Tourism / Travel industry. Owner and consultant at Travel 2.0 Consulting, Troy has been providing unique interactive and marketing solutions to a variety of clients for more than a decade.
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