Wednesday October 25, 2023

8:00-9:00 a.m. Registration Open Snow Lodge

8:30 a.m. Bicycle Ride to Lone Star Geyser (advanced reservations required) 

9:00 a.m. Firehole Flats Bus Tour (advanced reservations required)

9:00 a.m. Walking Tour of Old Faithful Inn (advanced reservations required)

11:30-12:30 p.m. Registration Open Snow Lodge

Lunch on Your Own

1:00-4:00 p.m. Wyoming Hospitality and Travel Coalition Board Meeting. 

1:00-4:00 p.m. Wyoming Tourism Board Meeting.

5:00-6:00 p.m. Registration Old Faithful Inn

5:30-7:30 p.m. Opening Reception

Dinner on Your Own

 

Thursday October 26, 2023​

7:00-8:00 a.m. Breakfast Buffet 

Old Faithful Inn Dinning Room 

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7:00 a.m. Registration Open Old Faithful Inn 

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8:30-8:45 a.m. Welcome, Kickoff: 

Wyoming Hospitality and Travel Coalition President Erik Dombroski and Wyoming Tourism Board Chairman Mike Keller.

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8:45-9:30 a.m. 2023 Wyoming Tourism Overview: 

Wyoming Office of Tourism Director Diane Shober.

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9:30 -9:50 a.m. International Development/IRU: 

Mathias Jung, CEO of Rocky Mountain International, will discuss global travel trends, and prospects for international collaboration and highlight International Round Up 2024 which will be held in Wyoming.

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9:50-10:15 a.m. Keeping Momentum on Strategic Plans: 

Continued use of WY Best/Destination Development/Working together with other Wyoming Office of Tourism Agencies. Berkeley Young, of Young Strategies Inc., will discuss the progress made on the WY Best program and the benefits of this continuing discussion surrounding Strategic Tourism Plans.

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10:15-10:30 a.m. Networking Break

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10:30-10:50 a.m. Serving up some Wyoming Hospitality: 

Darci Bandi, Account Director, BVK, will review the 2023 in-state hospitality campaign to learn how we are pushing forward for a second year and how you can be an active participant.

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10:50-11:10 a.m. What’s New on Google Travel and Beyond: 

Kim Palmer, Program Director, Miles Partnership – Will present on Destination Optimization - How can tourism businesses take advantage of the latest tools available on major online inspiration and planning platforms to attract and convert customers? Learn how Google and TripAdvisor are addressing user needs and leaning into visual content to help travelers discover their next destination.

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11:10 - 11:30 a.m. Maximizing Audience Intent Marketing Performance with Artificial Intelligence:

 Lesley Rowbal, Destination Strategy Director, Madden Media - Let A.I. do the heavy lifting on research for SEO and Paid Search channels using these effective strategies.

 

11:30 -11:50 a.m. Journalist Hospitality Mastery:

 The Dos and Don'ts of Hosting Media - Sarah Kissko Hersh, Executive Vice President, Percepture - Learn the best practices for hosting and winning over journalists during media visits that will result in potential coverage for years to come.

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12:00 p.m.-1:15 p.m. Lunch

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1:15 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Wyoming’s Workforce of Tomorrow: 

Hiring quality workforce continues to be a top challenge for the hospitality and tourism industry. What are students looking for when seeking employment within our industry? What do employers need to know to have the best shot at attracting and maintaining a workforce in today’s challenging climate? Join Dr. Dan McCoy, Interim Director, Wyoming Outdoor Recreation, Tourism and Hospitality (WORTH) Initiative along with Amy Madera, Director of Culinary and Hospitality Programs for Central Wyoming College, Molly Matthaei, Culinary Arts Instructor, Jackson Hole High School, and Jordan Kobliska, Internship, and Employment Coordinator at the University of Wyoming for a discussion designed to give you an upper hand in attracting the next generation of industry leaders to your team.

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2:00 p.m.-2:45 p.m. Wyoming’s Tax Structure and Tourism Impact: 

Ashley Harpstreith, Executive Director of the Wyoming Taxpayers Association, will discuss Wyoming’s tax structure and how tourism impacts the fiscal priorities of the state. She will additionally touch on current legislative considerations as we approach the 2024 Budget Session.

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2:45-3:00 p.m. Networking Break

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3:00-3:15 p.m. WYldlife for Tomorrow: 

Taylor Phillips, Founder, WYldlife for Tomorrow: Wyoming's wildlife is a key driver in our 4.6 billion Dollar Recreation, Travel and Tourism economy. Wildlife continues to see increasing threats, jeopardizing the stability of Wyoming's 2nd largest economy. Current funding for wildlife management and conservation is not guaranteed in the future. The WYldlife Fund's signature initiative Wyldlife For Tomorrow is organizing industry to complement the current North American wildlife funding model.

 

3:15-3:45 p.m. Yellowstone National Park-History, Successes, and Challenges: 

Christina White, Chief of External Affairs and Partnerships, Office of the Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park, will present interesting history and facts about the world’s first National Park, an update on how this past year went, challenges the park faces, what’s new as the National Park Service looks forward to 2024.

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3:45 p.m-4:30 p.m. Legislative Priorities Heading into 2024: 

Join WHTC Executive Director Chris Brown and Speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives Albert Sommers to learn about the 2024 Legislative Budget Session, the very real concerns for the upcoming 2024 election in Wyoming and how you can engage.

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5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Reception and Networking

6:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Dinner and 2023 BIG WYO Award

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Friday October 27, 2023​

Departures