GTC19 Agenda

GACVB BBQ Cornhole Tournament & Scholarship Fundraiser
Wild Leap Brew Co. - just voted best new brewery in the U.S.
308 Main St, LaGrange, GA 30240
(not included in conference registration - separate ticket purchase required) 
Register Here 

Plan to come early and join your colleagues for a BBQ dinner and beverages at the Wild Leap Brew Co. as teams battle it out to be the cornhole champions - all in support of GACVB education programs. The 3rd GACVB BBQ & Cornhole Tournament benefits our educational programming including the annual scholarship opportunities for attending industry conferences. Support tourism education and bring your cornhole team or just come for the food, fun and fellowship with old and new friends. 

$50 Dinner ticket includes Dinner and Beverages - All proceeds go to Education Programs.
Cornhole Tournament Registration is $25 per person / $50 for a team.
Limited to 32 Teams. First Place Team wins $100.

Conference Begins  
Welcome and Presentation of Colors
Speaker: Mayor Jim Thornton, City of LaGrange

Opening General Session:  Reactivate your Human KINDNESS
Speaker:  Juliet Hall, Own Your Opportunities
White Oak I-II-III
We are born as free spirits. We want to experience and explore and do everything. However, some of the first words we learn as children are “NO”, “DON’T” and “STOP.” We build fences around our community. We learn to doubt people and their intentions. We put labels on everyone because it’s safe. And somewhere along the way, we lose our ability to be kind. 

But what if the person you pass on the street is the key to your future? What if a kind word or interaction changed a life and changed yours? 

We’ve been taught, “It’s not personal. It’s business.” However, in my talk, “Reactivate Your Human KINDNESS”, I charge the audience to flip that, and to know that in tourism, every business is personal.

 Takeaways - the attendees will learn:
1.  Examples of kindness-in-action through admired brands
2.  The seven basic needs of humankind
3.  Five ways to reactivate their human KINDNESS

Right in Your Own Back Yard! Georgia's State Parks Offer Partnerships and Pathways to the Outdoor Economy Panel Discussion
Moderator:  Colby Moore, Georgia DNR - Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Division
White Oak IV
With the rising demand for parks, trails and outdoor activities fueling the state's $27.3 billion* outdoor recreation industry, Georgia's 63 state parks and historic sites serve as popular and mature destinations with the capacity to be even stronger community partners and economic drivers. Georgia's state parks also offer invaluable opportunities to spur and support new businesses serving park visitors, to drive park visitors to nearby communities and businesses, and to develop innovative local partnerships to host on-site experiential events, from wine tastings to kayaking tours. Georgia’s state parks also have the ability to engage new Gen X, Millennial and Gen Z audiences seeking healthy and active outdoor lifestyles. Colby Moore, Marketing and Communications Manager for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, leads a conversation among park representatives and business owners who are leveraging Georgia's state parks and natural resources to creatively and sustainably grow tourism. Stay tuned for a full list of participants! *Outdoor Industry Association, 2017

Best (and worst!) Practices in Sports Tourism Marketing
Speaker:  Jon Schmieder, Huddle Up Group
White Oak V
According to Sports Events Magazine, the $11.4 billion sports travel market is the fastest growing and most recession resistant segment in tourism. The organizations and communities that understand the industry and how to capitalize on sports tourism have benefited the most from this growth. 

An ever growing industry, the sports travel market provides ample opportunity for organizations to capitalize on the industry growth if they understand how to play the game. In this interactive session, sports tourism industry consultant, Jon Schmieder, will discuss the best and worst practices of sports tourism marketing. The session will include the Huddle Up Group’s 2019 list of the 10 critical trends every community should consider when marketing their destination. 

Takeaways:
1.  Determine the elements of sports tourism best practices that can be applied to your destination including business development strategies, branding, and servicing and creating events.
2.  Identify the worst practices your destination currently uses and develop a plan to improve your organization’s sports tourism efforts.
3.  Define what success in the sports tourism industry looks like for your organization.

Brand Bootcamp
Speaker:  Haile McCollum, Fontaine Maury Brand and Design
White Oak VI
You have a lot of people to please, limited resources, and a long to-do list when it comes to marketing. Haile will share with you a fun take on what branding is and why it’s critically important to your work (hint: branding is not your logo). She will walk you through how deliberately building a core brand focus makes your job easier - and way more impactful.

All places have assets that together create a brand experience. Understanding and leveraging that brand and it’s one-of-a-kind personality is the key to place-based marketing. Haile’s fast-paced session includes exercises that help you find words and creative ideas that grab the imagination of people and lead to better overall engagement and higher tourism revenue.

You will leave with an understanding of how building a foundation and personality for your tourism brand will enable you generate better results while doing more relevant, meaningful work.

Takeaways:
- How branding, marketing, advertising and PR are different. 
- A list of brand personality traits that help bring clarity and direction to your tourism brand. 
- Understanding how a brand’s personally can help you wrangle the look and feel of printed materials, your website, photography, advertising and social media content. 
- A framework you can use again and again to focus your work and share with others in your community.

LEC Tier 3 - Strategic Excellence
Get the Big Things Right - Your Future Depends on It Part 1
Speaker:  Shana Young, Leadership Institute at Columbus State University
Fallen Timbers II
Participants will work through the elements of strategic planning: Vision, Strategy, Leadership (Direction, Movement, and Alignment) and Measurement. The ability to recognize the difference between tactical and strategic planning and thinking will become clear. Participants will gain a deeper appreciation for the impact of vision. This session will provide the building blocks for a strategic plan for your organization. 
You must attend both parts 1 & 2 to receive LEC credit.  Click here for more info on the LEC program.

Adventure awaits as you discover the activities and recreational options at Great Wolf Lodge Georgia. We will “glamp” poolside to taste and sip the flavors of our childhood outdoor explorations, adult-style. Great Wolf Lodge Georgia, our conference headquarters, has a 40,000-square-foot adventure park and nearly 100,000-square-foot water park. There are adventures for guests of any age!

Recognized as one of the state's top industries, tourism in Georgia has enjoyed an impressive stretch of year-over-year growth. The Tourism leadership team from the Georgia Department of Economic Development will share an overview of strategic programs, campaigns and initiatives designed to support the continuation of record-breaking growth and leverage state resources to boost the efforts of partners statewide.

Accommodations Tax 101 Q&A
Speakers:  Tyler Reinagel, Ph.D. and Jackson Lilly, Georgia Department of Community Affairs
White Oak VI
Attention attendees - review the Georgia's Hotel-Motel Excise Tax Webinar before the conference so you're familiar with the basics.  Then come to class ready for a full question & answer session with the Department of Community Affairs.  The session is designed to provide CVBs, hoteliers, and local governments what they need to know about reporting, audit disclosure, and general compliance requirements, as well as clarification of the allowable uses of the tax.

LEC Tier 3 - Strategic Excellence
Get the Big Things Right - Your Future Depends on It Part 2
Speaker: Shana Young, Leadership Institute at Columbus State University
Fallen Timbers II
Participants will work through the elements of strategic planning: Vision, Strategy, Leadership (Direction, Movement, and Alignment) and Measurement. The ability to recognize the difference between tactical and strategic planning and thinking will become clear. Participants will gain a deeper appreciation for the impact of vision. This session will provide the building blocks for a strategic plan for your organization. You must attend both parts 1 & 2 to receive LEC credit.  Click here for more info on the LEC program.

Beercation Destination: Tapping into Georgia’s Emerging Craft Beer Tourism
Moderator:  Nancy Palmer, Georgia's Craft Brewers Guild
Speakers:  Franklin Dismuke, Eagle Creek Brewery; Ale Sharpton, Beer Blogger  
White Oak IV 
Nancy Palmer, Executive Director of Georgia’s Craft Brewers Guild, leads a panel of creative brewery owners and marketers to discuss the state of Georgia’s beer industry, profile beer tourists, and explore effective marketing opportunities, including new product launches, product placement, festivals, events, tours, itineraries, beer blogs and more.

We can all agree that - from brand awareness to community management to sales and lead generation - we put a lot of energy into social and want our efforts to be successful. However, we’re often strapped for time and resources and can’t run our social programs the way we want. 

We know that when consumers plan a trip, they base their decision on the promise of a great experience. It’s our job to create this consumer escape and guide them on their journey using social media. 

After this session, you will know:

The role social media plays in the travel/tourism/hospitality industry
How to apply emerging trends and consumer expectations to your social strategy
Best practices and routines from those leading the pack today

LEC Tier 3 - Strategic Excellence
Get Engaged Without the Ring - Creating a Culture of Engagement Part 1
Speaker: Chelsea Powell, Leadership Institute at Columbus State University
Fallen Timbers II
According to Gallup 7 out of 10 workers are apathetic or totally disengaged. The root cause – Dysfunctional organizational culture. Participants will learn about the impact culture has on an organization and discuss how to create an engaging environment that motivates, stretches and inspires your team. The climate and culture of an organization is determined by a variety of factors, including artifacts, espoused beliefs and values, and underlying assumptions. Participants will understand what organizational culture means, what influence culture has on an organization, and discuss how one goes about building, influencing, or changing an organization’s culture.  You must attend both parts 1 & 2 to receive LEC credit.  Click here for more info on the LEC program.

Change is constant in our industry. No need to look for a crystal ball, Emmy Award winning journalist Kate Delaney has you covered. Her talk is full of PR plays, marketing moves and clever tactics to attract tourists without spending a fortune.
Takeaways:
1. The three biggest technology shifts that will impact the hospitality and tourism businesses the most.
2. How to zero in on what the consumer wants.
3. Creating leverage in an industry dealing with consolidation, constant market shifts and future economic downturns.
4. PR and Marketing strategies and tactics you can roll out as soon as you leave Kate’s session.

7:30am - 8:30am 

Continental Breakfast
Prefunction Area