August 19-22, 2023 US Travel’s 2023 ESTO Convention: Savannah, GA

The 2023 U.S. Travel ESTO Convention will be held in beautiful Savannah, GA August 19-20. Our Managing Partner, Michelle Janke, and Sara Meaney, Principal and Travel & Tourism practice lead, will be leading two educational sessions for tourism leaders from throughout the United States.

Michelle will be presenting a session focused on Leading through influence for community and resident engagement and Sara will be sharing her insights on Collective Impact: Best practices for destination stakeholder collaboration. Both presentations will include panel discussions featuring destination leaders from across the United States who are pioneering new best practices in the tourism space. For more information on this exciting event go to esto.ustravel.org.

Collective Impact: best practices for destination stakeholder collaboration

Destination leaders nationwide are leveraging the Collective Impact framework as an effective approach to tackling tough tourism-related issues such as those tied to housing, workforce, transportation, infrastructure, and crime & safety—all of which are essential for a successful tourism program but typically fall outside the direct control of the destination organization itself. This collaboration-driven approach establishes community ownership of strategic initiatives and clearly defines roles, accountability, and expectations for plan management across organizations. With this knowledge, destination leaders can strengthen their organization’s ability to collaborate effectively and productively with key community stakeholders and sustain long-term impact of transformational destination management efforts.

In this session, Sara Meaney will provide participants with an introduction to the framework and its potential role in supporting successful implementation of their destinations’ strategic planning efforts. Next, we’ll facilitate a conversation with Destination Leaders who are actively leveraging this model in their destinations. Finally, we’ll open up to Q&A for lessons learned and tips for any destination, large or small. 

Leading through influence for Community and Resident Engagement   

Destination organizations and their leaders are embracing a new level of responsibility. A greater purpose fuels a shift towards long-term thinking and Destination Stewardship for a thriving future. The decisions tourism leaders make as industry influencers impact residents and the communities where they live. This reality requires something very different from all destination leaders and presents a critical question: How can I maximize my impact when I’m not in control?  

In this lively presentation, Michelle Janke will share practical and tactical insights on how tourism leaders can leverage their unique style of influence to engage and inspire others across industry sectors. Next, a group of DMO Leaders will share their experiences with starting important conversations that are waiting to be had and enlisting others to do the same. Finally, we’ll open up to Q&A for lessons learned and tips for any destination, large or small.