Destination Marketing Podcast

This week, Adam dives into the cultural phenomenon that is Taylor Swift and how two cities were able to capitalize on The Eras Tour coming to town. Isaac Reichman from Choose Chicago and Julie Calvert from Visit Cincy join Adam to talk about their experiences hosting the tour and the incredible results they saw from this major event. Choose Chicago Visit Cincy If you’re enjoying the show, please l...

In this episode, Esther Wagner from Palmetto Pride joins Adam to discuss the relationship between litter and crime, and how her organization aims to change littering behaviors for a cleaner South Carolina. She explains the importance of crime prevention through environmental design and its four strategies: territoriality, natural access control, natural surveillance and maintenance. Esther emphasi...

In this episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam and Jen Brunson, marketing coordinator at Visit Myrtle Beach, discuss Jen's podcast, "I Speak Mama," a podcast for moms that has been a crucial part of Myrtle Beach’s content strategy. They talk about why a podcast for moms works so well in the tourism space and how subtly promoting Myrtle Beach has proven to be an effective strategy. Jen...

In this episode, Adam takes the show on the road to the South Carolina Annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism & Travel. He talks with Devyn Whitmire, Digital Engagement Manager for Discover South Carolina, about her professional journey, creating the Palmetto Porch podcast and its focus on authentic local stories to promote tourism. Devyn highlights the podcast's role in driving brand awareness a...

In this bonus episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam highlights two episodes of a new show produced by EKR, Brands & Campaigns. Host Camden Bernatz and special guest Stuart Butler dive into Myrtle Beach’s “Mittary Best” campaign, entirely generated by AI. In the second part of the episode, Adam joins Camden to analyze why this campaign was so successful and what other destinations can...

Stuart Butler, Chief Marketing Officer of Visit Myrtle Beach, joins this episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast to discuss the dynamic nature of destination marketing. Adam and Stuart explore the shift towards owned media strategies and the power of storytelling in engaging audiences. Stuart highlights Myrtle Beach's innovative projects like "Chef Swap" and "Traveling the Spectrum” and talks...

In this episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam joins three special guests from Salt Lake City, Utah. Erin Mendenhall, Mayor of Salt Lake City, Kaitlin Eskelson, President & CEO at Visit Salt Lake, and Sarah Lehman, CEO at Zartico, join Adam to talk about the factors that have contributed to Salt Lake's tourism success. Mayor Mendenhall discusses overcoming growth and how the challenges...

To celebrate 300 episodes of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam has something special planned. On today’s episode, he sits down with his daughter Millie, who interviews him on all things relating to the podcast. Tune in for insights on why Adam created The Destination Marketing Podcast, the lessons he’s learned along the way and some reflection on the past 300 episodes. “And I think that’s th...

Nicole Mahoney is the CEO of Break the Ice Media, host of the podcast Destination on the Left and the author of Stronger Together: Building World Changing Business Collaborations. Today, she sits down with Adam on the Destination Marketing Podcast to talk about her entrepreneurial background and what led her to start her own agency. Nicole also shares some insights on collaboration from her book a...

Adam is still on the road in Lewiston, Idaho for today’s episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast. Joining him today is Mike McKenna, the executive director of the Chamber of Hailey and the Wood River Valley, and Scott Fortner, the Executive Director of Visit Sun Valley. Both Mike and Scott detail the relationships that their respective DMOs have with their visitors, how they’ve cultivated tha...

Adam is on the road again, this time at the Idaho Conference on Recreation and Tourism. He is joined by Andrea Rayburn and Jeremy Chase with the Idaho Department of Commerce to talk about how Visit Idaho is utilizing content to amplify its marketing reach. Jeremy also talks about his time working with agencies and how that experience has given him a new perspective as the Marketing and Innovation...

Adam continues his conversation with the Utah Tourism Collective in this week’s episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast, diving into some of the things that will have a major impact on tourism this year. They discuss how AI has changed the world and why destinations need to learn how to use it. They also talk about why taking risks is critical and how industry vendors play a key role in movin...

In this episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam joins together with three other members of the Utah Tourism Collective: Darren Dunn from Zartico, Jason Linder from Ripe, and Lauren Neeleman from Spontigo. They each provide an update on their organization and what they expect to come from the industry in 2024. Listen to learn about Zartico’s new data acquisition and how Spontigo is makin...

With the rise of AI and the importance of owning an audience changing the game as we head into 2024, Adam shares his top resolutions to help destination marketers be successful in the year ahead. He advises all to create high-quality content and utilize the power of the tools available to you. He also shares his thoughts on where the industry is headed compared to where we've been in the past. Fol...

In our last episode of 2023, Adam welcomes globally recognized innovation strategist and bestselling author Shawn Kanungo to the show. Shawn emphasizes that innovation is not solely about technology but involves thinking differently and reframing problems. They discuss the challenges in destination marketing, the importance of authentic content, and effective presentation skills.  "Innovation does...

In this episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam takes the show on the road to the Idaho Conference on Recreation and Tourism. Kristi Baughman, marketing consultant at Yellowstone Teton Territory, joins Adam to talk about what it’s like marketing a destination with such a large quantity of assets and why it’s critical to listen to what’s happening within the smaller areas of the destinat...

In this episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast, Rob Wells is back to talk about how The Inner Coastal Podcast has changed the game for his destination, Beaufort, South Carolina. They discuss how he’s utilized the podcast content for various functions and how it’s played a pivotal role in his relationship with his stakeholders. “We want the visitor experience to be greater than or equal to th...

On this week's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam sits down with JP, the Director of Business Development at Relic. They dive deep into the current state of the destination marketing atmosphere and discuss why a paid media strategy may not be the most sustainable approach to driving visitation. Additionally, they explore the significance of owned media as a fundamental pillar in ev...

Whether you wake up to the roar of a lion in the morning or enjoy the serenity of the golf course, the visitor experience at Nemacolin is unmatched. On today’s episode of the show, Adam talks with Christopher Baran, VP of sales and marketing, and Trey Matheu, managing director, about what it’s like working at a five-star resort and what they do to ensure the visitor experience is fabulous. They al...

In this episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam talks with Lee Adamson, executive director of a destination close to home, Explore Utah Valley. Home to not only Relic but also beautiful mountains, top-tier sports facilities, and a rapidly expanding regional airport, Utah Valley is an unexpectedly unique destination with tons to offer. Lee talks about his experience working with groups a...

In this episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast, host Adam Stoker talks with Kevney Dugan, President and CEO of Visit Bend, and Todd Montgomery, Director of the Oregon State University Sustainable Tourism Lab. They discuss the importance of understanding the impacts of tourism on communities and the environment and the need for sustainable practices. Todd highlights the work of the Sustainabl...

Kristen Reynolds, the President/CEO of Discover Long Island, is our guest today on The Destination Marketing Podcast. After a cameo appearance from Adam Castar, their producer and local Long Islander, Kristen tells the origin story of her own destination podcast, Long Island Tea. She discusses integrating owned media into her advertising strategy and the influence of Long Island Tea on the communi...

Robert Thompson, the owner and Chief Marketing Officer of Big Rock Candy Mountain Resort in Utah, is our guest on today's episode. In the beginning, Robert delves into his background and shares the motivating factors behind his decision to acquire the resort after leaving his corporate job. The conversation then transitions to Robert's strategic use of platforms like TikTok and various social medi...

Des Barker, a seasoned political strategist within the Utah tourism industry, is our featured guest on today's episode, recorded live at the Utah Tourism Conference. He shares insights about his background and the evolution of his 30-year journey in the realm of politics. Throughout the conversation, Des stresses the importance of cultivating strong relationships with elected officials and maintai...

On today’s episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam sits down with two fascinating guests at the Utah Tourism Conference! In our first segment, AJ Brau, the CEO of Wander, gives a brief update on her company and her thoughts on the role of AI in the destination marketing industry. The conversation then moves into a discussion about breaking into destination marketing and what software co...