Destination Marketing Podcast

On today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam is still on-location at the Kentucky Travel Industry Annual Conference. Joy Brown, the executive director of Morehead-Rowan County Tourism in Kentucky, joins the show to discuss Morehead's appeal as a destination and a few ongoing tourism and economic development initiatives in the destination. She highlights how Morehead utilized its l...

Today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast is a full-length look at Adam's keynote presentation at the Kentucky Travel Industry Annual Conference. In this keynote, Adam explores the media strategies of both candidates from this past presidential election and how Donald Trump was able to capitalize on podcast appearances during his campaign. The presentation then moves into the shifting l...

For today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam is on the road at the Kentucky Travel Industry Annual Conference. Hank Phillips, the President and CEO of the Kentucky Travel Industry Association, sits down with Adam to discuss the ways that this conference will reinforce foundational aspects of tourism and benefit destination marketers with any experience level. Adam and Hank also t...

Video game competitions, or esports, are a growing industry that allows DMOs to grow their visitation and increase travel by inviting the esports community into their destinations. Ed Tomasi, an esports consultant for DMOs, Allister Scorgie, the Director of Sport Hosting at Explore Waterloo Region and Loren Gold, the Executive Vice President of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, j...

Today’s episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast is the final episode of our collaboration with Destination Discourse, a podcast recently launched by Adam along with Stuart Butler, the CMO of Visit Myrtle Beach. Will Seccombe, the president of Revolution Strategy and a recurring guest on The Destination Marketing Podcast, joins Adam and Stuart on Destination Discourse to discuss the merits of...

Today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast is a conversation with James Tsismanakis, the Executive Director of Discover DeKalb. After discussing his background in tourism, James highlights how DeKalb has been using podcasting as a marketing tool for his destination to promote economic development, arts, culture and festivals. He tells the story of how a former student got him hooked on p...

Today’s episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast continues our collaboration with Destination Discourse, a podcast recently launched by Adam along with Stuart Butler, the CMO of Visit Myrtle Beach. The second episode of Destination Discourse is a deep dive into branded entertainment. They emphasize the need for DMOs to adapt to the changing advertising landscape, especially with the rising cos...

On today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam sits down with Scott Oklin, the new CMO of Visit Anaheim. Scott talks about how he found his way into this role after working at Travelzoo and how he's looking to use that prior experience in his new role. He also touches on his goal to make Visit Anaheim into a lifestyle brand and capitalize on the destination's incredible events and a...

Today’s episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast is a collaboration with Destination Discourse, a podcast recently launched by Adam along with Stuart Butler, the CMO of Visit Myrtle Beach. Starting today and over the next few weeks, we’ll be releasing the first three episodes of Destination Discourse as bonus episodes of The Destination Marketing Podcast. In the first episode of Destination D...

Neil MacKenzie, the CEO of Yarmouth and Acadian Shores Tourism in Nova Scotia, joins Adam on today's episode to discuss the tactics and strategies that have helped his small destination stand out in larger markets like the Northeastern U.S. He also goes into his background and how the time that he and his wife spent in Japan teaching English became a part of how he got into travel. Later in the ep...

In this episode, Adam is joined live in the studio by AJ Brau, co-founder and CEO of Wander. She discusses the recent upgrades Wander has made to their technology and explains why it’s crucial for destinations to collaborate with vendors to drive industry innovation forward. Listen and learn how to own your visitor attribution using tools that capture valuable data directly from the source. Also d...

Brandon Schexnayder, the founder of Southern Gothic Media, joins Adam on today's episode to talk about his podcast, which tells the ghost stories of various communities in the Southern United States. He details his background in the music industry, how he found his way into the podcasting space and what the initial stages were like in creating his podcast. He also discusses some of the most intere...

On today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam sits down with Thomas Salley, the director of Great State of Wilkes, Tourism in North Carolina. Thomas joins the podcast in the wake of the impact of Hurricane Helene and he discusses his experiences with the storm and what role DMOs play when this kind of natural disaster takes place. He also provides important takeaways for other DMOs...

Tony Carne, a thought leader in AI and the creator of the Everything AI in Travel newsletter, joins Adam on today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast to discuss his background in the travel industry and how he fell in love with AI. Tony also touches on some AI-related things he's seeing in the international travel space, such as AI education opportunities and a company that creates pers...

Cody Chomiak from Travel Manitoba and Tom Loftus from Visit Richmond, Virginia join Adam on today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast to discuss various tourism topics. They give their perspectives on issues facing the destination marketing industry, such as navigating small budgets and discerning important metrics. The conversation then moves into a discussion about AI and how each per...

On this special episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam joins Dane Carlson as a guest on The Econ Dev Show to discuss the symbiotic relationship between destination marketing and economic development. They discuss how DMOs and economic developers can collaborate and improve on things like site visits to create positive memorable experiences. Adam and Dane also underscore the benefits of...

In this episode, Adam sits down with Kristina Ainge, PR and Content Director at Relic. They talk about the changing landscape of social media and content marketing and why destinations need to pay attention to both micro and macro trends. With nearly a decade of experience in social media, PR, and influencer marketing, Kristina offers a treasure trove of insights on how to effectively engage audie...

In this episode, Adam is joined by Glorianna Yamin, Vice President of Marketing for Discover Puerto Rico. Glorianna shares her career journey, discusses her recognition as one of Destinations International's 30 Under 30, and highlights Discover Puerto Rico’s innovative marketing initiatives, including a collaboration with Pantone to create a color called “Puerto Rico Sunshine." Glorianna also disc...

In this episode, Adam is joined by Nathaniel Sweetman, Sports Marketing Coordinator for Visit Sarasota County. Nathaniel shares his journey into sports marketing, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and community engagement. He discusses Sarasota's unique facilities, strategies for attracting niche events, and the economic impact of sports tourism. The episode highlights the role of persona...

In this episode, Adam Stoker and guest Bill Geist discuss a critical issue facing destination marketing organizations: a growing disconnect between boards, CEOs, and political stakeholders. They discuss the misalignment between boards and destinations, the impact of COVID-19 on the industry, and the importance of effective board orientation. Bill emphasizes a need for better communication, storyte...

In this episode, Adam sits down with Mark Marsiglio, President and CEO of Trail Pilot, to talk about the synergy between tourism and mountain biking. Mark discusses his background, the creation of the Trail Pilot app, and its role in enhancing the mountain biking experience through guided audio tours. Mark emphasizes the importance of targeting niche markets, such as mountain bikers, as they can b...

In this episode, Adam talks with Dane Carlson, host of the Econ Dev Show and CEO of Site Hunt, about the crucial link between tourism and economic development. Dane shares his journey from blogging to economic development, including how he transformed Mariposa California by adding an escape room to the visitor center. Dane also emphasizes the importance of collaboration between economic developers...

In this episode, Adam talks to John David, President and CEO of Sports ETA. The conversation highlights the organization's role in promoting sports tourism through education, advocacy, resources, and networking. John emphasizes the importance of listening to stakeholders and understanding the economic impact of sports tourism, which includes significant contributions to local economies and job cre...

In this episode, Adam provides a mid-year check-in on the destination marketing industry. He emphasizes the importance of creativity and budget in differentiating destinations, highlighting successful marketing campaigns from Laguna Beach, Minnesota, and Myrtle Beach. Adam discusses the shift from traditional influencers to content creators and the need for dynamic marketing strategies. He also ad...

In this episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam chats with Dave Parulo, President and CEO, and Claire Fisher, Chief Marketing Officer of Explore Tualatin Valley. Recorded live at the Destinations International Annual Convention in Tampa, Florida, they highlight the importance of community engagement in destination rebrands and talk about their experience with their recent rebranding exp...