Destination Marketing Podcast

In this episode, Adam sits down with Liza Graves, CEO of Style Blueprint, to redefine how destinations should approach media and content. They challenge the traditional view of paid advertising, advocating for storytelling and collaboration with publications to create engaging campaigns. Liza provides actionable insights on crafting effective pitches for earned media, leveraging a content-centric...

In this episode, Adam sits down with Stuart Butler, Chief Marketing Officer at Visit Myrtle Beach and co-host of Destination Discourse. They discuss critical issues facing DMOs, including the impact of AI on travel planning, the importance of personalized experiences, and the evolution of website engagement. Stuart challenges the industry to confront uncomfortable truths, offering a roadmap for DM...

In this episode, Adam sits down with Josh Rudelbach, destination marketing and data strategist at Carson Valley, Nevada. Josh and Adam dive into how historical storytelling can set your messaging apart from the crowd. From pioneer settlements to local legends, this episode provides actionable insights for destination marketers looking to leverage their unique heritage and create a deeper connectio...

In this episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam Stoker dives into risk-taking in destination marketing with guest Brent DeRaad, President and CEO of the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau. Brent shares his philosophy on embracing calculated chances to achieve impressive results. They explore the importance of investing in a destination's product, fostering collaboration with local...

In this episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam is joined by Mark Thompson, Executive Director of Visit Plano. Mark shares his insights on destination marketing, focusing on Plano's unique position as a corporate and youth sports destination within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. They discuss the importance of regional collaboration, the power of exceptional servicing, and strategies f...

Today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast is a full-length look at Adam's keynote presentation at the One West Tourism Alliance's Tech Summit. In this key note, Adam explores the value of taking risks and how to navigate risk taking as a DMO. He also brings up a few examples of creators Brand Revolt looks to for inspiration as well as a few examples of Brand Revolt clients and how they...

On today's episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam sits down with Andrew Miller, the founder, farmer and CEO of Tulip Valley Farms in Washington State. Andrew discusses his varied background that took him worldwide via the military and what led him to settle down and become a tulip farmer. The conversation then shifts to an in-depth look at how he markets his farm to visitors and the th...

Birgitt Vaughan, the Director of Public Relations for Sonoma County Tourism, joins Adam on today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast to talk all things earned media. Birgitt touches on her background and how building relationships with journalists drove her to want to work in public relations. She underscores the importance of building those meaningful relationships with journalists wit...

Today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast is a special collaboration with Destination Discourse, Adam’s other podcast with Stuart Butler from Visit Myrtle Beach. Adam and Stuart sit down with Katie Briscoe, CEO of MMGY Global, for a spirited discussion about the merits and challenges of paid and owned media strategies in destination marketing. Tune in for valuable insights from both sid...

Joining Adam on today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast is Natalie Wallon, the Marketing and Communications Manager at Discover Kalispell, Montana. Natalie shares her background and journey into destination marketing, with stops as a lacrosse coach in Montana and at an SEO agency along the way. Natalie and Adam then discuss Discover Kalispell's creative take on promoting responsible r...

As a small destination surrounded by large cities like Chicago and Indianapolis, Wabash County, Indiana needed to find a way to stand out when marketing its DMO in those cities. Christine Flohr, the Executive Director of Visit Wabash County, joins Adam on today's episode to talk about how she utilized different athletic events, such as the Dam to Dam Bike Ride, to do just that. She highlights how...

Today’s special episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast is a webinar hosted by the One West Tourism Alliance that Adam took part in alongside some familiar faces who you might have heard from on previous podcast episodes. Joining Adam on this webinar is Robb Wells from Visit Beaufort, Port Royal and the Sea Islands, Melea Hames from Visit North Alabama and Stuart Butler from Visit Myrtle Beac...

In September of last year, Hurricane Helene devastated many parts of the world, with one of the most severely affected areas being the Southeastern United States. Spencer Bost, the executive director of Downtown Spruce Pine, joins Adam on today’s episode to share how he first experienced Spruce Pine as a park ranger and how that eventually led him to work for its DMO. He also highlights what makes...

Becky Large, the Executive Director of the Champion Autism Network and the CEO of the Autism Travel Club, joins Adam on today’s episode to share her insights on autism-friendly travel and the strides she has made in making destinations more inclusive for autistic travelers. She showcases the initiatives she’s led for Visit Myrtle Beach, including the TV show "Traveling the Spectrum" and the destin...

The satirical mockumentary "Borat" was released in 2006 to worldwide critical acclaim but in Kazakhstan, where the titular character hailed from, the film was more controversial. For the Borat sequel in 2020, Kairat Sadvakassov from Kazakh Tourism wanted to do things differently, so he capitalized on the character to increase awareness of Kazakhstan as a tourism destination, even co-opting Borat's...

The popular mid-80s sitcom "The Golden Girls" taught its viewers many lessons about friendship and relationships but according to Kaitlyn Johnson, the Marketing and CRM Coordinator of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, the show also provided advice on having a great social media presence. Kaitlyn joins Adam on today’s episode to go over what each of the four Golden Girls can teach you about soc...

Métis Crossing is Alberta’s first major Métis cultural destination, offering visitors an immersive experience into Métis heritage, traditions, and ways of life. In this episode, Adam sits down with Juanita Marois, CEO of Métis Crossing, to discuss her journey in building this unique destination from the ground up. Juanita shares insights into the importance of Indigenous tourism, how it fosters cu...

In today’s episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, we continue last week’s conversation with The Utah Tourism Collective. Adam, Mo, Jason, AJ, and Sarah return to discuss some of the hottest topics in tourism as we head into 2025. With tightening budgets and increased scrutiny on DMO spending, it's up to us as marketers to demonstrate the value tourism brings to communities. Our guests also...

Today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast brings together some of Utah's brightest minds in the destination marketing space: AJ Brau, the CEO of Wander, Mo Parikh, the CEO of Bandwango, Jason Linder, the CEO of Ripe, Sarah Lehman, the CEO of Zartico and of course, our host Adam Stoker, the CEO of Brand Revolt. Each leader reflects on what 2024 brought for their respective organizations...

A few years ago, Adam Stoker and Laurie Jo Miller Farr hosted the Travel Vertical Podcast, a biweekly look at news, trends and jobs in the destination marketing industry. While that podcast isn't releasing new episodes anymore, its spirit lives on within TourismIQ. Laurie is now the Editorial Director for TourismIQ, and she joins Adam on today's episode to discuss her background in the tourism ind...

South Carolina played a large role in the American Revolution and with some big historical anniversaries coming on the horizon in the next few years, the state is putting together an exciting project to commemorate its history while driving tourism and economic development in the process. Molly Fortune, the Executive Director of SC250, the organization in charge of this initiative, joins Adam on t...

Kentucky is famous for its bourbon and on today's episode, Adam sits down with Mike Mangeot at the Kentucky Travel Industry Annual Conference to discuss how Kentucky is using bourbon tourism to grow its international market. As the Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Tourism, Mike touches on the continued growth he's seen in Kentucky tourism and his upcoming initiatives. Later in the episod...

Today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast continues our yearly tradition of setting resolutions for the New Year. From ditching the reliance on paid media to preparing for the Department of Government Efficiency and more, these are crucial insights that destination marketers need to know heading into 2025. Aside from the resolutions themselves, one of the biggest reveals of the episode...

The Destination Marketing Podcast is off for Christmas Eve, so instead of a new episode, we have a special holiday message from Adam! The Destination Marketing Podcast will return on Wednesday, January 1st with its 2025 New Year’s Resolutions episode and then go back to its regular Tuesday release schedule starting Tuesday, January 7th. If you’re enjoying the show, please leave us a rating and rev...

Today's episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast has Adam sit down with Julie Kirkpatrick, the President and CEO of meetNKY, the host DMO of the Kentucky Travel Industry Annual Conference. They discuss the interesting dynamic of Julie's DMO in Covington, Kentucky bordering Cincinnati, Ohio and how she's been able to work together with her counterparts at Visit Cincy. Julie underscores the impo...