Destination Marketing Podcast

Executive Director Nichole Farley of Explore Butte County joins Adam to delve into the concept of working with your community — and the power of having a seat at your destination’s table. They discuss why destinations struggle to get locals to see value in the DMO, and what destination marketers can do to fix that perception. "I would say, as a young professional in the industry, don't be afraid t...

Melyssa Reeves, CEO of Visit Vacaville and soon-to-be President of DMA West, joins Adam to explore her journey through the tourism industry. They touch on her highlights at Visit Vacaville, her upcoming role at DMA West and the importance of nurturing industry relationships. DMA West “...It was kind of a scary proposition, but has turned out to be one of the greatest things that I’ve been able to...

Amir Eylon, the president and CEO of Longwoods International, joins Adam for today's episode. Amir talks about what he's seeing in the travel industry according to Longwoods International's data and he also touches on generative AI and its potential use as a travel-planning tool. Longwoods International "[In the US] we’re still seeing record-level pent-up demand. Nine out of ten American travelers...

Don Welsh, the president and CEO of Destinations International, sat down with Adam at Annual Convention for a catch-up on all things DI. Find out which issues and topics the organizations will focus on this year, as well as what Don’s most excited about when it comes to Annual Convention. Destinations International “...Nothing replaces the importance of our people in this industry being together,...

In this episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam sits down with Renée Areng, President and CEO of Explore Brookhaven, Georgia. Renée details the process of putting together a brand from scratch and how they launch it amid the coronavirus pandemic. She talks about some of the challenges they faced and why working with an expert in the field helped them to build a better brand. Explore Bro...

On this week’s episode of The Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam takes the show on the road to the Destinations International Annual Convention. He is joined by Chad Kearns, Vice President and Lead Practitioner at Fired Up Culture, to talk about the importance of culture in organizations. They discuss how culture starts with relationships and communication - not just values displayed on a wall. T...

Barbara Karasek, CEO and Co-Owner of Paradise Advertising joins Adam on this episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast to talk about her experience stepping into a leadership role at an advertising agency. Adam and Barbara also discuss how they anticipate change with the rise of generation alpha into the workforce and why it’s critical to keep this demographic in mind.  “For those destination m...

Ryan Jones, the director of digital marketing at Relic, joins Adam to discuss the many ways destinations can leverage digital marketing. They explore the importance of creating compelling content that resonates with the target audience and discuss how to optimize SEO to boost organic reach. Ryan and Adam dive into how digital marketing can play a vital role in supporting owned media efforts and bu...

Jaimie Hart, cohost of the Between the Sessions podcast from Discover The Palm Beaches, returns to the show. She recaps her four weeks working remotely in Portugal and what’s new at The Palm Beaches, including her meetings-focused podcast. Go behind the scenes and learn about its creation, as well as her favorite moments and experiences with the show so far. “I’m not going to say the podcast doesn...

Joining the show today are the hosts of Alex & Annie: The Real Women of Vacation Rentals, Alex Husner and Annie Holcombe! Find out how a chance meeting in a hotel bathroom led to the launch of their podcast and learn some of the duo's favorite moments so far. Alex and Annie also give their insights on some of the current issues facing the short-term rental industry. "It's going to be interesting t...

On this week’s episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast, Adam is joined by returning guest Bill Geist. Geist, Chief Instigator at DMOProz, brings a new perspective to the table with his years of experience working with destinations to better their communities from an advocacy and political standpoint. They discuss the importance of demonstrating a destination's value to stakeholders and why th...

In this final episode of our owned media mini-series, Stuart and Adam discuss how destinations can take what they’ve learned and apply it to their marketing strategies. After a brief recap of the series, they explain why it’s important to start this strategy now — as the world and consumer preferences continue to evolve, creating interactive content that resonates with the audience is essential. Q...

In this week’s episode, Adam and Stuart discuss the importance of creating content that resonates with the audience and inspires them to take action. They emphasize the need to prioritize the audience's needs and desires over the DMO's short-term gains and to create an active community by providing value to the audience. Adam and Stuart also discuss the challenges of measuring the impact of owned...

In this week's episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast, we continue our owned media mini-series. Adam Stoker and Stuart Butler discuss the importance of understanding the entire travel journey and the challenges of implementing an owned media strategy. They emphasize the need to focus on the quality of audience experience and content, creating a community around owned media content and balanc...

Welcome to part 3 of the Destination Marketing Podcast mini-series, hosted by Adam Stoker and Stuart Butler. In this episode, the hosts dive deeper into the significance of owned media in destination marketing. They highlight the difference between an audience and a community and stress the importance of cultivating an engaged community to support destination marketing efforts. Drawing from exampl...

This week on the Destination Marketing Podcast, we continue our owned media series with host Adam and special guest, Stuart Butler. In this episode, Adam and Stuart continue to discuss the importance of owned media and storytelling in the tourism industry. They discuss the four major types of media: paid, earned, shared and owned, and why a balanced approach is pivotal for success. They also touch...

On today’s special episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast, join Adam and Stuart Butler, Chief Marketing Officer of Visit Myrtle Beach, as they take a deep dive into the world of owned media. In a new series inspired by their soon-to-be-published book, the duo explores the current marketing philosophy and why so many destinations aren't fully utilizing the power of owned media. The conversati...

Join host Adam Stoker in this episode of the Destination Marketing Podcast as he talks with Jared Price (JP) from Relic about the impact of AI on destination marketing. JP's passion for AI is evident as they discuss the potential impact on humanity, and how Chat GPT, an AI language model, is being used in their agency. Discover the accuracy of Chat GPT responses, the need for specificity in prompt...

Join Adam Stoker on the Destination Marketing Podcast for a unique and fascinating episode featuring ChatGPT, the state-of-the-art AI language model created by OpenAI. Through guest JP's voice, ChatGPT shares valuable insights on various topics related to the tourism industry, including unique destinations, challenges faced by the industry, and the importance of resilience and adaptability. From d...

Today Adam Stoker sits down with Jason Linder, the CEO of Ripe, a company formerly known as RootRez. As a travel and technology company based in Salt Lake City, Utah, RootRez has been helping destination, event, and travel-related websites best connect travelers to lodging partners since 2015. Jason explains how their services can benefit DMOs and offers valuable insights into the importance of ha...

CEO Mo Parikh has pioneered a technology company that is revolutionizing the tourism industry — Bandwango. In this episode, Mo shares his insights on what Bandwango is and how it can help destinations drive visitation. Bandwango's unique technology is making waves by allowing communities to organize things to do into free and paid experiences that integrate directly into websites. This integration...

Listen to an insightful conversation with two dynamic leaders in the tourism industry - Steve Arrison, CEO at Visit Hot Springs, and JR Shaw, Executive Director of Destination Rogers and Executive Vice President of the Rogers-Lowell Chamber. These guests share their expertise and insights on topics like collaborating with nearby destinations to drive visitation, emphasizing the importance of build...

Adam takes the podcast on the road once again at the Arkansas Tourism Conference, speaking with two esteemed guests: Travis Napper, the Director of Tourism at Arkansas Tourism, and Karen Trevino, the President & CEO at North Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau. Travis Napper focused on the importance of the Natural State brand in driving tourism to Arkansas, sharing his insights on how the st...

Lauren Cleland, the Director of Marketing and Data Intelligence at Visit Savannah, discusses a recent successful pop-up event they hosted in New York City. She shares valuable insights into why pop-up events are an effective way to advertise your destination, regardless of its size or budget. She also provides insider tips on how to plan and execute such an event and emphasizes the significance of...

Candace Carr Strauss, VP of Marketing and Communications at the Montana Chamber of Commerce, shares valuable insights about Montana's innovative approach to tourism data collection, which has helped them better understand visitor behaviors and preferences. In this engaging conversation, Candace also discusses the importance of tourism resiliency and how destinations can be better prepared for unex...