DMOU: Destination Marketing Organization University

Destination Canada is very likely the most innovative DMO on the planet when it comes to redefining the tourism industry’s impact (both social and economic). Now, they have developed the Canadian Tourism Data Collective, an insanely expansive hub of research and information that is available not just for their use but the use of over 280,000 tourism businesses throughout the country. Destination C...

Matt Pivarnik has held community leadership positions in Tulsa, Topeka and, now, in Myrtle Beach. All three DMOs have been connected in one way shape or form to their Chamber of Commerce, organizational structures that have increasingly fallen out of favor over the past 30 years. But Matt has made each one work through collaboration, shared vision and a clear understanding of how revenues can and...

Establishing a Tourism Improvement District is rarely easy…but in Chicago, it took almost 15 years. But, when the City Council approved the first TID in Illinois earlier this year, the vote was unanimous. On this edition of DMOU, Choose Chicago’s Kristen Reynolds and the CEO of the Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, Michael Jacobson, share how this final push was different and how regional co...

I've always referred to my friend Chris Ihrig as "the Culture Guy" (probably because his company is called Fired Up! Culture). But after reading his latest book " Would You Work for You ," I now realize that he's "the Leadership Guy." Join us for this fascinating conversation on how leadership is developed and how leadership begets culture...and how organizational culture results in success. And,...

Over the past 18 years, Dan Rowe built Visit Panama City Beach into one of the most recognized DMOs in the Southeast, growing its influence well beyond its marketing mandate and establishing it as a genuine community builder. Forged by the challenges brought by hurricanes, oil spills, a spring break pivot that no one thought possible, Visit Panama City Beach was designed to withstand crisis…and th...

When we launched DMOU as a tele-seminar series over 20 years ago, it was designed to showcase the coolest innovation out there in Destination Leadership. For Visit Macon, this past year has been beyond innovative. They bought an FM radio station. They bought a tour bus company. Is this the future for DMOs? You decide…with this sensational conversation with CEO Gary Wheat. Join us.

When Auvis Cole stepped into the role of Director of Discover Crystal River, he sensed a lack of organizational connectivity with his industry partners…and set out to improve those relationships. He and his team developed a program called “Partners in Tourism” that creates professional development, co-op marketing and networking opportunities for area businesses. That program has, in turn, resulte...

On this episode of DMOU, we welcome back our friend Amir Eylon from Longwoods International. Their monthly analyses of American traveler sentiment are always must-reads for anyone in Destination Marketing…but the most recent dove into Americans’ attitudes toward attending events such as America 250, the Centennial of the Mother Road and the World Cup. In this conversation, Amir shares what is powe...

Ryan Short works in an arena that many refer to as “place branding.” But, he believes that our communities deserve more…and has written a book called The Civic Brand: The Power and Responsibility of Place. On this episode of DMOU, we sit down with Ryan to explore his definition of a “civic brand" and how it can guide policy, development and engagement to build shared pride and prevent homogenizati...

Going in, I thought we were going to talk about how Brad Jones is nailing the Tourism Ambassador Program in Bellevue WA (and before that, in Rochester MN). But our conversation went way further…into the development of an amazing transit program for workforce, residents and visitors and a movement into culinary that engages the creators as a critical part of the mix. Oh yeah…and that he’s a Parrot...

Santa Clara has the unique honor of hosting both the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup matches in the same year. As we ramp up to Super Bowl 60, we speak with Discover Santa Clara CEO Christine Lawson on how her organization has prepared for this weekend’s turn on the global stage, how it informs this summer’s FIFA events and how they plan to use the visibility to gain global recognition that they are...

What if your governmental leaders and your hospitality partners were completely bought in to your DMO’s strategies, funding and program of work? On this edition of DMOU, Tourism Kingston CEO Megan Knott joins us to share the story of how her community came together to create a DMO…and a complimentary culture of collaboration that has resulted in a series of Integrated Destination Strategies that g...

We’re kicking off the New Year on DMOU with one of our favorite DMO pros, Visit Albuquerque’s Tania Armenta. As she marks 10 years as CEO, Tania looks back on the work to regain the City’s trust (after years of them putting the DMO contract out to bid), creating a Marketing District resulting in a doubling of the organization’s budget and spearheading a community-led Master Plan. She also shares w...

We close out 2025 with one of our favorite conversations of the year. Mammoth Lakes’ John Urdi (soon to be the CEO of Surf City USA) shares how his community embraced a Tourism Business District that extended past lodging to include restaurants, retail and attractions. But it goes further, as his destination has endured California fires. And his DMO has played a leadership role in attempting to mi...

Domenic Bravo is one of the most unconventional DMO pros in America…which is why his approach over the past five years as the Director of Visit Cheyenne has found an amazing level of both success and community support. On this episode of DMOU, you’ll hear how an event strategy drove visitation and community support during the darkest days of COVID…and how the DMO has embraced the nighttime economy...

Kelly Haussler is the Director of Destination Development at Ottawa Tourism. She served as lead on their 10-year Destination Stewardship Plan that focuses on 3 primary pillars: Planet, Place and Prosperity…and when they all work in concert, magic happens. Such as a Destination Food Recovery Plan that has blown through all expectations. And for her Bonus Round question we explore her fascination wi...

The 2025 edition of the World’s Best Cities is being released today at World Travel Mart in London…and DMOU scored an exclusive sneak peak into the results and a look at the constantly evolving methodology. Resonance Founder and CEO Chris Fair returns to DMOU to share some of the findings of both this study as well as this past summer’s America’s Best Cities rankings. And, he takes his Bonus Round...

Kelly Miller is a 35-year veteran in the Destination Leadership space. From Juneau to Atlanta to Asheville to Tampa to Surf City USA, he has left an indelible mark on our sector with innovative thinking and strategies that are so far beyond the box that there isn’t a box. In this episode, Kelly shares his journey, his stories…and, in his amazing Bonus Round, the tale behind his completion of the 2...

This weekend marks the 50th Anniversary of Cadillac MI High School welcoming the then-fledgling band known as Kiss to play at their Homecoming Dance. Cadillac’s Kathy Morin joins DMOU to tell the back story and how her community has prepared for this weekend’s festivities. But, Kiss is just a small part of the Cadillac story…and we go deeper into her work with developing sustainable trail policies...

Pure Michigan is one of (if not) the most iconic tourism marketing brands in history, completely transcending logo or tagline. Kelly Wolgamott joins us for a fascinating conversation covering the origins of the campaign, its future vision…and its entrance into the fragrance space to allow destination fans and the curious to experience the scents of Pure Michigan. And, insights into how the voice o...

What started out as an invitation to Discovery Albany CEO Jill Delaney to discuss her recent CDME paper evolved into a wide ranging discussion that included how she and her organization have had a meaningful impact on hospitality workforce development in her community. How she has, over the past 7 years, reframed the organization’s importance in the eyes of local investors. And yes…the research sh...

Over the past 40 years, Sports Tourism has grown into a juggernaut for many destinations across North America. Most of the economic impact statistics have focused on participatory Sports Tournament events. But there is another facet of Sports Tourism that has previously gone undocumented… and that is Spectator Sports events. On this edition of DMOU, we welcome John David, the CEO of Sports ETA to...

Every few years, Destinations International commissions a study to help Destination Leadership understand, interpret and marshal the future. Called the Futures Study and conducted by MMGY NextFactor, this year’s edition stakes out new ground and strongly suggests tactics for future success. On this episode of DMOU, we welcome Cassandra McAuley to discuss the methodology, findings and recommendatio...

On this edition of DMOU, we welcome Destination Door County CEO Julie Gilbert to discuss how under-managed tourism had begun to challenge the summer retreat of my youth. A half a century ago, Door County was a quaint, easy to maneuver vacation destination for those of us who had discovered these unique villages. As she arrived in 2021, it was clear that action was needed to preserve paradise. In t...

As is our custom on DMOU, we annually feature the incoming Chair of Destinations International to outline their agenda for the coming year. And Leslie Bruce does just that in this episode…but we go much deeper to explore her work in working with her community through Radical Collaboration on an initiative called Lead Tourism for Good. And, we discuss her work with the 7 indigenous nations in Banff...