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Location: DCC - Cirrus Atrium
Get your flow on, by starting your morning off with a pre-meeting Sunrise Yoga session. Mats will be provided.
Sponsored by the Garfield County Office of Tourism
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Location: DCC - Registration Desk
Sponsored by Zartico, Larry H. Miller Company, and Visit Cedar City-Brian Head
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Location: DCC - Eclipse Expo
Sponsored by Visit Park City | Park City Chamber of Commerce
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Location: DCC - Eclipse Expo
Join Celina Sinclair, Executive Director of UTIA as she welcomes the industry to the 2024 Utah Tourism Conference.
Speaker: Celina Sinclair, Executive Director, Utah Tourism Industry Association
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Location: DCC - Eclipse Expo
In this engaging session, step into the inspiring world of Davis County's most influential businesses. Discover the rich histories and forward-looking visions of Garn Development, Western States Lodging Management, Lagoon, Cherry Hill, and Davis County’s Western Sports Park, a key government-operated tourism venue.
Our community thrives on generational businesses that prioritize making others' lives better. These enterprises create atmospheres where memories are made to last a lifetime, embodying the philosophy that true success lies beyond the bottom line. Watch the origin stories of these businesses, showcasing how their impact extends far beyond financial gains.
Experience the dedication and innovation that have elevated these multi-generation enterprises from humble beginnings to prominence. Listen to the founders and the new generation of leaders as they share their insights on balancing tradition with growth, inspiring a new wave of business leaders.
This session is a proud celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit of Davis County, emphasizing how these businesses respect their heritage while passionately pursuing the future. Join us to learn how a steadfast commitment to values and innovation continues to shape the vibrant community of Davis County.Speakers: Stuart Clason (Moderator); David Webster Jr., Western States Lodging; Gabe Garn, Garn Development; Terry Capener, Lagoon Amusement Park; Jared Lloyd, Cherry Hill Resort; Kent Andersen, Davis County Community & Economic Development
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Location: DCC - Eclipse Expo
Join us as we hear from Natalie Randall, the Managing Director for the Utah Office of Tourism as she shares office updates and initiatives.
Speaker: Natalie Randall, Managing Director, Utah Office of Tourism
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Location: DCC - Eclipse Expo
Salt Lake City-Utah has been selected to host the XXVII Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2034. Join us as we hear from Catherine Raney Norman, Board Chair for the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, about what this means for Utah over the next ten years, and how the entire state can engage. Ms. Raney Norman is a four-time Olympian who has served as an active voice for athletes with roles across all facets of Olympic and Paralympic sport. Born in Nashville, Tenn., she grew up in the Milwaukee, Wis. suburb of Elm Grove, finding her passion as a long track speed skater. She competed for Team USA at the 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 Olympics with her best finish a fourth in the team pursuit in 2010 at Vancouver. She holds six U.S. all-round titles and 3 American records, of which all still stand today. She was inducted into the U.S. Speed Skating Hall of Fame in 2018.
Speaker: Catherine Raney Norman, Board Chair, Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games
Sponsored by Visit Park City | Park City Chamber of Commerce
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Location: DCC - Stratus
Sponsored by Uintah County Travel & Tourism
The UTC Networking Lounge is the place to recharge between UTC keynotes and breakout sessions. Take some time to network with your fellow conference goers as well as visit our many conference exhibitors and Made in Utah Marketplace.
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM | Breakout Sessions
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Location: DCC - Meridian H-D
Whether you have $20 or $50,000, this session will introduce you to some of Meta's more advanced tools to help you get the very most out of your digital marketing efforts. You may already be boosting a post here and there, but there's so much more opportunity out there! Learn tips for using Meta Ads Manager, creating custom audiences built from YOUR data sources, discover a variety of different ad types that can help you reach your goals, and much more.
Speaker: Brian Matson, TwoSix Digital
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Location: DCC - Meridian B
Join us for an insightful session where we'll explore the evolution of tourism from merely sustainable practices to truly responsible ones. As the industry shifts from "doing less harm" to "doing more good," we'll discuss the challenges and opportunities in creating tourism experiences that benefit both the environment and the communities we visit. Whether you're a destination marketer, tour operator, or travel enthusiast, this session will provide actionable insights and fresh perspectives on how to turn green ideals into gold standards.
Speaker: Kristin Dialessi, Madden Media
Sponsored by Sojern
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Location: DCC - Meridian A-F
Vendors and agencies play a vital role in helping hospitality and tourism organizations deliver high-quality products and services. Join us for a conversation on how to build and maintain strong relationships with vendors. We'll discuss practical tips for clear communication, negotiating contracts, and resolving issues. This session will highlight the importance of trust and openness, and show how good vendor partnerships can help your company not only operate in the day to day, but also innovate.
Speakers: Lesha Coltharp, Uintah County Travel & Tourism (Moderator); Sandra Salvas, Sandra Salvas Photography & Production; Chris Newton, Go Travel Sites; Stacie Boney, Hanson Dodge; Jessica Weaver, Fahlgren Mortine
Sponsored by Visit Ogden -
Location: DCC - Meridian G-C
Connect with international audiences and learn to forge cultural connections and the expectations of international visitors.
Learn how to collaborate with the Utah Office of Tourism to leverage its resources, reach these audiences, and welcome these high-value visitors to your areas.
In this session, you will hear from a panel of international representatives from Brand USA and Utah’s primary markets, UK, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, China, and India, about how you can be “market ready” and welcoming to international visitors. Come prepared with your questions, and join us for an engaging, interactive session!
This session is for DMOs, hoteliers, restaurants, guides/outfitters, attractions, and anyone interested in tapping into the international markets to attract and welcome these high-value visitors.
Speakers: Rachel Bremer, Utah Office of Tourism (Moderator); Corey Marshall, Canuckiwi; Heather McGillvray, Canuckiwi; Jenni Bridgman, KBC; Top Dong, Travel Link Marketing; Mansi Oza, Aviareps; Sarah Harwardt, Harwardt PR & Marketing; Jerod Fuchs, Brand USA
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Location: DCC - Eclipse Expo
Sponsored by Tripadvisor
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Location: DCC - Eclipse Expo
Speaker: Lieutenant Governor Deidre M. Henderson, State of Utah
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Location: DCC - Eclipse Expo
Experiences are the currency of 21st century consumers. To be successful, destinations, attractions, lodging companies, cultural sites, culinary venues and retailers must engineer unforgettable visitor experiences that turn customers into brand ambassadors.
Discover the Experience Formula™ to impact and influence customers’ emotional bank accounts. Uncover the levels of experiences to create engaging and immersive new offerings. Understand the five stages of every experience to create meaningful customer connections. Finally, learn about successful business case studies and models to create sustainable tourism success.
Speaker: Joe Veneto, Veneto Collaboratory
Sponsored by Tripadvisor
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Location: DCC - Stratus
Sponsored by Ski Utah
The UTC Networking Lounge is the place to recharge between UTC keynotes and breakout sessions. Take some time to network with your fellow conference goers as well as visit our many conference exhibitors and Made in Utah Marketplace.
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM | Breakout Sessions
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Location: DCC - Meridian A-F
Why is no one listening?! We know how valuable the visitor economy is to our communities. How do we best share this message with our elected leaders, community members, and stakeholders to rally the support we need? We’ll dig into a couple of case studies, the Utah Tourism Industry Association toolkit, and other examples of great advocacy work to explore how we can effectively communicate and demonstrate the value our industry brings to our destinations.
Speakers:. Sara Toliver, Visit Ogden; Lee Adamson, Explore Utah Valley; Jessica Merrill, Discover Davis
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Location: DCC - Meridian B
Connect with tourism researchers from the Utah Office of Tourism (UOT) and Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute (GPI) to better understand insights available from resident and visitor research happening around the state. Learn how you can capitalize on first party data to perform easy and inexpensive research in your area.
This session is for anyone wanting to learn about insights already available from an ongoing multi-wave statewide survey of Utah residents to better understand resident perceptions of tourism and tourism-related policies.In addition, UOT will share the process and outcome of recent visitor experience research using first party data. Communities can easily and inexpensively follow a similar model to learn more about its own visitors and what leads to satisfaction.
Speakers: Denise Jordan, Utah Office of Tourism; Dianne Meppen, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
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Location: DCC - Meridian G-C
As a social media marketer, you may take on the roles of editor, writer, photographer, graphic designer, strategizer, and community manager all at once. How do you add videography into the mix without losing your mind? During this session, you’ll learn basic video framing and filming techniques, tips for making your content more engaging, and simple and creative ways you can join social trends—or start trends of your own!
Speakers: Arianna Rees, Utah Office of Tourism; Courtney Kiehm, Sparkloft Media; Elissa Keverkian, Sparkloft Media
Sponsored by Box Elder County Tourism -
Location: DCC - Meridian H-D
Destinations and Travel Partners must focus on developing and innovating their offerings into compelling experiences for visitors. Drill down on the strategies presented in the keynote session to design and develop your new experiences.
Learn the best product types to leverage your existing content and assets into engaging and immersive experiences. Discover strategies and experience filters that will nurture your brand narrative. Tap into the power of stories and enable customers to amplify your message, drive referrals and generate revenue! Create your experience action plan to innovate your customer experience.Speaker: Joe Veneto, Veneto Collaboratory
Sponsored by Tripadvisor
3:40 PM - 4:40 PM | Breakout Sessions
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Location: DCC - Meridian A-F
The Utah Office of Tourism and Love Communications invite you to meet our newly defined audiences—face to face. As we present our latest research you'll discover everything that makes your ideal audience tick from their niche interests, personal motivators, unique characteristics, and more. Imagine being able to connect with highly engaged and interested audiences on a more personal level. Come prepared to introduce yourself, ask questions, and get inspired.
Speakers: Adam Whalen, Love Communications
Sponsored by Adara
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Location: DCC - Meridian B
During this session, discover strategies to grow your groups, meetings, and sports business within your destination by leveraging LinkedIn and other social advertising networks. We’ll discuss strategies to help you build relevant audiences and the tactics you’ll need to grow your base, nurture leads, and book more group business. You’ll walk away from this session with some fresh ideas to get more groups coming into your destination.
Speaker: Brian Matson, TwoSix Digital
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Location: DCC - Meridian G-C
This session will explore how you can extend and leverage key moments and milestones into more meaningful opportunities to diversify and build a resilient visitor economy. Using the 100 Years of Film as a case study, our discussion will explore ideas and opportunities for expanding a seemingly simple PR pitch into a powerful engine for economic development. The panel will include state, local, and business perspectives.
Speakers: Anna Loughridge, Utah Office of Tourism; Virginia Pearce, Utah Film Commission; Ryan Mack, Visit Salt Lake; Jeremy Pugh, Salt Lake Magazine; Joshua Rowley, Skyview Hotel
Sponsored by the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office
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Location: DCC - Meridian H-D
Join Maddy Oritt from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, and Des Barker and Celina Sinclair of UTIA, for an in-depth discussion on the current landscape of tourism and recreation taxes and revenues in Utah.
This session will delve into the findings from a recent study on tourism taxes, including TRT and TRCCA, offering a comprehensive history and key insights into how these taxes impact the industry and local communities. Additionally, participants will engage in a forward-looking conversation on how to strategically prepare for the 2025 legislative session, ensuring that Utah's tourism sector continues to thrive under effective and equitable tax policies.
Location: DCC - Meridian H-D
Speakers: Des Barker, UTIA Legislative Strategist; Maddy Oritt, Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute; Celina Sinclair, UTIA
Sponsored by Explore Utah Valley
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Enjoy an evening exploring Layton and Davis County's culinary scene. Savor German-American dishes at Weller’s, homemade Mexican at Orlando’s, local fare at Rooster's and award-winning Chinese at Mandarin. End the night with drinks at The Coop, Summit Lounge, or Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar.
For more dining options, visit discoverdavis.com/eat.