Sunshine Matters

Now in its 47th year, the annual Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism is coming up September 22-24. In less than four weeks at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, attendees can count on being inspired, engaged, energized and educated by some of the industry’s top thinkers – and receive business insights that lead to big ideas.  Here’s what some of this year’s speakers will be talking about:

Eric Whitacre, Grammy-Winning Composer, Conductor and Creator of the Virtual Choir
Eric will draw on his experience to speak inspiringly about the possibilities that open up when people are invited to contribute creatively and share their talent with their peers.  He explains how the drive to create and share, which have always lain at the heart of choral music, can be harnessed in professional contexts, and he shares the strategies and sensibilities that allow leaders to unlock that drive in the teams they manage.  For more details

Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association
Despite the size and positive impact of the U.S. Travel industry, the act of traveling has yet to be seen as an essential part of our lives, businesses and economy.  The Travel Effect campaign reverses that thinking and proves that the travel experience and the travel industry as a whole actually have a measurable and purposeful impact.  The Travel Effect proves through new and original research the economic, societal, business and personal benefits of travel, demonstrating the real truth behind the “hidden” impacts that travel can have on us all.  For more details

Jonah Berger, Wharton Professor and Bestselling Author of “Contagious: Why Things Catch On”
Ever wondered why some things catch on and become popular while others falter?  Jonah Berger has the answers.  He’s a marketing professor at the Wharton School and author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller “Contagious: Why Things Catch On.”  He spent the last decade studying how social influence works and how it drives products and ideas to catch on.  For more details

Sarah Catlett, Vice President of The Futures Company
Building the future of Florida tourism requires an understanding of Millennials—young adults born in the 1980s and 1990s—including what makes them tick, what’s most important to them when it comes to vacation, and how to engage them with relevant, authentic offers and messages that tap into their desire to expand their horizons and redefine success beyond traditional definitions.  Join us as Sarah shares the latest insights from a recent in-depth VISIT FLORIDA study of Millennials, their travel attitudes and expectations, and what it all means for growing your business.  For more details

Becky Thalmann, Brand Strategist for Google Travel
The level of connectivity in today’s world is a driving force for the evolution of the traveler.  Becky will share her perspective on three major directional shifts that we are seeing in the travel industry, driven by this increasingly connected traveler.  We will explore trends in consumer behavior, as well as the corresponding technological developments that will define travel product and marketing efforts in 2014 and beyond.  Learn how to stay relevant and prosper in this evolving landscape and use technology as your biggest asset.  For more details

Don’t miss out on your chance to be in the know.  Register now at FloridaTourismConference.com.  We look forward to seeing you in Boca Raton!