Regional Travel & Hospitality Leaders to Gather in Rehoboth Beach for TourismConnect Summit
*Conference draws travel, tourism and industry leaders from around the region to expand collaboration between states*
*REHOBOTH BEACH, DE / ACCESSWIRE / October 12, 2023 /* The Public Relations Society of America - Delaware Chapter (PRSA-DE) announces the inaugural TourismConnect - PR, Marketing & Collaboration Summit for the region's travel, tourism, culinary and hospitality industries. The summit will take place on Oct. 23 at the Atlantic Sands Hotel and Conference Center in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It will concentrate on the $2.7 billion tourism industry in Delaware's Sussex County, and bring together regional tourism leaders, supporting businesses and stakeholders to share best practices and insights in the development and promotion of more collaborative, sustainable travel and tourism between Delaware, Southern New Jersey and Maryland's Eastern Shore.
www.prsadelaware.org/tourismconnect2023
Top sponsors for the first-of-its-kind summit are Southern Delaware Tourism and The Atlantic Sands Hotel & Conference Center. Those who plan to attend must register online at www.prsadelaware.org/tourismconnect2023.
"TourismConnect has been designed and curated by public relations experts and focuses on all of the elements of the tourism industry - hospitality, travel and culinary development; marketing and advertising; promotion, and public relations," explained Tara Smith, President of PRSA-Delaware Chapter. "Tourism is one of the top economic drivers for this tri-state region, and PRSA-Delaware is facilitating this summit to give industry leaders a platform from which to tell their stories and explore new ways to grow this region as a top tourist, culinary and luxury destination."
The summit is open to any solo practitioner or business that participates in or supports tourism, including, but not limited to: state and regional tourism offices; hotels; resorts; airlines; rental car companies; attractions; restaurants; museums; historic sites, tour operators, and public relations and marketing professionals.
Delaware Senator Chris Coons will provide the summit's opening remarks via video. "Travel and tourism play a vital role in continuing our economic growth following the lean pandemic years," he stated prior to the event. "The TourismConnect Summit projects Delaware's commitment to a strong economy by bringing together some of the brightest minds across Southern Delaware, Maryland's Eastern Shore and Southern New Jersey. It opens the door wider for strategies and partnerships that expand hospitality resources that ultimately contribute to the growing tourism and hospitality sector in the U.S."
Jessica Welch, director of the Delaware Tourism Office, will present "The State of Tourism" in a lunch time keynote address.
Attendees will benefit from networking and panel discussions of local and regional tourism marketing and development initiatives from many industry innovators and thought leaders, including: Mariah Calagione, Dogfish Head co-founder & social impact leader; Ty Sawyer, executive vice president, Wayne's World Media and co-founder/director of content, product, marketing & brand strategy for Jetzy - Travel Like A Local, and Chef Jordan Lloyd of Hambleton House Events & Catering. *
"TourismConnect presents a great opportunity to assess our collective efforts in destination marketing and publicity throughout the region," said Scott Thomas, executive director of Southern Delaware Tourism. "While tourism continues to be a major economic engine, there are still many opportunities to collaborate and grow this sector. There's still so much of the unexpected to discover in our Mid-Atlantic region."
The Atlantic Sands Hotel and Conference Center's hotel owner, Gene Lankford, who next plans to build the Atlantic Crowne, a 55-key boutique hotel in Rehoboth Beach, explained, "As travel and tourism continue to recover, now is the time for us to come together to accelerate the process and grow. It's essential that Delaware stands alongside other states and regional communities to build more resilient and responsible tourism. This summit is long overdue and much needed to increase collaboration across our region and spark a more expansive tourism and hospitality industry here."
To register and learn more about TourismConnect - PR, Marketing & Collaboration Summit, visit www.prsadelaware.org/tourismconnect2023.
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(L to R) Atlantic Sands Hotel & Conference Center Owner Gene Lankford; Courtney Savage, COO, Lankford Ventures, and Scott Thomas, executive director, Southern Delaware Tourism, are top sponsors of the TourismConnect Summit planned for October 23^rd in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
** TourismConnect Summit panel discussions:*
· *CEO Check-In - A View from the Top: *Key hospitality executives "take the temperature" of business, competition, and the changing consumer base in Delaware and the region.
· *Eat, Drink, The Coast:* How to better reach and capitalize on today's high-end tourists who make top notch culinary destination experiences a top priority when they travel.
· *Shifting the Paradigm: Planes, Ferries and Automobiles:* Key regional transportation experts and trailblazers discuss the ways the area's transportation systems and highways are redefining how travelers currently - and in the future - travel to tri-state visitor destinations.
· *Small Budget, BIG Impact:* Executive directors of small, creative destination management organizations (DMOs) share ways to have a big impact on regional travel and tourism without a big budget or major investment.
· *The Pitch: Real Time Feedback for Pitching the Media: *Attendees who send in pitches by Oct. 17 will benefit from authentic guidance from top national and regional travel, tourism and culinary writers and editors to achieve more media attention.
· *The Power of PR Partnerships: Road Trip Edition:* How are large and small travel and hospitality companies, government agencies and talented communications professionals joining forces to optimize their marketing and PR budgets to achieve million-dollar results through collaboration and creativity?
*About PRSA-Delaware*
The Delaware Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) exists to support public relations and communications professionals working and living in the First State. As part of the largest professional communicator's association in the United States, the chapter serves members and fellow communicators across Delaware by providing professional development and networking opportunities to help our members and our state grow and succeed. To become a member or learn more, visit www.PRSADelaware.org.
*About Southern Delaware Tourism*
Southern Delaware Tourism supports and encourages the identification, development and promotion of sustainable, year-round tourism in Southern Delaware that contributes to economic growth and improves the quality of life. For more information, call Southern Delaware Tourism: (302) 856-1818 or explore our website: VisitSouthernDelaware.com
*Contact:*
Anne Ryan
Danika Communications
(302) 246-3380
(203) 918-2718
*SOURCE:* PRSA Delaware Chapter
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