SEMINAR DESCRIPTIONS

Coffee Talk with NTA Chair Monique van Dijk-Seppola
Sunday, Nov. 9 | 8:15–8:45 a.m.

“How can I get more involved with NTA?” “What does NTA do related to advocacy?” “What does the NTA staff do when they’re not at Travel Exchange?” “How can I share my ideas for what I think NTA needs to do?” You’ve got questions … now get answers! When the sun rises on Travel Exchange ’25, grab a cup of coffee and come together with your NTA colleagues to chat about the year-round life of the association. Sharing details, answering your questions, and maybe asking a few themselves will be NTA Chair Monique von Dijk-Seppola and NTA President Catherine Prather.

‘What We’re Looking For’
Sunday, Nov. 9 | 10:15–11:15 a.m.

If you’re a DMO, tour supplier, associate, or receptive operator, you’re looking to connect with buyers at Travel Exchange. But what are those buyers looking for? In this session, you’ll hear from three NTA tour operators and learn what they want to find at Travel Exchange and beyond. You’ll also have the chance to ask them questions and gain their perspective on many facets of packaged travel.

Birds of a Feather: Sales & Service to Customer Personalities
Speaker: Brad Anderson
Monday, Nov. 10 | 10–11 a.m. 

In today’s competitive tourism industry, understanding customer personalities can transform your sales approach and service delivery. In this fast-paced, interactive session, Brad Anderson from Blueprint will introduce the four primary customer personality styles and offer practical techniques for engaging each one. Whether you’re selling to tour operators, individual travelers, or attraction visitors, learning how to adapt your communication to match your customer’s style can boost trust, enhance experiences, and drive conversions. 

Exposed! Unlocking Untapped Inquiry Sales in Your Organization
Speaker: Brad Anderson
Monday, Nov. 10 | 11:15 a.m.–noon

While many customers go online, plenty still call you directly to ask questions, check availability, or request proposals. The way you handle that call can determine whether you win the sale—or lose it. In this engaging session, Brad will walk participants through simple but effective techniques to turn phone inquiries into additional business. To drive the lessons home, he’ll make live mystery calls to local businesses during the session for group analysis and feedback.

Partnership Panel: Suppliers and Operators
Monday, Nov. 10 | 1:30–2:30 p.m.

The entire group travel industry is based on partnerships, and that’s more true today than ever before. Tour operators are looking for tour supplier partners they can trust, and suppliers are looking for operator partners that will help them grow their business. But what does that partnership actually look like? And how can suppliers and operators work together in a way that benefits them both? In this session, a panel of suppliers and operators will discuss the specific ways in which they work together to create great experiences for travelers. 

Tour Supplier Network Forum
Monday, Nov. 10 | 4–5:15 p.m.

No segment of the NTA membership is as varied as the tour supplier category, which includes hotels, attractions, passenger vessels, restaurants, and casinos, among other types of businesses. And yet, there are principles that hold true for all tour suppliers with marketing, staffing, reaching tour operators, and handling the everyday issues. Come ready to share what has or hasn’t worked for you, and you’ll hear from your peers the strategies they’re using. (This session is open to NTA tour supplier members only).

DMO Network Forum
Tuesday, Nov. 11 | 4:15–5:15 p.m.

You love the destination you represent, and you want others to love it, too. As you promote the place you love, you’ll find it helpful to hear what works for your DMO peers. Whether you’re attending Travel Exchange on behalf of a small city, a large metropolitan area, a state, a province, or an entire country, this forum is a chance for you to get ideas from others who are doing the same thing you’re doing … only in a different place. (This session is open to NTA DMO members only.)

Social Media Content Ideas to Attract Heritage and Cultural Tourism Visitors
Speaker: Sheila Scarborough
Wednesday, Nov. 12 | 11 a.m.–noon

We know that certain visitors and locals are drawn to heritage and cultural attractions, but what about in mid-sized cities, smaller towns, and rural areas? Do they have assets that can appeal to this sort of person? Using as a framework the eight elements of rural culture as defined by the Kansas Sampler Foundation—architecture, art, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography, history, and people—Sheila will share lots of ideas for using social media and online content to help promote heritage/cultural offerings to exactly the sort of visitor who will appreciate them. Session attendees will also learn to consider cross-promotion with cultural assets like scenic byways and Main Street districts, and she’ll discuss ways to save time by repurposing one piece of content into another. Everyone will walk away with a detailed handout summary of the content ideas. 

How to Get Your Email Marketing in Gear: I Believe in Miracles. Where You From, You Sexy Email Thing?
Speaker: Sheila Scarborough
Wednesday, Nov. 12 | 2:45–3:45 p.m.

Your first marketing communications priorities in a fast-paced, chaotic, changing world are the assets that you control. That’s your website, blog, and email list—and not your social media accounts, which do not belong to you and can be taken down at any time. Sheila will focus on the less sparkly and trendy, but decidedly effective, tool that too many ignore: email marketing.

She’ll discuss nine steps to starting (or revitalizing) an email newsletter for tourism marketing, including getting clear on goals, frequency, a content calendar, segmenting, building your subscriber list, and setting up an automatic welcome sequence. You’ll come to appreciate how powerful and fun it is to talk to your email list whenever you want and tell your story your way without an unsexy, annoying algorithm interfering. (Hat tip to Hot Chocolate’s 1975 hit, You Sexy Thing)

Partnership Panel: DMOs and Operators
Wednesday, Nov. 12 | 1:30–2:30 p.m.

One NTA tour operator member has said that the most important days of the year for their business are the ones at Travel Exchange when they meet with DMOs. Why? Because those connections are where future tours are born. Of course, the DMO/operator partnership doesn’t stop once an itinerary is shared. It continues all the way up to and through the tour and beyond. What makes a fruitful partnership? Come hear from a panel of DMOs and tour operators to find out how they work together to create memories for travelers and to build a connection that lasts. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions of the panelists to help you learn how to strengthen your own partnerships with operators.

A Deep Dive into Destination Accessibility
Speaker: Joe Jamison, VisitAble

Making your destination more accessible can feel overwhelming—especially when many key elements are outside your direct control. So where do you begin? What’s your role as the DMO? Join this session to unpack the core components of accessible tourism, discover what DMOs can uniquely influence, and walk away with practical tips to start building an effective, action-oriented accessibility plan.

Accessible Tourism: An Introduction for Tour Suppliers
Speaker: Joe Jamison, VisitAble

How can tour suppliers create more accessible and welcoming experiences for all travelers, including those with disabilities? Join VisitAble’s Founder, Joe Jamison, for an insightful session on disability inclusion and accessibility for tour suppliers. Learn key insights and practical strategies to become more inclusive, attract a wider audience, and ensure all travelers have great experiences.