The Greater Grand Forks Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), in conjunction with the Destination Marketing Association of North Dakota (DMAND) and the North Dakota Department of Commerce Tourism and Marketing Division, is pleased to announce the 2022 North Dakota Travel Industry Conference will be in Grand Forks, April 25-27, at the Alerus Center.
The conference, which annually attracts more than 200 travel professionals, includes continuing education, renowned speakers, trainers, best practices and peer-to-peer networking on industry trends, marketing, and business topics. Highlights of the 2022 event:
- Registration begins at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 25, with an opening reception at the legendary Ralph Engelstad Arena.
- Breakout sessions on Tuesday, April 26, and Wednesday, April 27, will cover destination accessibility, diversity, outdoor recreation, talent attraction, global tourism, destination development, social media marketing, Native American tourism and community-driven storytelling.
- U.S. Travel Association President Roger Dow and Commerce Tourism and Marketing Director Sara Otte Coleman will provide travel updates as part of a luncheon on Tuesday, April 26.
- The Governor’s Awards for Travel and Tourism presented by Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford, DMAND President Julie Obrigewitsch, and Commerce Tourism and Marketing Director Sara Otte Coleman will close out the conference on Wednesday, April 27.
Keynote speakers and topics being presented at the conference:
- Bringing Home the Gold – North Dakota’s first Olympic Gold Medalists, Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, have helped lead the battle for gender equity in hockey, sports and society at large. They also founded the Lamoureux Foundation, which funds educational and extracurricular programs for children in need, primarily in their home state of North Dakota. Be inspired as these legendary twins lead us through their historic hockey careers and impactful lives off the ice.
- What Makes Great Places to Visit, Live and Work – Winona Dimeo-Ediger will use insights from her current role as founder and CEO of talent-attraction firm RoleCall, as well as her experience as former editor of Liveability.com to discuss the common threads of great places.
- Cultural Sensitivity for the Accidentally Insensitive – Comedian Shannan Paul, named “Best Stand-up Comedian” by City Pages Magazine, discusses “Cultural Sensitivity for the Accidentally Insensitive” using personal anecdotes and real-world situations to teach the audience how to not walk blindly into awkward interactions.
- Digital Marketing Trends & Tactics for Jumpstarting Success – TwoSix Digital Senior Director of Strategy & Education Brian Matson will share the latest scoop on what’s happening (and changing) in the world of digital marketing.
The full conference agenda and online registration can be found at: https://belegendary.link/TIC