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2023 RURAL TOURISM SEMINAR AGENDA
Sept. 13, 2023
10 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. ET
Knoxville Convention Center
701 Henley St Knoxville, TN 37902
Register by Sept. 5: https://forms.gle/Jv5gEvMBrQgejgo79
9:30 a.m. Doors Open
10 a.m. Welcome & Introductions - Mark Ezell – Commissioner Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
10:15 a.m. State Agency Updates on Rural Programs and Initiatives - TDTD Staff and Vendors
11a.m. Destination Branding: The essentials of brand building for your town -Steve Chandler Chandler Thinks
Branding is not only for major cities with big budgets. Small towns are now being recognized for the gems they’ve always been, providing the kind of charming experiences, nostalgic traditions, hospitality, and memories that only they can offer. Steve will take you through the essentials of brand building for your town. Beyond eye-catching logos and conventional advertising, you’ll learn how branding is something your entire community can get behind and engage in, as it attracts business, development, and talent. Steve has helped 120+ destinations across the country develop their own unique brand and will share some practical fundamentals to get you off and running.
Noon Lunch Served
12:15 p.m. 3 Strategies for Developing, Marketing & Delivering Authentic Place-based Experiences -Cheryl Hargrove - Hargrove International, Inc.
Focusing on a destination's personality of place and its historical, cultural, and natural assets can help rural communities attract high-value visitors and their spending. This session will focus on rural tourism examples of how to develop, market, and deliver authentic experiences with success and local benefit. Learn three strategies to help jumpstart your rural tourism programs for effective results.
1-2 p.m. Rural Tourism: Plan Development and Tracking Success- Berkeley Young – Young Strategies
Let’s write a plan now that we have an understanding of the motivational assets that will be at the core of our promotions. We will cover the basic steps of allocating your two primary assets (time and money) and how to sort through and prioritize the options you have to promote your rural destination. You now will have a template to start building your plan. Finally, we will show you how to measure your success. Let’s do this!
2 p.m. ARP / Q&A
2:30 p.m. Adjourn