Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference Recaps

A special thank you to everyone that attended!

Conference Photos

View a photo gallery of the 2026 Tourism Conference. 

2026 Tourism Conference Photos

Conference Keynote Recordings 

• Welcome to the 2026 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference
  Recording
  
  
• Lauren Bennett McGinty: Explore Minnesota 2025 Year in Review
  Explore Minnesota’s Executive Director, Lauren Bennett McGinty, reviews the agency’s work, campaign and highlights from 2025.
  Recording | Presentation
  
  
• Amir Eylon: Using Traveler Sentiment and Behavior to Guide Your Path Forward
  This session examines what travelers are thinking using the most up-to-date research from the American Travel Sentiment tracker, behavioral insights from Travel USA, and how Minnesota’s travel industry can use this information to their advantage. 
  Recording | Presentation
  
  
• Lauren Bennett McGinty, Steve Grove, Amy Stearns, and Kenzi Klein present Catalyzing Change: How Tourism Innovation Builds Stronger Communities 
  Tourism is more than marketing—it’s a tool for transformation. Learn how to innovate while evolving traditions. From Detroit Lakes’ trolls to Steve Grove’s Minnesota Star Tribune revival, discover ways to reach new audiences and drive growth.
  Recording
  
  
• Lauren Bennett McGinty: Explore Minnesota 2026 Look Forward
  Executive Director, Lauren Bennett McGinty, previews Explore Minnesota’s upcoming work, campaigns and initiatives for 2026.
  Recording | Presentation
  
  
• Todd Brook: AI in Action, Practical Uses for Today’s Tourism Organizations 
  This session cuts through the hype to demonstrate how lean teams utilize AI for automated reporting, content creation, and daily tasks, all without a large budget. Learn to start small, work responsibly, and apply practical tools immediately.
  Recording | Presentation

Breakout Session Recordings 

• Creating a Social Media Charter & What's Working Now in Social Media
  Explore Minnesota guides participants through the process of creating a social charter, along with a panel of industry experts who share real-world advice for adapting and thriving in the rapidly changing world of social media.
  Recording | Presentation
  Social Charters: Template | Explore Minnesota Organic | Minnesota Orchestra | Visit St. Paul | Minnesota State Fair
  
  
• Estimating Economic Impact of Your Festivals & Events
  Discover fundamental concepts involved in economic impact analysis, including data collection methods for community events. Attendees will gain foundational knowledge and practical tools to support strategic planning for festivals and events.
  Recording | Presentation
  
  
• De-Mystifying AI: How to Think About Your Website in The New Era of Digital Marketing
  In this breakout session, hear from four industry-leading voices on how to evolve your website in the world of Generative AI Search, from addressing concerns about Reddit to exploring whether AI should be integrated into your site.
  Recording | Presentation
  
  
• The State of Group & International Travel
  This session highlights U.S. Travel's newly released report, “State of Group Travel,” and provides a view from “inside the beltway” in Washington DC, including updates on issues impacting international inbound travel.
  Recording | Presentation
  
  
• From Influence to Impact: A Practical Roadmap for Advocacy
  In this session, learn how to identify priority stakeholders, develop messages that resonate, build an intentional engagement plan, and activate champions who can help advance your priorities.
  Available upon request | Presentation
  
  
• Leveraging Outdoor Recreation Resources for Destination Placemaking
  How do outdoor recreation events turn communities into destinations? This panel explores wins from La Crescent’s Gravel Biking National Championships and Minnesota’s Iron Range, where mountain biking fueled economic impact and local identity.
  Recording | Presentation
  
  
• Shiny New Objects: Innovative Marketing Solutions
  Vendors share new, creative and innovative ideas for destination marketers and tourism-related businesses. This session is conducted in a fast-paced, entertaining style of presentation. Each vendor will have six minutes to introduce their concept.
  Recording | Advance Travel & Tourism | Eckelberg Productions | Madden Media | Shrpa | Adara + Star Tribune | Gray Destination Marketing
  
  
• Reel Impact: Film, Festivals and Creative Tourism
  This session explores how film and tourism intersect in Minnesota, showing how regional storytelling and cinematic infrastructure fuel economic growth. Duluth-based organizations will share how their work supports a thriving creative economy.
  Recording | Presentation
  
  
• Maximizing the Impact of Lodging Taxes: Strategies and Best Practices
  Industry panelists dive into Minnesota's lodging tax statute, compliance, and collection, and share best practices for DMOs to ensure the lodging taxes drive the tourism economy in your community.
  Recording | Presentation

Tourism Award Winners

Tourism Awards Program Video

• Tourism Industry Leader
  Beth Pierce, Iron Range Tourism Bureau
  
  
• Emerging Leader
  Ashlee White, Visit Mankato
  
  
• Outstanding Marketing Campaign Award under $1 million
  Discover Stillwater
  
  
• Outstanding Marketing Campaign over $1 million
  Meet Minneapolis
  
  
• Social Media Excellence
  International Falls, Ranier & Rainy Lake CVB
  
  
• Outstanding Video Award
  International Falls, Ranier & Rainy Lake CVB
  
  
• Best Destination Website Award
  Destination: Woodbury
  
  
• One Minnesota Award
  Visit Bemidji
  
  
• Exceptional Grant Project
  Experience Maple Grove
  
  
• Exceptional Co-op Campaign Award
  Giants Ridge

Awards Photos

View a photo gallery of the 2026 Tourism Award Winners. 

2026 Tourism Awards Photos

Sponsors

Thank you to our conference sponsors:

Premier Keynote Sponsors

Virtual Broadcast Sponsor

Networking Break Sponsors

Breakout Sessions Sponsors

Lanyard Sponsor

Water Bottle Sponsor

Travel Marketplace Sponsors

A special thank you to everyone that attended!

Share Feedback About the Conference 

Conference Photos

View a photo gallery of the 2025 Tourism Conference. 

2025 Tourism Conference Photos

Conference Keynote Recordings 

• Lauren Bennett McGinty, Explore Minnesota Executive Director, presents: Explore Minnesota Look Back: The Year in Review 
  
  
• Josiah Brown, the New York Sherpa, presents: How to Speak our Industry's Story with Impact 
  
  
• Adam Sacks, President of Tourism Economics, presents: Where Do We Go From Here? 
  
  
• Janette Roush, Sr. Vice President of Brand USA, presents: Generative AI and Tourism: Practical Applications for Minnesota's Global Future 
• 
  
• Lauren Bennett McGinty, Explore Minnesota Executive Director, presents: Explore Minnesota 2025 Look Forward

Breakout Session Recordings 

Shiny New Objects
Selected vendors will showcase the latest innovative technologies, products, and services emerging in the travel and tourism industry.

Strategies to Attract More Sports Business to Your Community (Industry Panel)
Learn from Minnesota Sports Alliance panelists how they have built successful programs to attract more sports meetings, events and tournaments to their communities and facilities.

The Print Travel Guide of the Future
Print is not dead, but yours might be. Learn from Josiah Brown's experience of talking to thousands of travelers per year on what they are looking for in travel guides and why it’s an essential part of your local advocacy efforts as well.

10 Social Media Trends to Watch in 2025
Arik Hanson will provide his pragmatic predictions for what’s next in the social media marketing world. It’s a big question on many travel industry marketers’ minds as we start the New Year.

Regional Impacts of Climate Change Across Minnesota and the Future of Tourism
This session will share new, highly localized climate projections for Minnesota and explore how tourism marketing efforts can adapt to the challenges and opportunities of a changing climate.

Tourism Asset-Based Economic Development
Dr. Maree Forbes Gaughan will discuss Asset Based Economic Development, an approach that begins with existing tourism assets and builds upon the distinct culture to create tourism offerings that are unique to the area, that can’t be duplicated.

Generative AI 101
Ready to move beyond the AI buzzwords and start actually using these tools? Janette Roush will present an interactive workshop with practical applications of AI for tourism professionals.

Lightning in a Bottle, a Bring Ya A** Case Study
The Explore Minnesota marketing team seized on the opportunity, quickly launching a series of social media posts, a web takeover, and other communications and campaign efforts to seize the attention of fans, media and the internet at large.

The Changing Face of Group Travel
Join Dr. Maree Forbes Gaughan and the Explore Minnesota Market Development Team to learn what today's group travelers are looking for in a trip and the differences in their search and booking patterns.

Winona’s Winning Formula: Leveraging Outdoor Recreation for Tourism, Community, and Quality of Life
This case study will explore how the city’s strategic investments in outdoor spaces and recreational activities have not only attracted visitors and new residents but also enhanced the quality of life for its current population.

AI Ideas Exchange
Moving beyond basic tools to tackle the strategic challenges of AI adoption? Join Janette Roush in this facilitated discussion where tourism leaders share approaches to thorny issues like organizational guidelines, change management, and executive buy-in.

How to Attract Film Production to Your Community
Learn about the new Explore Minnesota Film office, the tourism and economic development opportunities of film production, and how to create a Film Friendly Community Program to attract new productions to your community.

Tourism Award Winners

• Outstanding Marketing Campaign (for total organizational budgets under $1,000,000) - Visit Mankato 
  
  
• Outstanding Marketing Campaign (for total organizational budgets over $1,000,000) - Visit Cook County 
  
  
• Social Media Excellence - Mall of America
  
  
• Outstanding Video - Lovin' Lake County 
  
  
• Best Destination Website - Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism
  
  
• One Minnesota Award - Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota 
  
  
• Exceptional Grant Project - Explore Willmar Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau 
  
  
• Exceptional Co-op Campaign - Visit Lake City 
  
  
• Emerging Leader - Sabrina Koelsch, Little Falls Chamber & Tourism
  
  
• Tourism Industry Leader - Bill Deef, Meet Minneapolis

Awards Photos

View a photo gallery of the 2025 Tourism Award Winners. 

2025 Tourism Awards Photos

Sponsors

Thank you to our conference sponsors: 

KEYNOTE SPONSORS

CONFERENCE BREAK SPONSORS

BREAKOUT SESSION SPONSORS

MARKETPLACE VENDORS

LANYARD SPONSOR

WATER BOTTLE

A special thank you to everyone that attended the 2024 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference

View conference recordings and view slide decks from Monday's Leadership Summit and Tuesday's full -day conference.

Leadership Summit

• Minnesota Mavericks: Responsible 'desTruption ' in Tourism (PDF) presented by Jennifer Barbee, Co-Founder, Head of Growth and Industry Relations at Destination Innovate
  
  
• Livability and Explore Minnesota for Business (PDF) presented by Explore Minnesota and the Department of Employment and Economic Development
  
  
• Marketing for Community: Building Sustainable Tourism through Local Development, moderated by Jennifer Barbee with panelists: Joe Ward, Experience Rochester; Alison Zelms, Rochester City Administrator; Daniele Villa, Visit Duluth; Tricia Hobbs, City of Duluth; Tim Zunker, Shakopee Chamber and Visitors Bureau
  
  

Conference Keynotes

• Alison Zelms, Rochester City Administrator – Welcome to Rochester
  
  
• Lauren Bennett McGinty - How Minnesota Shows Up (PDF)  2023 Marketing Recap Video
  
  
• Brian Matson - Trends & Fresh Digital Strategies for 2024
  
  
• Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan – Star of the North
  
  
• Improv Cafe presented by Theater of Public Policy - Minnesota Tourism

Breakout Session Recordings

• Digital Accessibility 101 (PDF) presented by August Erickson, Miles Partnership.
  In this session you'll learn the history of digital accessibility, the existing legal requirements, and the first steps your organization can take to ensure your website is accessible to those with disabilities.
  
  
• How AI Can Help, Not Hinder Your Work presented by Brian Matson, TwoSix Digital.
  In this fun and interactive breakout session, Brian Matson of TwoSix Digital will cover the basics of what you need to be doing online to promote your business and explore ways that AI and machine learning can be applied to enhance your marketing efforts.
  
  
• Podcasts Place in Tourism Marketing: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (PDF) moderated by Bill Von Bank, Experience Rochester and panelists Nancy Schnable, Discover Austin, MN, Lacey Squire, Visit Ely, Kristen Montag, Meet Minneapolis and Dan Jasper, Mall of America. Join your tourism industry peers for a panel discussion about podcasts place in tourism marketing.
  
  
• Multi-Cultural Diversity Advertising presented by Cliff Ward, Orange142
  Learn how to reach and engage diverse audiences through multicultural marketing.
  
  
• Outdoor Recreation for Economic Development (PDF) moderated by Randolph Briley, Explore Minnesota and presented by Chris Perkins,  Outdoor Recreation Roundtable
  Outdoor Recreation is the source of numerous benefits for rural communities. Civic leaders, destination marketers and economic development professionals need tools to leverage local outdoor recreation opportunities to achieve these benefits.
  
  
• Web Strategy That Works (PDF) presented by Devon Cox, Andrew Parks and Caitlin Hannah, Explore Minnesota
  In this session, you'll learn how to audit your website and center your strategy around the user journey to drive organic traffic, no matter the size of your website or budget.
  
  

Tourism Award Winners

• One Minnesota Award - Mesabi Trail
  
  
• Outstanding Social Media Campaign - Best Western Hotels of Minnesota
  
  
• Marketing Innovation - Otter Tail Lakes Country Association
  
  
• Creating a Welcoming Experience - Visit Duluth
  
  
• Visitor Services Award - Katie Claire Schuler, Caribou Highlands Lodge
  
  
• Emerging Leader - Cindy Smyka, Ely Area Tourism Bureau
  
  
• Tourism Industry Leader - Bill Foussard, Owner, Best Western Plus White Bear Country Inn/Rudy's Redeye Grill
  
  

Tourism Awards: 2024 Awards Program

View all Tourism Award Nominees and Tourism Award Winners

Conference Photos

View a photo gallery from the 2024 Tourism Conference including Tourism Award Winners. Check back for more conference photos being added soon!

2024 Tourism Conference Photo Gallery

Sponsors

Thank you to our conference sponsors: 

KEYNOTE SPONSORS

CONFERENCE BREAK SPONSORS

BREAKOUT SESSION SPONSORS

MARKETPLACE VENDORS

LANYARD SPONSOR

SILENT AUCTION

A special thank you to everyone that attended the 2023 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference

Conference Videos

• Keynote 1: Lauren Bennet McGinty - Tourism Matters for Minnesota
  
• Keynote 2: Greg DeShields - The Fundamentals of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  
• Awards: 2023 Award Winners

Keynote Speaker Presentations

• Keynote 3: Katie Goodman - 8 Tools of Improv Comedy That We Can Apply To Every Day Life

Breakout Session Recordings

• Breakout 1: Breakout 1: The Language of Diversity
  Presented by Greg DeShields, Tourism Diversity Matters
  
  
• Breakout Session 1: The Secret to Marketing through a Pandemic, Inflation (and possible recession)
  Presented by Sojern
  
  
• Breakout Session 1: Think Like a Journalist - Pitching Tips for Destinations in 2023
  Presented by Weber Shandwick
  
  
• Breakout Session 2: Behind the Curtain: How the travel industry (and others) spend their digital ad dollars—and what to do about it!
  Presented by Madden Media
  
  
• Breakout Session 2: Blurring the Lines between Tourism and Economic Development: A Community Conversation
  Presented by Explore Minnesota and Department of Employment & Economic Development
  
  
• Breakout Session 2: Measuring Your Campaign Performance with Metrics That Matter
  Presented by Adventure Creative/True Media
  
  

Conference Award Winners

		Julie Wearn		Tourism Professional of the Year
		Rachel Thompson		Emerging Leader
		Amy Jo Marks		Exceptional Customer Service
		Visit Lake City		#OnlyinMN Award
		St. Louis County Depot		Marketing Campaign of the Year (business)
		Discover St. Louis Park		Marketing Campaign of the Year (destination)
		Ride the Range		One Minnesota Award

Photos

Flickr gallery

Sponsors

Thank you to our conference sponsors: 

Keynote Sponsors

Breakout Session Sponsors

Conference Break Sponsors

Marketplace Vendors

Lanyard Sponsor