CEO Senior Leadership Forum

Event Schedule 

Tuesday, March 21

3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.       STS Executive Committee Meeting *board members only

5:30 p.m.- 6:30 p.m.        Welcome reception - Hotel

6:45 p.m. - until                   Dinner on your own
STS Board Dinner *Invitation only 

Wednesday, March 22

6:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.         Breakfast on your own at hotel

9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.       Opening General Session

Trever Cartwright, Corragio Group
For travel industry leaders, taking responsible steps to accelerate the return to travel is a top priority, especially as they continue the hard work of stabilization and recovery. Having the right strategic plan will be critical going forward. But it won’t be enough to be successful. Equally important will be how you show up as a leader. In this dynamic, real-world talk Trever will share the five principles of leadership that will help leaders at every level amplify their influence and be better prepared to navigate the journey ahead.

10:45 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.       Breakout Session

Understanding Your Company's Culture: 5 Things You Absolutely Must Know
Sharonda White-Bishop, Bishop Consulting
Culture is your organization's hidden asset. But...what is it, and how do you and your team members harness its power to excel? This workshop is interactive and asks you to consider the culture you have versus the culture you want. Become strategic in how you hire, develop, manage performance, and communicate to reinforce the culture of your company and position for success.

12:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.      Lunch General Session

Julio Melara, Business Report
In this session, you’ll learn about the thought patterns and mindsets you need to develop and grow in order to reach your full potential as a leader

1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.       Roundtable Session

Facilitated by Berkeley Young, Young Strategies
The destination landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade. As we shift to a destination management model, new KPIs for destinations and DMOs go far beyond marketing. Now, destinations are tasked with maintaining every aspect of the workforce crisis, economic drivers, and be able to measure the tourism economy as a shared value within their community. Join this conversation with leaders who are at the forefront of change for our industry.

5:00 p.m.              Bus leaves hotel for TopGolf

5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.         Dinner & TopGolf

Forum attendees will be treated to a night of food and fun at Topgolf Baton Rouge, where they can show off their swing, compete against friends and enjoy the interactive game. Transportation will be provided from the Hilton to Topgolf.

Thursday, March 23

8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.       Breakfast General Session

Gretchen Hall, Destinations International
Destinations International (DI) believes that destination organizations positively impact local communities as a dynamic place to visit, live and work. As such, DI, the global association for destination professionals, elevates tourism by educating, equipping, empowering, and connecting its members to better fulfill their missions and achieve positive results around the world. Each year DI works to identify significant issues that destination professionals will be facing in the coming year. While each one of these issues can be classified as a problem, in our response, each one of these represents a strategic opportunity. Hear more about how DI will tackle each issue and provide member resources surrounding these major industry and global matters.

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.     Advocacy Panel

Facilitated by Walt Leger, New Orleans & Co.
Panelists from state leadership positions and industry professionals will lead a discussion focusing on effectively communicating the value of travel and tourism to stakeholders in a unified industry voice. 
Moderated by Walt Leger, panelists will lead you on how to engage policy and decision-makers, as well as expand on advocacy components including lobbying, educating, collaborating, and promotion.

Let this panel guide you to become more proactive, strategic, and diverse advocates for the travel and tourism industry. 

Panelists:

• Jay Markwalter, Georgia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus

• Joshua McNemar, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD)

• Senator Fred Mills, Senate District 22

• Suchitra J. Satpathi, Pelican State Partners

10:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.   Closing remarks

10:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m.       STS Board Meeting *Board members only