EDUCATION

SYTA is pleased to bring you these Thought Leader Sessions so you can grow, learn and improve your business. With 20 education sessions to choose from, there is something for everyone. All sessions are open and available to all attendees. Each session qualifies for CSTP credit.

SATURDAY

Saturday, August 10 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Elevated Leadership for a Performance Culture

Location: Sugar Hill Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speaker: Andrea Ross with Cultivate Advisors

Perfect for business owners and managers running a team of 3 people or more, this session will explore why establishing a robust performance culture is paramount for organizational success. We will delve into the intricacies of creating an environment where attrition rates are low, and performance consistently soars. Discover how to align your team’s efforts seamlessly, ensuring that all members are rowing in the same direction towards common goals. The discussion will highlight the importance of striking a perfect balance between skill and commitment, fostering a workplace where each individual’s strengths are maximized. We will also talk through the necessity of clear accountability, empowering teams to take ownership of their roles and contribute meaningfully to the organization’s objectives. Join us to learn actionable strategies that will elevate your team’s performance and drive sustained excellence.

Saturday, August 10 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

What Should I Do?

Location: Chelsea Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speaker: Jeff Ment & Ken Whitman

A Risk Management, Insurance and Travel Law Q & A Session Come hear about incidents which resulted in disputes, claims and lawsuits, and join the conversation about recent travel industry trends. What was the end result and what could have been done better? Join our interactive session, where you can suggest a topic for conversation and discuss a situation that concerns you.

*NEW DATE!
Saturday, August 10 | 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Planning for Your Next of Kin

Location: Chelsea Room

Speaker: Bill Caldwell

No one likes to think about the phases of life and how, in a time of uncertainty, your Next of Kin will handle urgent matters. This seminar, designed for everyone, makes the process of organizing your entire life, both physical and digital, simple. We will cover topics from organizing financial documents to the care of your pets! You’ll sleep better knowing your Next of Kin are prepared for life’s inevitable transitions.

Benefits of Attending:

Peace of mind knowing your affairs are in order
Reduced stress and confusion for your next of kin
Comprehensive understanding of legal and financial responsibilities
Practical tips and tools for organizing your life

Who Should Attend:

Individuals of all ages looking to plan for the future
Families wanting to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities
Executors or those with power of attorney seeking guidance
Anyone interested in safeguarding their digital and physical assets

Saturday, August 10 | 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Generative AI for Tourism Marketers

Location: Sugar Hill Room

Speakers: Janette Roush with NYC Tourism + Conventions

Generative AI is revolutionizing the tourism industry, and marketers must adapt to stay ahead of the curve. Janette Roush, NYC Tourism’s EVP Marketing and global speaker on using these tools, cuts through the hype to provide a clear roadmap for practical implementation. We’ll explore ways you can use this technology today for creating campaign strategy and analyzing survey data. We’ll also address potential pitfalls and examine the near-term future of AI in tourism marketing. Leave empowered to start small, experiment strategically, and harness generative AI to shape your organization’s success.

Sponsored by Empire State Building Observatory.

Saturday, August 10 | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Designing the Perfect Student Itinerary

Location: Chelsea Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speakers: Mitch Bach & Alan Armijo from TripSchool.

New (And Old) Rules for Tour Operators – Between teacher expectations, student attention spans, traffic, and crowds, it’s harder than ever to design a great student tour itinerary. Whether you’re new to itinerary creation or looking for a jolt of inspiration to bring back to your team, this workshop is your guide to the best practices for creating trips that wow and avoiding common pitfalls. TripSchool’s Mitch Bach and Alan Armijo—tour directors and operators each with 25 years’ experience—will cover both the timeless psychological principles and new challenges—and opportunities—of tour design.

Sponsored by HI USA.

Saturday, August 10 | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

NASA STEAM at Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex

Location: Sugar Hill Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speaker: Jose Hernandez

Sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex

Saturday, August 10 | 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

International Travel

Location: Chelsea Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speakers: Panel speakers and countries to be available mid-July

SYTA Research shows that Out-of-country travel is forecasted to grow 240% over last year. Many student tour operators rely on receptive operators to facilitate their groups while traveling abroad. Hear from a panel of international tour operators on how to partner with them and what is unique to their destinations. Panel speakers and countries to be available by mid-July. This session was organized by the SYTA International Committee.

Sponsored by Broadway Inbound.

Saturday, August 10 | 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

Mastering the SYTA Marketing Toolkit: Save Time and Money with Practical Tools for Your Marketing Materials

Location: Sugar Hill Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speakers: Kasie Smith from Serendipity Media, Casey Cole from Super Holiday Tours and Music USA Festivals, Catheleen Johnson from CJ Tourism consultants and Matthew Fenton from Bob Rogers Travel.

If you are a harried, overwhelmed or under-resourced marketer for your organization, this session is for you! SYTA has developed an excellent resource to make your marketing job easier and it’s just a click away on SYTA.org. Join the developers and enthusiastic users of the SYTA Marketing Toolkit for a practical, interactive session on ways to use the Toolkit to incorporate relevant and easy-to-use video, messaging, pre-prepared press releases, graphics and more into your own marketing materials. Presenters will demonstrate the tools in the kit and brainstorm with you on new ways to use them! This session was organized by the SYTA Communications Committee

SUNDAY

Sunday, August 11 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Bridging the Gap

Location: Sugar Hill Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speakers: Noelle Piche from Tourism Kingston will be the moderator. Panelists will be announced mid-July

How to effectively work with DMOs and tour operators.

*NEW DATE!
Sunday, August 11 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Communications in a Crisis – Get Ready Now!

Location: Chelsea Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speaker: Cathleen Johnson with CJ Tourism Consultants.

As anyone who has lived through a crisis can tell you, you’ll never be completely ready when a crisis hits your firm or a tragedy affects your customers. It’s easy to be caught off guard when the media, government officials, law enforcement, first responders or your travelers start flooding your phone, email and social media channels! But you can guard against chaos by having your communications plan prepared in advance. In this session, we will review a crisis communications program framework that covers what you need to communicate to your stakeholders Before, During and After a crisis. The goal will be to arm you with Best Practices, provide you with a template for a plan and get you started on creating Key Messages, Holding Statements and tips for effective communications management in a crisis.

Sponsored by AON Affinity Travel Practices.

Sunday, August 11 | 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Succession and Business Continuity Planning

Location: Bowery Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speaker: Andrea Ross

Sunday, August 11 | 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Applied DEIA Workshop

Location: Chelsea Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speaker: Roni Weiss

Roni Weiss of Travel Unity, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit that has curated DEI standards for Travel & Tourism, and Harry Alvarez of Offbeat Travel will facilitate a workshop where participants will be invited to create their own roadmap for applied DEI, including how to appeal to travelers of all backgrounds and identities, diversify your workforce, and improve relationships with local communities.

Sponsored by Visit Montgomery

Sunday, August 11 | 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Preparing for the Worst

Location: Sugar Hill Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speakers: Dave Dennis with Cornerstone Safety Group and members of SYTA’s Health & Safety Committee

Utilizing Crisis Simulations to Understand Roles and Responsibilities When Disasters Occur – Once your organization has developed a Crisis Response Plan and your team members have been trained in order to understand the role each of them play in a crisis response, it is important to practice so everyone knows how to use the Plan. A Crisis Simulation activity allows team members to act out their part as if the simulation were a real crisis. It gives an opportunity for team members to develop a reference point and memory that they can call upon to help ensure they will react appropriately during a real-life event. Join our panel to participate in a live crisis simulation activity and come away with an experience and resources you can take back to your organization to make sure you are prepared for the worst. This session was organized by the SYTA Health & Safety Committee.

Sponsored by AFC Travel.

Sunday, August 11 | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Customer Journey for the Team

Location: Chelsea Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speaker: Andrea Ross with Cultivate Advisors

Explore the customer journey and think through your role in it. This is perfect for team members in marketing, sales, and operations.

Sunday, August 11 | 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Building a Sustainable and Impactful Travel Itinerary

Location: Sugar Hill Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speakers: Greg Takehara and Ken Frohling

Sponsored by Visit Anchorage

Sunday, August 11 | 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

Researching the Future of Student & Youth Travel

Location: Sugar Hill Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speakers: Panel of speakers will be shared in mid-July.

The student/youth audience makes up for one-fourth of the entire travel market – and yet research and attention on this segment is lacking. The vibrant youth audience is ready and able to travel but is seeking out experiences that meet their very specific set of values – namely: social impact, sustainability, technology usage, safety, and diversity and inclusion. This session brings together customer preference insights and data to assist in understanding the future of this market, providing in-depth knowledge and perspectives from educators, tour operators, and travel researchers. This session was organized by the SYTA Research Committee.

Sunday, August 11 | 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

SYTA Youth Foundation

Location: Chelsea Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speaker: Allison French, SYF Chair and members of the Board of Trustees

Come learn about how the SYTA Youth Foundation has inspired and impacted youth by providing travel experiences and learn how you can support the Foundation!

MONDAY

Monday, August 12 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Human Trafficking in the Hospitality and Travel Industries

Location: Sugar Hill Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speaker: Maressa Jaikumar from We Are Pact

Human trafficking is a form of abuse where people profit from the control and exploitation of others. The International Labor Organization estimates there are over 40 million victims globally – 1 in 4 of which is a child. Victims are often sold in hotel rooms and transported via airlines and commercial buses. Those in the hospitality and travel industries are uniquely situated to identify and report suspicious activity. In this session you will learn some of the indicators victims and traffickers exhibit, how to respond safely to suspected trafficking cases and various resources available for your industries.

Monday, August 12 | 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

De-Escalation Training

Location: Chelsea Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speakers: Heather Davis & Dayne Whitehurst

Kill them with kindness, right? Well, no, not exactly. How do you feel when an upset guest, client, or employee approaches you? Panic and dread? Calm and confident? Join us to learn additional tools to quickly lower the emotional impact, gain tools that help you build confidence in dealing with dramatic, heightened, emotional situations that come your way.

Monday, August 12 | 11:15 AM – 12:15 AM

Human Trafficking in the Hospitality and Travel Industries

Location: Sugar Hill Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speaker: Maressa Jaikumar from We Are Pact

Monday, August 12 | 11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Beyond the Brochure: Tips for Creating Transformative Travel Experiences for Teens

Location: Chelsea Room, Executive Conference Center, Lower Level

Speaker: Kellie McIntyre from 4 Worn Passports

Museums and monuments are boring! Teens don’t want to see things; they want to do things. From attending Gladiator School in Rome to serving in a giant soup kitchen in India, learn Kellie’s tips for making educational travel fun, memorable, and meaningful.

Sponsored by Universal Destinations & Experiences