The Iowa City/Coralville metro population is roughly 175,000...and yet they host global events on an annual basis. In our last episode of 2023, we welcome our friend Josh Schamberger, CEO of Think Iowa City, to share his thoughts on the evolving role of Destination Marketing & Leadership Organizations and why the size of a destination means very little when you execute like no place else. It's a fascinating conversation with one of the thought leaders in our sector that proves second and third tier destinations can play at a first tier level.

Over the past 5 years, observers of Puerto Rico Tourism’s comeback from hurricanes, earthquakes, Zika, the Pandemic and political turmoil have marveled at the brilliant efforts of Discover Puerto Rico in guiding that renaissance. CMO Leah Chandler shares the remarkable story of a start-up DMO that took its time to understand its existing brand awareness, and then strategically built out a series of initiatives and promotions that have resulted in five years of record growth to the island. Treat yourself to a masterclass in how to execute a magnificent destination marketing plan.

Josiah Brown (Famous Destination Marketing) is one of this sector's newest thought leaders. We had the opportunity to work with Josiah on a destination assessment project in 2018 and were instantly taken by his "outsider" grasp of the intricacies of Destination Marketing. In this episode, we go deep on his take on what DMO pros get wrong when explaining the power of what we do...as well as his thoughts on the muddled state of branding, taglines and campaigns. And, a pretty hilarious story about his first job in the world of septic fields. Trust us...this is one of the hot new voices in our sector. Enjoy.

After a brief travel-induced hiatus, DMOU is back with a wide-ranging conversation with New York City Tourism + Conventions' Fred Dixon. As Chair of Destinations International, Fred has laid out an ambitious agenda for his year including DEI and Accessibility, Global growth, Member sustainability and a renewed emphasis on meetings and business events. We discuss these topics and more...including a fascinating (and fun) story of how his DMO partnered with Taylor Swift. Join us...and it's good to be back.

It was 2011 when several DMO pros in Illinois began discussing the potential to introduce State legislation to add Tourism Improvement Districts into their funding mix. Earlier this year, that legislation finally passed and was signed into law. Rockford Area CVB CEO John Groh and Visit Quad Cities CEO Dave Herrell return to DMOU to share the up and down story of persistence, negotiation and being ready when the political winds were right. Even if your State already has TID legislation in place, this episode is a fascinating primer on moving an initiative through the political process.

If there is a short list of thought leaders in the DMO world, Rick Antonson is always on that list. He was our first guest 20 years ago on the DMOU Teleseminar and our first guest on the the resurrected DMOU Podcast (and that says a lot). On this episode, he’s back to talk Destination Marketing…but also to share thoughts about his latest book, Train Beyond the Mountains: Journeys on the Rocky Mountaineer. Rick and I go deep into the meaning behind travel, the connections made and the life lessons learned. It’s a wide-ranging conversation that I believe you’ll love with one of the most eloquently expressive voices of our era.

As Destination International’s Advocacy Summit is just around the corner, there’s no better time to talk with Visit Rapid City’s Brook Kaufman who, when she was with Visit Casper, ran and won a seat on her County Board. On this episode, you’ll hear why Brook thinks that more DMO pros should run for office…as well as her experiences during the last Total Eclipse of the Sun and how, as the first non-resident to helm Visit Rapid City in 40 years, she built a culture of trust with both stakeholders and staff. And, oh yeah…how she developed 40,000 Social Media followers during her quest for her first Marathon. Join us.

PCMA CEO Sherrif Karamat is one of the deepest thinkers in the business events space. And, not unlike those old EF Hutton commercials, when Sherrif talks, I listen. So, when he said that DMOs were falling behind his members in the adoption of AI at Destinations International’s Annual Conference this summer, that was more than enough to earn an invitation to DMOU. Join us for a fascinating discussion of how he believes AI can reduce the mundane and better connect us to our clients…and where Sherrif believes the future of DMOs lies.

Experience Columbia SC's Kelly Barbrey joins DMOU to share how her DMO has reimagined the traditional Ambassador program into a sensationally high-profile strategy that utilizes select residents as subject experts to share the destination's stories. She also outlines the success of the Pimento Cheese Passport campaign and her organization's initial foray into NIL Sponsorship of Collegiate Athletes.

When the moderator went to the audience this year at the Annual Convention of Destinations International asking, "what keeps you up at night," Lviv's Olena Pavlyuk held out her mobile device and replayed a recording of an air raid siren. In this fascinating episode of DMOU, Olena shares how war has changed her community into one of volunteers, how Lviv has become a hub for medical tourism through UNBROKEN...and how the DMO secured and serviced over 600 events last year, despite the constant threat of missiles and power black-outs. It's a spirited conversation of inspiration, selflessness and the power of the human spirit. Listen in.