2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Excellence in Tourism Leadership Program Session
* Session for those already enrolled in the ETLP program *

3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Exhibitor Set-Up & Registration & Silent Auction Item Drop Off
Grand Lobby at The Riley Center

6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
New Member and First-Timer Attendee Reception
The MAX    
Sponsored by Visit Meridian

7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Opening Reception
The MAX
Sponsored by Visit Meridian

9:00 until
After Hours Social
The Boxcar
Sponsored by Madden Media

All conference programming will be held at The MSU Riley Center.

8:00 a.m.
Exhibits Open

8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Registration
Grand Lobby at The Riley Center

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Breakfast
Exhibit Hall
Sponsored by Snapshot Publishing

8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 
Opening Session: The Most Unique Opening Keynote Ever!
Shawna Suckow
The Riley Center Theater
Sponsored by Gray Destination Marketing

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. 
Bloody Mary Break & Media Visits
Studio Theater and Grand Lobby
Sponsored by Maris, West & Baker

10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. 
General Session: You Are Essential, Absolutely Necessary, and Very Important
Jack Johnson, Destinations International
The Riley Center Theater
Sponsored by American MainStreet Publications and Today in Mississippi

12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. 
Luncheon: Industry Updates & ETLP Certificates
Jim Mathews, Rail Passengers Association
Jody Hanson & Hannah Phipps, Visit Mississippi International Sales
Exhibit Hall
Sponsored by Coastal Mississippi

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Breakout Session: AI for Travel Marketers
Jacquelyn Blackwell, Advance Travel & Tourism
Meeting Room 2-A

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Breakout Session: Making the Most Out of Short Term Rentals 
Shannon Gray, Gray Research Solutions
Paige Hunt, Visit Starkville
Tami Reist, Alabama Mountain Lakes Association
Meeting Room 2-B

2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. 
Break & Media Visits
Studio Theater and Grand Lobby
Sponsored by Pearl River Resort

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Immersive Breakout Session: How We Built This
The MAX & Mississippi Industrial Heritage Museum

5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
2024 Host Sponsor Reception
Threefoot Brewing Company
Sponsored by Visit Hattiesburg

7:00 p.m.
Dine Around Meridian

Exhibitor registration for the 2023 Governor’s Conference on Tourism is now CLOSED. If you signed up at the beginning of the 2023 year as a Media Partner, please contact Jennie Guido to confirm your number of attendees included, if you need to add more attendees and receipt of payment.

Registration fee is $1,000 and ends September 1, 2023. This fee includes booth space with skirted table, identification signage, & conference registration for 1 company representative.  For guaranteed booth space and inclusion on all collateral you must register by September 1, 2023.

Registration to attend the 2023 Governor’s Conference on Tourism is now open.

If you have questions regarding the conference, contact Danielle Morgan by email or phone at 601.605.1825.

The hotel blocks for this conference are now closed.

Eligibility: Any individual or organization meeting the specific awards criteria may be nominated. Projects and promotions must have been completed between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023, except for the Governmental Tourism Leadership Award, MTA Member of the Year and The Tourism Achievement Award. These awards may include projects and achievement that span a long period of time over a person’s career and their support of Mississippi tourism.

Who May Submit Nominations: Members or employees of the following organizations: Bed & Breakfast Association of MS, MS Convention & Visitors Bureaus, MS Chambers of Commerce, MS Hotel & Lodging Association, MS Hospitality & Restaurant Association, MS Gaming & Hospitality Association, MS Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks, MS Development Authority Division of Tourism, MS Main Street Association, MS Tourism Association, MS Welcome Centers, Museums/Attractions and Fairs/Festivals.

Judging Criteria: Entries are judged by a panel of industry peers. Decisions by the judges are final. Failure to follow the entry format will result in disqualification.

Entry Format: Please provide a written overview, on 2 pages or less, of the following information.

• Title of award nomination, include category if applicable
• Name of organization or person nominated
• Overview of the nominee’s accomplishments and how they relate to the advancement of tourism in Mississippi and the award criteria
• Description of programs initiated or implemented after June 1, 2022 – May 31, 2023.
• Special recognition or awards received.
• Other factors making the nominee a valuable asset to the Mississippi tourism industry.
• A brief biography.
• Supporting materials to support the nomination such as newspaper articles, brochures, photographs, videos, press releases, audio, etc. in the following formats (doc, dock, jpg, .pdf, zip, mp3, mp4, wav, ppt, mpg, ai, wmv). We are using a different platform and will accept up to 2 files per entry with a max of 20MB each. If submitting more than two files per entry, try zipping files together.

Entry Deadline & Submissions: All entries, supporting materials and payment must be received by Friday, August 18, 2023, at 5 p.m. Payment must be made online with credit card at the time of submission.

Notification: Only the person submitting the nomination will be notified prior to the awards ceremony.

Presentation: The recipient will be honored at the Awards Luncheon, Friday, October 6, 2023, during the Mississippi Governor’s Conference on Tourism.

For more information contact Danielle Morgan by email or phone at 601.605.1825.

MTA Member of the Year
Presented to an outstanding volunteer member who goes above and beyond for the betterment of the organization.

DMO of the Year – $3,000,000 and Over
Honors a DMO with a budget of $3,000,000 and over, which is recognized for outstanding efforts in destination marketing and management through strategies and initiatives that generate visitation and contribute to the overall success of their destination. Entries should also demonstrate they are supportive of tourism endeavors, not only promoting their own area but also other partners and the industry as a whole.

DMO of the Year – $1,000,000 to $2.99 Million 
Honors a DMO with a budget of $1,000,000 to $2.99 Million, which is recognized for outstanding efforts in destination marketing and management through strategies and initiatives that generate visitation and contribute to the overall success of their destination. Entries should also demonstrate they are supportive of tourism endeavors, not only promoting their own area but also other partners and the industry as a whole.

DMO of the Year – $500,000 to $999,000
Honors a DMO with a budget of $500,000 to $999,000, which is recognized for outstanding efforts in destination marketing and management through strategies and initiatives that generate visitation and contribute to the overall success of their destination. Entries should also demonstrate they are supportive of tourism endeavors, not only promoting their own area but also other partners and the industry as a whole.

DMO of the Year – $0 to $499,000
DMO with a budget of $0 to $499,000, which is recognized for outstanding efforts in destination marketing and management through strategies and initiatives that generate visitation and contribute to the overall success of their destination. Entries should also demonstrate they are supportive of tourism endeavors, not only promoting their own area but also other partners and the industry as a whole.

Tourism Promotion of the Year
Honors a specific promotional campaign that is innovative and successful in attracting visitors to a destination, attraction, hotel, venue or event.

Tourism Investment Award
Honors an entity or person who has made an enduring contribution to Mississippi’s tourism economy. Eligible entries should highlight individuals or corporations that have built or invested their time, talents and resources into a hotel, restaurant, attraction or other tourism related project in the state of Mississippi.

Tourism Achievement Award
Awarded to a tourism entity that has significantly increased visitation and helped shape the future of their destination. The entity should exhibit how their work has enhanced the travel and tourism experience through their strategic vision and commitment to their community. Entries should demonstrate a comprehensive plan with long term goals and results showing how these significant achievements were accomplished. 

Best Sales Strategy or Campaign
Honors a strong campaign or strategy used to grow sales for a destination, attraction, hotel, convention center or other tourism entity via traditional or digital methods. Results should include a clear statement of goals and results. Examples would include but are not limited to: sales-focused mailers, promotional items, familiarization tours and other sales strategies.

Best Public Relations Strategy or Campaign
Awarded to a strong public relations campaign or strategy. Projects may include, but are not limited to, development projects, advocacy campaigns, welcome center projects, socially/environmentally responsible efforts, experiential, etc. Campaigns may be directed at niche markets or a general travel audience. Campaigns may also relate to special events, crisis management programs or overall tourism promotion. Results should be communicated with relevant and meaningful metrics. Results should include: impressions, results, pickup and social media reach (if applicable).

Best Advocacy or Grassroots Campaign
Entries should show how your entity has demonstrated its value to stakeholders and lawmakers. Entries may include, but are not limited to: presentations to stakeholders, lawmakers, advertisements, collateral, video messaging, etc.

Governmental Tourism Leadership Award
Awarded to a government entity that supports tourism and works well with tourism partners by lending support and helping grow tourism. Examples of government entities include, but are not limited to, state legislators, local government officials such as mayors, alderman/supervisors, city and county clerks, etc.

Community Volunteer of the Year
This is awarded to a person that gives freely of their personal time to help attract visitors to their community. They are willing to work on either an individual project or multiple projects tirelessly with the desire of helping their city grow through tourism.

Tourism Partnership of the Year
This recognizes effective partnerships among entities within the tourism industry. Examples would include partnerships successfully impacting any of the following: marketing, advocacy, education and development. Entries should include but are not limited to: how the partnership was conceived and created, how you worked well together to achieve common goals, the impact of the partnership and future plans for further collaboration. Please include statements from both partners outlining how this partnership impacted all involved partners in a positive way. 

Lodging of the Year
Presented to a lodging source in the state that not only attracts visitors but also exhibits an above-average commitment to the visitor experience and overall engagement in the tourism industry.

Venue of the Year
Presented to a venue in the state that offers an outstanding location for various types of events. Entries should also exhibit an above-average commitment to the visitor experience and overall engagement in the tourism industry.

Restaurant of the Year
Presented to an eatery in the state that not only showcases Southern cuisine but also creates a dining experience that patrons will want to pass on to fellow travelers. 

Attraction of the Year
Presented to an attraction that is new or unique in attracting visitors to its city. It shows results in bringing in tourists and visitors.

Large Festival/Event of the Year (Attendance of over 5,000)
Awarded to a unique festival or event that is well attended, attracts a large variety of visitors and is well publicized. This category is for events with over 5,000 in attendance

Small Festival/Event of the Year (Attendance of 5,000 and below)
Awarded to a unique festival or event that is well attended, attracts a large variety of visitors and is well publicized. This category is for events with 5,000 and fewer in attendance.

Best Overall Traditional Media
Awarded to any member using traditional media (broadcast, radio, newspaper, magazine, print advertising campaign, etc) to promote a destination, attraction, property, event or campaign. This could also include earned media that compliments your media campaign.

Best Overall Digital Media
Awarded to any member using digital media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, website, digital advertising campaign, podcast, etc) to promote a destination, attraction, property, event or campaign. Applicant should include documentation showing reach, growth and results during the award period.

Tom VanHyning Research-in-Action Award
Awarded to a member who is investing in research in order to make data-driven decisions to grow tourism in the state. It is named in honor of beloved, former state economist Tom VanHyning, who served Mississippi tourism for decades and taught us the importance and value of good research.