
Governor’s Conference
OXFORD CONFERENCE CENTER
OXFORD, MS
OCTOBER 6 – 8, 2026
Agenda
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
Oxford Conference Center
Oxford Conference Center
TBD
* Session only for those already enrolled in the ETLP program *
TBD
Sponsored by TBD
TBD
Sponsored by Visit Oxford
TBD
Sponsored by TBD
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Registration & Exhibits Open
Oxford Conference Center
8:00 – 8:30 am
Breakfast
TBD
Sponsored by TBD
8:30 – 10:00 am
Opening Session: TBD
TBD
Sponsored by TBD
10:00 – 10:45 am
Bloody Mary Break / Media Visits
TBD
Sponsored by Maris, West & Baker
10:45 – 11:45 am
General Session: TBD
TBD
Sponsored by TBD
12:00 – 1:15 pm
Luncheon: ETLP Graduation
TBD
Sponsored by TBD
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Breakout Session I
TBD
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Breakout Session II
TBD
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Breakout Session III: Media Training
TBD
2:30 – 3:00 pm
Break / Media Visits
TBD
Sponsored by TBD
(3:00 – 5:00 pm: Media Breakdown)
3:00 – 4:30 pm
Immersive Breakout Session I: TBD
TBD
3:00 – 4:30 pm
Immersive Breakout Session II: TBD
TBD
5:00 – 6:30 pm
2027 Host Sponsor Reception
TBD
Sponsored by Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau
7:00 pm
Dine Around Oxford
Thursday, October 8, 2026
8:30 – 9:00 am
Breakfast
TBD
Sponsored by TBD
9:00 – 10:00 am
General Session: Visit Mississippi Update
TBD
10:00 – 10:30 am
Break / Closing of Silent Auction
TBD
Sponsored by TBD
10:30 – 11:30 am
Closing Session: TBD
TBD
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Awards Luncheon
TBD
Sponsored by TBD
* Schedule is subject to changes.
Exhibitor Registration
Exhibitor registration for the 2026 Governor’s Conference on Tourism is NOT OPEN. If you signed up at the beginning of the 2026 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 August 31, 2026. 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 August 31, 2026.
***A note on registering for Governor’s Conference***
You must use your email address associated with your organization’s membership and log into MC Trade using that email to receive the member rate. If you click a link from an email or from our website to register, you will see a register button. Click that and you will see a form with a login button on the top right. Click that and enter your login email, then register. If you are not a member, you can skip this step. If you do not have a password for your email login, you will need to select forgot your password and create one.
Reach out to Jennie Guido for assistance if you have any problems logging in.
If you have any issues and think your invoice is incorrect, please reach out before submitting payment!
Attendee Registration
Registration is NOT OPEN!
Early Bird Registration Pricing:
$475 for non members / $450 for members
Additional Attendees: $275 for non members / $250 for members
Registration After Early Bird Deadline (August 21):
$600 for non members / $500 for members
Additional Attendees: $350 for non members / $300 for members
***A note on registering for Governor’s Conference***
You must use your email address associated with your organization’s membership and log into MC Trade using that email to receive the member rate. If you click a link from an email or from our website to register, you will see a register button. Click that and you will see a form with a login button on the top right. Click that and enter your login email, then register. If you are not a member, you can skip this step. If you do not have a password for your email login, you will need to select forgot your password and create one.
Reach out to Jennie Guido for assistance if you have any problems logging in.
If you have any issues and think your invoice is incorrect, please reach out before submitting payment!
If you have questions regarding the conference, contact Danielle Morgan by email or phone.
Accommodations
Stay Tuned!
Silent Auction
The Governor’s Conference on Tourism is a wonderful event and donating to the silent auction is a fun way to showcase and promote our communities while helping MTA raise money for educational programming. The proceeds from the silent auction give MTA the ability to offer scholarships to STS Marketing College as well as other programs throughout the year.
In the past, we have found that packages, trips and Mississippi-made products are our bestsellers! We encourage you to think of things that are unique to your area or community.
POPULAR AUCTION ITEMS FROM PAST EVENTS:
·Getaway Packages
· Destination-themed gifts
· Advertising opportunities
· Tickets and packages to attractions
· Technology / electronic gadgets
· Consulting and creative services
If you are donating a gift certificate, please include redemption instructions as well as a voucher for display at the auction. Please note that MTA reserves the right to package items together.
To submit items for the silent auction, fill out the form here.
Awards
Award Nominations are CLOSED!
Eligibility: Any individual or organization meeting the specific awards criteria may be nominated. Projects and promotions must have been completed between June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026, except for the Governmental Tourism Leadership Award, 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 two-page or less written overview 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, 2025 – May 31, 2026.
·Special recognition or awards received.
·Other factors making the nominee a valuable asset to the Mississippi tourism industry.
·A brief summary (100-150 words) of the submission is required to be used in the video presentation during the ceremony.
·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). Please add all items to a Dropbox link and share that link in the form.
Entry Deadline & Submissions: All entries, supporting materials and payment must be received by Friday, July 17, 2026, 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 on Thursday, October 8, 2026, during the Mississippi Governor’s Conference on Tourism.
For more information contact Danielle Morgan by email or phone.
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.
Sponsors
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
If you are interested in sponsoring an event during Governor’s Conference, please email Jennie Guido.