Agenda

Accessible Birding Outing with Birdability

Location: Lady Bird Lake

We think all bird-ers should flock together! Join Birdability on a tour around Lady Bird Lake to learn how to make birding accessible. There’s very limited space on this activity and pre-registration is required.

Registration

Location: 7th Floor, Fairmont Austin

Stop by the Registration Table on the 7th floor to pick up your conference badge and a little welcome package! The CrowdRiff team will be on-site to help with any questions you may have.

Welcome to SEE Happy Hour!

Location: Rules & Regs – 7th Floor, Fairmont Austin

Join us for a welcome happy hour at Rules & Regs, the Fairmont Austin’s rooftop bar! Drop in for a drink and snack before heading out for an evening on your own. Sponsored by DANG Creative.

Breakfast

Location: Main Ballroom

Join us in the main ballroom to fuel your day!

Welcome & Opening Remarks

Location: Main Ballroom

Let’s settle into the day ahead! Hear from the CrowdRiff team about how to make the most of your time at SEE.

CrowdRiff Keynote

Location: Main Ballroom

Catch up on everything CrowdRiff! We’ve had a jam-packed year and it’s time to share what we’ve been up to.

Local Soundtracks: How Music Drives Tourism and Enriches Destinations

Location: Main Ballroom

How can vibrant music scenes boost local tourism and create unforgettable experiences? Join industry experts in a panel discussion as they explore insights, success stories, and practical tips on leveraging music to attract visitors and enrich your destination.

Morning Break

Location: 7th Floor Foyer

Time for a quick stretch! Fill your water bottles or top up your coffee before we head into the next session.

From the Main Street to the Metaverse: Crafting Immersive Travel Experiences for Next-Gen Nomads

Location: Main Ballroom

Let’s go on a journey from the Main Street to the Metaverse with Karan Dang, the CEO of DANG and former creative leader at Disney and Walmart. In this session, Karan will unveil how the travel industry can captivate the next generation of explorers by blending physical and digital realms.

Discover how iconic destinations can be reimagined for the digital age, from the immersive wonders of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to the virtual landscapes of Walmart’s foray into the metaverse. Karan will share exclusive insights on crafting unforgettable experiences that resonate with Gen Z and Gen Alpha travellers using DANG’s proprietary Next-Gen Centricity™ methodology.

Lunch

Location: Main Ballroom

Time to throw some Tex-Mex into the mix! Enjoy your Austin-style lunch in the air-conditioned main room or the sun-soaked patio. We’ll be celebrating some destination marketers taking things to the next level, plus our tune-up and content idea booths will be open for when you finish inhaling your tacos.

Destination Makers’ Labs Block

A fresh take on the breakout session! In the Makers’ Labs, attendees will choose a topic and follow a learning journey that has been custom-designed for SEE:
→ Seek: an expert-led overview of the topic
→ Explore: a relevant case study from a DMO
→ Experience: guided round table discussion

Maker’s Lab

1:15pm-2:45pm

Beyond Green: Empowering Destinations to Holistically Infuse Sustainability

Speakers: Carrie Hodgen & Whitney Smith – Tourism Cares
Location: Breakout Room A

Sustainability is an ongoing buzzword in tourism, but what does it really mean? And how does it impact destination marketers? In this insightful session, we will delve into the multifaceted dimensions of sustainable tourism and demonstrate how DMOs can infuse sustainability in a responsible, authentic, and equitable way. Learn how to go beyond the “green” side of sustainability to create a holistic destination marketing plan that balances People, Profit, and Planet to help ensure local communities thrive and provides guests with more meaningful and enriching experiences. Discover practical strategies and tools to implement a community-first approach to tourism, making travel truly a force for good.

📕 CASE STUDY
Sustain the Flow: Reuse at the River

Speakers: Sarah Smith – Visit San Marcos

Visit San Marcos’ recent “Reuse at the River” campaign tackled the environmental strain on the San Marcos River by promoting the use of reusable drink containers. This session outlines the river’s significance, the creative use of Zartico data to customize visitor messaging, and what it took to implement “Go Zones” and establish cooler size limits. Sarah Smith will review the campaign’s success over the summer, share lessons her team learned, and discuss ongoing strategies for a sustainable future.

Maker’s Lab

1:15pm-2:45pm

Building Strong Community: Overcoming Challenges and Creating Thoughtful Strategies

Speaker: Maria Skrzynski – Destination Ann Arbor
Location: Breakout Room B

Maria Skrzynski has taken Ann Arbor to new heights with her focus on hyperlocal audiences. In this session, she’ll share how she keeps her residents and visitors engaged using endearing social media posts and compelling CrowdRiff web galleries, plus how she’s tackling hateful comments on Facebook. Her relentless growth mindset and commitment to collaboration will be sure to inspire your marketing strategy!

📕 CASE STUDY
How Visit Austin Builds Collaborative Marketing Partnerships

Speakers: Jenna Livingston & Lauren Brown – Visit Austin

Dive into the world of collaborative marketing partnerships with Jenna Livingston and Lauren Brown from Visit Austin. They’ll explore how destinations, tourism boards, small businesses, and other stakeholders can team up to create powerful integrated campaigns. Learn how to engage with local chambers, creators, and businesses to foster community buy-in and boost your marketing creativity. This session is ideal for destinations looking to maximize their reach through strategic collaboration and shared resources.

Maker’s Lab

1:15pm-2:45pm

Get Rid of That “AI Smell”: Making AI Imagery and Text Work Together With Your Brand

Speaker: Jeremy Kirshbaum & Lev Gorelov – Handshake
Location: Main Ballroom

How can you use generative AI in a way that expresses your brand’s unique style and story? Jeremy Kirshbaum and Lev Gorelov will outline how you can get image and text models to work together in a way that feels authentic and creative—without it “smelling” like it was made with AI. Leave this Maker Lab with a process for how to use generative AI to bring your organization’s stories and knowledge to life.

Afternoon Break

Location: 7th Floor Foyer

Take a moment to refresh!

Call an Expert

Location: Main Ballroom

We’ve wrangled the best of the best: hop between tables staffed by experts across our industry to talk short-form video strategy, UGC, and more. Of course, you can always use this time to stop by the tune-up booth or build a content strategy with us!

Farah Shirzadi – Google
Success with Google Tools: Enhancing Destination Visibility, Reach, and Business Support Using Google and YouTube

Rebecca Lajoie – CrowdRiff
Perfecting Paid Media: How to Plan, Launch, Optimize, and Measure Results from Paid Campaigns

Angel Hernandez – TikTok
Mastering Tiktok: Optimizing Campaigns, Performance, and Creative Best Practices to Drive Results

Karan Dang & Shruti Dang – DANG Creative
All things Gen Z & creativity!

JenAnn Haggerty – Simpleview
Enhancing Engagement: The Impact of User-Generated Content on DMO Websites

Whitney Smith – Tourism Cares
Sustainability and Tourism Marketing: How DMOs Can Combine Values Into Their Marketing Efforts and Support Destination Development

Amplifying Authentic Voices: The Power of Creators and Destinations Working Together

Location: Main Ballroom

With 90% of customers in our 2024 Trends Report continuing to prioritize creator marketing, we’ve invited CrowdRiff Creators and DMOs working with Creators to share their process, learnings, and insider advice in this engaging panel discussion.

Looking Ahead

Location: Main Ballroom

We’re closing out the day with a big surprise announcement! Let’s just say, it’s something you’ll want to SEE…

Banger’s Day 1 Celebration

Location: Bangers – 79 Rainey St, Austin, TX

Just around the corner from the Fairmont is Austin’s historic Rainey Street! Join us for a night out at Banger’s, where you can enjoy live local music from Ruby Dice, choose from hundreds of drinks on tap, and chow down on the best BBQ in the neighborhood.

After you nosh, head over to the chainstitching station sponsored by Connect Travel! Michael Lane Pearson (@laynestitches) will be onsite to customize yeehaw-worthy baseball caps.

Breakfast

Location: Main Ballroom

Join us in the main ballroom to fuel your day!

A Quick Welcome Back!

DMO & AI Trends in Visual Marketing

Location: Main Ballroom

Join CrowdRiff’s own Kash Miah for an exclusive sneak peek into our 2025 Trends Report and a research project on traveler sentiment around AI in visual marketing. Don’t miss this exciting look into the future of travel marketing!

Travel Content Across Google

Location: Main Ballroom

Pull out your notebooks and start building your strategy for 2025! Google’s Farah Shirzadi will cover new user experiences with AI, the importance of high-quality content powering features across Google, and the tips you need to support local businesses in your destination.

Destination Playbook: A TikTok Guide for Destination Marketing Organizations

Location: Main Ballroom

Saddle up and join TikTok’s Erik Toedt & Logan Gregg as they explore the performance and creative strategies that DMOs are using to connect with the growing travel community.

Morning Break

Location: 7th Floor Foyer

Take a break outside, fill up your coffee, and get ready for the learnings ahead!

Destination Makers’ Labs Block

A fresh take on the breakout session! In the Makers’ Labs, attendees will choose a topic and follow a learning journey that has been custom-designed for SEE:
→ Seek: an expert-led overview of the topic
→ Explore: a relevant case study from a DMO
→ Experience: guided round table discussion

Maker’s Lab

11:00am-12:30pm

The Lazy Girl’s Guide To Content Curation

Speakers: Emily Tepper – Freelance DMO Content Marketer & Rose Noble – Visit Spokane
Location: Breakout Room A

Curating content is no easy feat! Luckily, Emily Tepper and Rose Noble of Visit Spokane have mastered the art of curating captivating content without the heavy lifting. They’re spilling their secrets for cleverly repurposing content, building standout CrowdRiff galleries, and mastering the art of short-form video. Learn to effortlessly weave user-generated videos into your strategy and keep your audience engaged across all channels. It’s the ultimate guide to working smarter, not harder in your content creation journey!

Maker’s Lab

11:00am-12:30pm

How to Utilize In-House Content to Grow Your Audience

Speaker: Brianna McEnroe – Discover Long Island
Location: Breakout Room B

Join us as Brianne McEroe, Discover Long Island’s Director of Social & Branded Content, presents groundbreaking strategies on how content created in-house can boost stakeholder engagement and drive real success. She will share real-world success stories and illustrate how DMOs can leverage unique, engaging custom content to enhance their brand identity and increase destination visibility.

📕 CASE STUDY
Flip Your Visitor Guide Upside Down

Speakers: Jen Kuhn Karanja & Ashley Pettay – Discover Madison

Jen Kuhn Karanja and Ashley Pettay reimagined the traditional visitor guide with Destination Madison’s new Inspiration Guide. Learn how they leveraged CrowdRiff to curate compelling visuals that showcase Madison through fresh perspectives. Plus, discover their approach to building a strategy that balances the needs of DMOs, partners, and visitors while integrating digital thinking into print.

Lunch

Location: 7th Floor Foyer

Your Austin experience wouldn’t be complete without a BBQ lunch – and we really made sure to give you the full experience! Load your plate full of cornbread, biscuits, slaw, mac & cheese, BBQ beans, corn on the cob, BBQ chicken, brisket, and more (yes, more)!

Networking Remix

Location: Main Ballroom

It’s time to connect! During this time, you’ll find tables labeled with different musical genres that will kick off fun conversations between you and other attendees. Plus, there will be time to pop by a product booth to learn about how you can better use CrowdRiff and get a sneak peek at things coming down the pipeline. We’ll see where the conversation takes us!

Organic Marketing Mini Labs

We know budgets can be tight and teams need to be scrappy! In this series of breakout sessions, explore organic marketing tactics that will set you up for the season ahead without breaking the bank.

Mini Lab

2:15pm-3:00pm

Maximizing SEO Strategies for Destination Visibility

Speakers: Jenna Livingston – Visit Austin
Location: Main Ballroom

Does it feel like Google’s ever-changing algorithms and the rise of AI are impossible to navigate? This session will cut through the noise and show you how to boost your destination’s visibility in today’s dynamic digital world. Whether promoting a hidden gem or a global hotspot, we’ll help you stay ahead of algorithm shifts and turn AI into your secret weapon. Leave with fresh ideas to create buzz-worthy content, improve rankings, and convert online searches into real-world visitors!

Mini Lab

2:15pm-3:00pm

Maximizing Impact: OHTO’s Strategic Use of UGC, CrowdRiff, and Short Videos in Destination Marketing

Speakers: Luisa Sorrentino & Finn Hogue – Ontario’s Highlands Tourism Organization
Location: Breakout Room A

Ontario’s Highlands Tourism Organization sets a high bar when it comes to content optimization. Luisa Sorrentino and Finn Hogue will be sharing their best tips for UGC strategizing, adopting visual content tools, creating impactful short-form videos, leveraging analytics, and more. Then, see how all these tactics came together to drive up OHTO’s visibility and engagement.

Mini Lab

2:15pm-3:00pm

Stop the Scroll: Creating a Content Strategy That Pops

Speakers: Lindsey Clinkingbeard & Halie Sutton – Off Madison Ave
Location: Breakout Room B

Lindsey Clinkingbeard and Halie Sutton want to help you make your organic social strategy as streamlined as possible. They’ll be sharing how you can fuel consistent growth for your DMO by prioritizing your social platforms, developing brand pillars and content plans, utilizing reporting metrics, and building community. And how they make CrowdRiff central to all of it.

Afternoon Break

Location: 7th Floor Foyer

Take a moment to refresh!

Access to Nature: Why It Matters & Who It Benefits

Location: Main Ballroom

Virginia Rose, founder of Birdability, will share the joys that come with welcoming and inclusive birding communities, along with the essential steps to build them. Discover why accessibility matters—not only to travelers, but locals, your staff, and, truthfully, all of us as we age—and learn how to identify and remove barriers to create more inclusive travel.

Contemporizing Culture: Navigating Traditional Storytelling Through Modern Media

Location: Main Ballroom

In this keynote session, Zane Buchanan will explore the transformative power of digital platforms in the preservation and dissemination of Indigenous cultures, offering a global platform to amplify Indigenous voices. Get ready to explore pioneering initiatives that seamlessly intertwine ancient wisdom with modern storytelling techniques.

Closing remarks

Location: Main Ballroom

Join us in closing out the event and celebrating a successful 2024!