| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (October 18, 2021) - A curated farmer’s market of Nebraska-made goods in the heart of Downtown Grand Island, bus tours of successful regional businesses, inspiring speakers and more can be found at the 2021 Nebraska Tourism Conference this week, October 19-21, in Grand Island. Tourism industry professionals are gathering at the Ramada Midtown to hear from a wide variety of speakers, learn about the latest tourism trends and to network with other industry members.
“We’re excited to meet with other industry professionals in person to help improve tourism efforts across the state,” said John Ricks, Nebraska Tourism executive director. “By combining our annual tourism conference and Agritourism and Adventure Travel Workshop this year, it’s going to be a packed week of learning, networking and experiencing all that our host city has to offer.”
Conference Highlights on Tuesday, October 19:
9:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. Bus Tours to Regional Tourism Assets
The bus tours will stop at Crane Trust, Prairie Plains Resource Institute and Zabuni Specialty Coffee, where staff will provide tours and share insights into challenges their business has faced, how they've adapted, and best practices they have learned to ultimately make their endeavors successful.
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Nebraska Tourism Commission Meeting
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Grand Island Community Night, Fonner Park
Dinner will be served in the Nebraska State Fair’s Barn Bar at Fonner Park. This unique space textured with cattle brands from across the state, opens up to the 200-acre Fonner Park campus that plays host to live horse racing in the spring, national cattle shows in the summer, and the state fair every August.
Conference Highlights on Wednesday, October 20:
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Keynote: Chance of Awesome: How Changing the Way You See Changes Everything
Keynote speaker, Jason Kotecki, will speak about when you’re stumped by a seemingly unsolvable challenge, sometimes all you need is a little nudge from an outsider with a fresh perspective. You’ll learn how to recognize opportunities in roadblocks and how to see dead ends as new beginnings.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Keynote: The Fundamentals of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Your Journey Begins Here
Keynote speaker, Greg DeShields from Tourism Diversity Matters, will speak about how the hospitality industry is a uniquely diverse industry that relies on a complex system of diverse businesses, employees, and customers. Rapidly shifting local and national demographics and continued globalization mean that organizations must embrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion not only as a means to enhance business performance but also as an enabler of innovation and collaboration.
5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Taste & Feel of Nebraska: A Curated Farmer’s Market in Downtown Grand Island
Taste & Feel is a curated farmer’s market of Nebraska-made goods. Grand Island CVB, The Chocolate Bar, and Prairie Pride Brewing will be collaboratively hosting vendors offering a variety of Nebraska food and beverage products in the heart of downtown Grand Island.
Conference Highlights on Thursday, October 21:
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. General Session: Reach for the Stars: How to Market Your Business as an Astrotourism Destination
Speaker Michael Marlin will explain the continuing growth of the astrotourism market and star seeker trends, and share ways to further develop your destination to cater to the astrotourist, explore this demographic, and help you enable guests to discover the night.
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Celebrate Nebraska Awards Banquet, Liederkranz
The awards banquet honors the many great achievements made by individuals, businesses and associations across Nebraska to develop and support the state’s expanding tourism industry.
8:00 p.m. Rascal Martinez Performance, Liederkranz
After the awards banquet, stick around for a performance by Rascal Martinez, a singer/songwriter from Nebraska, channeling a mix of Indie-Rock and Americana.
More information on the Nebraska Tourism Conference, including the full schedule, can be found at:
https://visitnebraska.com/industry-events/2021-nebraska-tourism-conference-0. |
