The Oklahoma Museums Association is a proud partner with the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association.
To register directly for the summits, please visit the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association registration page here
The Oklahoma Travel Industry Association has partnered with Lt. Governor Todd Lamb to produce the Lt. Governor’s Travel & Tourism Summits , which are held around the state. Each half-day program will provide tourism education featuring speakers covering a range of topics on best practices to promote tourism in your region, followed by a townhall-type discussion by the Lt. Governor on tourism development in each of the areas visited around the state. The programs will conclude with a networking reception.
September 3, hosted by the Greater Muskogee Area Chamber of Commerce
Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
401 S. 3rd
Muskogee, OK 74401
Speaker: Senator Rick Brinkley
What to Do When You Want to Throw in the Tourism Towel
Join us for a look into how to keep moving forward personally and professionally in a world that can take everything you’re willing to give….and then take a little more you didn’t even know you had.
Motivational Speaker and Oklahoma Senator Rick Brinkley of Tulsa tells it like it is. Known for his “My Life Is Too Short to Deal With Your Crap” attitude and witty illustrations, you won’t want to miss his life changing message and amazing ability to make an audience laugh and cry and laugh again.
A graduate of both Langston University and Oral Roberts University’s School of Theology and Missions, Rick has also completed some Doctoral work at Oklahoma State University’s College of Education. His professional background includes Pastor, television producer, investigative producer, writer, on-air personality, and current Oklahoma Senator to District 34 and President/CEO of the Better Business Bureau Tulsa.
He currently travels throughout the nation as a speaker, conference leader, and lecturer for corporations, universities, non-profits, and educators.
September 10, hosted by the Ardmore Convention & Visitors Bureau
Ardmore Convention Center
2401 N Rockford Rd, Ardmore, OK 73401
Speaker: Rebecca Eastham, PhD
Hitting a Hospitality Homerun!
Customer service in today’s economy is a whole new ballgame. Our customers are demanding more of the businesses they deal with than every before. You can hit it out of the ballpark with each and every customer if you create a culture of hospitality throughout the organization. This session will help you and your staff hit a homerun by focusing on hospitality instead of service. During this interactive presentation you will run the bases and discover the elements of a hospitality culture that is sure to create fans of the people you serve. In the game of baseball, league champions have a strong team, a winning attitude and the discipline to execute plays. These principles apply to organizations too! You will leave this session with tips, techniques and ideas for hitting a hospitality homerun in your operation.
Telling isn’t Training – Creating a Strong Hospitality Training Program
The most important asset to any tourism and hospitality organization is your staff. They breathe the life into the guest’s experience. They move that experience from being a transaction to creating a relationship. They drive the relationship from guest satisfaction to guest loyalty. So, how do you make sure your staff is equipped to create a service experience that creates loyal guests? You do this through well-developed hiring and training programs. This session is designed to provide you with tips and ideas for developing strong training programs from hiring to on-boarding through advanced skill development.
October 15, hosted by Visit Stillwater
Meridian Technology Center
1312 S Sangre Road
Stillwater, OK 74074
Speaker: Mike Fullerton , Brand USA
The Power of Travel Promotion: Part One
Brand USA, the public-private partnership created to increase international visitation to the United States, has successfully marketed the United States as the premier travel destination. Working with over 430 partners, Brand USA has promoted all that the United States has to offer. Destinations large and small, urban and rural have contributed to Brand USA, to help increase international visitation to the United States and their destination. With over 100 partner programs that create over 200 opportunities in over 30 markets, Brand USA has a program to fit your budget.
Increasing international visitation is important; these visitors on average spend $4,500 per person! These travelers want to see all that the United States has to offer. Brand USA has had success working with many destinations who are appealing to international travelers for the first time or in new markets.
The Power of Travel Promotion: Part Two
Travel and tourism is a cash-generating machine for state and local governments. In 2012, travel generated $129 billion in tax revenue to government at all levels and $58.4 billion to state and local governments. Travel continues to outpace the rest of the U.S economy in jobs- by promoting travel you are strengthening the economic vitality of your community.