Committee Meetings

Outlook Forum – Day 1

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | First-Time Attendee Seminar

• Familiarize yourself with the California travel industry’s premier conference, and speak with industry ambassadors to learn how to make the most of your time at 2019 Outlook Forum. 

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | Destination Stewardship: Tomorrow, Today

• Caroline Beteta, President & CEO, Visit California
• Immerse yourself in a vision-setting session on the future of California’s tourism industry. Learn about the important tentpoles of Visit California’s evolving program of work, and how you can engage with and leverage this global platform in your own marketing efforts. 

11:00 AM – NOON | Tech Talks

• Nicolette Harper, Global Head of Vertical Strategy for Travel, Tech, and Tourism, Pinterest
• Wendy Olson Killion, VP, Sales, Expedia Group Media Solutions
• Jeff Chow, VP Product, Core Experience, TripAdvisor
• Join key technology leaders for a powerful discussion on how content is driving digital marketing and engagement strategies. Hear compelling insights and predictions from pioneers behind the world’s most powerful online travel platforms - aimed to inform, inspire and disrupt your future marketing efforts.

NOON – 1:00 PM | Lunch

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Sustainable Tourism: A Global Travel Transformation

• Costas Christ, CEO, Beyond Green Travel
• Tourism has reached a tipping point nearly 40 years in the making, ushering in a new era of sustainability. Hear from a global expert who is shaping the conversation around the future of the tourism industry. 

2:15 PM – 3:00 PM | Personalized Travel: The New Luxury Standard

• Joe Diaz, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, AFAR (Moderator)
• Adam Schwab, Co-Founder & CEO, Luxury Group
• David Ox, Managing Director, Winged Boots
• Greg Sacks, Founder, Truffle Pig
• Explore a new frontier of luxury travel that has visitors seeking personalization and brag-worthy experiences. Hear from experts about the role customization plays in the luxury travel space and how to capture this growing trend. 

2:15 PM – 3:00 PM | Talk the Talk – Creating a Voice Strategy That Works

• Joelle Mefford, Director of Innovation, Meredith Corporation
• Voice assistants and voice search are here to stay. Join Meredith’s Director of Innovation to hear pioneering ways to incorporate embedded e-commerce into voice activated devices and gain insights to help travel brands develop their own effective voice strategies. 

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM | Digital Responsibility

• Elizabeth Linder, Executive Director, Beautiful Destinations
• As the role of connected technology has continued to evolve in unanticipated ways, so have the questions around the role of businesses, destinations and media on these channels. In this session, Elizabeth Linder will dive into the current technology revolution and the opportunities within travel and tourism to not only participate, but to maximize the potential of social media and other digital spaces.

3:15 PM – 4:00 PM |  Creating Consumable Content: What Works and What Doesn’t Work

• Dave Mering, Chief Executive Officer, MeringCarson
• John Godfrey, Vice President, Editorial Director, Meredith Corporation
• Danny Guerrero, Group Director, MMGY Global
• How does your content stack up in today’s mega media environment? There are more players than ever in the travel space creating great content, from media agencies and travel agencies, to influencers, major networks and even DMOs. The environment is also changing rapidly with consumers demanding authenticity, entertainment, education and the ability to feel a connection to the content. In this session learn about the “secret sauce” of great content and how to collaborate with other sources to develop a content library that delivers results for your business.

4:15 PM – 5:00 PM |  Meet The Parennials

• Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, Parents Magazine & Group Editorial Director, Meredith Corporation
• Millennial moms are the chief booking officers of young families. In this trends and insights-packed presentation, the editor-in-chief of Parents Magazine reveals the unique behaviors, interests and attitudes of the Millennial mom consumer, and proven strategies for connecting with her.

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Opening Reception hosted by Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

Outlook Forum – Day 2

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM | Breakfast

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM | Coffee with Caroline and Chair James Bermingham

• Caroline Beteta, President & CEO, Visit California
• Visit California Chair James Bermingham, Executive VP of Operations, Montage International 
• Start your day with Visit California President & CEO Caroline Beteta and incoming Board Chair James Bermingham with an inside look at the vision for the coming years. 

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM | Crisis Is Not Competitive: Marketing in Times of Crisis

• Caroline Beteta, President & CEO, Visit California
• Tom Norwalk, President & CEO, Visit Seattle
• Todd Davidson, CEO, Travel Oregon
• Wildfires and other natural disasters can devastate a destination, a reality the West is coming to terms with as fires become the “new normal.” These leaders from California, Oregon and Washington will discuss the new West Coast Tourism Recovery Coalition, a proactive and collaborative destination management effort. 

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Around the World

• Market Directors from thirteen international territories 
• Travel the globe in just 60 minutes! This session will provide valuable insight and market knowledge from all 13 of Visit California’s international offices. This around-the-world format offers frontline knowledge into global trends in the travel industry, competitive analysis and traveler profiles. 

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM | Lunch & Networking

•  Enjoy lunch on the Terrace while networking directly with Visit California’s 13 international offices.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | Managing Success

• Nick Hall, CEO & Founder, Digital Tourism Think Tank
• Scott Gediman, Chief Media & External Relations Public Affairs Officer, Yosemite National Park
• Tammy Blount-Canavan, President & CEO, Monterey Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Sophie David, B2C Marketing Manager, Paris Tourist Office
• With success comes responsibility. Learn how you can prepare and deal with the challenges that come with tourism success. Join leaders from California as well as from national and international organizations for a discussion on best practices for managing capacity issues, encouraging responsible travel behaviors and planning for a sustainable future.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM | New Frontiers in the Airlift Industry

• Jason Wolff, Head of Marketing, Flight Centre
• Chris Clarke, Senior Director of Operations, Air Canada Rouge
• The airline industry is rapidly changing, but one thing remains the same – Airlift is critical for tourism success. Advancements in aircraft technology coupled with a fierce competitive destination landscape are impacting routes. What do these changes in domestic and international routes mean for California? Join leaders from the airline and retail industry to hear more about trends, the impact on destinations and the future of travel patterns.

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM | China’s Digital Ecosystem: Shaping Millennial Behavior

• Mark Tanner, Managing Director, China Skinny (Moderator)
• Devon Dow, Global Business Director, Mailman Group
• Edison Chen, Regional General Manager, C-Trip
• Sean Chen, Head of SME Business Development, Alipay US
• The ever-changing digital landscape in China paves the way for destinations to get in touch with Chinese consumers but requires unique digital expertise. In this session you will hear from representatives of top digital platforms and leave with key takeaways to apply to your business. 

2:45 PM – 3:45 PM | ‘Fake News’: Storytelling in an Evolving Media Environment

• Hugo Martin, Los Angeles Times 
• Michaela Pereira, Former CNN host
• Lilit Marcus, Editor for CNN Travel
• Mark Ellwood, Contributor, Conde Nast
• With political leaders relentlessly decrying journalists, the general public’s media skepticism growing and an unprecedented array of ways people consume news, storytelling has never been more challenging. It’s time to rethink our approach. In this session, hear first-hand from journalists who are on the front lines today. 

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | State of Travel: The Shifting Landscape of Tourism Marketing

• Clayton Reid, CEO, MMGY Global Research Focus
• Dig into the newest research-driven insights of traveler habits, preferences and intentions that will rock your marketing decision-making world. MMGY Global has dived deep into American traveler sentiment since 1990 and has the data to prove it. 

6:30 PM – 8:00 PM | Finale Dinner

8:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Dessert Reception

Winter Board Meeting

Visit California's Board of Directors gathers to report out on marketing results from October 2018-January 2019 and outline efforts underway in the year ahead.