Summit to explore experiential tourism trend
The Washington County Heritage Alliance, a coalition of regional cultural and heritage sites, will hold its second Heritage Tourism Summit, “Creating Great Expectations: Commerce, Collections & Connections,” on Feb. 9. This year’s summit focuses on the trend of “experiential tourism,” exploring the ways in which regional partners can work together to conceive, program and market experiences which will resonate with the expectations of today’s travelers.
Laury Ward, the event’s keynote speaker and president of the Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association, will draw from her experience creating and marketing regional attractions to make connections to southwestern Pennsylvania.
The summit offers attendees an opportunity to select an interest track that works for them, with each track consisting of two sessions; the first highlights a featured speaker, whereas the second offers a moderated panel discussion to further explore concepts introduced by the speaker. Distinguished presenters include Max Miller, professor of Entrepreneurial Studies, Washington & Jefferson College (Commerce – Identity and Industry: The Role of Business in Shaping a Region’s Brand); Robert Shakeley, Heinz History Center affiliates program coordinator (Collections – Uncovering the Hidden Gems); and Stacey Magda, director of sales, Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau (Connections – Experiential Tourism 101).
For information, contact Donna Holdorf at donnah@nationalroadpa.org or 724-437-9877 or Christy Bean Rowing at crowing@pcrg.org or 412-660-3283. For tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-heritage-tourism-summit-creating-great-expectations-tickets-54602109379.