Preliminary Agenda:
The Experience Lab | Columbus Ohio September 19-21, 2012
| Wednesday | |
|---|---|
| 2:00pm | Welcome remarks Presentation: Engineering Experiences for Destinations and Travel Suppliers |
| 4:00pm | Ballet Met Experience |
| 6:30pm | Candle Lab and House Wine Tasting |
| Thursday | |
| 8:00am | Breakfast at hotel |
| 9:00am | Panel Discussions: DMOs, Engineering Experiences for Destinations Columbus Travel Suppliers — The Nuts and Bolts of the Experiential Process |
| 11:00am | North Market: Cookin’ with Ka John |
| 1:00pm | Columbus Art Museum Experience |
| 3:30pm | Kelton House: Sophia’s Secret Presentation: Branding Your Destination |
| 7:00pm | Dinner and Show: Ohio Historical Society |
| Friday | |
| 8:30am | Coffee at hotel Breakfast – What’s in Fashion at Nordstrom’s |
| 11:00am - 1:00pm | Presentation: Stories, Scripting and Staging Experiences |
| 1:00pm | Lunch |
| 2:00pm - 3:30pm | Presentation: Enginering Experiences for Your Organization Next Steps & Wrap-up |
(Please note that dates and times of mobile workshops are subject to change based on availability.)
Speakers:
- Bethany Braden, Marketing & Advertising Manager, Easton Town Center.
Over the past decade, Bethany has helped to grow Easton Town Center into one of the nation's top lifestyle destinations. She currently directs Experience Easton, a multi-faceted tourism program that customizes visits for over 150 regional and national group tour companies, niche market groups and professional conventions, annually. Bethany has developed, implemented (and enthusiastically participated) in a variety of experiential activities and events at select Easton retailers and restaurants. She's excited to continue expanding this highly successful program to further increase unique visits and experiences to Easton Town Center. - Amir Eylon, Ohio State Travel Director
Bio - Mark Holbrook, Marketing Manager Ohio Historical Society
Mark Holbrook, currently the Marketing Manager for the Ohio Historical Society, also portrays historic characters for Society events and acts in the Echoes in Time theatre series at the Ohio Historical Center in Columbus. Mark represents the Society to the tourism industry and at trade shows throughout the country. He is the editor of the recently published The Buckeye Vanguard about the 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Mark has been a Civil War re-enactor for more than 16 years and gives numerous lectures about the Civil War. - Kari Kauffman, Director of Tourism for Experience Columbus.
Kari is a 25-year veteran of the Ohio tourism industry. In her current position at Experience Columbus, Kari manages a department of five fulltime staff members, who are responsible for leisure tourism sales, advertising, promotions, and marketing; visitor services; and tourism research. Kari was the 2009 recipient of the Paul Sherlock Award, which is bestowed annually on an individual in recognition of an ongoing commitment to the development and promotion of Ohio's Travel and Tourism Industry. Kari is a current Gahanna Convention & Visitors Bureau board member, and a past appointee to the Ohio Travel Advisory Council and board member of the Ohio Travel Association. - Sam Rogers, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Visit Baltimore
Sam Rogers, a 30-year veteran of the travel industry, joined the Visit Baltimore (then the Baltimore Area CVA) in October 2007 as Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. During his career, he has served as vice president of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, executive director of the Virginia Waterfront tourism campaign, executive vice president of a Philadelphia-based advertising and public relations agency and in the tourism office of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Rogers has garnered numerous awards for domestic and international travel marketing. - Mary Szymkowiak, Communications & Group Tour Specialist
Dublin (OH) Convention & Visitors Bureau Mary Szymkowiak is the Group Tour and Communications Specialist with the Dublin (OH) Convention & Visitors Bureau, where she has worked for 11 years. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University and has more than 25 years experience in Public Relations, writing and marketing. A longtime Dublin girl (with a wee bit of Irish blood), Mary is passionate about the "city where Irish is an Attitude"-and strives to make sure that every visitor she encounters leaves with the same enthusiasm for Dublin that she holds. - Steve Weaver, The Candle Lab
Steve Weaver the Owner/Operating Partner of The Candle Lab, a company that's reinventing the way people think about home fragrance. Steve and his wife Katesha have owned The Candle Lab for 5 years, and now have three stores with plans to open their fourth location in the summer of 2011. Steve worked for 10 years in politics before starting this venture with his wife. His passion and skill set are focused around building strong walkable/shoppable downtowns at the heart of local communities. The foundation of The Candle Lab's success comes from partnerships and collaborations with other local businesses, community leaders, as well as local artisans and crafters.
