Watch Keynote and Breakout Session recordings
Did you miss the Explore Minnesota Conference or want to review the sessions again. Click the link above for a full recap and links to session recordings.
Conference Keynote Recordings
- Lauren Bennett McGinty, Explore Minnesota Executive Director, presents: Explore Minnesota Look Back: The Year in Review
- Josiah Brown, the New York Sherpa, presents: How to Speak our Industry's Story with Impact
- Adam Sacks, President of Tourism Economics, presents: Where Do We Go From Here?
- Janette Roush, Sr. Vice President of Brand USA, presents: Generative AI and Tourism: Practical Applications for Minnesota's Global Future
- Lauren Bennett McGinty, Explore Minnesota Executive Director, presents: Explore Minnesota 2025 Look Forward
Breakout Session Recordings
Selected vendors will showcase the latest innovative technologies, products, and services emerging in the travel and tourism industry.
- Strategies to Attract More Sports Business to Your Community (Industry Panel)
Learn from Minnesota Sports Alliance panelists how they have built successful programs to attract more sports meetings, events and tournaments to their communities and facilities.
- The Print Travel Guide of the Future
Print is not dead, but yours might be. Learn from Josiah Brown's experience of talking to thousands of travelers per year on what they are looking for in travel guides and why it’s an essential part of your local advocacy efforts as well.
- 10 Social Media Trends to Watch in 2025
Arik Hanson will provide his pragmatic predictions for what’s next in the social media marketing world. It’s a big question on many travel industry marketers’ minds as we start the New Year.
- Regional Impacts of Climate Change Across Minnesota and the Future of Tourism
This session will share new, highly localized climate projections for Minnesota and explore how tourism marketing efforts can adapt to the challenges and opportunities of a changing climate.
- Tourism Asset-Based Economic Development
Dr. Maree Forbes Gaughan will discuss Asset Based Economic Development, an approach that begins with existing tourism assets and builds upon the distinct culture to create tourism offerings that are unique to the area, that can’t be duplicated.
Ready to move beyond the AI buzzwords and start actually using these tools? Janette Roush will present an interactive workshop with practical applications of AI for tourism professionals.
- Lightning in a Bottle, a Bring Ya A** Case Study
The Explore Minnesota marketing team seized on the opportunity, quickly launching a series of social media posts, a web takeover, and other communications and campaign efforts to seize the attention of fans, media and the internet at large.
- The Changing Face of Group Travel
Join Dr. Maree Forbes Gaughan and the Explore Minnesota Market Development Team to learn what today's group travelers are looking for in a trip and the differences in their search and booking patterns.
- Winona’s Winning Formula: Leveraging Outdoor Recreation for Tourism, Community, and Quality of Life
This case study will explore how the city’s strategic investments in outdoor spaces and recreational activities have not only attracted visitors and new residents but also enhanced the quality of life for its current population.
Moving beyond basic tools to tackle the strategic challenges of AI adoption? Join Janette Roush in this facilitated discussion where tourism leaders share approaches to thorny issues like organizational guidelines, change management, and executive buy-in.
- How to Attract Film Production to Your Community
Learn about the new Explore Minnesota Film office, the tourism and economic development opportunities of film production, and how to create a Film Friendly Community Program to attract new productions to your community.
