2023 Travel Unity Summit Southeast

Schedule

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

9 AM ET – Introduction and Welcome 

Our host welcomes attendees to Lake Charles – Louisiana’s Playground!

9:10 AM ET - Welcome

Mayor Nic Hunter of the City of Lake Charles, LA welcomes attendees to the 2023 Travel Unity Summit Southeast.

9:15 AM ET - Keynote Session

Take a deeper dive into Sophia Hyder Hock’s thoughts on the current state of DEI in the travel industry and where organizations of all sizes can balance short-term successes and long-term strategy.

10 AM ET - Panel: Tips and Tricks for Crafting a Comprehensive DEI Plan

Having a thorough applied DEI strategy takes a commitment, but many organizations have already done it. Learn their tricks on how to strategize inclusion in the workplace, with visitors, and with community stakeholders and partners.

Moderated by Berkeley Young. Featuring Renée Areng, CDTP, Timothy Bush, CDTP (Visit Lake Charles) & Zondra W. Jones, CDTP (Louisiana Northshore)

11:30 AM ET - A Conversation with Rickey Thigpen, PhD. and Bennish Brown

Rickey Thigpen, PhD. and Bennish Brown share how their lives have impacted their work and organizational strategies.

1:30 PM ET - Breakout Room #1 – Attracting Diverse Groups through Media & Sales (in Memorial I)

Hear case studies on how moving from one-way broadcasting to mutually respectful relationships can move the needle on bringing diverse travelers and groups to your destination.



Moderated by Jada Durden. Featuring Nicole Twigg and Najauna White.

1:30 PM ET - Breakout Room #2 – Strategic Approaches to Applied DEI (in Memorial II)

What does it mean to commit to DEI both externally and internally? Learn from professionals who have helped organizations define and implement these strategies.

Featuring Sonya Bradley (Visit Sacramento) and Melissa Cherry (Miles Partnership). Moderated by Timothy Bush (Visit Lake Charles).

2:30 PM ET - Breakout Room #1 – LGBTQ+ Inclusion: Marketing to LGBTQ+ Communities and Working with LGBTQ+-owned Businesses (in Memorial I)

Learn from LGBTQ+ experts how to better communicate and collaborate with LGBTQ+ visitors and businesses. Moderated by Tico Soto.

2:30 PM ET - Breakout Room #2 – Workshop – Building a Hiring Pipeline  (in Memorial II)

Even prior to the pandemic, the travel industry was struggling with workforce issues. This session will deliver practical strategies on not only how to diversify your workforce, but how to make sure employees of all backgrounds and abilities feel like they belong in your organization. Featuring Dr. Edward Walden, Caitlin Scanlan, Lauren A.K. Darnell and Craig Kennedy.

Session sponsored by New Orleans & Company.

3:40 PM ET - Panel: Integrating DEI and Sustainability for Your Community

Ready for the next level of equitable tourism management? Considering ‘stewardship’ in your strategic planning? Hear from leaders in the sustainability space and share your thoughts in this dynamic session that closes out our Tuesday programming.

Moderated by Jen Gray-O’Connor (Coraggio Group).

9 AM ET - Keynote Session

Roni Weiss, Executive Director of Travel Unity, kicks off the final day of the 2023 Southeast Summit.

Neki Mohan, VP of Multi-Cultural Business & Community Engagement at Visit Lauderdale, talks about how their destination has tackled representing their whole community in the face of myriad challenges.

10 AM ET - Cultural Tourism: How to Responsibly and Collaboratively Tell Community Stories 

With an introduction and moderation by Cheryl Hargrove, this session will cover local and regional efforts around cultural tourism.

10:00-10:20am – Cultural Tourism in the 2020s

Cheryl Hargrove introduces the scope of the session – sharing her experiences on how travel is currently addressing issues around cultural tourism.

With an introduction and moderation by Cheryl Hargrove, this session will cover local and regional efforts around cultural tourism.

10:20-10:50am – Justice + Storytelling: Sharing the Experiences of the Black Diaspora

Leon Burnette (AKA “Mr. B The Guru”) works with African American tour guides to share first-hand knowledge of the continuing struggle for racial equality. Learn more about his work through Civil Rights Trail Tours and Tourism Pathways to keep Black Diasporan stories alive and on how he creates space for open, honest discussions.

11 AM ET - DEI Case Studies from Across the Southeast

From North Carolina to Arkansas to Virginia, learn real-world examples of how professionals and organizations are practicing applied DEI.

12 PM ET - What’s Your Reaction?

A lively session where panelists (and the audience!) react to different ads that highlight identities/communities.

Featuring Cheryl M. Hargrove, Craig Kennedy, Elijah Washington, and Karen Kuhl

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