VERMONT TOURISM SUMMIT
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  • Home
  • Annual Summit
    • General Info
    • Awards >
      • About the Awards
      • Christiane Skinner Vermont Tourism Champion of the Year
      • SMART Award for Creative Marketing in Tourism
      • Vermont Chamber of Commerce Hospitality Awards
      • Vermont Bartender of the Year
    • Archives >
      • 2019 >
        • 2019 Schedule
      • 2018 >
        • 2018 Schedule
      • 2017 >
        • 2017 Schedule
        • 2017 Sessions
        • 2017 Keynotes
      • 2016 >
        • 2016 Schedule
        • 2016 Sessions
        • 2016 Keynotes
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • New! Resilience Exchange Series

​annual summit archives

ARCHIVES: 2016 Schedule at-a-Glance

Please note: the following program information is from the 2016 conference. 
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Daytime Ski and Ride Killington
Enjoy spring skiing and riding before the conference!
Killington Resort
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Vermont Tourism Summit Welcome Mixer and Vermont Bartender of the Year Competition
Brought to you by Hotel Vermont and the Vermont Distillers Association. Sponsored by Killington Hotel, VT Ski + Ride and The Mountain Times.
Sample classic cocktails prepared by some of Vermont's finest bartenders from around the state. More information can be found here.
OFFSITE: Killington’s K-1 Base Lodge, Mahogany Ridge
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
9:00 am - 5:00 pm Conference Registration Desk Open Lower Lobby
8:30 am - 11:30 am Pre-Conference Industry Group Meeting
  • Vermont Tourism Network (VTN) - Open to members only - Northstar 2
9:00 am - 11:00 am Pre-Conference Industry Group Meetings
  • Vermont Gay Tourism Association (VGTA) - Open to all - Gateway
  • Vermont Inns and Bed and Breakfast Association (VIBBA) - Open to members only - Roundabout
9:00 am - 12:00 pm Sponsor Booth Set Up Oscar Wilde Ballroom & Promenade
10:00 am - 11:00 pm Pre-Conference Industry Group Meetings
  • Scenic Route 100 Byway Meeting - Open to all along Route 100 - Northstar 1
11:00 am - 12:00 pm Byways Meeting - Open to all
Presented by the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing
Northstar 1
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm Opening Session & Lunch
Sponsored by Miles, The Official Marketing Partner of Brand USA
  • Welcome Remarks by Vermont Tourism Summit Chair
    Kyle Opuszynski, Ski Vermont
  • Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing Presentation
    Megan Smith, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing
  • Ted Bridges Hospitality Scholarship Presentation (about)
    Megan Smith, Commissioner, Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing
Oscar Wilde Ballroom
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm Visit with Sponsors & Auction Bidding Oscar Wilde Ballroom & Promenade
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Concurrent Sessions (read the descriptions)
  1. 2016 Video Marketing Trends - Escapade
  2. Real-life Bricks and Social Mortar: Online Chatter to What Really Matters - Gateway
  3. Trends of New England Travelers and Use of Online Information - Northstar 1
  4. What is Your Niche within the Vermont Travel Industry? How to Identify, Package & Promote It! - Northstar 2
3:00 pm - 3:15 pm Refreshment Break Oscar Wilde Ballroom & Promenade
3:15 pm - 4:15 pm Concurrent Sessions (read the descriptions)
  1. A Roadmap for Practical and Tactical Communications Solutions - Gateway
  2. Creating Successful Trails - Northstar 1
  3. Five “Secrets” to Exceptional Customer Service - Northstar 2
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Keynote Address: Looking Back to Look Ahead (about)
Eric Baker, Eric Baker Design
Oscar Wilde Ballroom
5:35 pm - 6:30 pm Awards Presentation with Cash Bar (about)
Sponsored by Farrell Distributing
  • The Christiane Skinner Vermont Tourism Champion of the Year Award
  • The Governor's SMART Award for Creative Marketing in Tourism
  • Chef of the Year
  • Restaurateur of the Year
  • Tourism Partner of the Year
  • Borden E. Avery Innkeeper of the Year
Northstar 1 & 2
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Retro Ski Party & Dinner Event
Official Beer Sponsor: Long Trail Brewery
Dig out your neon one-piece and your father’s old ski boots – the Vermont Tourism Summit is hosting our first ever Retro Ski party! Enjoy après ski fare, retro cocktails, cold beers, and throwback music and movies. Be sure to dress the part - we'll have a photobooth and a grand prize for best dressed!
Snowshed Base Lodge, Long Trail Pub
Late Night Night Cap
Join your friends, old and new, for a night cap at Preston’s, Killington Hotel’s new bar!
Preston’s
Thursday, April 14, 2016
8:00 am - 2:30 pm Conference Registration Desk Open Lower Lobby
8:00 am - 8:45 am Continental Breakfast, Visit with Sponsors & Auction Bidding Oscar Wilde Ballroom & Promenade
8:45 am - 9:45 am Opening Session: Panel of State Agency Tourism Partners
Panelists: Patricia Moulton, Agency of Commerce and Community Development; Michael Snyder, Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation; Louis Porter, Department of Fish & Wildlife; Mary Peterson, Department of Taxes; Moderator: Megan Smith, Department of Tourism & Marketing
Oscar Wilde Ballroom
9:45 am - 10:00 am Refreshment Break, Visit with Sponsors & Auction Bidding Oscar Wilde Ballroom & Promenade
10:00 am - 11:00 am Concurrent Sessions (read the descriptions)
  1. Are You Seeing Your Online Reputation Big Picture? - Gateway
  2. Be a Better Leader - Northstar 2
  3. How Storytelling is Working in Vermont - Escapade
  4. How and Why You Should Attract the International Traveler - Northstar 1
11:00 am - 11:15 am Visit with Sponsors & Auction Bidding
Last chance to place your bids on auction items! Auction closes at 11:15 am.
Oscar Wilde Ballroom & Promenade
11:15 am - 12:15 pm Concurrent Sessions (read the descriptions)
  1. Branding. Don't just exist...really LIVE. - Northstar 2
  2. Experiental Tourism - Northstar 1
  3. International Visitor Research – A global shift! Its Impact and Potential for New England and Vermont - Gateway
  4. Vermont Arts and Tourism: Expanding Your Marketing Reach - Escapade
12:15 pm - 3:00 pm Closing Session & Lunch
Stay until the end of the conference and be entered to win FREE registration to the 2017 Summit! Must be present to win.
  • Panel Presentation: a Tourism Conversation with the Gubernatorial Candidates
    Bruce Lisman, Sue Minter, Matt Dunne, Moderator: Anson Tebbetts, WCAX
  • Closing Keynote: Vermont Travel: It’s not like it’s Brain surgery. Or is it? How the travel industry truly makes lives better (about)
    Moira McCarthy, The Boston Herald
Oscar Wilde Ballroom
3:00 pm Conference Adjourns
Remember to pick up auction items at the conference registration desk if you have the winning bid!
Lower Lobby

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Header Photo Credit: Dennis Curran

2021 Annual Summit Location: Killington Grand Resort Hotel, Killington, VT

Save the date! Make plans now to join us December 8-9, 2021.