Vermont Travel Industry Conference

"I love this conference! Always very beneficial!"

"Learned a lot and made many good contacts."

"Great diversity of presentations!"

"Interactive, interesting, informative!

"I enjoyed the workshops that would actually relate to something in my business. I took practical ideas away from every session. I brought home materials to share with my organization that are useful.

NEW! "Marketing Speed Dating" Networking Event

If you are interested in expanding your customer case in the hospitality and tourism field, this event is for you! The annual Vermont Travel Industry Conference brings together tourism and hospitality professionals in order to provide opportunities for education, discussion, and exchanging of ideas. The 2011 Conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Burlington, Vermont on Tuesday, April 12 – Wednesday April 13.

On Monday, April 11th, the Vermont Travel Industry Conference will hold a "Marketing Speed Dating" networking event from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. This fast-paced, networking session will connect individuals representing hospitality industry businesses in need of guidance on e-marketing and would like to learn how to use the latest technology, social media, mobile applications and web features to showcase and grow their business, with businesses specializing in:

Mobile Marketing
Video Marketing
Web Design
State Agency Resources
Contact Management Databases
Word Press / Blog Design
Search Engine Optimization

How will it work?

Appointments will be assigned in advance based on the needs of the attendees. Meeting will last 10 minutes with a 5-minute transition time.

How much does it cost?

The fee to participate as a supplier / organization and meet with attendees is $100. Suppliers are allowed to send one representative. Additional representatives can be sent for an additional fee of $25. Click here to download the registration form and we will contact you with additional details!

Who can you expect to see there? (Click here to download the pdf version.)

802theApp (Mobile Marketing)
www.802theapp.com
802theApp is a new local mobile app, aimed at providing the greater Burlington community with the most up-to-date, accessible events and special listings. Working with local businesses, 802theApp brings Burlington's events, nightlife, and current happenings to the hands of the community with access to what they want, when they want it. Businesses can now reach their audiences at the point of decision, increasing their ads' effectiveness. Our robust, user-friendly iPhone and Android app had over 1,000 downloads and is quickly becoming a leading resource for the best of what's happening in Burlington.

Curve Trends Marketing (SEO & Web Advertising)
www.curvetrends.com
Curve Trends Marketing is a full service digital marketing agency, integrating disciplines from brand identity to search marketing driving both organic and paid search, digital advertising, social media marketing and web analytics. We have evolved from being a boutique search marketing agency to what we are today. Our clients range from Vermont based local businesses like Equipe Sports to international leaders in adventure travel -VBT Bicycling Vacations, Sojourn Active Vacations and beyond, including landmark educational institutes like the University of Vermont. Our vision is to empower our clients with enhanced Return on Investment (ROI) through strategic online customer acquisition & retention insights. The goal is not only to position and market these ventures through online channels but also to wean them away from unproductive and challenging media in order to achieve the triple bottom-line: People, Planet and Profit. We do this in a variety of ways, through online marketing campaigns, reorganizing existing web sites and finally, complete web overalls. During this process, we serve as guides for our clients wanting to navigate the increasingly complex online world.

Empower Mobility (Mobile Application Development)
www.EmpowerMobility.com
Founded in 2005, Empower Mobility is a talented resource for developing custom mobile software solutions for a variety of mobile platforms and markets. We apply nearly 20 years of experience in mobile to turn your idea or need into reality. Whether your need is to extend an existing desktop system to mobile or to create an entirely new mobile solution, we have the experience to deliver. We do precisely what our business name says - we "empower mobility". Check out our website for further information and a partial list of past projects.

Gray Dog Media (Pay-Per-Click Advertising)
www.graydogvt.com
Gray Dog Media will be providing expertise on your pay-per-click advertising, focusing on Google AdWords. Search- and content-based advertising have evolved into an essential component of paid online media. If you’re brand new to AdWords we can start at the beginning, or if you’re already familiar with the basics, we can review some of the more advanced possibilities!

Hen House Media (Business Video Applications)
www.henhousemedia.com
In this age many distractions, such as social media, ad words, banner ads, blogs, all vie for and fragment our attention. That is why businesses from Main St to Wall St are rediscovering the immense power of video.

HMS Interactive (Local Optimization)
www.hmsinteractive.com
Ranking high in Google Places, Yahoo Local, and Bing can sometimes make or break a business with a physical location. Learn the secrets for local search engine visibility and conversion, as well as techniques to be avoided from HMS Interactive, an Internet marketing company specializing in the hospitality industry.

Sprout New Media (Wordpress / Blog Design)
http://sproutnewmedia.com
Wouldn't it be nice to have a website you could update yourself? Wordpress is a great way to add a blog to an existing website, but there's so much more it can do - it's not just for blogs anymore! Find out more about how we can help you grow your business on the web.

STRATEEGE Web&smp;Branding (Web Design/ Wordpress/ Blog Design/ Content Management Systems)
www.strateege.com
Strateege Web & Branding helps you build a cohesive identity for your business: from logo and signage, to website design and interior space design. Our team of experts, logo and sign designer, website designer and developer, and interior designer will assist you in a very personalized way, in one or several of these areas. We have 25 years of experience building identities and personalities for products and companies. We bring value at reasonable rates. Ask us to come and visit you for an initial evaluation of your needs.

Tag New Media (Web Design, Mobile Marketing, Word Press/Blog Design)
www.tagnewmedia.com
Tag New Media is an award-winning digital creative studio. We're all about talented people, big ideas, innovative design and the creative use of technology. We make online experiences that are intuitive, engaging and extend our clients' brands online.

The Boston Herald (Integrated Media)
www.bostonherald.comLocal Local Local. Reach affluent, educated consumers in Boston who appreciate a Vermont travel experience via their trusted, local news source...The Boston Herald and bostonherald.com. Innovative and affordable marketing options.
www.bostonherald.com

Thoughtfaucet (Online Strategy)
http://thoughtfaucet.com
As a strategic content studio, Thoughtfaucet helps companies align their online activity to their business objectives. Sometimes this involves social media stuff, sometimes it's search engine stuff, sometimes it's helping make a website more useful for customers.

Vermont Business Magazine (Integrated Media)
www.vermontbiz.com
Vermont Business Magazine is Vermont's only statewide/locally owned business magazine. We offer print, web, e-marketing and events to help our clients promote themselves to Vermont's business community.

Vermont Chamber of Commerce (State Agency Resource)
www.VisitVT.com
Do you want to reach thousands of Vermont visitors as they are making their travel plans from home, or as they take a break at any of Vermont’s Information Centers? Get on board with the Vermont Chamber’s vacation guides, the official fulfillment pieces of the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, and the Vermont Chamber’s accompanying website, Visit.VT.com. Check out our niche publications for smaller properties, or hear more about how you can leverage the ski and maple industry’s efforts through our partnership with Ski Vermont and the Maple Sugarmakers’ Association. Stop by and see how the Vermont Chamber can help power up your traditional and new media marketing!

Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing (Government Resources)
www.VermontVacation.com
The Vermont Travel Planner on VermontVacation.com helps thousands of visitors plan their trip to Vermont. Hundreds of lodging establishments, restaurants, attractions, recreation businesses and places to shop are listed. Find out if you are listed in all applicable categories and how you can partner to have your business appear in the package section at no cost.

VisitNewEngland.com (Online Advertising)
www.visitnewengland.com/www.Visit-Vermont.com
With new business generated through search engines your specific services and amenities are the path to your door. Presenting yourself as an inn is nowhere near as effective as promoting yourself in categories such as Romantic Getaways, Green Lodging, LGBT Friendly and Campus Visits. Learn how VisitNewEngland.com’s five million annual viewers and niche advertising format regularly deliver strong traffic and good business. VNE delivers more than ten times the clicks than the average for internet advertising at an affordable cost for any business. With new business generated through search engines your specific services and amenities are the path to your door. Presenting yourself as an inn is nowhere near as effective as promoting yourself in categories such as Romantic Getaways, Green Lodging, LGBT Friendly and Campus Visits. Learn how VisitNewEngland.com’s five million annual viewers and niche advertising format regularly deliver strong traffic and good business. VNE delivers more than ten times the clicks than the average for internet advertising at an affordable cost for any business.

WBON / Kate Paine & Associates (Public Relations/Networking)
www.site.katepaineassociates.com/www.wbon.org
Building Buzz for Your Business: Having a Facebook Page will not bring instant sales. Twitter will not triple your Web traffic overnight. A press release will not get the media banging down your door. Tough truths, I realize, but ones you and your business need to hear. The challenge for small and large businesses is they want instant results. They want to see a spike in sales or Web traffic instantly, and that simply doesn’t happen for most of us. That aside, your PR and networking efforts should lead to one thing: trust. Trust is built on relationship building, time and in combination with traditional PR tools AND social media. Let me provide some tips and ideas to get the attention of the media and more importantly, customers and their loyalty.

Yankee Publishing (Print & Online Marketing)
www.yankeemagazine.com
Take advantage of Yankee Magazine’s print and online audiences, and connect with over 3.7 million prospective New England vacationers. Let us explain how we can customize marketing packages based on your objectives and budget.

Are there other ways to participate in the conference?

Additional sponsorship opportunities are available as well! For a complete list of opportunities and entitlements, and to register, click here or visit the conference Facebook page at www.facebook.com/VTIC802.