Page 26 - 2020 AITC Program

Within the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Cultural Tourism program, proposed development of Friday September 18
a new Akwesasne Heritage Complex was a key initiative. The Complex will be the heart of
the tourism program, visitor experience, and community heritage and cultural programming.
Developing a Business Case is an important step to support tribal decision making.
The Business Case for the Tribe’s development of the Heritage Center will include cost benefit
analysis, risk analysis, review of marketing analysis and strategies, roles and responsibilities
and proposed governance, recommendations & next steps. This critical document will
articulate and justify any major capital expense in a tourism development program. This
session will share insights into how to prepare a business case for capital development that is
honest, justifiable and understandable by all members of the community.
Session 10b: Photography & Marketing
Larry Burton, Professional Photographer
Bruce Rettig, Travel Writer/Photographer
Professional photographer Larry Burton uses his experience as a tour guide and photographer
to help tribes build photo libraries for marketing their attractions and landscapes. In this
session Larry will present ideas for collecting and using images to create more compelling
websites. He will also share tips for capturing high quality, high resolution wildlife and
landscape images.
2–2:55 p.m. Breakout Session 11
Session 11a: The NATIVE Act and Cultural Tourism Development
Commissioner Jeannie Hovland, Administration for Native Americans
Cynthia Ptak, Economic Development Representative, Economic Development Administration
Explore Section 5 of the NATIVE Act, which mandates designated federal agencies and those
agencies with a tourism function, utilize their grant programs to support the efforts of tribes
and tribal organizations to grow the benefits of cultural tourism. Representatives from both
the Administration for Native Americans and from the Economic Development Administration
will discuss funding opportunities that are available to tribes interested in strengthening their
cultural heritage and tourism programming.
Session 11b: Strengthening Sustainable Tourism Development via Visitor “First Impressions”
C. Andrew Northrop, Statewide Sustainable Tourism Educator, Michigan State University
Have you ever wondered what your community and tourism assets look like through the eyes
of first-time visitors? Have you ever wondered if capturing visitor “first impressions” might be
the catalyst needed to spawn leaders, strengthen community vitality and initiate sustainable
tourism development? Michigan State University Extension’s First Impressions Tourism
Assessment (FIT) is a comprehensive tourism assessment conducted over a 24 hour period
unannounced by a team of first-time visitors to a host community. This comprehensive, 13-
part assessment helps communities learn about their strengths and weaknesses through the
eyes of first-time visitors by capturing and sharing their first-impressions.
3:00 p.m. Zoom Happy Hour: Music Performances
Connect with fellow AITC delegates in a post-conference recap of the day’s events and enjoy a
video from The Levi Platero Band and the Native Roots/Innastate “Water is Life” music video.
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10–10:55 a.m. Keynote Session: Building Alliances for a Better Future
Fawn Sharp, President, National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
As the aftereffects of COVID-19 cause economies to shrink and human resources to
disappear, the eventual return of visitor traffic is one proven path to economic recovery.
Although tribal tourism marketers understand the urgency of creating a thoughtful tourism
messaging campaign, they are also finding their budgets significantly cut as those monies
are directed to other, more pressing social service needs. By teaming together with regional
or other partners, tourism marketers can find valuable insights on how to extend visibility
with potential visitors. In her keynote speech, National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)
President Fawn Sharp discusses the importance of alliances when it comes to aligning
knowledge and maximizing resources.
11–11:55 a.m. Breakout Session 12
Session 12a: Three Steps to Creating a Great Brand
Ric Militi, CEO/Executive Creative Director, InnoVision Marketing Group
Alanna Markey, Vice-President/Client Services & Brand Strategy, InnoVision Marketing Group
More than just your name and logo, your company brand is every image that’s conjured up in
consumer minds when they think about your company. It’s your story, but it’s also how your
customers tell their own stories about your product. During this session, panelists discuss the
three steps to consider when launching your company, what they each mean, and how to
achieve them to become a great brand.
Session 12b: How to Tradeshow
Kainoa Daines, Director of Culture & Product Development,
Hawai’i Visitors & Convention Bureau
Dawn Melvin, Tribal Tourism Relations Manager, Arizona Office of Tourism
Whether or not your community is planning an immediate tourism outreach or taking a wait-
and-see approach, your visitor marketing outreach will likely eventually include showcasing
your destination at a tourism trade show. Attending a targeted tradeshow can drive brand
awareness and bring visitors, tour operators, media and other potential partners to your
cultural heritage destination. But a successful trade show strategy involves much more than
just showing up and hoping for the best. Join industry experts Mr. Kainoa Daines, Director of
Culture & Product Development for the Hawai’i Visitors & Convention Bureau and Ms. Dawn
Melvin, Tribal Tourism Relations Manager, for the Arizona Office of Tourism, as they share
insider tips for trade show success.
12–1 p.m. Networking Break: AITC Wrap Up
Join the AIANTA team in an AITC review session. What worked, what didn’t? Tell us what
sessions you’d like to see next year and also take this time to complete the surveys for the
sessions you attended.
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