Advertise on podcast: DMOU: Destination Marketing Organization University

Santa Clara has the unique honor of hosting both the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup matches in the same year. As we ramp up to Super Bowl 60, we speak with Discover Santa Clara CEO Christine Lawson on how her organization has prepared for this weekend’s turn on the global stage, how it informs this summer’s FIFA events and how they plan to use the visibility to gain global recognition that they are a destination for the world. Join us.

What if your governmental leaders and your hospitality partners were completely bought in to your DMO’s strategies, funding and program of work? On this edition of DMOU, Tourism Kingston CEO Megan Knott joins us to share the story of how her community came together to create a DMO…and a complimentary culture of collaboration that has resulted in a series of Integrated Destination Strategies that guide the future development of the community. It’s a fascinating story of innovation. Join us.

We’re kicking off the New Year on DMOU with one of our favorite DMO pros, Visit Albuquerque’s Tania Armenta. As she marks 10 years as CEO, Tania looks back on the work to regain the City’s trust (after years of them putting the DMO contract out to bid), creating a Marketing District resulting in a doubling of the organization’s budget and spearheading a community-led Master Plan. She also shares why the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) has been so impactful for both her community and her professional staff. Join us.

We close out 2025 with one of our favorite conversations of the year. Mammoth Lakes’ John Urdi (soon to be the CEO of Surf City USA) shares how his community embraced a Tourism Business District that extended past lodging to include restaurants, retail and attractions. But it goes further, as his destination has endured California fires. And his DMO has played a leadership role in attempting to mitigate the environmental realities that threaten the very existence of the destination. Join us.

Domenic Bravo is one of the most unconventional DMO pros in America…which is why his approach over the past five years as the Director of Visit Cheyenne has found an amazing level of both success and community support. On this episode of DMOU, you’ll hear how an event strategy drove visitation and community support during the darkest days of COVID…and how the DMO has embraced the nighttime economy as a way to invigorate the vitality and magnetism of the community. Join us.

Kelly Haussler is the Director of Destination Development at Ottawa Tourism. She served as lead on their 10-year Destination Stewardship Plan that focuses on 3 primary pillars: Planet, Place and Prosperity…and when they all work in concert, magic happens. Such as a Destination Food Recovery Plan that has blown through all expectations. And for her Bonus Round question we explore her fascination with a creature that terrorizes most. Join us for this fascinating conversation.

The 2025 edition of the World’s Best Cities is being released today at World Travel Mart in London…and DMOU scored an exclusive sneak peak into the results and a look at the constantly evolving methodology. Resonance Founder and CEO Chris Fair returns to DMOU to share some of the findings of both this study as well as this past summer’s America’s Best Cities rankings. And, he takes his Bonus Round question in a completely different direction as we discuss how he believes Climate Change will impact future rankings...along with the lovability of our cities going forward. Join us.

Kelly Miller is a 35-year veteran in the Destination Leadership space. From Juneau to Atlanta to Asheville to Tampa to Surf City USA, he has left an indelible mark on our sector with innovative thinking and strategies that are so far beyond the box that there isn’t a box. In this episode, Kelly shares his journey, his stories…and, in his amazing Bonus Round, the tale behind his completion of the 21 stages of the Tour de France. Join us.

This weekend marks the 50th Anniversary of Cadillac MI High School welcoming the then-fledgling band known as Kiss to play at their Homecoming Dance. Cadillac’s Kathy Morin joins DMOU to tell the back story and how her community has prepared for this weekend’s festivities. But, Kiss is just a small part of the Cadillac story…and we go deeper into her work with developing sustainable trail policies that go beyond seasonality and developing a decidedly non-silo approach to community development. Join us.

Pure Michigan is one of (if not) the most iconic tourism marketing brands in history, completely transcending logo or tagline. Kelly Wolgamott joins us for a fascinating conversation covering the origins of the campaign, its future vision…and its entrance into the fragrance space to allow destination fans and the curious to experience the scents of Pure Michigan. And, insights into how the voice of the brand is being expanded for future generations. Join us.

What started out as an invitation to Discovery Albany CEO Jill Delaney to discuss her recent CDME paper evolved into a wide ranging discussion that included how she and her organization have had a meaningful impact on hospitality workforce development in her community. How she has, over the past 7 years, reframed the organization’s importance in the eyes of local investors. And yes…the research she did regarding the long standing debate between DMO Membership vs. Partnership (spoiler alert: there is no one-size-fits-all answer). Join us for this fascinating conversation.

Over the past 40 years, Sports Tourism has grown into a juggernaut for many destinations across North America. Most of the economic impact statistics have focused on participatory Sports Tournament events. But there is another facet of Sports Tourism that has previously gone undocumented… and that is Spectator Sports events. On this edition of DMOU, we welcome John David, the CEO of Sports ETA to share findings of this landmark study as well as his take on how virtually every community can benefit from the Sports Tourism economy. Join us.

Every few years, Destinations International commissions a study to help Destination Leadership understand, interpret and marshal the future. Called the Futures Study and conducted by MMGY NextFactor, this year’s edition stakes out new ground and strongly suggests tactics for future success. On this episode of DMOU, we welcome Cassandra McAuley to discuss the methodology, findings and recommendations of this breakthrough edition of the Futures Study. Join us…and secure your copy, pronto.

On this edition of DMOU, we welcome Destination Door County CEO Julie Gilbert to discuss how under-managed tourism had begun to challenge the summer retreat of my youth. A half a century ago, Door County was a quaint, easy to maneuver vacation destination for those of us who had discovered these unique villages. As she arrived in 2021, it was clear that action was needed to preserve paradise. In this episode, we’ll discuss Sustainability, Community Relations and developing a substantial Grant Program that endears the DMO to its residents. Join us.

As is our custom on DMOU, we annually feature the incoming Chair of Destinations International to outline their agenda for the coming year. And Leslie Bruce does just that in this episode…but we go much deeper to explore her work in working with her community through Radical Collaboration on an initiative called Lead Tourism for Good. And, we discuss her work with the 7 indigenous nations in Banff and Lake Louise to empower indigenous entrepreneurs to launch new businesses in the community. Join us.