From Stage to Strategy: What I Took Home from Destinations International annual convention 2025 in Chicago

What a privilege it was to stand on stage in Chicago and be part of the largest Destinations International Annual Convention ever held — 2,000+ participants from 38 countries, united by one question: What does destination leadership look like in the next decade?

For me, it meant delivering a 45-minute session on tourism seasonality, briefing the Board of Directors on the state of European tourism as Chair of the European Stewardship Council, and moderating a DestinationNEXT Futures Study panel with leaders from Scotland, the Cayman Islands, and Monterrey. Each moment brought a new sense of urgency and possibility.

“The solution isn’t to stop people from traveling. It’s to shape the system they enter.”

That was my message in my session — and it resonated. We talked openly about building systems that balance visitor growth with resident well-being, infrastructure strain, and local culture. I shared lessons from Madeira, Setouchi, Oulu, and Levi: segment smarter, innovate across seasons, collaborate across borders.


DestinationNEXT: From Research to Action

Cassandra McAuley’s unveiling of the 2025 DestinationNEXT Futures Study was the heart of the convention. It laid out eight strategic forces shaping DMOs, including:

  • The urgency of advocacy as 42% of DMOs foresee funding risk in 3 years

  • The growing role of generative AI in marketing and brand control

  • A shift in KPIs toward resident sentiment, inclusivity, and long-term resilience

Her message was clear: This is a transformational moment. Courage and clarity are the new core competencies.

My Panel: Futures in Practice

Moderating the DestinationNEXT panel was a highlight for me. Our panelists — Rory Archibald (VisitScotland), Rosa Harris (Cayman Islands), and Mauricio Magdaleno (Monterrey) — showed how destinations are already putting the study into practice.

We discussed:

  • How to justify public funding through storytelling and impact metrics

  • Redefining destination brands in the age of creators and AI

  • Using events to create legacy and pride, not just visitation

Their honesty — about balancing expanded roles with flat budgets — made it one of the liveliest discussions of the week.

Chicago as Host & Symbol

Don Welsh’s (CEO Destinations International) opening tribute to DI’s 10-year transformation, and Kristen Reynolds' (CEO Choose Chicago) passionate welcome on behalf of Choose Chicago, reminded us that hosting isn’t just logistics — it’s storytelling with purpose. Their “Never Done, Never Outdone” campaign lived up to the promise.



Purpose, Belonging & Boldness

We were also moved by Justin Wren’s keynote on human dignity and Andre Norman’s story of redemption. And we were inspired by destination leaders like Caroline Strand, who turned Stockholm into a “city of supporters,” and Heather Middleton, who used New Year’s Eve in Nashville as a blueprint for strategic event-led growth.

A Global Movement in Motion

Destinations International is not the same organization it was 10 years ago — and neither are we. This year's convention was a declaration that destination professionals are not just marketers. We are:

  • Advocates for our residents

  • Stewards of shared places

  • Catalysts for long-term resilience

  • Connectors of community, culture, and commerce



See You in Portland!

As we look ahead to #DIAC26 in Portland, let’s carry this momentum forward — into policy, into budgets, and into every calendar gap and community meeting. Seasonality, sustainability, and stewardship aren’t buzzwords — they’re the blueprint.

And this year, I was proud to help draw part of that blueprint on stage in Chicago.




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