Governor's Conference on Hospitality & Tourism 2024
The annual Tennessee Governor's Conference on Hospitality and Tourism (Gov Con), produced by the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association (TNHTA) in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development brings together representatives of the state's travel and tourism industry, including attractions, hoteliers, restaurateurs, destination management/marketing organizations, tour operators, educational institutions offering tourism/hospitality programs, tourism-related government agencies, and suppliers of goods and services of the tourism industry.
Full attendee registration includes admission to all general and breakout sessions, meal functions/refreshment breaks, opening night evening reception at the Hunter Museum of Art, trade show, and the Stars of the Industry Awards Dinner. There are also sponsorship opportunities available.
Attendee Registration and refund policies: All who attend the conference must be registered and paid in full prior to their entry into the event. If an attendee must cancel on or before August 31, a refund will be issued to the original form of payment. We regret that refunds cannot be made after August 31; however, substitutions are allowed within the same organization.
| Price | |
|---|---|
|
Early Bird Member
|
$425.00 |
|
Early Bird Not Yet Member
Registration Ends 7/31/24 at 11:59 PM CDT
|
$475.00 |
| Price | |
|---|---|
|
Chattanooga Choo Choo Sponsor
|
$20,000.00 |
|
Governor's Lunch Sponsor
|
$10,000.00 |
|
Walnut Street Bridge Sponsor: Thursday Breakfast
|
$7,500.00 |
|
Walnut Street Bridge Sponsor: Silent Auction
|
$7,500.00 |
|
Walnut Street Bridge Sponsor: Stars Reception
|
$7,500.00 |
|
Walnut Street Bridge Sponsor: Photo Booth
|
$7,500.00 |
|
Lookout Sponsor
|
$5,000.00 |
|
Member Tri-Star Exhibitor Sponsor
|
$2,000.00 |
|
Not Yet Member Tri-Star Exhibitor Sponsor
|
$2,500.00 |
Take advantage of the room blocks at The Chattanoogan and the Chattanooga Marriott Downtown to secure your lodging for this year's event.
To secure your room at The Chattanoogan, please call the hotel directly at (423) 756-3400. Provide the front desk the arrival date and group name - 9.24.24 TN Governors Conference or group code- GTNGC. OR book through the link https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?ctyhocn=CHABSQQ&groupCode=GTNGC&arrivaldate=2024-09-24&departuredate=2024-09-27&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,EN,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT
Cut off for group rate bookings 8/25/2024.
To secure your room at the Chattanooga Marriott Downtown, please call the hotel directly at (423) 456-0002 and reference M-QC95F8A and Governor's Conference on Hospitality and Tourism. OR follow this link Book your group rate for TNHTA Governors Conference.
The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development offers scholarships for industry partners to attend the Governor's Conference on Hospitality and Tourism. Please click HERE for grant overview and application.
Agenda
| September 25 | |
| 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM | Registration Office Opens |
| 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM |
Early Arrival Experiences (Pre-Registration Required)
Option 1: Chatt Taste Art, History, Food Tour Option 2: Hiking Stinger's Ridge |
| 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM |
Opening Session with TNHTA CEO Sara Beth Urban
At the Chattanoogan Hotel |
| 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM | Welcome to Chattanooga Reception at Hunter Museum of American Art |
| 7:30 PM - 10:30 PM |
Chattanooga Dine Around
Grab a group and explore Chattanooga's delicious dining scene! |
| September 26 | |
| 7:00 AM - 7:30 AM | Early Morning Experience: Chattanooga Wellness Ride |
| 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM | Registration Office Opens |
| 8:30 AM - 9:45 AM |
Breakfast General Session
Breaking Down the Benefits Cliff: Strategies for Sustainable Support - Martha O'Bryan Center |
| 10:00 AM - 10:40 PM |
Breakout Session #1
1. Cultivating a Thriving Workplace Culture 2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Supercharging Experiences, Storytelling and Travel, VML 3. Building an Earned Media Program, Game Day Communications |
| 11:00 AM - 11:40 PM |
Breakout Session #2
1. Under the Influence: When Content Creators and Destinations Combine Forces 2.From Survey to Strategy: Elevating Tennessee's Workforce Across Restaurants, Lodging, and Attractions 3. Working With Vendors 4. Nashville Kitchen Cabinet Roundtable |
| 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM | Governor's Luncheon & TDTD Presentation by Commissioner Mark Ezell |
| 1:50 PM - 2:30 PM |
Breakout Session #3
1. $5,864: Mitigating Turnover Costs with Smart Retention Strategies, Training and Healthcare Solutions for Your Team, ServSafe 2. Unlock Destination Success: Applying Data-Driven Strategic Planning Principles, Zartico 3. CEO Roundtable Discussion |
| 2:50 PM - 3:30 PM |
Breakout Session #4
1. TN Tourism Team Connect: Highlights from the 24-25 Strategic Plan & Partner Resource Guide, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development 2. Success: A Spirited Journey with Orange 142 and the Tennessee Whiskey Trail 3. Flying High: Roles of Airports in Attracting and Supporting Tourism |
| 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM | "Take Me to the Lookouts" Exhibitor Reception |
| 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Stars of the Industry Cocktail Reception |
| 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Stars of Industry: Purple Iris Awards Gala |
| 9:30 PM - 12:00 AM | Stars of the Industry After Party at the Chattanoogan |
| September 27 | |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM | Registration Office Opens |
| 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM |
Closing Breakfast General Session
Women in Hospitality & Tourism Breakfast Featuring Chatt Taste Panel |
- Monday – Friday: 6:30am – 11:00pm
- Saturday 9:30 a.m. until 11:00pm
- Sunday 9:30am until 8:30pm
- Monday – Friday: 6:50am – 6:10pm
- Saturday: 9:50am – 6:10pm
- Monday – Saturday: 8:00am until 10:10pm
- Sunday: 8:00am – 8:30pm
For More Information:
