Wednesday, May 22
2:30–3:30 p.m.
Breakout III
Generating Publicity for Your Destination Through Major Events
From the MLB All-Star Game, to the world’s largest hot air balloon festival, to Elvis Week, events can help garner major media coverage in your destination.
In this session you will:
- Hear from PR professionals on the destination marketing organization (DMO) and event side about working in tandem with both annual and one-time events to bring extra attention to their city.
- Get tips on partnering with event planners to maximize publicity opportunities, such as providing destination B-roll or talking points for a major sporting event broadcast team.
- Learn how to coordinate a social media command center amongst all the stakeholders.
- Get examples of DMOs who have elevated their destination coverage because of an event.
 |  |  | | |||
| Kevin Kern, Director, Public Relations, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. | Derek Klaus, Senior Communications Manager, Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association | Liana Lopez, APR, Director of Communications, Tampa Bay & Company | Kathleen O'Connell, Public Relations Executive, VisitBritain |
Additional Speaker Information
Kevin Kern is director of public relations at Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. Connect with Kevin on Twitter.
Derek Klaus is senior communications manager at Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association. He is responsible for positioning Kansas City as a top-of-mind business and leisure destination through media relations, publications and social media. A Kansas native, Klaus graduated from the University of Kansas’ William Allen White School of Journalism in 2006. Since joining the KCCVA in 2006, Klaus has earned publicity for Kansas City in national media outlets such as The New York Times, Travel + Leisure and the “Today” show. He serves on boards and steering committees for the Society of American Travel Writers, Kansas City PRSA and Kansas City Restaurant Week. Connect with Derek on Twitter.
Liana Lopez, APR is director of communications at Tampa Bay & Company. Under Lopez’s extensive media relations experience and leadership skills, the communications team works diligently to manage the company's messaging and reputation both locally and around the world, while creating innovative and creative content for all platforms. Lopez has over 16 years of experience in the nonprofit, corporate and government sectors. Prior to joining Tampa Bay & Company, she opened Image House Brands, a communications consulting firm. Before launching Image House, she served as the public affairs director for the City of Tampa. Lopez earned a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from the University of South Florida. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, Florida Public Relations Association, Leadership Tampa Alumni and Junior League of Tampa. Lopez currently serves on the board of FPRA and is a member of The Florida Aquarium’s Rising Tides Committee. She is a native and lifelong resident of Tampa.
Kathleen O'Connell is a public relations executive at VisitBritain. O'Connell helps create and implement the public relations strategy for VisitBritain in the U.S. She works with consumer media (print, online and broadcast), and is the lead on all travel trade media relations to showcase Britain as the ideal overseas vacation destination for Americans. O'Connell has worked with travel, lifestyle and reality shows including "Rick Steves' Europe," "Born to Explore," "The Bachelorette" and "Downton Abbey," and has worked on blockbuster films including Disney's "Brave," the "Harry Potter" series and the recent James Bond film "Skyfall." Connect with Kathleen on Twitter.