| | Annual Conference 
Presented by PRSA's Travel and Tourism Section
and SATW's Associates Council
The Westin, Pittsburgh, PA
Click here to register “Master Classes” devoted to senior practitioners Relevant content for everyone More opportunities to meet and mingle with travel writers and industry peers (Click here for a list of confirmed media!) A green and environmentally groovy conference!
TWO NEW KEYNOTE SPEAKERS JUST CONFIRMED!
 Jonathan B. Tourtellot
Director and Geotourism Editor, National Geographic Traveler
Editor, writer, public speaker, self-taught geographer, and sometime photographer, Jonathan has served as a National Geographic Society senior editor since 1980 and became the Society's first Director of The Center for Sustainable Destinations in 2001. He is also the geotourism editor for National Geographic Traveler magazine, where he supervises feature articles on tourism issues and writes the DestinationWatch (formerly TravelWatch) column. Mr. Tourtellot originated the concept of geotourism and is primary author of the Geotourism Charter. He also helped develop the study "Geotourism: The New Trend in Travel," and initiated and supervised Destination Scorecard surveys reported in National Geographic Traveler magazine. In helping to expand Traveler's coverage of tourism and destination management, he wrote the magazine's first two feature stories on the topic, "The Two Faces of Tourism" (July/August 1999) and "The Tourism Wars" (October 2000), both of which won awards, as well as authoring the July/August 2006 piece, "The Climate Bomb."
 Richard Bangs
Travel Adventurer and Host of the PBS Series, "Adventures With Purpose"
Richard began writing of his travels early in his career as an adventurer. His new public television series, titled “Adventures With Purpose,” involves hour-long documentaries that combine adventure travel, eco-consciousness and historical perspectives. Early to appreciate the importance of the Internet, Richard was on the executive team that founded Expedia.com, where he served as editor-at-large. In addition, he created www.terra-quest.com, which offers online virtual adventures. Richard has published 14 books and more than 500 articles. “Riding the Dragon’s Back,” the book he published with Christian Kallen recounting the dramatic race to be the first to raft down the Yangtze, won the Lowell Thomas Award for the best travel book of 1989.
Plus Additional Keynote Presenters:  Laura Ries
President, Ries & Ries and Co-Author, “The Fall of Advertising & Rise of PR"
Laura will share her insights into the unique balance between advertising and public relations. Today’s major brands are born with publicity, not advertising. Using in-depth case histories of successful PR campaigns, Laura will share how public relations builds brands and drives results. Outlining the major differences between PR and advertising, Laura reminds us that PR is serious, creative, credible and, above all, the most important marketing tool when building a brand.
 Charles Veley
"The World’s Most Traveled Person" and founder of MostTraveledPeople.com
Charles has visited 629, or 93%, of the 673 distinct territories of the world, more than anyone in history, including such garden spots as Bouvet Island, Peter I Island, and the South Pole. Charles has been featured on “The Today Show,” CNBC’s “Kudlow & Company,” The Travel Channel, and in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, New Orleans Times-Picayune, London Daily Telegraph, and many other publications. He will talk about what it means to be "the most-traveled person" and some of the challenges he's faced along the way.
 Dr. Bill Siegel
Founder and Chairman of Longwoods International, one of the top travel research firms in North America
Bill will share with you his rules of engagement — lessons learned from over 20 years as a travel researcher and strategist working for countries, states, cities, and regions. He will illustrate these rules with award-winning case studies demonstrating the power of communications to enhance a destination’s image and to generate a significant ROI. Bill’s work has been cited in broadcast and print media, including The New York Times, USA Today, Newsweek, the Christian Science Monitor, the Puerto Rico Herald, and The Times of London. He has been invited to speak at many industry functions, such as state governor’s conferences, The Brookings Institution, the Travel & Tourism Research Association, the American Marketing Association, the Advertising Research Foundation, the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research, and the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Register Early and Save $100!
Click here to access registration forms.
For full conference details, navigate left hand menu of this page or download the print conference brochure (PDF). Questions: Contact Don Bill at don.bill@prsa.org or 212-460-1456. To make hotel reservations, click here or phone 1-800-Westin-1 or 412-281-3700 and ask for the Public Relations Society of America special rate of $159 by 5/19/08.
Questions: Contact Don Bill at don.bill@prsa.org or 212-460-1456. 2008 Travel & Tourism Conference Sponsors
Click on sponsor logos to view their Web sites.  
 
   
Gateway Clipper Fleet
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