| | Annual Conference 
Presented by PRSA's Travel and Tourism Section
and SATW's Associates Council
The Westin, Pittsburgh, PA Please note: Online registration for the Conference is now closed.
You may register for the Conference in-person at the Conference registration desk at the Westin at the following times:
Tuesday, June 17, 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
(Pennsylvania Ballroom, 2nd Floor)
Wednesday, June 18, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
(Allegheny Foyer, 3rd Floor)
Thursday, June 19, 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
(Allegheny Foyer, 3rd Floor)
Friday, June 20, 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
(Allegheny Foyer, 3rd Floor) “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!
Newly confirmed speaker!
Lynn Swann
Former NFL player and 30 year veteran of sports broadcasting; NFL and College Football Hall of Famer; Director, Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, H.J. Heinz Company and Harrah’s Entertainment; Director and Former Chairman of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America
Lynn's successful career in the National Football League began in 1974, his first of many glory years with the Steelers. He was named to the All-Rookie Team that year, All-Pro the following year and Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl X the year after that. In 1981, he was selected N.F.L. Man of the Year. In 2001, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Early on, it became apparent that Swann’s days in the limelight would not end with the conclusion of his playing career. He launched an almost 30 year broadcasting career in 1976 with ABC Sports. Swann has also proven himself a versatile performer and guest star or host in many non-sports entertainment ventures. Despite his commitments to sports and entertainment, Swann finds time to serve his community and his country. He was a candidate in the 2006 race for governor of Pennsylvania and once served as chair of the president’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports where he worked to promote health and fitness. He has served as national spokesman for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America since 1980 and has provided dozens of scholarships for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, among other philanthropic efforts. He also turned his success on the field into opportunities in the corporate world. Lynn currently sits on the board of directors for H.J. Heinz Company, Harrah’s Entertainment and Hershey Entertainment and Resorts. Additional Speakers include:
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. 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.
Click here to access registration forms.
For full conference details, navigate left hand menu of this page. Hotel Reservations: Please note the Conference room block at the Westin is now closed. Please check with the Westin for rooms available outside the Conference room block. Call 1-800-Westin-1 or 412-231-3700.
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. 
 
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