08/07/2020

Celebrating the Travel Industry with Spirit of Ohio Travel

STAY TUNED to your email! Registration will be launching very soon.

The Ohio Travel Association represents those who work throughout the travel economy, all who have been hit extremely hard in the recent months. One of the highlights of our year is the opportunity to gather and learn at the annual state tourism conference – the Ohio Conference on Travel.

Based on surveys, past conference attendees most value the education, the networking, and the opportunity to show support for the Ohio travel industry. To deliver on these values while being sensitive to the economic situation and the need to bring as many people together as we can with social distancing protocols in place, the Ohio Travel Association board and staff are presenting the Spirit of Ohio Travel event. This is an innovative and exciting approach to support and celebrate the Ohio travel economy through virtual education modules, online keynotes presentations, and an overall celebration of all of you. 

Here are some new and exciting things to expect this year:

• Registration will be extremely affordable, and you will have the opportunity to support a displaced worker or colleague in need through providing a scholarship. 
  
  
• More than three times the education of a traditional conference will be provided, including learning modules you can absorb at your own pace. These modules will be delivered to you in September, giving you ample time to digest. Tuesday through Friday, Oct. 6-9, the Spirit of Ohio Travel will feature live speakers in the morning, followed by smaller group discussions about the learning modules in the afternoon. Surprises will be scattered throughout the week, including a unique way to recognize those who have excelled at messaging throughout the pandemic.   
  
  
• The Great Ohio Travel Road Trips will occur Oct. 12-23,* with six regional networking stops. These detours along the Great Ohio Travel Road Trip allow us to gather more of the industry and reduce the need for attendee travel expenses. As these will be smaller gatherings, we will be able to implement social distancing guidelines  We can’t wait to rejoin and rejoice with our Ohio travel industry family. 

Please be patient with us as we - like you - reboot and adjust. The OTA staff and board are 100% committed to providing you with an epic experience, and industry member teams are hard at work. The Spirit of Ohio Travel website with registration is currently under construction. Please stay tuned to your email for website launch, registration and next steps. In the meantime, do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions.

Save the Dates!

Live Speakers & Education Module Discussions: Tuesday - Friday, Oct. 6 - 9

Great Ohio Travel Road Trips: Monday - Friday, Oct. 12 - 23*

*Great Ohio Travel Road Trips are included in your registration at no added cost. The dates for these road trips subject to change due to the nature of the pandemic. These are completely optional for those who want to get together and feel comfortable doing so. We want to reconnect with our travel industry friends but in a safe way! One Great Ohio Travel Road Trip is built into each registration and is non-refundable should this tour have to be postponed – note, we did not say canceled!

Current Sponsors

For opportunities to get your organization or business in front of Ohio’s travel businesses, please contact Janet Johnson at jjohnson@ohiotravel.org.