How do you facilitate $130 million in international travel buying, international relationship building and showcase your own destination in three days? That’s the question the Kalispell CVB pondered when successfully bidding for Kalispell, Montana, to host the 2018 International Round Up.

In the summer of 2017, seven years of work on the part of the region’s horticulture sector resulted in the arrival of 350 garden writers for the Association for Garden Communicators annual conference, the GWA Annual Conference & Expo. Visit Buffalo Niagara also helped facilitate the event.

Meetings Today Destinations Content Director Marlene Goldman sat down with Destinations International President & CEO Don Welsh during its 2018 Annual Convention in Anaheim in July 2018 to find out how the organization is helping DMOs adapt to the next generation of meeting planners, and the challenges DMOs face in areas such as destination boycotts and the “weaponization of travel.”

Las Vegas police are conducting a criminal investigation into the mishandling of funds by Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), according to reporting published by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

California’s Santa Clara CVB had its funding suspended for 60 days by the City of Santa Clara until a new management company can be found. Employee salaries and benefits will be paid during the 60 days.

The Memphis CVB changed its name to Memphis Tourism and debuted a new logo and tagline.

Visit Anaheim launched a major marketing campaign to show off the its fun new group offerings that appeal beyond Disneyland.

A new day is dawning for the embattled tourism promotion industry in Puerto Rico, as CVB veteran Brad Dean, who helmed the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce as CEO for 15 years, is set to take the reins of the newly created Puerto Rico Destination Marketing Organization (PRDMO).

Almost all the CVBs and destinations in Florida were affected by Hurricane Irma in September 2017. While some hotels going through renovations at the time had some delays, other hotels that may have needed some sprucing up were strongly persuaded by Mother Nature to make much needed renovations. All in all, most came through the hurricane looking to the future, and 2018 looks bright.

Brad Dean has been appointed as CEO of the newly established Puerto Rico Destination Marketing Organization.