Wednesday, 28 July, 2010 13:57
by ahaney
We are giving away a ticket to the Travel Outlook Conference which will be held 8 a.m.-3 p.m., this Tuesday, at the Bossier Civic Center. To register to win, all you need to do is post on our Facebook page why you think this conference is important. We will draw a name this Friday and contact the winner. If you have already registered for the conference by the time we draw for the winner, we will give you a $50 gift card and 1 free registration. Our Facebook page is at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Shreveport-LA/Shreveport-Bossier-Louisianas-Other-Side/10635646327?__a=5&ajaxpipe=1. Below are details on the conference:
The popular and successful North Louisiana Travel Outlook Conference, presented by the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau, will be held at the Bossier Civic Center from
8 a.m.-3 p.m., August 3.
“It’s always important to know how local tourism stacks up to national trends and to learn about upcoming initiatives so that we can continue to grow tourism in this region,” said Stacy Brown,
bureau president.
Nearly 200 hospitality professionals attended last year’s event, which provided a forum to discuss both economic trends and the future of the travel industry. Currently, tourism is doing extremely well locally and hotel occupancy rates remain high with 78 percent occupancy, year-to-date through April. Brown attributes this to a healthy mix of leisure travelers, conventions, business travelers, film industry and Haynesville Shale.
Last year’s occupancy was 68.4 percent, the highest in the state. “We don’t know what the future holds, but we want to be sure as tourism leaders that we keep our finger on the pulse of travel and tourism so that we can keep ahead of the curve,” Brown said.
This year’s conference will feature state officials and industry leaders from a variety of sectors who will present information about how their industry impacts local tourism. The new Lt. Governor,
Scott Angelle, will be the featured speaker among other industry experts.
Also speaking will be Fred Kent, a leading authority on revitalizing city spaces and one of the foremost thinkers in livability, smart growth and the future of the city. As founder and president of
Project for Public Spaces, he is known throughout the world as a dynamic speaker and prolific ideas man. Other topics will include transportation, film industry, and Haynesville Shale.
The cost to attend is $35 per person, prior to the event, and $45 at the door. A continental breakfast and lunch is included. To register or for more information about the conference, contact
Kathy Melancon at kmelancon@sbctb.org , 318-429-0653, or 800-551-8682, ext. 117.