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How To Make The Most Of Your PRSA Travel & Tourism Conference In 2018

Angela Berardino : May 3, 2018

Designed to help you navigate the industry's unique opportunities and challenges, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Travel & Tourism Conference offers a 360-degree view of the current state of the industry. It’s easily my favorite conference of the year for professional development and peer networking. This year’s PRSA event takes place June 3-6, 2018 at the Royal Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. In addition to attending more than a few, I used to live in NOLA and have a few tips for making the most of your time leading up to and during the conference:

Newbie? Own it.

The opening night starts with a newcomers reception; it’s the smallest and most intimate event of the week, and a great chance to meet other newbies that will be going through the week with you (as well as the Board for the organization, who can answer any questions).

Get Social

Whether you’re in New Orleans in person or following the PRSA action virtually, there are Twitter and Instagram accounts as well as the #prsatravel hashtag, delivering real-time updates prior to and throughout the conference. Before the conference, you’ll also want to join the private Facebook group for members – it’s a great place to share links, discussions, etc. And hey, I’ll be repping for TURNER on Twitter and Instagram.

Get Really Social

The online world is fine – but IRL is where it’s at when it comes to #prsatravel. Don’t skip the planned social events (they end up being highlights); don’t be afraid to invite yourself to outings and after-parties (everyone is welcome, always); and watch your alcohol intake – you don’t want to miss the morning keynote sessions. New Orleans can be a little deceptive when it comes to the clock – the bars are open all night, and 3am can creep up without anyone noticing (with no sign of slowing down).

Get Moving

It’s not all about sitting in conference rooms at #prsatravel. Each day, early bird attendees can take advantage of morning fitness sessions from 7-8am. New Orleans is humid – so early morning workouts are key, as are decent walking shoes. Yes, PRSA is a conference for PR pros, but no one will judge your sensible shoes instead of stilettos (also, reminder that the French Quarter is cobblestones).

Get Schooled

Finding it hard to narrow down your PRSA program options? Try finding a buddy early on to split the sessions with, and share notes. You’ll feel less stressed trying to make it to everything. A few events covering new trends we’re not going to miss.

Crafting Content That Puts Heads In Beds – The destination website isn't just made up of events and listings anymore. In an increasingly competitive online landscape, strong content — from blogs and itineraries to magazine-style articles — are key to drawing and keeping the potential visitors attention.
Influencers: How-To and Best Practices – Influencers are playing an increasingly important role in successful communications programs; this tactical session will focus on how to build a measurable program, source and evaluate the right influencers, and create tracking and reporting for each campaign.
Stigmas: How to Overcome Negative Perceptions – In the PR realm, many are faced with the challenge of trying to succeed while battling negative perceptions. The negative perceptions could be about crime in your city or maybe your hotel previously had a history of bad service with previous management.
What’s Cooking in Food Coverage – Nearly every destination has a food story, but some are harder to identify than others. Whether you represent a major metropolis brimming with five-star restaurants or a small town with a unique, classic diner, everyone can play in the foodie field.

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