Day One: Wednesday, Oct. 7

8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Registration Desk Open
Sponsored by: Visit Greater Lima
Holiday Inn Lobby

9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Learning Lab - Build Your AI Operating System: Practical AI for Tourism Professionals & Industry Partners with Matt Clement, Madden Media
Sponsored by: Visit Cincy
Hamilton

5 - 5:25 p.m.
New Attendee Welcome
Hamilton

5:30 - approximately 8:15 p.m.
Reception, Dinner & Leadership Gala
An evening of insight and celebration: Ohio Tourism Director Sarah Wickham shares where the state's tourism industry is headed, followed by the presentation of the Paul Sherlock Legend in Ohio Travel Award.
Sponsored by: Clinton County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Adams Ballroom - A

Immediately following dinner
Live Media Auction
Supercharge your marketing for less! Don't miss out on the live auction at our conference, where you can snag exclusive media packages at a fraction of the cost. We're talking savings over 50% on some of the most coveted advertising opportunities you won't find anywhere else.
Sponsored by: Explore Licking County & Destination Toledo
Hamilton

Day Two: Thursday, Oct. 8

8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Registration Desk Open
Sponsored by: Visit Greater Lima
Holiday Inn Lobby

8:30 - 9 a.m.
Breakfast
Sponsored by: COSI
Adams Ballroom - A

9 - 10 a.m.
Keynote - Brand Stick 'Em: Turning Communities into Destination Storytellers with Steve Chandler, Chandler Thinks | Sponsored by: Explore Hocking Hills
Learn more about keynotes and professional development here.
Adams Ballroom - A

10:02 - 10:55 a.m.
Professional Development Breakouts
Learn more about keynotes and professional development here.

• Culture as Strategy: Why Tourism Depends on the Arts with Nicole Mullet, Arts Now | Sponsored by: Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau

  • Fayette - B

• State of AI in Travel: What Travelers Are Using, Trusting and Expecting Next with David Reichbach, Future Partners | Sponsored by: Sojern

  • Hamilton

• Game On: Leveraging Sports Tourism to Drive Destination Growth and Visibility, a panel discussion | Sponsored by: Advance Travel and Tourism

  • Clinton - C

10:55 - 11:05 a.m.
Networking break
Sponsored by: Longwoods International
Concourse

11:06 - 11:55 a.m.
Professional Development Breakouts
Learn more about keynotes and professional development here.

• Going Beyond Meta & Google With Other Paid Opportunities with Brian Matson, TwoSix Digital | Sponsored by: Expedia Group Advertising

  • Hamilton

• From Idea to Investment: How Communities are Funding Tourism and Recreation with Sarah Stephens Krupp and Renee Smith, Thrive Community Partners | Sponsored by: Visit Greater Springfield

  • Fayette - B

• Pull Up a Chair: A Conversation About the Future of Ohio Tourism, Melinda Huntley (OTA) and Sarah Wickham (TourismOhio) | Sponsored by: Tour Lake County

  • Clinton - C

Noon - 1:20 p.m.
RUBY Awards Luncheon
Celebrate award-winning marketing and promotional accolades during the RUBY Award Luncheon. Photo opportunities will immediately follow the awards program until 1:30 p.m.
Sponsored by: Ohio Magazine
Adams Ballroom - A

1:30 - 1:55 p.m.
Ohio Travel Association Annual Meeting: A Year in Review
Adams Ballroom - A

1:55 - 2:15 p.m.
Networking Break
Sponsored by: Explore Licking County
Concourse

2:15 - 3:05 p.m.
Professional Development Breakouts
Learn more about keynotes and professional development here.

• Podcasting Made Simple with Ethan DeLeon, Mark Rodney Productions | Sponsored by: Glasshouse Realty Group

  • Hamilton

• Inside TripAdvisor Trend Cast 2026 with Mallory Smith, TripAdvisor | Sponsored by: Visit Canton

  • Clinton - C

• Welcome Everyone: What the ADA Rules Mean for Your Website with Joe Vargo, Great Lakes Studio

  • Fayette - B

• Ohio Tourism Leadership Academy Projects

  • Franklin

3:07 - 4:22 p.m.
Campfire Conversations: Hot Topic Roundtables
Big ideas. Fast connections. Practical solutions.
Pull up a chair for a fast-paced, interactive session where Ohio tourism professionals tackle today’s key issues, opportunities, tools, and trends. Participants rotate among facilitated small-group discussions, choosing the campfire topics most relevant to their work. Each table encourages candid conversation, shared examples, and cross-level brainstorming. Come ready to share, learn from others, and uncover solutions no one organization could develop alone. You’ll leave with fresh perspectives, new connections, practical ideas, and stories to take back to your team. Every table has a topic. Every participant has a perspective. And that’s why the best ideas often emerge around the same fire.
Sponsored by: Cincy Region
Adams Ballroom - A

5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Thursday Evening Celebration
Sponsored by: Visit Athens County, Trip Advisor, Long’s Retreat Family Resort, Fayette County Travel & Tourism Bureau, Miami County VCB, Fulton County, World Equestrian Center, Dennison Railroad Depot, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District & Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museum

Afterglow Party
Sponsored by: Roberts Centre

6 - 8 p.m.

Make your Thursday evening at the Ohio Conference on Travel one to remember with an unforgettable fall celebration at Schappacher Farms, a local popular farm venue. Enjoy a true farm-to-table inspired dinner featuring a hearty pig roast and a “taste of Clinton County’s best,” surrounded by crisp country air and seasonal charm. Then dive into classic autumn fun—take a relaxing hayride, test your coordination in the corn maze, or kick back by the fire and make s’mores (plus plenty of other festive activities) as the sun sets over the farm.

8:15 - 9 p.m.

The night keeps getting better as we head to the iconic Murphy Theater for an exclusive private concert featuring Columbus’s popular Rock House band—an energizing live performance in a one-of-a-kind venue.

9:15 p.m. - midnight

Finally, keep the momentum going at the Roberts Centre with a private afterglow party to close out the evening in style. Great food, fall fun, music, and late-night celebration—this is the can’t-miss Thursday event you’ll be talking about long after the conference ends.

Day Three: Friday, Oct. 9

All Friday events will take place in Adams Ballroom - A

8:30 - 9 a.m.
Breakfast
Sponsored by: Warren County Convention & Visitors Bureau

***Please be aware that the following is a continuous running schedule. Events will occur consecutively, so make sure to arrive in the ballroom to ensure you don't miss any of the morning presentations or the keynote speaker.

Ohio Tourism Leadership Academy (OTLA) 2026 Graduation Ceremony

Installation of 2026-27 OTA Board President

Emerging Leader Award Recognition
Sponsored by: Enjoy Northeast Ohio
Trophy Sponsored by: Cambridge/Guernsey County VCB

Keynote - Make Them Hit the Brakes: Turning Pass-Through Towns into Must-Stop Destinations with Jason Duff, Small Nations | Sponsored by: Ross-Chillicothe Convention & Visitors Bureau

Closing Remarks