May 20th – Keynote presentation
Sponsored by St. Louis Area Hotel Association
12:00pm – 1:30pm
Ward Franz – Director of Missouri Division of Tourism
Keynote topic: The State of Missouri Tourism
What does tourism mean economically for our 5 regions? How can infrastructure improvements (roads, bridges) and a future Hyperloop impact our state? Does Missouri have any new attractions or developments at current attractions coming on-line? Has legislation kept up with new rideshare services, short term housing rentals or preventing human trafficking? While all of these issues may not be covered fully, you are sure to learn more about what drives tourist to our great state and what needs to be done to attract more business.
About Ward Franz:
Ward Franz became director of the Missouri Division of Tourism in July 2018. Previously, he served as chief of staff to Lieutenant Governor Mike Parson prior to Parson becoming governor. From 2012 to 2017, Franz was the executive director of the Ozarks Medical Center Foundation in West Plains. He served as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives from 2004 to 2012, representing District 151, which includes the West Plains area. Ward and his wife Nancy have two children, Landon and Lauren.
May 20th – Concurrent Breakout Education Sessions
11:00am – 11:45am
Denise Naughton – Brand You Media
Session Title: Most Common Mistakes Made Producing and Posting Video
Denise Naughton, owner of Brand You Media, will show how to use video for business growth and enhancement. Key targets for this session include incorporating multimedia to brand your business and increase your social media and online presence. By the end of this session, you will have the knowledge to think like a producer and identify quality content, use social media tools to brand a video and use video to build a library and increase SEO.
About Denise Naughton:
Denise Naughton is an Emmy Award winning and multiple Emmy nominated producer with 20+ years of multimedia experience. During that time, she has produced thousands of hours of local and national shows for top television networks, cable, online and social media. Throughout her career, Denise has been a sought after producer to help create and launch new television shows. Denise is now based in St. Louis where she uses her expertise to train businesses how to use video to connect to customers through her company Brand You Media.
Marcus Strauther – Brainstorm Media Group
Session title: The Business Rescue Series
Mistakes can compromise the quality and efficiency of any business. In this session, attendees will identify an event they are working on that has a specific challenge and needs a solution. Marcus will provide immediate feedback to your event challenges, whether it is naming, promoting, celebrity acquisition, venue selection, food / beverage theming, and promotional product giveaways. Marcus will give examples of event obstacles that he has provided solutions to, but he would rather use your event challenges. Think of yours to offer in class!
About Marcus Strauther:
Marcus is the CEO & Creative Brain of Brainstorm Media Group (BMG). With more than 12 years of design and event consulting experience, Marcus and the BMG team work with clients to create full-scale brands across media. BMG doesn’t look at design just as an artistic pursuit. It is communicating an idea and finding solutions to problems. It is passion and process fused together to create a unified vision of your brand; one that emotionally and intellectually binds your company with its customers.
Rob Schaefer – Creative Director for bleu Events
Session Title: Safety First, Disaster Last
Does your venue have a safe room? Are your tickets sales at the door or by registration only? Are your staff and guests familiar with fire exits? Did you assess the risks and potential hazards during a walk-through? Rob will address the best possible policies and controls to implement during the worst possible scenarios. This session will provide you a list of tips and best practices to keep your attendees safe.
About Rob Schaefer:
A longtime contributor and editor for many regional and national magazines, industry leader Rob Schaefer has held the title of Chief Sales Officer, Vice President, and Executive Director. He has produced some of the largest events in St. Louis and Atlanta in terms of budget and attendees. In addition, Schaefer is the Creative Director for bleu Events and an adjunct professor for the hospitality program at Stephens College.
MeetUp! EMCEE
Sherry Farmer-Hebert – President of Sherry Farmer Creative
About Sherry Farmer-Hebert:
Sherry Farmer-Hebert is a St. Louis native, broadcast veteran, President of Sherry Farmer Creative and communication adjunct professor at Lindenwood University. She is also a Communications/Community Outreach Specialist with expertise in community relations, social media, marketing, promotions, and public speaking. Sherry has a BA from the Psychology University of Missouri – Columbia, and an MA Communications from Lindenwood University. She additionally attended Bob Bergen’s Advanced Animation Workshop, Marki Costello’s Become A Host Bootcamp, Broadcasting Graduate from Broadcast Center of St. Louis and Walt Disney World College Program.
On top of her professional career, Sherry is very involved in various organizations in the community. Currently, she sits on the Board of Directors for Stray Rescue. She also serves on various committees for the following organizations: Asthma and Allergy Foundation St. Louis Chapter, Guns ‘N Hoses, St. Louis Crisis Nursery, St. Louis Learning Disabilities Association and Make A Wish.