MTTS Program as of 9.22.26
(Subject to change)
Wednesday, November 18
9:00 am to 11:00 am
MTDB Q2 Meeting
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Registration
10:00 am to 11:00 am
New Attendee Orientation
11:30 am to 12:30 pm
Welcome and Kick Off to Summit with Special Guests
VIP Remarks
- Governor of Maryland, Wes Moore (Invited)
- Secretary of Commerce, Harry Coker, Jr. (Invited)
- Comptroller of Maryland, Brooke Lierman
- Mayor of Baltimore, Brandon Scott (Invited)
- President & CEO, Visit Baltimore, Kireem Swinton (Invited)
- Executive Director, Baltimore Convention Center, Mac Campbell
12:30 pm to 2:00 pm
General Session: State of the State
Cassandra Vanhooser, Managing Director, Department of Commerce Office of Tourism
2:00 pm to 2:30 pm
Network with sponsors in Tourism Marketplace
2:30 pm – 3:15 pm
General Session: Open for the World: American Tourism’s Comeback and Maryland’s Moment
Nick Adams, Special Presidential Envoy for American Tourism, Exceptionalism, and Values, U.S. State Department
3:15 pm to 3:45 pm
Maryland Day Photo
4:00 pm
Hotel Check-In beings at the Royal Sonesta
5:00 to 7:00 pm
Welcome Reception hosted by Visit Baltimore at Camden Yards
MTC to provide transportation
7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Dine Around Sponsored by Baltimore Tourism Association
Thursday, November 19
8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Registration open
8:00 am to 9:00 am
Networking Breakfast with Sponsors in Tourism Marketplace
9:00 am to 10:00 am
General Session: Telling Our Story: How Vibrant Communities are Powered by the Visitor Economy: The misunderstanding of how essential the visitor economy is in our community’s future and the role destination marketing and management offices play in that future success is our number one.
Josiah Brown, The New York Sherpa, President/Chief Travel Sherpa, Famous Destination Marketing, Inc.
10:00 am to 11:00 am
General Session: Charting the Course – Maryland Tourism Coalition’s Annual Road Trip
11:00 am to 11:15 am
Network with Sponsors in Tourism Marketplace
11:15 pm to 12:15 pm
Breakout Session #1 – The Search Revolution: Building Online Authority in an AI-Driven World
Sarah Benoit, Lead Instructor, Learn Tourism
Breakout Session #2: Shared Vision, Shared Metrics: Aligning Maryland’s Tourism Strategy from State to Local
Aviva North, Senior Associate Principal, Coraggio Group
Jen Gray O’Connor, Senior Associate Principal, Coraggio Group
12:15 pm to 1:15 pm
Buffet Lunch
1:15 pm to 2:15 pm
General Session: Travel & Tourism for All: Best Practices & Trends for Customers with Disabilities
Craig Kennedy, Program & Training Manager, Open Doors Organization
2:15 pm to 2:30 pm
Network with Sponsors in Tourism Marketplace
2:30 pm to 3:30
General Session: Travel Indicators: Today’s Trends Predict Tomorrow’s Travelers
Brian Londan, President, Travel Smart News
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Awards Attendee Banquet Reception sponsored by Baltimore Convention Center
Tourism Marketplace
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Maryland Tourism Coalition Awards Banquet
Awards Emcees: Nora Campbell, National Aquarium and Chris Riehl, Baltimore Rent-a-Tour
9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
After Party at Royal Sonesta
Friday, November 20
8:00 am to 9:00 am
Networking Breakfast with Sponsors in Tourism Marketplace
8:45 am – 9:00 am
Morning Remarks
9:00 am to 10:00 am
BREAKOUT #1: Travel Trends Product Development Panel
BREAKOUT #2: Rural Tourism Done Right – Small teams with big impact know how to leverage tourism principles for resident alignment and economic growth
Josiah Brown, The New York Sherpa, President/Chief Travel Sherpa, Famous Destination Marketing, Inc.
10:00 am to 10:15 am
Networking with Sponsors in Tourism Marketplace
10:15 am to 11:15 am
General Session:
11:15 am to 12:00 pm
Closing Remarks & Pete’s Pics