Jeff Beals How Tourism Professionals Can Thrive in Today’s Fast-Moving Marketplace

An international award-winning author, sought-after keynote speaker, and accomplished sales consultant, Jeff brings complicated subject material to life through his thought-provoking writing and entertaining presentations on sales, marketing and personal branding. His books include Self Marketing Power: Branding Yourself as a Business of One and Selling Saturdays: Blue Chip Sales Tips from College Football.

Kevin Brown The Hero Effect – Being Your Best When It Matters the Most! Kevin’s unconventional path to business and personal success has taught him that winning in business and in life requires anything but conventional thinking. He grew up in Muskegon, Michigan where his blue-collar roots taught him the value of hard work and determination. His resume includes an eclectic mix of career stops that ultimately led him to the purchase of a franchise at the age of seventeen. With a street-wise aptitude and a never quit attitude, he worked his way from the front lines in business to the executive boardroom. For nearly two decades Kevin was a sales and marketing executive that helped grow a little-known family business into an industry giant with annual revenues reaching two billion dollars. After a career in franchising that spanned 30 years, Kevin decided to retire from corporate America and pursue his passion for bringing The HERO Effect message to as many people and organizations as possible. Kevin is on a mission to help people and organizations embrace a simple philosophy that separates world class organizations and high-performance people from everybody else. He is passionate about helping people expand their vision, develop their potential and grow their results. And, as the father of an autistic child he knows firsthand how the principles of true success reach beyond the boardroom and into the lives of real people facing the challenges of everyday life. Debi Durham Iowa Economic Development Authority Update

Debi Durham was named director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority by former Governor Terry Branstad and assumed her duties in January 2011. Prior to her appointment, she served as the president of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, the Siouxland Initiative and the Siouxland Chamber Foundation. In 2007 and 2008, Durham’s leadership contributed to the Siouxland metro’s recognition as the top economic development community in the United States by Site Selection Magazine. Durham is a 2003 Junior Achievement Hall of Fame honoree and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing and business management from Missouri Southern State University.

Bob Frohoff Taking Back Vacations: Reaching the Family Travel CEO, and How to Make Her Take a Break Bob Frohoff has been developing travel marketing programs for over 20 years. As National Travel Director with Midwest Living and Meredith Travel Marketing, Bob oversees integrated print, digital, video, and direct marketing programs for a wide variety of travel marketing organizations. Bob’s background includes work with travel advertising agencies, where he developed plans for reaching consumer markets and key travel intermediaries. As part of his career in strategic media planning and buying, Bob's assignments have included media planning for Colorado Tourism Office, Missouri Division of Tourism, The Beaches of Ft Myers & Sanibel, Visit Santa Barbara, Bermuda Tourism, Barbados Tourism, and several hotel chains and resorts. Bob has served multiple terms on the CenStates Travel & Tourism Research Association (TTRA) board of directors, and he is currently on the board of TTRA International. Kent Grisham “Well I Never Saw That Coming!” A Crisis Planning Primer

Kent is an accomplished and experienced communicator, serving organizations and individuals that range from FORTUNE 100 companies and the White House, to local utilities and small businesses. The combination of 12 years in radio and television journalism and 25 years as a corporate communications director has established Kent as one of Omaha’s senior-most leaders of the field. Kent holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Bellevue University, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Management. He also holds certifications as a Level II Incident Manager from FEMA, an Emergency Communications Manager from the NTSB, and as a Law Enforcement Officer from the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center. Kent is also a graduate of the Business Excellence Program at The Disney Institute.

Kent also is an ordained pastor and leads a ministry targeting blended families in Omaha with his wife, Tracey. He has three children and six grandchildren ranging in age from 14 to 8 months Holly Hoffman Lead Simply Born and raised in Eureka, South Dakota, Holly Hoffman was the last remaining member of the Espada Tribe and the last woman standing on Season 21 of CBS' hit reality show "Survivor Nicaragua". Through that experience, and others throughout her life, Holly was inspired to share her message of positivity, determination and confidence with business leaders, teachers, and students across the nation. An accomplished motivational speaker and the author of Your Winner Within, Holly acknowledges that life is made up of challenges, and we are oftentimes faced with situations that seem insurmountable. But within each of us is an ability to focus our thoughts, emotions, and energy to succeed—if only we have the knowledge, tools, and discipline to do so. Holly's writing and speaking not only offer encouragement and optimism but a roadmap for self-discovery and spiritual enlightenment. Her methods—the ones she uses every day in her own life—are intuitive, honest, and adaptable to nearly any situation. Readers and audience members alike walk away inspired to light the fire of successful living within themselves.

Kate Kotzea The Importance of Local Listings + Search

Kate Kotzea is the Director of Marketing Technology at Click Rain, a marketing technology agency in Sioux Falls, SD. Never one to accept the status quo or stop learning, the field of digital enticed her with its ever-changing opportunities to engage with customers in a smart, measurable, and effective manner. Having spent most of her career working with travel related clients, she understands the nuances of engaging with travelers whether it is in-market attractions, booking a hotel, or inspiring someone to choose one destination over another. Raised in Sioux Falls, SD, Kate is a Midwest girl through and through. She received her bachelor's degree in marketing from St. Cloud State University and an M.B.A in entrepreneurial studies from

the University of Sioux Falls. She has made Sioux Falls home with her husband, their two-year-old daughter, and Goldendoodle pup. Weekends are best spent exploring all this great region of the country has to offer. Tammie Krausman State of Iowa Grants Tammie Krausman is the Coordinator of the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) Program and the Legislative Liaison for the Conservation and Recreation Division at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The REAP Program improves the quality of life of Iowans through developing parks, improving wildlife habitat and water quality and increasing outdoor recreation opportunities. Previously, Tammie spent 10 years in the Director's Office and working for the Environmental Services Division at the DNR. Tammie holds a BA in Political Science and Environmental Studies from Iowa State University and a Master of Public Administration from Drake University. When not at work, she enjoys doing anything and everything outside with her family. Shawna Lode Iowa Tourism Office Update

Shawna Lode is Manager of the Iowa Tourism Office at the Iowa Economic Development Authority. She is responsible for developing and implementing programs that support and promote Iowa’s tourism opportunities for economic growth. A lifelong Iowan, Lode grew up in Aurelia and earned her bachelor’s degree from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake. She received a Master’s Degree in Communication Leadership from Drake University in Des Moines.

Lode began her career in tourism in 1996 when she became Director of the Burlington Area Convention and Tourism Bureau in Burlington, Iowa. In 1998 she joined the staff of the Iowa Tourism Office where she worked as Public Relations Manager. After seven years, she left the Tourism Office to serve as Communications Director for the Iowa Finance Authority, a position she held for five years. In September 2010 Shawna returned to the Iowa Tourism Office to assume the role of Manager.

Sheila Scarborough Social Media Photography Sheila Scarborough is a speaker and trainer specializing in tourism, travel, and social media. She's written for many blogs and print publications and is also a certified Navy Master Training Specialist, with years of experience as an instructor. Along with Leslie McLellan, Sheila is part of the Tourism Currents team, offering online and in-person training in social media for tourism and hospitality. Winner of the "Austin American-Statesman" Texas Social Media Award and an AWC (Association for Women in Communications) Clarion award, Sheila trains and speaks regularly about social media to a variety of audiences including tourism and economic development experts, public relations and marketing professionals, and Chambers of Commerce. She is on the National Professional Development Committee for the AWC, co-founded and still writes for the award-winning Perceptive Travel blog, is active on the Round Rock, Texas Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneurship Council, and serves on the Programming Committee for SXSWi (the South by Southwest Interactive tech conference.) She is also part of the organizing team for #tourismchat, a monthly online Twitter chat about a variety of topics related to destination marketing. A U.S. Navy veteran who is married with two children, Sheila is an NHRA drag racing fan because there is one winner, one loser, and no whining. Nicole Shalla State of Iowa Grants

Nicole Shalla is the Grants Manager at the Iowa Tourism Office. Before joining the Tourism Office, Nicole wrote grants for the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque. She also worked as an environmental attorney for a small nonprofit where she wrote grants to help support her work. At the Tourism Office, Nicole manages three grant programs, including the Enhance Iowa (formerly Vision Iowa) program. She earned a juris doctor at the University of South Dakota, a master’s degree in environmental law and policy at Vermont Law School, and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science at Iowa State University. An Iowa native,

Nicole loves to read and to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Kent Stock How Do You Want to be Remembered? Teacher, coach, principal, husband, banker, parent and speaker, Kent Stock is also the man who coached the 1991 Norway High School baseball team during their now-famous final season. As depicted in the 2007 film, The Final Season, the nationally recognized Norway baseball team came together under inauspicious circumstances. They defied the odds under the leadership of then, first-year head baseball coach, Kent Stock, and proceeded to win Norway’s 20th state title. Kent launched his professional speaking career in 2007. His messages of motivation and relationship building have a powerful impact on young and old alike. His stories transcend the baseball field, class and office.

Paul Ten Haken What Chicken Sandwiches Taught Me About Having Impact

Paul Ten Haken represents the personification of web and digital technology and its limitless potential. Since launching his marketing technology agency Click Rain in 2008, the company has made its way onto to the Inc. 5000 list as one of America’s fastest growing private companies for the past four years and has won numerous awards for its unique workplace culture, including the prestigious “Entrepreneur 360” award in 2016. Paul has been named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Ten Emerging Entrepreneurs as well as South Dakota Young Entrepreneur of the Year. He is also the founder of the Dispatch Project, a non-profit organization that creates international mission trip opportunities for

business leaders. In his spare time, Paul is a competitive obstacle course racer, an IRONMAN competitor, and sits on numerous boards and committees in his community. He credits his personal faith for much of what he defines as success. He and his wife Jill have three children and reside in Sioux Falls, SD. Beth Trejo Social Media ROI: The Metrics that Matter for Tourism, Chambers & Communities Beth Trejo is Chatterkick’s President and Founder, and she loves what she does. A Sioux City native, Beth attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids before returning to her hometown ready to take on the interwebs with big ideas and a strong team. Chatterkick was born from the concept that it is the not the size of the firm that matters, it is the potency; to be the clear bell in a noisy world. Chatterkick accomplishes this with a fearlessly creative spirit, compelling content, and expert understanding of the data that drives, serves, and creates human interactions. Beth is active in the local community and is currently serving on the executive board of directors for the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. She supports several local committees and boards. Her past life includes service with the American Red Cross, where she handled media relations with national media outlets such as “The Today Show”, CNN, Telemundo, ABC Evening News and has appeared on “CBS This Morning,” Public Radio International, and the BBC. She incorporates her passion for the digital landscape and social media into nearly every role she has known, from her craft as an entrepreneur and local business advocate to her calling as a wife and mom of two tech-savvy kids. Liesl Voges State of Iowa Grants

Liesl Voges is a Florida native who moved to Iowa last year. She is a licensed attorney and has a background in community development, urban planning and land use law. Currently Liesl works for the Iowa Arts Council as the Community Development Manager, channeling her passion for community and cultural development through the program management of Iowa Great Places, Arts Build Communities, and Cultural & Entertainment Districts.