29th Annual Arkansas Governor's Conference on Tourism to Feature Addresses from Travelocity, Harley-Davidson Execs
January 2003

Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

The 2003 Arkansas Governor's Conference on Tourism, to be held March 16-18 at the Fort Smith Convention Center, will feature keynote addresses from the top Travelocity.com executive and from a former vice president of Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

Sam Gilliland, president and chief executive officer of Travelocity.com, will provide "An Overview of the Online Travel Industry" following a 12:15 p.m. luncheon on Monday, March 17. Travelocity.com is the most visited travel site on the Web. Gilliland is also a former Chief Marketing Officer of Sabre Holdings Corp., which provides technology, distribution and marketing services for the travel industry and which owns Travelocity.com.

Clyde Fessler, retired vice president of business development for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, will present "Radical Marketing" from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18. Fessler joined the company in 1977 as the advertising and promotions manager. He was soon promoted to director of marketing services, where he led the establishment of the Harley Owners Group, which now has more than 500,000 members. Fessler also served as vice president of general merchandise before becoming vice president of business development, where he played a key role in determining the company's strategic direction. Fessler retired from Harley-Davidson in 2002.

"I think everyone is excited about the CEO of Travelocity speaking at the Governor's Conference," said Joe David Rice, the Arkansas tourism director. "Our industry should learn some great insights into online marketing. And Clyde Fessler, who was instrumental in the phenomenal turnaround for Harley-Davidson, is a perfect match for this year's conference theme, 'Smart Marketing for Changing Times.'"

The chairman of the 2003 National Tour Association Board of Directors, Charlie McIlvain, is also slated to address "Packaging and Promoting Your Tourism Product" following a noon luncheon on March 18.

Rice, who expects more than 600 members of the state's tourism industry to attend the conference, said attendees this year will see some changes brought about by input from last year's event. "We plan to have table topic discussions where members from the industry can get ideas from other attendees on subjects such as diversity marketing, familiarization tours, working with travel writers, technology tips and others."

Conference Specifics

(Unless stated otherwise, all events listed below will take place at the Fort Smith Convention Center.)

Registration for the conference will take place in the Atrium at the Fort Smith Holiday Inn from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 16, followed by an Early Bird Party at 6:30 p.m. A silent auction also opens at 3 p.m. on March 16.

Registration continues in the convention center on Monday, March 17 from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The opening ceremonies of the conference are scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. The Partner's Luncheon, which will feature Gilliland's address, will take place from 12:15-2 p.m. Also on Monday, the state's tourism marketing report will take place from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and will feature presentations from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, Aristotle, Inc. and Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods. The marketing report will be followed by a "Auction & St. Paddy's Day Celebration."

Taking place from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19 is the Regional Association Luncheon, which will feature McIlvain's address.

Tuesday, the final day of the conference, will be highlighted by the Governor's Reception beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the Arkansas Hospitality Association/Governor's Banquet beginning at 7:15 p.m. Following the governor 's annual address to the tourism industry, Henry Awards will be presented by Governor Mike Huckabee and Miss Arkansas, Lauren Davidson. The Governor's Dance, featuring music by Sonny Burgess and the Legendary Pacers, is scheduled to begin after the banquet and marks the end of the conference. Burgess has performed with Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen and many other notable artists since the '50s.

Other conference sessions to take place Monday, March 17 include: "Connections Count - Mastering the Art of Professional Networking," featuring Brad Hirni of Brad Hirni International; "Clock Watching for Increased Productivity," presented by Paula April, director of marketing at the Miss. Coast Coliseum and Convention Center; a report from D.K. Shifflet & Associates concerning Arkansas Tourism research and updates; and a session on a new section on the Arkansas Tourism Web site, www.arkansas.com, entitled "Hot Deals and Vacation Packages."

Other conference sessions to take place Tuesday, March 18 include: "Imagine the Possibilities: Thriving in Changing Times," a round table discussion presided by Dr. John D. Hunt and Dr. Kristen DeNure Hunt, principal partners of Hunt & Hunt; and table topic discussions that include issues such as tourist area signage, hospitality concerns, motivating employees, utilizing cultural assets and more.

Registration for the 2003 Arkansas Governor's Conference on Tourism is $135.00 before March 14 or $170.00 at the door. For further information, contact Nancy Clark by e-mail at nancy.clark@mail.state.ar.us; by mail at Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201; or by phone at (501) 682-1120.