Category: Blog

KTC Keynote Donnie Campbell

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2023 KTC Keynote Speakers

Donnie Campbell

On Tuesday, October 17th the Kansas Tourism Conference (KTC) is excited to welcome speaker, Donnie Campbell! Donnie is not just an inspirational coach but also the lead character of the Emmy Award-winning show, Ted Lasso! Donnie’s valuable leadership lessons can be seen on the court but more importantly in the workplace!

Donnie will help tourism professionals figure out, “What’s your MVP?” but in a way to personalize your own most valuable player through a mission/vision/plan that will form a strong foundation for everything else. In addition, you’ll learn how to believe, motivate and mentor, build leadership and confidence, strengthen your “why” and define success.

Donnie was a math teacher and basketball coach from Kansas who was oddly picked by American Actor Jason Sudeikis when Jason played basketball at Shawnee Mission West. Donnie was an inspiration to Jason and it ended up making a huge impression on millions around the world. Donnie graduated from Lions High School in 1980, and attended Kansas State University playing football and basketball. Today, he is busy making appearances on Good Morning American and The Today Show.

This one-of-a-kind keynote combines heartfelt storytelling with lessons in leadership that bring tactical takeaways to today’s challenging environment. It’s a speaker at KTC you won’t want to miss!

KTC Keynote Paul Long

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2023 KTC Keynote Speakers

PAUL LONG

The 2023 Kansas Tourism Conference is excited to announce a keynote speaker to help fulfill company culture through employee engagement! A new concept of “FUNDAMISM” helps leaders learn, transform, and maximize fulfillment, change, and manifest all that is GOOD for their teams!

By bringing FUN to fundamism, Paul Long spent over a decade successfully leading large teams and helping customer relations nationwide! Paul’s secret sauce to creating joyful workplaces will help any team lead to extreme growth!

Paul just released his new book, Fundamism: Connecting to Life Through F.U.N which has truly helped business audiences nationwide come up with wonderful solutions to build teams and develop individuals. The simple solution according to Paul is “change perspective and create fulfillment in both business and life!”

Be sure you and your team are registered for the KTC Conference as Paul Long opens the general session on Monday, October 16th at 3:30 pm!

A Look at Lindsborg

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TIAK members will soon be heading to Lindsborg on June 15 for an education session featuring award-winning photographer Jim Richardson! This afternoon session will teach you how to use your iPhone to create a visual story.  Explore the tools and learn the skills that will make you an iPhone believer. Registration is now open – learn more here! *This session qualifies for KDS points.

But wait, there’s more! If you’ve never been to Lindsborg, or even if you’re a regular visitor, there is so much to see and do in this small town in Kansas known as Little Sweden! The helpful staff at the Lindsborg Convention & Visitors Bureau have put together a great sampling of attractions, events, restaurants and more for you to explore during your visit! So, come a little early or stay a bit longer and discover all the places they’ve highlighted below!

Pre/Post education session options:
Lindsborg Golf Course, Välkommen & Meadowlark Trails, and Coronado Heights offer great hikes, walks, bike rides, or exercise for the outdoorsy folk. For those who want to stay downtown and explore, we have the Hunt for the Wild Dala, Art in Public Places (a self-guided art walk in Lindsborg), as well as some of the best shopping & galleries: The Good Merchant (“ a destination for inspiration and unique offering”), Small World Gallery (photography, handmade jewelry, art, and more), Trollslända (Scandinavian-inspired toy boutique), Red Barn Studio Museum (working studio of artist Lester Raymer (1907-1991 unique, eclectic, and beautiful creations), Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery (home to the “Van Gogh of the Prairie” with creations hanging in national and international museums), the Clara Hatton Center (gifted artist and administrator with variety of media: bookbinding, calligraphy and lettering, ceramics, metalwork, oil painting, and more), and, of course, Hemslöjd (Scandinavian traditions including watching the artist paint the dala horses with Swedish folkart)! Dining options include the following: Happy Swede Restaurant, Jalisco Mexican Restaurant, Crown & Rye, China, Pizza Hut and Subway—and don’t forget our two coffee shops: The White Peacock and The Blacksmith. The Hemslöjd also offers quad bike rentals for a fun way to explore Lindsborg.

Best of / Facts about Lindsborg:

Broadway RFD—Started in 1959, Broadway RFD is the longest running outdoor theatre in the state of Kansas. Each summer, talented members of the Smoky Valley community and surrounding areas come together to bring the highest quality show to our patrons. People come from far and wide with lawn chairs in tow, to sit in the summer breeze and be immersed in song and dance. This longstanding institution strives to bring great entertainment and exposure of the theatrical arts to the people of the Smoky Valley. Consider coming to one of the four performances of Brigadoon this summer. The show will be held July 21, 22, 28, 29.

Jenny Lind Concert—Since 1965, the Folkets Hus & Parker (Stockholm, Sweden) have appointed a Jenny Lind Scholar who has toured both Sweden and North America. The Jenny Lind Scholarship is awarded to an exciting young soprano who already displays the promise of a future major opera/or concert career. Lindsborg is a stop along the tour that performs at numerous metropolitan venues—quite a unique opportunity for both the tour and the Lindsborg community! This year’s concert will be held on June 26.

Coronado Heights—Needing a quiet place with an expansive view? Coronado Heights, located just a few miles northwest of Lindsborg, gives a wonderful view of the Smoky Valley. Coronado Heights is the southern-most bluff in a series of seven, known as the Smoky Hills. It is believed that Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his men viewed the prairie from this lookout point 300 feet above the valley floor. Chain mail from Spanish armor was found in the area by Bethany College professor J. A. Udden in 1915. Others have found Spanish coins, a bridle, and lead bars in the valley. Native Dakota sandstone was used to build the castle and picnic areas in 1936 as a project of the Works Progress Administration, creating the perfect opportunity for a picnic, kite flying, hiking, or riding the off-road bike trails. Don’t forget your camera! It is a favorite of photographers and artists alike.

Kansas Destination Specialist (KDS)

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Why Should Your Entire Staff Be Kansas Destination Specialist (KDS) Certified?

What is the KDS?

KDS is a certification program designed to familiarize and further one’s knowledge of the State of Kansas with a focus on tourism, marketing and leadership! This certification process and program is provided by the Travel Industry Association of Kansas (TIAK).

Why does it help?

TIAK is the primary advocate and voice for the Kansas travel industry which represents a diverse membership of Kansas travel destinations, accommodations, transportation, attractions, and various supporting businesses. Along with Kansas Tourism and TIAK, we work together to provide support to over 84,000 jobs and many organizations within the hospitality industry. This leading education and professional development benefits incoming visitors to our state by providing educated, up-to-date, aware, and engaged professionals working in the industry!

I’m new to this…how do I start?

First, make sure your organization is a member of TIAK. The membership forms are here: https://tiak.org/tiak-membership/join-tiak/ There are a few different types of membership options and it opens the door for educational opportunities, legislative resources and services, and gives you access to the leading network for Kansas Tourism. As a member, you receive points for attending events such as Destination Statehouse, the Kansas Tourism Conference, and seminars and webinars.

Next, you need to know that the deadline for submissions is SEPTEMBER 15, 2023!!!

Check https://tiak.org/resources/kds/ for the list of how many points you have so far, so you know what you need for completion. If your name is highlighted in red—you are almost there and probably just need to complete those book reports. If your name is in green—you are close to having 25 points. Knowing where you are in the process will help you decide if you can make it happen by the deadline.

Anything you have completed since last year’s deadline of Sept. 17, 2022 can still be submitted.

All TIAK educational offerings you register for and attend automatically give you points without you needing to complete any follow-up paperwork. Any other educational offering must be submitted on the Education Session Follow-up Form.

There is a recommended book list, but it is hard to keep up-to-date with all the new books being published. If you have a book that falls into one of the three categories (Kansas, Leadership, Marketing) and think it is a great option then send an email to Sally Fuller at tourism@cityofliberal.org with a brief synopsis to get it approved for use.

Now’s the time to get to work and submit your KDS items so Sally can continue to add points to the list – or you can email her with any questions or concerns! REMEMBER YOU MUST HAVE EVERYTHING DONE BY SEPTEMBER 15, 2023!!!

I’m already certified in KDS…. what do I need to know about renewal?

First you need to know that renewals are required on even numbered years. (So, 2023 is NOT a renewal year!)

Only two of the listed requirements are needed for renewal. If you attend the annual Kansas Tourism Conference, then you already have one requirement met. Often people will renew without even trying if they attend the travel industry events such as Destination Statehouse during the year.

If you have not completed your requirements by early August, you’ll be getting an email to remind you to do so.

If you have a question you do not see covered, email Sally Fuller at tourism@cityofliberal.org or call 620-626-0170.

When will I receive my certification?

We do ask that you attend the Kansas Tourism Conference to receive your designation!! This year the KTC is October 16-18, 2023 in Dodge City!! We want to see you on stage at the banquet to make you an official Kansas Destination Specialist! This is a wonderful way to recognize your hard work and dedication to not only the State of Kansas, but to your community and role in this vital industry!

Save the Date! #KTC23

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Registration opens soon for the 2023 Kansas Tourism Conference.

Get ready to celebrate the travel and tourism industry in Dodge City, October 16-18, 2023. Be a part of the Kansas tourism industry’s “don’t miss” conference of the year. Enjoy inspiring speakers, valuable educational information and fun networking opportunities. Kansas has so much travel and tourism talent and we can’t wait for you to meet each other!

For more information, visit the Kansas Tourism Conference event page. We will also showcase your marketing talents again this year with the TIAK Marketing Awards! Join TIAK in highlighting your skills in conjunction with the Kansas Tourism Conference.

We look forward to celebrating travel and tourism at the 2023 Kansas Tourism Conference! Registration opens June 1st.

2023 Destination Capitol Hill

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Travel professionals from all over the country converged on Washington, D.C. in April to visit their lawmakers. As shared by TIAK’s President, Melissa Dixon, our “representatives have the means to make real change in our industry. We want to make sure the voices of the travel industry are heard so improvements can be made.”

Several travel industry leaders in Kansas joined Dixon for the trip and received a shout-out from Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS). Dixon went on to share the magnitude of individuals involved in her travel, alone:

“Many individuals made my trip possible: hotel staff, airport maintenance workers, restaurant employees, janitors, shuttle drivers, airline pilots and attendants, air traffic controllers, baggage handlers – I could go on and on!

“The travel industry creates countless service jobs. Vacancies in those jobs hurt the visitor experience and cost our communities millions of dollars in visitor spending. We urged our representatives to act on a few items that could make major strides” including:

  • Provide H-2B Cap Relief
  • Lower Visitor Visa Wait Times
  • Advance FAA Priorities

Welcome new member – Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum

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We are pleased to introduce one of the newest members to TIAK, the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison, Kansas!

The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum honors Earhart’s enduring aviation legacy to defy the odds and pursue her dreams of flight and inspire future generations to imagine their own possibilities. The Museum’s centerpiece is Muriel — the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E aircraft — identical to the plane Amelia piloted on her fateful round-the-world flight. Muriel is surrounded by a state-of-the-art series of 14 STEM and historic storytelling exhibits to take visitors through Earhart’s extraordinary life.

The museum is a unique hybrid of both history and STEM science. There are 14 interactive exhibits located in the gallery that highlight curriculum standards in both Kansas and Missouri Elementary and Middle Schools. While the museum is specifically marketed to schools, it will have broad appeal to local, out of state, and international visitors as well.

The Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation, is the governing board and they understand the importance of being engaged in what is going on in the tourism industry and how public policy may affect how the museum operates as an organization. As a private museum, it is necessary to build camaraderie and business connections with fellow organizations, and to stay in the know with current and future public policy.

One of the short-term goals, as this is the inaugural year, is to build an awareness within the travel and tourism community of the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum and its mission. In the future, the museum hopes to become a fully active partner in TIAK to promote its mission and goals.

To learn more about this new and exciting attraction in the Northeast region of Kansas, click here.

NEW Destination Statehouse Opportunity

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From Jim Zaleski
TIAK Advocacy Chair
Hello TIAK friends,
It’s that wonderful 5th season of the year again – political season!
It won’t be the same without our good friend Kevin from Shawnee, but he would have loved this new opportunity being given to us during the evening event at our Destination Statehouse on February 8. The new venue, The Beacon, will not only allow more room and more tables, but it also allows us to bring in our own adult beverages as another way to represent our regions!
There are a few stipulations in place, such as you cannot serve from your own booth. However, the catering agreement allows us to stock the bar with specialty drinks, libations and regionally produced liquors, wines or beers. Simply fill out the registration form and click the yes box that you will bringing a local libation. The TIAK offices will coordinate between those donating to the cause and the caterer to arrange for your special beverage to be offered during the evening event.
This is a great opportunity to showcase some locally made spirits while entertaining our legislative guests. The event is one of the most well-known and best attended legislative events of the year and we look to continue building upon this great tradition. Of course, we encourage you to look at traditional sponsorships since they are what have made this event such an industry-wide affair.
As I mentioned, more space means more booths. We want to welcome our coalitions and specialty groups from across the state to this year’s evening event. Simply register to attend the event and let the TIAK office know you will be needing a table for your group.
Each region will have its own booth as usual and all cities within that region will once again be required to be part of their region. We have extra space, but not enough for every city in the state. Thanks for working within your region for a wonderful cooperative display.
Once we have an idea of the number of tables needed and the space allowed, we will send out a map of the evening event. Set up will start sometime near 3 PM on the day of the event.
Thanks, everyone, for making this event such an ongoing success!

2022 KTC 30 in 30

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Thanks to everyone for participating in the 30 ideas in 30 minutes session at the Kansas Tourism Conference! A lot of great ideas were shared, and a couple even won a prize! We’ve compiled them all, plus a few from the idea box.

  1. Plan event promotions like Hobby Lobby and use website, blog and social media to plan ahead for things like Christmas. (Julie / Visit Abilene)
  2. Use AlphaMac to help with your marketing materials and data; it’s $2,500 per year, helps in an easy-to-read manner, and worth every penny. (Jim / City of Parsons)
  3. Beat the heat with Christmas in July—music, shopping and bubbles instead of snow. (Holly / Visit Lindsborg)
  4. Create postcards with local artists and then share with businesses to help promote your community. (Holly / Visit Lindsborg)
  5. Create a fun opportunity for kids with a candy vending machine for only one penny. (Holly / Visit Lindsborg)
  6. Get temporary tattoos for your trade shows–all you need is a spray bottle and some paper towels and then you have walking billboards of kids with your logo all over them. (Holly / Visit Lindsborg)
  7. Highway 36 had the best pie contest for each county. Don’t be afraid to do the best burger, best soup or beyond. It’s great publicity and promotion for your restaurants. (Kylee / Seneca)
  8. If you have two attractions that could connect, print vinyl banners and exchange to cross-promote each other. For example, our museum placed a banner at the waterpark this summer and vice versa; the CVB paid for the banners and it’s a dual promotion. (Melissa / Hays)
  9. Recruit and raise awareness of the younger population with field trips to different locations inside your area. You can also use the website sign-up genius as a helpful tool to keep everything organized. (Lucille / Mitchel Co. Tourism)
  10. Our gift shop now sells farm fresh eggs. We also serve food at our meetings and gift people plants for an easy fun freebie. (Susie / Cloud County)
  11. If you’re tired of negativity on social media, share rewarding, positive quotes and giveaway goodie bags from the CVB to those people who respond positively. It doubles as a promotion and an extra reward for followers. (Visit Ark City)
  12. Host influencers and take advantage of the cool equipment they have like this wonderful 360 camera. (Andrea / Explore Lawrence)
  13. For national travel and tourism week we nominated our favorite frontline employees by using a QR code to nominate them. Two winners were awarded, and we’re thrilled too, because now they promote even better information about our community. (Dodge City)
  14. We purchased 10 portable picnic tables with a trailer and rent out for events. It’s easy seating and creates pride. We even have community members pick them up with their own truck; it’s practical and provides community engagement. (Hesston)
  15. We created a scavenger hunt which attracts kids and engages parents to go on a hunt ending at the art center. We give away a postcard or candy to those that finish and it brings in many visitors we would’ve never had otherwise. (Lucas Grassroots Art Center)
  16. We use a project management system called Base Camp; it’s free to sort and create projects and gives notifications and keeps everything all in one place with the app. (Teresa / Wichita Art Museum)
  17. We hid 100 glass blown orbs and hid them in every town in our county over the summer. For visitors to play along, we had them upload images so we could track people hunting; it was popular and different. April / Jackson Co. Tourism Council)
  18. We created a statue trail which highlights all of our attractions in the walking tour in an attempt to help count steps by miles which promoted health and wellness too. (Michelle)
  19. If you’re interested in hosting travel writers but can’t afford them, Colby is looking for contacts all the time and she is free and will include information in the newsletter so feel free to reach out to her with Kansas Tourism.
  20. We did a Kansas day bingo card; we created a bingo sheet and encourage them to go visit a business attraction and put stamps with a box on the outside of such locations. It’s a free option and we gave away prizes to encourage lunch, shopping and exploration of our community. (Kylee / Seneca)
  21. With Kansas now being a sports betting state, don’t forget to use your sports bars and create mini events–all they need is a cell phone and app to create fun sports betting in your Kansas destination. (Alan / Visit Kansas City KS)
  22. We created a 10 parks 10 weeks promotion highlighting a different park each week in Merriam. We created fun park badges and hosted a contest where park visitors could tag us and our promotion, then be entered for a parks prize upon completion; it helped with engagement and gave us some great photography to use in future guides and publications. (Karen / Explore Merriam)
  23. We at our field station didn’t get people to listen to the credentials to earn stamps so we had them name a member and get the kids engaged. Then, as the kids were named out loud, they were welcomed to the team publicly while they were collecting stamps. (Garion / Field Station Dinosaurs)
  24. At Cedar Bluff Reservoir fireworks are not allowed, so we canceled the display and made it a firework-free zone instead celebrating with a parade. This helped to reduce anxiety in veterans and pets (vets and pets), and invited people to come and enjoy this area with no fireworks.
  25. Adding to the sports betting don’t forget to promote and use free Wi-Fi. (Jim / City of Parsons)
  26. As a cross promo with data, don’t forget to use Geo-fencing so you can get a full number of people where they’ve been and where they went by using cell phone data and marketing.
  27. We promote our longest sculpted brick mural by measurements (for example: it is so many Patrick Mahomes to get to the other area). (Susie / Cloud County)
  28. To help build murals, there’s a base grant for seed money and we used a T-shirt project to help fund it which provides money and promotions. (Lucille / Mitchell Co. Tourism)
  29. To prepare for our NHRA nationals, there was an openly gay driver who had no sponsors. So, to promote our pride event we promoted him as a driver and positively share the sponsorship for the LBTQ community. (Sean / Visit Topeka)
  30. We used leftover gift cards for online trivia with pictures and the first person to answer correctly won a gift card. (Ark City)

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: DR. NELS LINDBERG

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Registration is open for the 2022 Kansas Tourism Conference (KTC) and organizers are pleased to announce Dr. Nels Lindberg as one of the keynote speakers at this year’s conference!

Dr. Nels Lindberg is a KSU alumni known for his expertise in consulting for the beef and cattle industries, while leading the veterinary practice, Animal Medical Center, in Great Bend, KS. He is also a managing partner in Production Animal Consultation, an international based protein consulting firm that consults over 25% of all the cattle on feed in the United States. In addition to building his reputation as a leader in the veterinary industry, Dr Nels is a sought after public speaker on life, leadership and business. He recently launched his first book, “The Ultimate Real World Guide to Hiring and Firing.”

Dr. Nels will help tourism professionals at the KTC “Build & Lead Better Teams” and explain his leadership passion through hard work, and tactical and strategic partnerships in combination with the challenges of the real world. Dr. Nels is a proud Kansan who has learned through challenges, and is determined to build a wonderful life experience for his family, church and community. You won’t want to miss learning about how the small and big pieces in your team can make a huge impact!

Be sure to register for the Kansas Tourism Conference which works to support tourism professionals in developing opportunities for their communities throughout the state. Register at https://tiak.org/events/kansas-tourism-conference/.