Speaking Engagements
Please check back often for updated speaking engagements. Feel free to contact Laura if you’d like to set up an appointment when she’s in your area!
— ABC’s of African American Hotel Ownership workship, Marriott Marquis Washington DC, Sept 27, 2014
— Global Overview of Medical Tourism, International Healthcare Services Industry Innovation Development Forum, Guilin, China Sept 12-16, 2014
— Tourism and the New Global Economy, Travel and Tourism Research Association, Brugge, Belgium June 18-20, 2014
–“Using Market Research to Sell the Travel Product to Current and Prospective Customers” George Washington School of Business, March 26, 2014
–“Cultural Tourism” and “Diversity Marketing: Using Research to Better Understand Your Visitors,” Minnesota Tourism Conference, February 4-5, 2014
–“Breaking down Silos: The intersection between culture, dining, and shopping tourism.” One Travel Conference, January, 2014
— “Economic Impact of Heritage Tourism” NJ History and Historic Preservation Conference, Monmouth County, June 5, 2014
— “Wine and Culinary Tourism,” Annual Wine Tourism Conference, Portland, OR November 15-16, 2013
— “The Cultural Traveler,” St. Johns Cultural Council, St. Augustine, FL October 16, 2013
— “The Cultural Traveler,” Ohio Conference on Tourism, West Chester, OH October 16-18, 2013
— “The Future of Culinary Tourism Research,” World Food Travel Summit, Gothenburg, Sweden September 21-24, 2013
— Closing Keynote Speaker, “Diversity Marketing: Using Research to Better Understand Your Visitors” Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference, Stone Mountain, GA September 10-12, 2013
— How Will the “Sequester” Affect the Summer Tourism Market? NAJ Summit East, New York, NY May 1-2, 2013
— “The Oregon Cultural and Heritage Traveler” Oregon Governor’s Conference, April, 2013
— “Cultural, Culinary, and LGBT Tourism: Latest Trends” One Travel Conference, Costa Mesa, CA February 5-7, 2013
— “Measures of ROI” Go West Summit, Ft Worth, TX January 28-31, 2013
— NTA Convention, January 20-24, 2013
–The U.S. Leisure Market and Opportunities for RV/Campgrounds, Best Parks in America, Nov 13-15, 2012
— Invited Speaker, Tourico Holidays inaugural client appreciation event in Orlando, September 8-11, 2012
— Panelist, “25 Reasons Why the Hispanic Market is Important and How it Can Grow Your Business” at ASTA’s Travel Retailing and Destination Trade Show, Sept 7, 2012
— “Cultural/Heritage Tourism: The Opportunity” Historic Downtown Cleveland Alliance, Cleveland, OH June, 2012
— “The State of the U.S. Business Traveler: Wants and Needs and How to Serve them Better,” Florida Business Travel Association, Boca Raton, FL March, 2012
— Leisure Travelers’ Use of Social Media, ITB Berlin, March 2012
— ONE Travel Conference, Orlando Florida, 2012
— Northeast Economic Development Association, Burlington, VT, 2011
— US Leisure Travelers Use of Social Media, ITB Berlin, March, 2011
— Shop America Alliance Meeting, PowWow, 2009-2011
— Western Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus, Ontario, CA October 12-14, 2011
— Illinois Governor’s Conference, Rosemont, IL March 16-18, 2011
— “Updates on Travel Segments: Cultural and Culinary” ONE Travel Conference in Pasadena, CA January 16-18, 2011
— “Trends in the U.S. Leisure Market” 18th IPK World Travel Monitor Forum November 4-5, 2010, Pisa, Italy
— The Cultural Heritage Traveler” American Association of Museums Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA June 16-18, 2010
— “Using Research to Understand Your Target Audience” Texas Travel and Tourism College, San Marcos, TX, 201– National Historic Trails Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX 2009