Brand USA Joins Summit Seminar Lineup

March 6, 2012

Attendees of the 2012 Grassroots Congressional Travel Summit will learn about the latest trends and strategies for promoting travel to the United States from Joel Secundy of Brand USA. Secundy, vice president of strategic outreach for Brand USA, will give a detailed presentation about the organization’s newly designed consumer Web site and interactive social media tools, along with other elements of the comprehensive marketing campaign.

Brand USA (formerly the Corporation for Travel Promotion) was created in 2010 to encourage travelers from all over the world to visit the United States. Prior to joining Brand USA, Secundy served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Services at the U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration.

The Summit is set for May 8–10 in Washington, D.C., during National Travel and Tourism Week. Sponsored by NTA, the Southeast Tourism Society and Destination Marketing Association International, the Summit is an opportunity for tourism professionals to network with government and industry leaders and to fine-tune their understanding of legislative priorities and processes. Click here for a schedule of events.

The Summit comes at a time when attention to tourism has picked up in Washington. President Obama’s Jan. 19 executive order that called for a national strategy with three aims: increase the United States’ market share of worldwide travel, promote travel to U.S. national parks and expand tourism opportunities in rural communities.

The official hotel for the Summit is Courtyard Washington, D.C./U.S. Capitol, offering a rate of $229, available through April 20. When making online reservations, use the code NTANTAA. With a phone reservation (888.236.2427), ask for the 2012 NTA/STS Congressional Summit Room Block at the Courtyard US Capitol New York Avenue.