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DENVER, Colo. – May 14, 2026 – Sojern, the leading AI-powered travel marketing platform built on the world’s largest source of travel intent data, today convened its U.S. Destination Advisory Board in Denver for the sixth annual meeting, bringing together senior marketing leaders from destinations across North America to discuss the opportunities and challenges shaping tourism in 2026.
The meeting comes at a critical moment for the industry. While international travel demand remains resilient, shifting global dynamics, evolving traveller expectations, and major events like the FIFA World Cup 2026 are creating a more complex operating environment for destination marketing organisations (DMOs). At the same time, new research from Sojern’s State of Destination Marketing 2026 report shows that measuring economic impact has become the top priority for DMOs, reflecting increased pressure to demonstrate return on investment and clearly articulate the economic impact of marketing activity.
“Destinations today are navigating a far more dynamic and data-driven landscape than even a few years ago,” said Sylvia Weiler, President and General Manager, Global Destinations. “From global events like the World Cup to ongoing geopolitical and economic shifts, the ability to understand traveler intent and clearly measure impact is becoming essential. Bringing this group together allows us to share perspectives, align on challenges, and help destinations adapt with confidence.”
Hosted by Visit Denver, the Advisory Board continues to bring together senior destination marketing leaders from across North America.
Sojern is pleased to introduce the newest board members for 2026:
- Alicia M.Richie, Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, President & CEO
- DT Minich, Experience Kissimmee, CEO/President
- Jeremy Cooker, New Orleans & Company, Senior Vice President, Marketing
- Lindsay Milne Grant, Meet Boston, VP Marketing
- Michael Fetter, Louisville Tourism, Director of Marketing
- Patrick Harrison, Visit Tampa Bay, Chief Marketing Officer
- Steve Grimes, St Pete-Clearwater, Chief Marketing Officer
New board members will join current board members, including:
- Cody Chomiak, Travel Manitoba (Canada), VP of Marketing
- Diane Charno, Myrtle Beach, EVP, Marketing and Communications
- Jamari Douglas, Bermuda Tourism Authority VP, Marketing, PR & Communications
- Justin Bresler, Visit Denver, CMO & VP of Marketing and Business Development
- Robin McClain, Destination DC, Chief Marketing Officer
- Steven Totten, Visit Phoenix, Director of Marketing
Collaboration across destinations has never been more important,” said Justin Bresler, CMO & VP of Marketing and Business Development, Visit Denver. “It’s absolutely critical in today’s fast-moving world that we’re sharing insights and learning from one another to ensure we’re attracting the right travelers and delivering meaningful economic impact for our communities.”
Discussions during the meeting focused on how destinations can strengthen their positioning in an increasingly competitive landscape, better measure and communicate marketing impact, and adapt to evolving traveller behaviour through data and AI.
By fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing among destination leaders, the Advisory Board helps inform broader industry conversations and ensures Sojern’s solutions continue to evolve in line with destination needs.
To learn more about how Sojern collaborates with destination marketers, please visit: www.sojern.com/destinations
About Sojern
Sojern is the leading AI-powered marketing platform built for hospitality, designed to boost growth and profitability for the travel industry. The Sojern marketing platform is a set of easy-to-use software and services that delivers unrivaled traveler insight, intelligent audiences, multichannel activation and optimization, and a connected guest experience—all in one place. More than 10,000 travel marketers rely on our platform annually to find, attract, convert and engage travelers. Sojern, founded in 2007 and acquired by RateGain in 2025, is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with teams in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and Asia Pacific.
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