Photo courtesy Visit Sarasota: Visit Sarasota County at Destinations International Annual Convention. (From left to right: Calvin Bien-Aime, VSC intern; Jessica Bertolini, Marketing Manager; Erin Duggan, President and CEO; Nathaniel Sweetman, Sports Coord

When you live in a community where tourism is the top industry, you often don’t have to go far to tap into the latest insights to gain a foothold in our visitor economy. However, every now and again, venturing beyond our county lines gives fresh perspective and avenues to pursue. 

This is especially true for us at Visit Sarasota County as we look for expertise and resources to strengthen our area’s reputation as a must-experience destination for visitors on the regional, national and world stages. 

Over the summer, our teams traveled by land, sea and air to do so – and I’d like to share what each of them learned and how they intend to enrich their work for the betterment of Sarasota County. And, if you’ll indulge me, I’d also like to sprinkle in a few moments of recognition. 

Three different conferences were held just across the bridge in Tampa. Most recently, we attended the Florida Governor’s Conference on Tourism. Hosted by Visit Florida, this annual event brings together over 1,000 attendees for three days of story-sharing and networking among our statewide network of tourism professionals. Throughout the event, Sarasota received a few shoutouts from the podium, including a moment of applause for Marie Selby Botanical Gardens for their recognition as TIME’s 100 Greatest Places in the World. 

Whereas at Governor’s Conference we gained Florida-based insights, at Destinations International’s Annual Convention, we had a window into the global state of travel. This year’s gathering emphasized strategies to bridge the gap between residents and visitors when it comes to tourism marketing. The thinking goes as more guests choose our destination for their vacation, their dollars are spent and stay in our county – which helps lower taxes, keep businesses open and sustain jobs for hardworking locals. While these insights alone made the trip worthwhile, our very own Nathaniel Sweetman was also named a 30 Under 30 recipient and will represent Sarasota among a class of 30 different communities in four countries.  

The celebrations continued at the PR & Comms Summit, hosted by the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA), where our Director of Community Relations & Partnership, Hunter Carpenter, APR, was installed as the president of the Central West Coast chapter.  

At the Connect Sports Marketplace in Milwaukee, our Sports Director, Pete Harvey, held valuable discussions with the NCAA and On Location travel to strengthen our relationships and explore hosting future championships in Sarasota County. Through 36 one-on-one meetings with event-rights holders and national governing bodies, Pete also highlighted the exciting renovations at 17th St. Park and the new indoor facility at Nathan Benderson Park. Notably, a conversation about the HBCU softball championship expanded into a potentially broader collaboration to host the 2025 or 2026 HBCU Athletic Conference Summer Meeting. 

While the Connects event showcased our region as a premier destination for athletic events, our presence at the Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) Summit and the American Society of Association Executives’ Annual Meeting gave our Sales Team – Suzanne Hackman, CDME, and Shantel Norman – the opportunity to get Sarasota County on the radar of group and meeting planners. This outreach is especially valuable for our hotel, dining, and attraction partners. 

Our reasons for being at each of these gatherings certainly differ. However, one thing always remains the same: our VSC team goes beyond the traditional business-card exchange to build genuine connections and, in turn, amplify our efforts in preserving and promoting all the makes Sarasota County a world-class destination. 

Erin Duggan, CDME, is president and CEO of Visit Sarasota County. 

Photo courtesy Visit Sarasota: Visit Sarasota County at Destinations International Annual Convention. (From left to right: Calvin Bien-Aime, VSC intern; Jessica Bertolini, Marketing Manager; Erin Duggan, President and CEO; Nathaniel Sweetman, Sports Coord