2025 TACVB Annual Conference
2025 TACVB Annual Conference
Welcome to the Unexpected City! Where authentic western heritage and a thriving cultural scene seamlessly blend Texas history with state of the art facilities and modern attractions. We can't wait to welcome y'all to Fort Worth!
September 3 - 5, 2025
Omni Fort Worth
1300 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX
TACVB prides itself on providing the strongest educational content for Destination Organizations in Texas. Featuring presentations by tourism's best thought leaders, break-out educational sessions, shirt sleeves discussions along with endless opportunity to connect and collaborate with your DMO industry colleagues.
- Connect and learn from the strongest tourism leaders in Texas and the US
- Relevant and impactful educational training, regardless of your budget size
- Peer-to-peer exchanges among destination organizations and industry providers
- The destination tour and optional electives need to be added to your registration when you register for the conference and cannot be added later.
- The Women's Conference is a stand-alone event. However, it can be added to your Annual Conference registration when you register for a discount.
- The hotel reservation link will be emailed to you after you register for the conference.
CANCELLATION DATE - FRIDAY, AUGUST 1st 2025: Our cancellation policy is as follows: Before the cancellation date, you can cancel for a full refund minus a $80 administrative fee and your service fee. After the cancellation date, we cannot accommodate cancellations or registration transfers.
| Price | |
|---|---|
|
Member Registration
Registration Ends 9/3/25 at 11:59 PM CDT
|
$795.00 |
| Price | |
|---|---|
|
Women's Conference Add-On
|
$195.00 |
|
Destination Tour of Fort Worth
|
$60.00 |
| Price | |
|---|---|
|
Non-Member Registration
|
$995.00 |
Annual Conference Schedule
The TACVB team is hard at work finalizing the 2025 Annual Conference schedule. This schedule is preliminary and subject to change. Check back often for additional details & updates!
The Texas Tourism Women's Conference will run September 2 - 3, 2025 just prior to Annual.
Texas Tourism Women's Conference
8:00 am - 11:00 am: Day 2 Sessions
Optional Pre-Conference Electives
9:00 am - 11:30 am: Destination Tour of Fort Worth *$60
9:00 am - NOON: Destination Marketing Principles Class *$60
First-Time Attendee Luncheon sponsored by Yodel
11:30 am - 12:45 pm: Special networking luncheon for first-time attendees only.
Annual Conference Begins
1:00 pm - 2:45 pm: Welcome & Opening Keynote featuring Mitch Mitchem, CEO, HIVE
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm: Texas Tourism Awards Show featuring the announcement of our 2025 Texas Trailblazer, Marion Szurek Leadership Award & Hall of Fame Winners as well as our FIRST graduating class of DMS candidates, Destination Excellence Winners & DMO of the Year!
6:00 pm - 9:00pm: Opening Reception presented by Visit Fort Worth at Tannahills Tavern & Music Hall
8:00 am - 9:00 am: Breakfast
9:00 am - 10:00 am: Day 2 General Session Keynote
10:15 am - 11:00 am: Breakout Sessions
11:30 am - 12:15 pm: Breakout Sessions
12:30 pm - 2:30 pm: Lunch, General Session Keynote & Annual Business Meeting
2:45 pm - 3:30 pm: Breakout Sessions
4:00 pm - 4:45 pm: Breakout Sessions
TIME TBD: Evening Happy Hour presented by Texas Monthly
8:00 am - 9:00 am Breakfast
9:00 am - 9:45 am: Day 3 Keynote Session
10:00 am - Noon: **New this year "Loud Table" deep dive group discussions and shirtsleeves
Our room block is down to the remaining 25% of the block and is anticipated to sell out! Register today to make sure you're at the center of all the fun. All conference activities take place at the host hotel: 
Omni Fort Worth Hotel | Texas Ballroom
1300 Houston Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
(817) 535-6664
ROOM RATES: A discounted group room rate of $199 has been reserved for our group and is available through the cutoff date of Tuesday, August 12th at 5:00pm Central Time. The booking link will be sent to you in your registration confirmation.
PARKING: Valet is the only parking option onsite at the hotel and is currently $48 per night. Self parking is available nearby in city lots. We recommend the Houston Street Garage at $22/day.
Additional parking details, locations and pricing can be found here.
We have so many fun events planned for Annual this year!
Please take a moment to browse details of the following Special Events:
First-Time Attendees will be treated to a special lunch (sponsored by Yodel) designed to help them meet fellow newcomers, be introduced to TACVB board and staff, and learn how to make the most of their time in Fort Worth. They'll gain helpful tips on navigating the conference, hear brief remarks from our team, and enjoy a relaxed setting perfect for sparking new professional relationships.
Whether you’re new to the tourism industry or simply new to TACVB, this luncheon is your opportunity to connect, ask questions, and feel more at home in our vibrant community.
Wednesday, September 3rd at 8:50am in the Omni Lobby: Get ready to explore Fort Worth like never before—on a pedal-powered adventure with Cowtown Cycle Party!
Here’s what to expect:
- 🚲 Up to four 16-person party bikes with our very own local guides.
- 📸 Fun photo ops as we cruise through Downtown Fort Worth and Sundance Square
- 🤠 Learn local trivia, discover hidden gems, and enjoy stops at your favorite local landmarks
No athletic skills needed—just a spirit of fun!
This tour meets the requirement for DMS candidates and seats are limited! Cost is $60 and you can add the tour to your registration at checkout, or email Lindsay if you would like to add this event to your current registration.
The Details: Busses will begin pickup outside of the Omni at 9am. Tour starts promptly at 9:30am and will go until about 11:30am. Drinks and water will be provided. Optional items for guests to bring: sunglasses, sunscreen, hats, clothing for warm weather. Busses will return guests to the Omni after the tour. The tour starting point is very close to the hotel so it will be a short bus ride.
Our Group from 2024!
This event is generously sponsored by Tempest, Visit South Padre Island & Destination Bryan
This reception offers more than just refreshments and conversation. It’s an opportunity to expand your network, swap ideas, and gain insight into the future of the industry—all in an environment that’s supportive, inclusive, and geared toward your professional growth.
Come meet others who share your ambition and enthusiasm, and start building relationships that could shape the next steps in your destination management career.
Be sure you've opted-in to Young Professionals updates by selecting
"yes" in the YP section of your tacvb account profile.
Opening Reception sponsored by Visit Fort Worth
Wednesday, September 3rd | 6:00pm - 9:00pm Tannahills Tavern & Music Hall
Experience the modern west at it's best as we kick off the TACVB Annual Conference with an unforgettable evening at Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall — a one-of-a-kind venue nestled in the heart of the historic Fort Worth Stockyards!
Join us for a night of great music, local flavor, and high-energy networking. You’ll enjoy delicious food and drinks, live entertainment, and the chance to mix and mingle with fellow tourism pros from across the Lone Star State.
Whether you're reconnecting with longtime colleagues or making new ones, this is the place to be as we get the conference rolling.
Boots encouraged. Good vibes required. Your conference badge is your ticket in—just bring yourself and your best Texas smile!
SPECIAL FEATURE: Leather Branding Activation
Add a personal touch to your favorite leather good! Stop by our custom branding station where you can have your boots, belt, wallet, or other leather item hand-branded on-site. It's a one-of-a-kind souvenir you’ll actually want to take home!
👉 Don’t forget to bring your leather!
DETAILS: Busses will be circling between the Omni and the Stockyards from 5:30pm - 9:00pm, with the last bus returning guests at 9pm. If you would like to stay and explore the Stockyards longer following the reception, Uber is available in the area for pickup.
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS RECEPTION SPONSOR
New this year, we’re excited to introduce Destination Spirit Day—a celebration of the incredible communities that make up the TACVB family! On this special day, we invite all attendees to rep your destination by wearing your hometown-branded gear—shirts, polos, team colors, or anything that proudly shows where you’re from. It’s a fun and visual way to spotlight the diversity of our Texas destinations while celebrating the shared passion that unites us all. Let’s fill the conference with local pride and statewide spirit!
Get ready to sip, swirl & share - the TACVB Past Chairs are proud to announce the return of the Great Wall of Wine raffle to this year's Annual Conference! We're collecting bottles from all over Texas and one lucky attendee will take home the entire collection.
How it works:
1. Bring a bottle to contribute
2. Buy a ticket for $20
3. One winner takes the whole stash!
This event would not be possible without the generous support of our partners! Please take a moment to browse our service providers and supporting destinations.
KEYNOTE: Mitch Mitchem, CEO HIVE
No More Fluff: Making AI Work Inside Your Business Now
The cost of knowledge is now ZERO. Are you ready? The Chinese now mandate all their students, starting at 6 years old, learn to use the tools of AI. Are you this focused?
This isn’t a futurist fantasy or a tech demo. It’s a live, zero-fluff breakdown of how AI is already reshaping destination marketing and visitor engagement, and exactly how your organization can stop spectating and start executing. With over 40,000 people trained on the right way to use AI, Mitch delivers a practical, high-impact roadmap for you to deploy AI with clarity, confidence, and control.
You’ll walk away with:
- The truth about BYOAI vs. Enterprise AI (and why most of your team is using AI off the books)
- Tactical use cases, from sales follow-up to stakeholder alignment, that create ROI in weeks, not years
- A new framework for human-centered AI that amplifies local connection, not just automation
This is AI without the hype. Designed for leaders ready to move.
KEYNOTE: Amir Eylon, President & CEO of Longwoods International
So What?!: A Look at American Travel Sentiment and Trends
Join Amir as he presents not only a pulse check on American travelers and their sentiment, but information as to what to do about it! This engaging presentation from the head of this premier market research agencies will examine what travelers are thinking using the most up to date research from the American Travel Sentiment tracker, as well as how they are behaving using insights from Travel USA (the largest and longest ongoing study of traveling Americans), and how TACVB members may use this information to their advantage.
Amir’s energetic storytelling and sense of humor will not be just a bunch of data points on a slide!