(Huntsville, AL) – Elected officials and tourism leaders throughout the state of Alabama will gather in Huntsville for the 2019 Alabama Governor’s Conference on Tourism to be held August 17-20, 2019, at the Von Braun Center. The conference brings the state’s travel and tourism industry together for professional development, networking, and collaboration on strategies to promote Alabama as a premier travel destination.
Approximately 200-250 guests, including representatives from statewide attractions, hotels, convention and visitors bureaus, marketing firms, and other hospitality workers, are expected to be in attendance.
“The conference not only gives Alabama travel professionals the opportunity to learn from experts in tourism and marketing, but to also raise money for in-state college scholarships and reward hard work through industry awards,” said Patti Culp, CEO for the Alabama Travel Council.
Judy Ryals, President/CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), the head of the organization tasked with recruiting conferences, meetings and visitors to Madison County, expressed excitement for the conference to convene in Huntsville.
“2019 is such a hallmark year for our city as we celebrate the state bicentennial, the Apollo 11 50th anniversary, new dining, retail, and entertainment developments, and so much more; this is perfect timing to welcome our tourism partners to see the growth happening in Huntsville and experience everything we have to offer as a destination. We look forward to the opportunity to showcase our community’s progress to industry leaders and highlight why Huntsville/Madison County is a key asset in the state’s tourism offerings.”
In 2018, the travel and tourism industry, which includes both leisure and meeting visitors, was responsible for over 17,000 jobs in Madison County. Madison County’s 3.4 million visitors pumped a record-breaking $1.4 billion into the local economy.
While in Huntsville, conference attendees will be able to enjoy a wide variety of the area’s attractions, such as evening receptions at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Campus No. 805, and Alabama Constitution Hall Historic Park & Museum, a round of golf at Robert Trent Jones - Hampton Cove, tours of the Huntsville Botanical Garden and downtown, and more in special pre- or post-conference tours.
For more information, please contact Kristen Pepper, Marketing Manager, at the Huntsville/Madison County CVB, at 256.551.2294 or by e-mail at kristen@huntsville.org.
Be sure to connect with the CVB on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates on what’s going on in Huntsville/Madison County, travel-related news and upcoming meetings and conference information.
About Huntsville/Madison County CVB
The Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is a non-profit 501(c)(6) organization which was developed in 1970 to create economic growth for Huntsville/Madison County by marketing the community as a top-of-mind convention and visitor destination. As the official city/county agency which promotes the area as a tourist destination and convention site, the CVB works with an array of hospitality industry partners to market our destination to visitors of all types.
