NEWS RELEASE
Travel celebrity Samantha Brown coming to Huntsville in May
Award-winning television host chosen as TBEX North America keynote speaker
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 27, 2017
(Huntsville, AL) – The announcement was made last May that TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange) would host its 2017 North America conference in Huntsville, Alabama, May 4-6. Yesterday, the conference released more exciting news: Samantha Brown, television host of Travel Channel fame, will be in attendance as the closing keynote speaker. The conference will take place at the Von Braun Center, and Brown’s keynote address will wrap up convention activities on May 6.
TBEX is renowned as the world’s largest conference for travel bloggers, journalists, online content curators, and tourism industry professionals. Hosting an event of this magnitude will not only bring a positive impact on the local economy, but a level of exposure that is extremely beneficial for Madison County, North Alabama, and the state of Alabama as a whole.
Samantha Brown rose to fame as the bubbly, energetic host of Travel Channel shows such as Great Hotels, Passport to Europe, Great Weekends and 50/50, among others.
Forbes has named Brown one of the "Top 25 Most Influential Women in Travel," and her show Passport to Latin America was nominated in 2008 for a Daytime Emmy award.
In addition to her career in television, Brown launched her own line of luggage on the Home Shopping Network in 2011. The brand was a success, and she’s since expanded the line to include travel-friendly accessory cases and handbags.
Leveraging her popularity on the small screen, she now commands a significant online following, with close to 258,000 followers on social media and her own travel blog, which reaches thousands of readers per post.
Securing such a high-profile speaker for the conference makes for an incredible opportunity to showcase Huntsville to a global audience. Winning the conference alone was a huge accomplishment for Huntsville, with typical TBEX attendance averaging around 600-1,000 people.
In addition to sheer registration numbers, TBEX attendees are among the most influential professionals in the travel media industry; a significant number of attendees boast social media followings in the thousands.
“By bringing in respected and well-known speakers like Samantha Brown, hosting TBEX in Huntsville amplifies the opportunity for our city to receive international attention,” said Judy Ryals, President/CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB). “We want the world to see the incredible things Huntsville has to offer, from our local shops and restaurants, to our world-class attractions and unique outdoor spaces. We encourage our community to take advantage of this event and show TBEX what makes the Rocket City so special.”
Registration for TBEX North America is expected to spike after the keynote announcement, according to conference organizers.
More information on the TBEX North America conference can be found on the official website. To learn more about Samantha Brown, visit her website at samantha-brown.com.
Businesses or organizations interested in sponsoring TBEX activities can contact Leslie Walker, CVB Convention Sales Manager, at lwalker@huntsville.org.
###
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 city 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 partners with an array of hospitality industry partners to market our destination to visitors of all types.
