WEDNESDAY, MAY 22
9 a.m.
Morning Mindfulness
Speaker: Heather Davis, Music Travel Consultants
Sponsored by Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
Get your Wednesday off to a great start with a mindfulness exercise led by Heather Davis, vice president of experience at Music Travel Consultants. Heather, who is also a licensed mental health counselor, will offer you mindfulness tools to use during Contact and beyond, culminating in a brief optional morning meditation.
9:30–10:30 a.m.
AI in the Real World Travel: Immediate Successes and a Practical Plan for Tomorrow
Speaker: Alex Goryachev
Sponsored by Delta Air Lines
In this session, you’ll dive into how generative AI is revolutionizing the travel industry, making planning and customer interaction more efficient and personalized. The focus will be on understanding the immediate impact of AI and developing a practical strategy for its application, ensuring ethical use and data protection while maintaining a human touch.
Prep for the Next Crisis
Speaker: Jeff Ment, The Ment Law Group
In the group travel business, a crisis is always looming. Planning, strategizing, and being prepared is the best way to meet a crisis head-on. Attorney Jeff Ment, who has real-life crisis experience, will share best practices for NTA members.
11 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sightseeing Tours
Sponsored by Destination St. John’s
THURSDAY, MAY 23
9:45–10:45 a.m.
From Operations to Growth: Pragmatic Approaches to Leverage AI in Your Business
Speaker: Alex Goryachev
Sponsored by Tour Amigo
This session, tailored for the travel industry, explores strategic ways to adopt artificial intelligence to not only streamline operations but also to fuel growth and innovation within the sector. This focused session will highlight how AI can revolutionize customer service, personalized travel experiences, and efficient back-end operations, from dynamic pricing and personalized recommendations to predictive analytics for travel trends and operational bottlenecks.
Apple JamJams, Bakeapples, and Cod Sounds: The ABCs of Culinary Travel and the Rise of Food Tourism in Newfoundland and Labrador
Speaker: Gabby Peyton
Sponsored by Biltmore
From the rise of mushroom foraging tours to how Raymond’s restaurant glamorized a cod’s bladder, the evolution of culinary travel in Newfoundland and Labrador has changed drastically over the past 15 years. This session will explore culinary tourism’s foundational tenets and how operators can leverage delicious meals with meaningful experiences through the lens of Newfoundland and Labrador’s culinary tourism development and offerings.
11 a.m.–Noon
Spotlight Session: All-attendee Power Hour
Moderator: Todd Probus, CTP, NTA and Heather Davis, Music Travel Consultants
Sponsored by Group Travel Odyssey
Wrap up your time at Contact by joining your NTA colleagues for an open forum you can use to expand on any of the questions, ideas, and conversations raised during our time in St. John’s. You can also gather practical “next steps” for implementing these ideas once you get home.
2–5 p.m.
Educational Outings
Sponsored by Destination St. John’s