SEe ON Summit: Envision Tourism Growth

Join RTO 9 for the annual Tourism Summit and the inaugural Sustainable Tourism Summit in Kingston, ON!

By RTO 9

Location

DoubleTree by Hilton

1550 Princess Street Kingston, ON K7M 9E3 Canada

Refund Policy

No Refunds

Agenda

September 12 Agenda

September 13 Agenda

AGENDA SUBJECT TO CHANGE

8:30 AM - 3:30 PM

Makers Market Opens

Celebrate our amazing local producers by visiting the always popular Makers Market to sample and purchase one-of-a-kind products from around the region, available throughout each day starting at 8:30...

9:00 AM - 9:25 AM

Welcome

Cheri Kemp Long

David Maracle

RTO 9 Board Chair, Cheri Kemp Long, welcomes attendees to the RTO 9 Tourism Summit! David Maracle will perform a welcome for attendees with Indigenous teaching/sharing and Giving thanks to our Creati...

9:25 AM - 10:15 AM

Keynote Speaker: ChatGPT/AI

Cris Urroz

Enjoy this forward looking presentation from Cris Urroz on the use of AI, and how organizations can take advantage of this new technology in their day-to-day operations.

10:15 AM - 11:00 AM

Presentation: Itinerary Development

Cathy Kirkpatrick

Hear from Cathy Kirkpatrick of CMK Consulting and Alphabet Creative on the future of itinerary planning for destinations by harnessing the use of AI.

11:00 AM - 11:15 AM

BREAK: Makers Market

Take a break and peruse the Makers Market full of local goodies!

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

Panel Discussion: Experiential Tourism

Moderator: Cale Fair

Kelly Bergeron

Karina Belanger

Cynthia Peters

Prepare to get hands-on with this experiential tourism panel! RTO 9 Board Vice-President Cale Fair moderates this exciting discussion on creating hands-on, unique visitor experiences and hearing from...

12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

LUNCH

Served by the DoubleTree by Hilton buffet style. Please advise of any dietary restrictions prior to the day of the event by contacting Meg Dabros, mdabros@region9tourism.ca.

1:15 PM - 2:00 PM

Presentation: Tourism Industry Research

Oliver Martin

No one can predict the future - but proper research into industry and visitor trends can get you pretty darn close! Hear from this speaker on the importance of tourism industry research and how this ...

2:00 PM - 2:45 PM

Panel Discussion: Funding & Grant Opportunities

Moderator: Katherine Hobbs

Mia Robertson

Liam Karry

Enjoy this panel discussion with industry experts, moderated by Katherine Hobbs, as they discuss different granting opportunities available and the best tactics to finding which ones would fit best f...

2:45 PM - 3:00 PM

BREAK: Makers Market

Take a break and peruse the Makers Market full of local goodies!

3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

Presentation: Market Trends & Visitor Profiles

Melanie Robert

Getting to know your target audience and the habits of those travelling within South Eastern Ontario can help determine where you should be focusing your marketing efforts. Learn about our visitors a...

3:45 PM - 3:55 PM

Closing Remarks

Cheri Kemp Long

RTO 9 Board Chair, Cheri Kemp Long, closes out day one with a recap on the information shared throughout the day and anticipation into tomorrow's sessions!

4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Networking Reception

Tourism Kingston

Kingston Accommodation Partners

Join us in the evening for a networking reception, generously hosted by Tourism Kingston and the Kingston Accommodation Partners. Mix, mingle and enjoy some drinks and hors d'oeuvres at the Cannery K...

About this event

Join RTO 9 at the newly renovated DoubleTree by Hilton in Kingston, Ontario for our 2-day SEe ON Summit experience (make it even better by staying overnight!):

Day One - Annual Tourism Summit: Thursday, September 12, 2024
Day Two - Sustainable Tourism Summit: Friday, September 13 , 2024

Both days will be packed with incredible speakers, forward thinking ideas and inspiration to spark creativity and help Envision Tourism Growth in South Eastern Ontario.

Interested in staying the night? We have reserved a room block at a special rate with the DoubleTree by Hilton - be sure to reserve early in order to guarantee a spot! Get your reservation HERE.

See above for more information on speakers and the agendas for both days - subject to change. Spots are limited! Grab your tickets today!

Join us in the evening of Thursday, September 12th at 4:30pm at the DoubleTree by Hilton for a networking reception, generously hosted by Tourism Kingston and the Kingston Accommodation Partners. Mix, mingle and enjoy some drinks and hors d'oeuvres at the Cannery Kitchen and Social, on-site at the DoubleTree by Hilton Kingston. Be sure to include your registration for the networking session at the time of purchasing your summit tickets!

Frequently asked questions

Will there be tickets available at the door?

No - all attendees must pre-register for the Summit and bring digital copies of their ticket on their phone for check-in. There will be no tickets available at the door the day of.

I'm interested in staying at the hotel overnight, is there a special rate?

Yes! We have reserved a block of rooms with the DoubleTree by Hilton Kingston that offers a special rate for summit attendees. Spaces are limited - so be sure to reserve your spot as soon as possible! See the description above for a direct link to book!

Will there be bags available for the Markers Market?

We are encouraging everyone to bring along a reusable bag for the Makers Market to ensure we aren't using any disposable bags!

Will there be hard copies of the agenda available?

No - we are trying to ensure our event is as green as possible, so there will be no card copies of the agenda or speaker bios available that day. However, there will be QR code access to the digital copy for attendees to access.

Are there refunds on tickets?

No, we will not issue refunds for tickets, however we are happy to transfer your registration to another person from your organization to attend in your place!

Organized by

RTO 9

RTO 9 is a regional tourism organization that is funded by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport Industries. RTO 9 actively promotes tourism for the region and works to support and grow the tourism industry through product development initiatives.

On Sale 15 May 2024 at 12:00 AM