Schedule at a Glance
Below find the schedule for the 2024 NATJA Conference & Marketplace. The schedule is subject to change.
Tuesday, May 14
9:00am - Registration Opens
Location: Pre-Function Area of Floral Ballroom (Convention Center, via 2nd floor)
Check in with the NATJA team to pick up your conference badge and other items.
10:30am - Coffee Mixer for Attendees
Location: Floral Ballroom Pre-Function Area (Convention Center, via 2nd floor)
Join our NATJA team and Advisory Board members for a mid-morning cup of joe. All members are welcome!
11:30pm - Lunch Buffet
Location: Floral A (Convention Center, via 2nd floor)
Stop in to get lunch before our General Opening Session begins.
1:00pm - Opening General Session
Location: Floral A (Convention Center, via 2nd floor)
NATJA and Galveston Island welcome attendees to the 21st Annual Conference & Marketplace.
Keynote Speaker: JP Bryan, Director, The Bryan Museum & Executive Director and CEO, Texas State Historical Association
2:30pm to 2:45pm - Break
2:45pm - Professional Development, Session 1
Beyond Travel Journalism: Other Ways to Earn a Living
Location: Floral A
Moderator: Joe Pappalardo, Author
Panelists: Laura Elder, Managing Editor, The Galveston County Daily News & Editor, Coast Monthly; Tim Leffel, Editor & Travel Writer; Terri Marshall-Holder, Travel Writer; Adam Pitluk, Editor & Publisher, Groom Lake Media
Travel journalism is changing, again. Learn ways to continue your passion for travel journalism while finding alternate ways of earning a living.
DMO Roundtable
Location: Floral B
Facilitators: Vickie Ashford-Thompson, Director of Travel Media, Greater Birmingham CVB; and Charles Winters, Executive Vice President, Huntsville/Madison County CVB
Connect with fellow destination marketing professionals to share ideas, discuss topics of concern to you or your destination, and hear from your peers what has (or maybe hasn’t) worked for them. This session is exclusively for destination marketing professionals.
4:00pm to 4:15pm - Break
4:15pm - Professional Development, Session 2
Unlocking Tourism for All: How DMOs and Media Can Champion Accessibility
Location: Floral A
Presenters: Nancy Besharah, Journalist & Blogger, Luxe Family Travel; Toni Bastian, TMP, Group Tour Manager, Richmond Region Tourism; Caitlin Carnes, Public Relations Manager,
Visit Galveston; Matt Robinette, CDME, CMP, Vice President of Visitor Experience, Richmond Region Tourism
Learn how to identify important accessibility considerations for destinations, including physical spaces, transportation, communication, and services. Develop effective marketing strategies to attract and empower travelers with disabilities and create an action plan to implement accessibility improvements within the resources and capabilities of a DMO.
5:30pm - Downtime
Sessions are over for the day! Take a quick break and we will see you in the Hotel Lobby for our departure to the welcome reception & dinner.
6:45pm - Depart for the Welcome Reception & Dinner
Meeting Location: Hotel Lobby
We will walk to the Aquarium Pyramid for the Welcome Reception & Dinner. For anyone who needs assistance, Moody Gardens will provide transportation to the Aquarium Pyramid.
7:00pm to 9:00pm - Moody Gardens Aquarium: Taste of the Gulf
Welcome Reception & Dinner
Location: Moody Gardens Aquarium Pyramid
Return to Hotel
Attendees can return to the hotel at their leisure. If you need assistance getting back, Moody Gardens will provide transportation.
Wednesday, May 15
8:00am - Breakfast Buffet & General Session
Location: Floral A
Join us for the breakfast buffet and general session, which will include various announcements for the day, as well as our keynote speakers.
Keynote Speakers:
J.R. Shaw, Galveston Unscripted – J.R. Shaw began podcasting after he realized how much he loves talking to people about their stories—and how much of our history is lost when we don’t have the opportunity to hear from those who have a story to tell. His podcast, Galveston Unscripted, focuses on interviewing people interested in Texas and Galveston History and getting them to share how history has shaped their life experiences with listeners. The podcast can also be used as an audio tour of Galveston Island and has been featured in Coast Monthly Magazine. Galveston Unscripted has received over 600,000 downloads worldwide since its launch in 2021.
Sam Collins, “Professor Juneteenth” – Sam Collins is a seventh generation Texan. He has been providing financial consulting services in Galveston County for 24 years. In 2015, he was named Galveston County’s Citizen of the Year by the Galveston County Daily News for his work in preservation on the local, state and national levels. Collins graduated from Texas A&M University. He has served on the board of advisors with the National Trust for Historic Preservation since 2007. He is actively involved in the national campaign to #TellTheFullStory by expanding the narrative and telling the truth about American history. He is co-chair of the Juneteenth Mural Committee in Galveston and is active at Galveston’s NIA Cultural Center.
9:30am to 9:40am - Break
9:40am - Professional Development Session 3
AI Output Human Input: Exploring the Future
Location: Floral A
Moderator: Adam Pitluk, Editor & Publisher, Groom Lake Media
Panelists: Michael Hodgson, Editor, Photographer & Writer, HI Travel Tales; Jeff Inman, Associate Professor of Magazine, Brand, and Multimedia Journalism, Drake University; Jennifer Wilson, Associate Professor, Fisher-Stelter Chair of Magazine and Brand Media, Drake University
Explore the role artificial intelligence will play in journalism. Hear researchers Jeff Inman and Jennifer Wilson from Drake University speak on the impact of AI on legacy magazines and publications and leave with an understanding of what you can expect in the near future.
9:30am to 9:40am - Break
11:05am - Professional Development Session 4
Using Social Media to Drive Traffic to Your Website and Content
Location: Floral A
Panelists: Alexis Gonzalez, Social Media Coordinator, NATJA; and Jessica Serna, Content Creator/Influencer, My Curly Adventures
Make social media work for you. Learn how to harness the power of social media to drive traffic to your online content and attract an engaged audience.
12:20pm to 12:45pm - Downtime/Prepare for the Afternoon Tours
Important: Boxed Lunches
Pick up your boxed lunch, provided by Mosquito Café, outside of the Hotel Lobby before boarding your bus!
12:45pm - Depart for Afternoon Tours
Meeting Location: Hotel Lobby
Suggested Attire: Comfortable walking shoes and clothing. Bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent, as well as a light jacket in case of rain.
Make sure to board the bus for your designated tour! Can’t remember your pick? Look on the back of your badge.
5:30pm - Arrive back at Moody Gardens/Downtime
6:30pm - Depart for Dine-Around Restaurant
Meeting Location: Hotel Lobby
Make sure to board the bus that goes to your designated restaurant! Can’t remember your pick? Look on the back of your badge.
9:00pm - Return to Moody Gardens
Thursday, May 16
8:00am to 9:30am – Breakfast Buffet
Location: Salon ABC in Moody Gardens
A breakfast buffet will be available for the early birds!
8:00am – Marketplace Setup for Exhibitors
Location: Moody II in Moody Gardens
Look for the table with your organization’s name or find a NATJA team member to assist you to your table.
9:00am to 12:00pm – Marketplace
Media and destination marketing organizations meet for one-on-one chats. Make sure to bring your business cards!
12pm to 12:45pm – Downtime/Marketplace Breakdown
Important: Boxed Lunches
Pick up your boxed lunch, provided by Maceo Spice and Import, outside of the Hotel Lobby before boarding your bus!
12:45pm - Depart for Afternoon Tours
Meeting Location: Hotel Lobby
Suggested Attire: Comfortable walking shoes and clothing. Bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent, as well as a light jacket in case of rain.
Make sure to board the bus for your designated tour! Can’t remember your pick? Look on the back of your badge.
5:30pm - Arrive back at Moody Gardens/Downtime
6:00pm - Depart for Closing Night Reception & Dinner
Meeting Location: Hotel Lobby
Suggested Attire: Island Casual
6:30pm - Closing Reception & Dinner
Location: Poolside at the San Luis Resort, Spa & Conference Center
Close out the NATJA Conference with unparalleled luxury at the San Luis Resort, Spa & Conference Center, a 32-acre beachfront resort property adjacent to the Galveston Island Convention Center. Part of the Landry’s Inc. family, The San Luis Resort offers world-class restaurants and 250 beach-facing guest rooms, providing beautiful views of the Gulf of Mexico. Take in scenic views of the Gulf poolside. Adorned in soothing shades of white and coral, this chic coastal hideaway sets the scene for poolside lounging with luxurious sun loungers, daybeds, private cabanas and a private plunge pool. The Cove also features outdoor fire pits, and an elaborate menu of tropical cocktails to make the perfect ambiance.
9:00pm - Return to Moody Gardens
Friday, May 17
Breakfast
Vouchers for breakfast at Café in the Park will be provided. Breakfast will be available from 6:30am to 11am.
Press Trip Departures
Meet in the Hotel Lobby to depart for your post-conference press trip.
Airport Transfers
Airport transfers are being provided by Galveston Limo. If you have not arranged your transfer to the airport, call (409) 744-5466. Use the booking code “GalvestonNATJA 2024.” The booking code is valid for departures on Friday, May 17th only and is good for both Houston Hobby (HOU) and Bush Intercontinental (IAH).
