One West Academy: Quarterly Edition
Welcome to the One West Academy: Quarterly Edition—your gateway to deeper learning, sharper skills, and real-world insights designed by our members, for our members.
Each quarter features a focused, immersive education track built around topics YOU told us matter most. Over three one-hour sessions (one each month), we take a deep dive into a single theme—giving you time to absorb, practice, and apply what you learn.
Whether you’re brand-new to the tourism industry or a seasoned pro with decades under your belt, these courses are built to elevate your craft, strengthen your leadership, and expand your toolkit. Expect practical takeaways, fresh ideas, and expert-led conversations that move your work forward.
Let’s learn, grow, and lead—together.
Quarter 4 - Civitas hosted by John Lambeth, CEO & Founder
October 15 - 12-1 PM PST
Destination Funding: Diversify, Defend, and Deliver
In today’s rapidly shifting tourism environment, funding is no longer just a financial necessity; it drives destination competitiveness, community impact, and long-term organizational stability. As political priorities shift and market pressures intensify, securing reliable, sustainable funding has become a defining challenge for destination organizations of every size.
We will explore the real levers behind funding stability, from strategic revenue diversification and legislative trends to innovative models emerging nationwide. Participants will better understand how funding sufficiency directly shapes destination stewardship and an organization’s ability to deliver measurable value.
Attendees will leave with practical frameworks and proven approaches to assess their funding readiness and build more resilient funding that helps their destination compete, evolve, and thrive for years to come.
Quiet Risks, Loud Consequences: DMO Compliance
Most legal challenges to a DMO don't arrive as a surprise. They build quietly, in places that are easy to overlook until they become expensive.
This session lays out the risk points every destination should have on its radar, including First Amendment considerations, Tourism Improvement District (TID) compliance, improper expenditures, incentive program pitfalls, and the tax-exempt vulnerabilities that can come with member services. For most organizations, it isn't a question of whether a challenge comes, but when.
Come ready to spot the warning signs early and build the safeguards that keep your organization ahead of the next one.
From Strategy to Success: Best Practices in Funding Advocacy
Funding advocacy is rooted in relationships. Destinations across the country are working together to secure sustainable funding for their DMOs, and the ones who succeed aren't pushing harder. They're building credibility, building relationships, and reducing the barriers that keep decision-makers from saying yes.
This session is for DMO leaders who need to move support toward action; it grounds proven frameworks on influence and communication in the real work of securing destination funding.
We’ll cover how to research your advocacy targets, identify the best timing and channel for your message, and build relationships before you need something.
We will also break down what DMOs and non-profits can actually do. Best practices for DMO foundations, lobbying constraints, and the dos and don'ts of advocacy spending and political contributions. You'll leave knowing how to build the support your destination needs, and how to do it without putting your organization at risk.
