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Session Submissions

2027 MarTech Summit - Call for Sessions

BE A THOUGHT LEADER!!

Are you a thought leader in the travel and tourism industry? Do you have valuable knowledge and expertise in marketing technology that can help advance our industry? If so, we invite you to submit a presentation proposal for the One West 2027 Annual MarTech Summit and Vendor Showcase! 

Content Submission Focus Areas:

The One West Tourism Alliance is looking for session and content proposals from partners and fellow destination marketing organizations. As one of the first industry conferences of the year, we are looking for fresh content for our attendees. Below are the content buckets we're hoping to build the summit around. Each one describes the kind of thinking and content we're looking for. Use these as a guide when shaping your submission.

 

AI Search & Discoverability

How travelers find destinations now that AI sits between the search and the decision, a shift that's already showing up in click data, not a future prediction. We're looking for content on what's changing in how DMOs get found, cited, and recommended, from technical site work to the earned and off-site signals (PR, social, forums, video) that build AI-era authority, and what a marketing team can act on now.

 

Measurement, ROI & Attribution

Proving the value of the work, including the first-party data you already own as third-party tracking gets less reliable. We want practical measurement and attribution approaches that hold up when presenting to a board or council, built for teams without enterprise data tools or a dedicated analyst.

 

Content Strategy & Storytelling

Building a content system, not just producing more content. We're looking for ideas on developing a consistent voice across channels, one idea turned into many formats, and content that's genuinely representative of who visits, rather than treating every platform as its own disconnected task. What are the trends and tactic we should be looking at now.

 

AI Tools & Workflow Efficiency

Hands-on and immediately usable. We want concrete tools and workflows that make a lean marketing team faster and more capable, not a general overview of what AI can theoretically do.

 

Org Culture, Leadership & Change Management

The internal work behind good external marketing: building teams and breaking down silos across departments, earning leadership buy-in, managing change, and keeping people sustainable in roles that ask a lot of them.

 

AI Governance, Trust & Brand Integrity

Responsible decision-making around AI at the organizational level: budgeting for AI investment, evaluating and vetting vendors, setting policy that protects your data, and holding onto brand trust and authenticity as AI tools take a bigger role in how your destination gets represented before a traveler ever reaches your site.

 

Note: Content across every bucket above should keep budget in mind, not just staff size, including how the marketing funnel itself is shifting and where limited dollars are best spent. Most of what we do carries a real financial cost, and submissions should speak to what's achievable for organizations with limited budgets.

Session Formats:

The single-presenter format is always welcome, but it's not the only option, and we don't want it to be the default. We're looking for a mix that keeps the room engaged. Formats we're encouraging:

  • Presentation — One or two presenters, a clear narrative. Still a strong fit for topics that need a defined argument or a walkthrough.
  • Panel — Multiple perspectives on a topic without one right answer, where the value is in the contrast between viewpoints.
  • Roundtable / Facilitated Discussion — A host guides the conversation, but the room does most of the talking. Best when attendees have their own experience to share.
  • Interactive Workshop — The audience works through something live, an exercise, a tool, a real example, rather than watching one.
  • Hands-On Lab — A longer, deeper-dive format for topics that need real practice time. We have two lab slots on the agenda, so this is a limited option best suited to content that can't be done justice in a short session.

Most sessions run 15 to 30 minutes. Labs run about 75-90 minutes given the hands-on depth. When you submit, tell us which format you're proposing and why it fits the content.

Presentation Guidelines:

  • Presentations can be submitting for any length from 15 minutes to 30 minutes.
  • Content should be timely, and presentation should be new for our attendees.
  • All presentations will be asked to submit 2-3 key takeaways for the attendees.
  • We are not only interested in successes, but would welcome presentations sharing failures or missteps, as we also learn from our mistakes.
  • Consider budget size when creating content. Many DMO attendees are from small to mid-sized DMO's.
  • One West has the right to cancel any presentation when speakers are substituted. 

Destinations:

  • DMOs are highly encouraged to submit presentations sharing success stories, best practices, and innovative ideas of interest to your peers.
  • Presentations can include a vendor partner, but it is not required.

Industry Partners:

  • Partners encouraged to submit content/case studies with a western DMO partner.
  • Presentations thought to be “too pitchy” are not likely to be considered.
  • Presentations should not be about a proprietary product, service, or technology offered only by your company. The tech should be accessible to everyone.

Apply here

Presentation proposals are all due no later than September 30th

Speaker Guidelines

Speaker presentations should...

  • Contains practical information or a case study that will help industry practitioners gain revenue, gain efficiencies, and/or meet their business objectives.
  • Covers a new, specific topic relevant to travel and tourism.
  • Speaks to one of these target audiences:
    • Small, mid-sized and/or large destination organizations
  • Does not promote products or contain any kind of sales pitch. Discussion about general product categories is acceptable if there is clear intent to educate and not sell.

Speaker Fees – We’re grateful to our conference speakers, who generously contribute their time, travel, and expertise to support the continuous growth and education of the travel and tourism industry. By responding to a request from One West, you are expressing a willingness to consider speaking as a volunteer and arranging your own travel. Meeting hosts may, at their discretion, offer partial reimbursement for travel costs and speaker fees. This unique opportunity provides exceptional visibility within our industry, and One West is committed to promoting your role in the educational program through various communication channels. Complimentary registration is not provided.