Bestselling author and international speaker Andrew Davis will deliver the keynote address at the 2019 Tourism Summit presented by the Chattanooga Convention & Visitors Bureau. Tickets are on sale now for the celebration of tourism, which is Oct. 2 at 11:30 a.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
 
Guests will hear from Mr.nDavis, who is the author of “Brandscaping: Unleashing the Power of Partnerships” and “Town, Inc.: Grow Your Business, Save Your Town & Leave Your Legacy,” which explores the value of a place. Before founding and selling a digital marketing agency, Mr. Davis produced for NBC’s Today Show, worked for The Muppets and wrote for Charles Kuralt. HuffPost has named Mr. Davis a top business speaker to see, and his energy and storytelling abilities have landed on him on a list of “Jaw-Dropping Marketing Speakers.”
 
The Tourism Summit includes two new professional development sessions, lunch, a report on the state of Chattanooga and Hamilton County’s $1.1 billion tourism economy, keynote speech by Mr. Davis on current national strategies and trends used to successfully market other communities as visitor destinations, live music, a visual artist and EXPO featuring travel and tourism-related partners. 
 
New for the 2019 Tourism Summit is the addition of two professional development sessions that begin at 10:30 a.m. and focus on Hospitality Workforce Readiness and Tourism Marketing Trends. Sessions are free, and guests who register to attend the summit will have the opportunity to sign up for the session of their choice.
 
“Our 2019 Tourism Summit is a celebration of the industry as well as a reflection on the booming tourism economy in Chattanooga and Hamilton County,” said Barry White, CEO of the Chattanooga CVB. “By adding the professional development sessions, we are offering partners an extra benefit of attending and contributing to the professional development of our local tourism talent.”
 
The 2019 Tourism Summit brings together approximately 800 people connected to the tourism and hospitality industry. The event is supported by the Tourism Champion partners Brewer Media, EPB, Sound Force and SunTrust as well as the Tourism Sponsors, which include Chambliss Law, The Chattanoogan and Jack Brown’s and Vision Hospitality. Find information on partnership opportunities, tickets, professional development sessions and more at 2019 Chattanooga Tourism Summit.