photo by Dan Henry Photography
Tickets are now on sale for the 2025 Chattanooga Tourism Summit on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast and an exhibitor showcase. The program begins at 8 a.m.
This year's summit, themed Tourism is Everybody's Business, will feature a keynote panel discussion celebrating the 30,000 industry professionals and tourism's role in strengthening communities. Attendees will gain tools to advocate for the industry and learn about the critical role of marketing and influencer partnerships in driving tourism success.
The summit's keynote panel will feature three distinguished leaders in the tourism industry:
• Commissioner Mark Ezell with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development spearheads the state's global tourism strategy.
In this role, he builds national campaigns that reinforce Tennessee as a world-class destination while fostering long-term growth through revenue and job creation. Since joining the agency in 2019, Mr. Ezell has overseen historic growth in Tennessee tourism. In 2024, the state generated $31.66 billion in direct visitor spending, a 3.3 percent increase year over year. Over the past seven years, visitor spending in Tennessee has climbed 35.5 percent — more than double the national average of 16.7 percent.
• Bill Geist, chief instigator of DMOproz, a consulting firm specializing in destination marketing organization leadership for more than 30 years, serving clients from Alaska to Belize. He is the author of "Destination Leadership" and "Destination Leadership for Boards,” and hosts the monthly industry podcast DMOU, interviewing leading destination marketing professionals. His expertise in the measurable impact of sustained marketing efforts demonstrates how destinations thrive—or struggle—based on visibility and investment, while highlighting the critical role of local advocates in securing resources and championing tourism value within their communities.
• Beth Santos is an entrepreneur and community builder working to transform travel for women worldwide. As founder and CEO of Wanderful, she leads an international collective of travelers and travel content creators on a mission to improve travel for all women. Santos created the WITS Travel Creator Summit, a leading event for women and gender diverse travel creators, and established the annual Bessie Awards to honor women making an impact in travel. She also founded Wanderfest, the first major outdoor travel festival by and for women.
The summit will also include insights from Chattanooga Tourism Co. CEO Barry White, a Chef's Table breakfast, an exhibitor showcase, live music and breakout sessions.
Officials said, "The summit attracts 500 attendees annually from lodging, food and beverage, attractions and other sectors, creating an unmatched opportunity for networking, learning and gaining tools to drive tourism success.
"The 2025 Chattanooga Tourism Summit is made possible through the generous support of our partners. Tourism Champion Partners include First Horizon Bank, Miles Partnership and Vision Hospitality Group. Scenic City Partners include Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority, Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED and Truist Bank.
"Each year, Hamilton County welcomes 10.7 million visitors, contributing $70 million in local taxes, saving each resident household $1,205, and supporting more than 30,000 jobs. These figures underscore the critical role of tourism in our community and the significance of the Chattanooga Tourism Summit."
Tickets are on sale now. Registration is required to attend the summit and breakout sessions. Celebrate 30,000 reasons why tourism is everybody’s business. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Chattanooga Tourism Summit
site today.