Deadline to register - March 10
2022-05-02 00:00:00[April 25, 2022 | MENA, Ark.] The Director of Tourism will be the keynote address at UA Rich Mountain’s upcoming Tourism Conference slated for May 17.
Napper took the lead of the department in 2020. He had previously led the Ruston Lincoln Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau in Ruston, La. As the president and CEO. Prior to that he was director of orientation and special programs at Louisiana Tech University, also in Ruston. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Louisiana Tech University and earned the Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) designation in 2016.
“We are thrilled to have the Director of Tourism join us for the conference. Clearly, it is a testament of the significant developments coming to our area that will bolster an already thriving and growing tourism industry,” said conference organizer LeAnn Dilbeck who serves as the Director of Marketing, Community Relations and Business Outreach at UA Rich Mountain.
Napper will discuss the strength Arkansas tourism exhibited during the height of the pandemic, much unlike other tourism destinations who suffered record loss in tourists. He will also discuss the importance of preparing for the upcoming Solar Eclipse coming in 2024, in which parts of Polk County will experience a 100% total eclipse. He will discuss the departments efforts to bring tourist to the state as well as share valuable free resources available to local business owners in the tourism industry.
Also joining the conference as a presenter is Suzanne Grobmyer, the Executive Director of the Arkansas Parks Foundation. She will be discussing a possible significant upcoming development that could be transformational to our local tourism industry.
We will have a number of other local speakers that will share local resources, branding, building an audience with social media, etc.
This conference will be beneficial to anyone in the local tourism industry, hotels, motels, cabin rentals, AirBnBs, VRBOs, restaurants, retail, event venues/planners but is certainly open to anyone interested in community development and the positive economic impact brought through tourism dollars.
Mayor Seth Smith encourages the community to participate with the conference. “I am grateful to UA Rich Mountain for bringing all of these speakers together for a one day event. It’s a great way to bring awareness to multiple projects and developments coming to our area as well as educating those in the industry of all the resources available to them.”
The event is $25/person and open to the community. It will begin at 9 am and conclude by 3 pm. Participants will need to register by May 12. Register by calling 479.394.7622 ext. 1220 or by emailing ldilbeck@uarichmountain.edu.
UA Rich Mountain’s mission is to provide transformative education to all learners.
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