2022 CenStates and Greater Western TTRA Joint Conference

REGISTER NOW!

The CenStates and Greater Western TTRA conferences are known as affordable research conferences where attendees are open and willing to share with one another.

• $324- Member, Full Conference
• $374- Non-Member, Full Conference
• $99- Student TTRA Member or Professor attending w/ Student TTRA Member
• $149- Student Non-Member or Professsor attending w/ Non-Member Student

Discounts are available for TTRA members but at reasonable rates for all. To save money you might want to join as a member. To join follow the link below:

Join the Travel & Tourism Research Association (ttra.com)

With so many uncertainties, CenStates TTRA/Greater Western TTRA is offering a full refund of your conference registration if you cancel your registration by September 30th. No cancellations after September 30th but substitutions are always accepted.

DoubleTree by Hilton 
9599 Skokie Blvd.
Skokie, IL 60077 

to make your reservation, follow the link here!
Or, call 800-222-8733

Ask for the $119 CenStates/GWTTRA Conference Rate!

2022 SPONOSRHIP OPPORTUNITIES

The Central States TTRA and Greater Western TTRA are joining to create one conference where attendees are open and willing to share with one another. By sponsoring this event, you will raise your visibility and have the ability to reach out and connect with so many different individuals and organizations spread out across a major part of the United States.

Be sure not to miss out on this opportunity! Here are the sponsorship opportunities and benefits. 

Do you want the opportunity to present your research to world renowned leaders, practitioners, and educators of the travel research community?

Submit your papers for our academic research summit and join us on October 19-21 in
Skokie, Illinois for the CenStates/Greater Western TTRA Joint Chapter Conference!

Submit your proposal to:  [email protected]

BREIF OVERVIEW

We will consider all proposals that reflect scholarship in travel, tourism, and hospitality. Academic papers will be double blind reviewed and accepted papers will be published on the GWTTRA Proceedings web site (if desired by the authors).  Submissions require an abstract of up to 500 words (see details below).

This conference is open to original work, work in progress and work presented at other conferences or previously published.

Presenters do not need to represent the CenStates or GWTTRA chapters.  They may come from anywhere in the world.

IMPORTANT DATES

September 23, 2022 (5:00pm PST)
Proposal due date

September 30, 2022
Notification of acceptance

All proposals will be double blind reviewed.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

All proposals should be sent to:  [email protected]
Subject: GWTTRA proposal

There are two types of submissions:

1. 20-minute presentation: for completed research only
2. 10-minute presentation (“speed presentation”):  for research in progress or summaries of research, with more time for discussion and feedback

Presentations should be focused on empirical research.

Submission requirements:

• Each submission should include two documents:
  • Title page (including author names & affiliation)
  • Main document (without author names)

• The main document should meet these criteria:
  • Main body up to 500 words (excluding figures, tables, & references)
  • Include figures/tables in the manuscript, rather than at the end
  • Use 12-point Times New Roman font (single spaced)
  • Use 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Participants are limited to a maximum of 2 proposals.
• Presentation room will include a screen with projector or monitor and computer.
• At least one author must register for the conference and present at the conference.

QUESTIONS

Please direct questions to Academic Co-Chairs:
Dr. Woojin Lee – wo[email protected]
Dr. Matthew Stone – [email protected]

Session Descriptions

American Traveler Sentiment – What’s Impacting Travel Today & Tomorrow

Since March 2020, Longwoods International and Miles Partnership have been studying American travelers and sharing salient results from those efforts to help the travel and tourism industry make real-time data-driven decisions. Just-released results from the latest wave of this study, along with regional-level key findings from the Longwoods Travel USA and Resident Sentiment projects, will serve as the starting point for an interactive discussion of the opportunities and challenges heading our industry’s way. This conversation, led by Anna Blount, Longwood’s Vice President of Research, will explore today’s dynamic travel market and where it’s heading in 2023.

Aviation Travel Trends: Where Are We Now? Where Are We Going?

The aviation sector has seen an abundance of highs and lows over the years, especially in response to financial implications brought on by the recent pandemic, supply and demand issues, and changes in the mindset of travelers. Industry leaders and DMO’s are now compelled to gracefully respond to these changes, ensuring continued overall growth in air travel. In this session, you will learn Central and Western regional specifics regarding aviation: where we are, how the traveling public are changing their habits, and what to anticipate for the future.

Get Your Kicks (and Research) on Route 66!

In this session, Dan Mishell of Dean Runyan Associates will moderate an esteemed panel of marketers and researchers to reveal the ongoing value of Route 66 to destinations in both the Central and Western regions. Traveling from east to west, we’ll first hear from Robert Navarro of the Heritage Corridor CVB about their dedicated promotion of travel along the route’s origins through the First Hundred Miles initiative. Next, Patrick Tuttle of Visit Joplin (Missouri) will talk about city-level promotion and travel impacts as well as the regional partnerships they have with other destinations along Route 66’s tri-state corridor. Arizona will be our next stop, as Josh Coddington of the Arizona Office of Tourism will present their latest marketing initiatives relating to travel along the Mother Road as well as how they monitor campaign engagement and success. Finally, John Packer of Arrivalist will bring us home with a presentation of recent GPS-based travel trends along Route 66’s nearly 2,500 miles. It’s a session you won’t want to miss!

How Consumers Use Media To Plan Travel

Digital, traditional, streaming, addressable, programmatic….consumers and marketers have more media options than ever before. How are travelers choosing what to read, watch, and listen to? Dave will reveal the latest research from MRI-Simmons on the current media landscape and how to get your message in front of the right people. Get an inside look at how media planners make investment decisions and target travelers across the entire media ecosystem.

Innovative Approaches to Qualitative Research

Going beyond the in-person focus group. Join us for a discussion on innovative techniques in qualitative research. Numbers can tell us how many people visited a place, but they can’t tell us why they visited. Or what it would take to get them to return. The nuance and insights we gain from qualitative research are important companions to the vast array of data we all now have access to. The ability to capture and share those insights is critical to making brand and marketing decisions. Join us as we discuss cutting-edge approaches to both capturing and using qualitative research, including new affordable tools that help narrate tourism stories to our stakeholders and communities.