Destination marketers begin search for new CEO

Meetings industry marketers have net to thrash out the future of their association. Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) convened industry leaders and external thought leaders during the organisation’s first Strategic Innovation Summit in Dallas, Texas. The team, led by Soren Kaplan of InnovationPoint, built the framework for DMAI’s 2016-2017 strategic plan. Members of the DMAI Board of Directors, along with the Destination & Travel Foundation Board of Trustees, DMAI business partners and senior DMAI staff joined leaders from the American Management Association, Airbnb, Zipcar, Meddle, Rocketfuel and Marriott to define the future of DMAI and the Foundation. The group provided input on the qualities and attributes for the future CEO of the association. DMAI has retained the executive recruiting firm SearchWide to collect this input manage the search process for a new CEO who will guide the new strategic plan. The final strategic plan will be approved in December by the board of directors, and implemented starting January 2016. The areas of opportunity identified to build the organization’s new strategic plan included: • Transforming DMAI’s partnership model to deliver higher value • Creating a platform and business models to strategically integrate with partners • Leveraging DMAI’s purchasing power to add value and save individual DMOs money • Cultivate partnerships with innovative companies to nurture emerging ideas • Advocating for the industry, particularly on regulatory and disintermediating disruption issues • Utilizing DestinationNEXT as a revenue-generating entry strategy into non-U.S. markets “We wanted to focus on the core values of the organization: Innovation, Transparency, Responsiveness and in particular Inclusiveness,” said Bob Lander, president and CEO of the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau and Chair of the DMAI Board of Directors. “In order for DMAI to become a truly innovative association, it is essential to change the organizational culture to one of collaboration and trust; and implement tools to harness collective knowledge, experience and communities.”