By Trove Marketing and Content Associate, Hallie Milstein

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It has been just short of a month since Trove attended City Nation Place Americas for the first time. The two-day event in Houston was rich with insightful speakers and impactful lessons. Now, back in our New York headquarters, the themes and conversations from the conference continue to resonate and we’ve had some time to reflect. Here are Trove’s standout moments and key lessons from CNP 2024.

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Day 1

Houston, the host city, was a standout. Meeting representatives from various U.S. and Canadian destinations and learning about Houston's unified place brand identity was inspiring. Particularly impressive was Houston's progress in addressing homelessness, successfully housing all its veterans. This achievement has helped shape a multicultural and welcoming identity for the city, enhancing its appeal to tourists.

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Later in the afternoon, the Trove team participated in a roundtable discussion on responsible travel, focusing on education and tools for sustainable tourism. We shared our experiences in aligning stakeholders for responsible tourism, marketing to responsible tourists, and building sustainable capacities in destinations like the Commonwealth of Dominica.  It was enlightening to hear from destination officials about the challenges of raising local sentiment towards travelers due to unsustainable practices. One notable insight from a regional DMO in Indiana was the effective use of the term "stewardship" over "sustainability" when engaging a conservative audience, highlighting the importance of language in promoting responsible tourism.

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A memorable presentation came from the Tourism Development Officer for Niagara Benchlands Tourism, who asserted, “If you build it, they won’t come.” Her talk on the challenges of developing rural tourism sectors and engaging local stakeholders resonated with us. Trove specializes in engaging stakeholder buy-in, so we know first-hand that it’s no easy feat. Her use of steering committees and powerful storytelling to connect with local entrepreneurs was particularly relevant, as was her nostalgia-based branding approach, which we plan to incorporate into our strategies.

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The day concluded with a presentation from Destination Cleveland on their successful implementation of a collaborative model with stakeholders. Their "meet them where they are" approach and ambassador program of passionate community members effectively engaged locals and created a friendly, welcoming destination brand. The welcome reception that followed was the perfect end to an inspiring first day.

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Day 2

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The second and final day started with a presentation about the impact of collaborative approaches for place branding. Using a unified marketing team to create a comprehensive brand that addresses tourism, economic development, relocation, talent attraction, and social advocacy was highlighted as an experimental best practice. This approach, described as a "trust strategy," emphasizes the importance of close-knit relationships between governmental departments to create an efficient and inclusive brand.

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One of the day’s highlights was a breakout session on regional place branding. The session discussed challenges such as the desire for individual identity among stakeholders, competitiveness, and the lack of a common thread uniting the region. Solutions included creating a unifying name for the region, establishing a brand architecture that recognizes each stakeholder, and finding ways to connect the built environment.

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As the conference drew to a close, we explored exciting new technologies poised to revolutionize place branding. Trove attended the launch of the Place Brand Diagnostic, a digital tool measuring the performance and potential of place brands across ten metrics. Additionally, we learned about the inaugural US City Index, which uses data from over 10,000 respondents to rank 50+ American cities on their appeal for visiting, investing, living, working, studying, and retiring. This data will be invaluable for developing brand strategies for U.S. cities. Lastly, a presentation on artificial intelligence showcased its potential in tourism, including digital concierges and itinerary-building tools.

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Final Takeaways

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The overarching theme at City Nation Place Americas 2024 was the power and potential of collaboration in place branding. Through creative stakeholder engagement and authentic yet aspirational branding, destinations can truly shine. Trove is grateful to City Nation Place, the conference speakers, and all our new connections for providing such valuable insights.

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