Destinations International brought together global destination marketing experts in Cleveland and presented research on destination reputation
In Cleveland, in the U.S. state of Ohio, from 24 to 26 February 2026, the annual Marketing & Communications Summit of Destinations International (DI) was held, a gathering that brings together leading people in destination marketing, public relations and strategic communications. According to the program and organizers’ announcements, the focus was on how the story about destinations is changing under the pressure of artificial intelligence, increasingly demanding audiences, shifting social circumstances and ever more frequent hits to marketing budgets. Cleveland positioned itself as a host that wants to leverage conference tourism and the visibility brought by global industry gatherings, and visitors were also welcomed by the local destination partner Destination Cleveland. For part of the participants who arrived in the city for several days, practical topics such as moving between venues and stay logistics were also key, so alongside the conference program the question of
accommodation for conference participants in Cleveland inevitably arises.
Why this summit matters beyond the tourism industry
Although at first glance it seems like a professional gathering “for marketing departments”, discussions about destination marketing increasingly spill over into broader public policy and the economy. The way a destination is presented affects visitor flows, local business revenues, the investment perception of a city or region and, ultimately, residents’ quality of life. In that sense, destination organizations today are not just “postcard promoters”; they often become coordinators of messages between the public sector, private partners, cultural institutions and sports brands. The organizers framed the Cleveland summit thematically under the title “EXPLORE: A New Era for Destination Storytelling”, emphasizing that a destination’s story must both meet guests’ expectations and care for the local community. That is precisely why discussions about communications are no longer only about creative campaigns, but also about reputation, trust and crisis resilience.
Who Destinations International is and what it represents in the sector
Destinations International is an international association that brings together destination organizations, convention & visitors bureaus (CVBs) and tourist boards, i.e., institutions that in different systems take on the role of developing and promoting destinations. According to the data the organization itself states in its publications, DI brings together more than 8,000 members and partners from more than 750 destinations, which gives it influence in the standardization of the profession, education and the exchange of practices. In a European context, DI’s model and topics are often comparable to the questions raised by national and regional tourism organizations: how to build a brand in times of social tensions, how to justify public funding for marketing, and how to align the economic benefits of tourism with residents’ expectations. That breadth explains why conclusions from such gatherings are followed beyond the narrow circle of marketing professionals. For Cleveland, as host, this also meant an opportunity for some participants to get to know the city, its gastronomy and cultural offerings, along with the expected demand for
accommodation offers in Cleveland in the days around the conference.
Cleveland as host: conference tourism and a “city between sessions”
A microsite prepared by Destination Cleveland presented Cleveland to participants as “The Land of Exceeding Expectations” and emphasized that it is an official guide to navigating the city during the gathering. The Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland was highlighted as the “home for the week”, making it clear that the event relies on infrastructure developed precisely for convention tourism. Such events bring cities multiple effects: hotel occupancy, stronger spending in hospitality and visibility in the market for future congresses. At the same time, it is important for organizers that participants do not stay exclusively in halls, but experience the city as a destination too, because part of the host’s reputation is built precisely through the “outside the program” experience. In that context, for participants coming to the city for the first time, it is often crucial to have
accommodation near the event venue and the ability to move easily between congress content, restaurants and evening events. Cleveland, according to the host’s own presentation, built a good part of its story precisely on that “practical map of experience”.
Program and key themes: AI, limited budgets, advocacy and new audience expectations
The central idea of the summit was the exchange of tools and practices for communications at a time when the rules of the game are changing faster than standards can be consolidated. In its program materials, DI emphasizes that this is a period shaped by artificial intelligence, the need for advocacy in public policy, economic and social disruptions, and changes in audience expectations. One of the highlighted pressures is the rise in attacks on the marketing budgets of destination organizations, alongside the expectation that marketing must prove a broader impact: from stimulating demand to the so-called “halo effect” on the community’s overall image. That is why the focus includes topics such as impact measurement, change management, creating campaigns with limited resources, and aligning messages with local partners. In practice, this means communicators increasingly work on the edge between brand and public interest: they have to “sell” an experience, but also explain why tourism is worthwhile, who benefits from it, and how its consequences are managed. That layer of the story is important for destinations outside the U.S. as well, including European markets that in parallel deal with seasonality, infrastructure overload and pressure on the cost of living in tourist centers.
Keynote marked by sport and city identity: “more than profit” as a communications message
One of the most striking elements of the opening was a keynote conversation with Allison Howard, who, according to DI’s release, serves as President of Business Operations for the new WNBA project in Cleveland and is also Chief Commercial Officer of Rock Entertainment Group. The topic of her appearance was “For More than Profit — Building a Purpose-Driven Sports Legacy in Cleveland”, with the sports brand viewed as a platform for community connection, inclusion and global reach. In its announcement, DI states that Howard is leading the launch of the 16th WNBA expansion franchise, which should begin playing in Cleveland in 2028 at Rocket Arena. Information about that project is also confirmed by publicly available announcements related to WNBA expansion, in which Cleveland is listed as one of the new franchises entering the league in the coming years. In communications terms, the choice of such a keynote sends a clear message: destination marketing increasingly borrows the language of “purpose” and social impact, and sports stories become part of a city’s brand just like culture or gastronomy. For visitors and conference participants, such stories often create an emotional map of the destination, so it is understandable that in the days of major events interest also increases in
accommodation near Rocket Arena and downtown Cleveland, even though the summit itself is primarily tied to congress locations.
Destination reputation research: how social issues change event organizers’ decisions
In Cleveland, the topic of “destination reputation” was also highlighted, which in recent times has emerged as one of the key criteria when choosing places for congresses, trade fairs and larger gatherings. Earlier, in cooperation with the research firm Future Partners and with the support of the Destinations International Foundation, DI presented the study “Destination Reputation: Responding to Societal Issues”, focused on how public sentiment and social context influence the decisions of meeting and event planners. DI’s release emphasizes that destinations, as global circumstances become more complex, must manage perceptions that arise due to the political climate, social disputes, natural disasters and public safety issues. The same document cites the claim that safety issues, political topics and social problems significantly affect planners’ decisions, with “four out of five” considering changing a destination because of such factors, according to statements by Future Partners representatives as part of the results release. DI also states that the research was conducted using multiple methods: it included an online survey of 400 planners, in-depth interviews with 12 planners, and a nationally representative survey of 967 adult Americans who travel for meetings. The message is clear: reputation is not an abstract category, but an operational factor that enters Excel spreadsheets and risk matrices when making location decisions.
A new dimension: how reputational issues enter the decisions of “ordinary” travelers
Alongside the perspective of event organizers, DI also publishes on its channels a summary of findings relating to traveler behavior in the consideration phase for leisure destinations. The publication “Destination Reputation: Impact on the Traveling Consumer’s Considerations – Key Findings” emphasizes that it is a qualitative, “directed” study: the goal is not to statistically predict behavior, but to understand how travelers describe their dilemmas when confronted with reputational topics such as safety, extreme weather, politics and negative media narratives. According to those findings, in traveler conversations the factors that most often can strongly affect willingness to consider a destination at all are severe weather and crime and safety, with travelers often assessing the “severity” of the problem, the time when it occurs, and whether it will disrupt their planned experience. The document also notes that travelers, even when they acknowledge reputational concerns, very often first want to understand “what can be experienced in the destination”, i.e., that an inspiring story about experiences takes precedence over explaining problems. It also highlights that transparent acknowledgment of issues, along with showing concrete steps and accountability, increases credibility, while an overly defensive tone can have the opposite effect. Practical recommendations also emphasize the limitation of advertising: ads can help maintain or increase attractiveness, but by themselves they often do not resolve deep reputational doubts without additional, credible information.
What destination organizations can take from this: communications as trust management
The common denominator of both the summit and the reputational research is a shift from “campaign” to “trust”. Destination organizations today are under pressure to be both creative and operational: to create content that drives visits, but also to respond to social tensions, safety incidents or weather extremes without exaggeration and without concealment. DI’s recommendations from the reputational materials suggest that audiences value self-awareness and measurable progress, while “bare claims” of safety without context provoke skepticism. The summit program in Cleveland built on that approach with topics on impact measurement, budget advocacy and collaboration with partners, which is especially relevant for destinations that rely on public funding. In European frameworks, where tourist boards are often part of broader public administration, this topic becomes further politicized: every crisis or negative narrative can become an argument for cutting funds, so communications also gain the role of defending legitimacy. In such an environment, the “destination story” is not only promotional but also explanatory: it must explain how tourism contributes to the community, how crowds are managed, how resources are protected and how long-term sustainability is built.
Cleveland as a case study: a city of brand, sport and congress infrastructure
Hosting such a summit for Cleveland is not only prestige, but also a concrete test of the ability to present the city as a “destination for ideas”. In its guide, Destination Cleveland emphasizes a combination of cuisine, culture and “lakeside” experiences, along with practical information on getting around and offerings between conference sessions. Public announcements about the WNBA return to Cleveland in 2028 further show how sports projects enter the city’s broader narrative, which was reflected in DI’s keynote choice at the level of communications strategy as well. Such a fusion of congress infrastructure, cultural offer and sports “hype” can be a powerful tool for reputation, but it requires consistency: the city must deliver an experience that matches the story. In the case of large events, it is precisely the details—transport, safety, orientation, service quality and capacity availability—that often decide whether participants will return privately or recommend the destination. That is why in the days of international gatherings the topic of
accommodation offers for visitors and participants in Cleveland naturally opens as well, because the stay experience is part of reputation just as much as the keynote stage.
The bigger picture: destinations in an era of rapid change and “constant evaluation” by audiences
The summit in Cleveland confirms the trend that destination reputation is no longer built by slow accumulation of impressions, but at the rhythm of social networks, global news and changes in the social climate. DI’s materials on reputation describe how both event organizers and travelers in the consideration phase track signals from the environment: from weather risks and safety assessments to political tensions and negative media moments. In that context, destination organizations must balance inspiration and information, while being expected to be authentic but not to turn communication into defense or polemics. Cleveland as host got the opportunity to show how such a balance is done in practice, and DI used the summit to offer communicators a framework: more collaboration, more impact measurement and less reliance on old assumptions that a “nice campaign” will by itself fix reputational cracks. It is precisely in that difference—between marketing as advertising and marketing as trust management—that lies the reason why messages from Cleveland are closely followed in other destinations competing for guests, events and investment.
Sources:- Destinations International – official event page “2026 Marketing & Communications Summit” (program, themes, dates) link
- Destinations International – press release on the keynote speaker and programming (Allison Howard, topic and context of the gathering) link
- Destination Cleveland – official guide for participants and highlighted venue (Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland) link
- Destinations International – press release on the study “Destination Reputation: Responding to Societal Issues” (methodology and key messages) link
- Destinations International / Publications – “Destination Reputation: Impact on the Traveling Consumer’s Considerations – Key Findings” (findings on travelers in the consideration phase) link
- Rock Entertainment Group – announcement of Allison Howard’s appointment (role in Cleveland WNBA and Rocket Arena 2028) link
- Associated Press – news on WNBA expansion and Cleveland’s entry (2028) link
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