Learn more about Hello Burlington and what we're up too. Join in on upcoming events, industry webinars and more!

DESTINATION BTV

Destination BTV is back on Wednesday 11/18/26 at Hotel Champlain.

This isn't your average conference. It's Burlington's gathering of the year, the one where tourism, higher ed, talent attraction, and economic development sit at the same table to answer one question: how do we make this region impossible to leave?

Hospitality, HR, real estate, higher ed, government, or just someone who cares where Burlington's headed. If that's you, you've got a seat.

SAVE THE DATE!

📅 Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026

🕛 Time: 12:00–5:00 PM
📍 Location: Hotel Champlain
💵 Price:

Early Bird (Lake Champlain Chamber Member Rate): $60
Early Bird (Non-Member Rate): $70

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION

Destination BTV Letters

DESTINATION BTV PRESENTATIONS

Hagan Presentation Slide

UVM Presentation Slide

DCI Presentation

Destination BTV Speakers

Green, Gold, and Bold
UVM's Strategic Plan

President Marlene Tromp will discuss UVM's strategic plan, Green, Gold & Bold, which lays out how the university intends to solve complex challenges facing Vermont and the world while strengthening its ties to the state it calls home. The plan positions UVM as a problem-solving partner for its community, with graduates equipped to turn deep thinking into real-world action and dynamic research and development activity that sparks innovation and growth well beyond campus. As Burlington works to draw visitors, talent, and new residents to the region, UVM's parallel efforts to attract students, researchers, and investment make this a session worth catching for anyone thinking about the area's growth.

Presented by:

Dr. Marlene Tromp | President, University of Vermont

DR Marlene Tromp

Defining Burlington’s Authority with Unified Regional PR and Trusted Media in an AI Era

Rebecca Doser, Senior Associate Director of PR at Karsh Hagan Madden (KHM), will demonstrate how a unified cross-sector PR partnership between Hello Burlington, Leahy BTV and UVM is redefining regional storytelling. By analyzing the high-impact ROI of press visits, trend jacking and national media exposure, Rebecca will showcase how earned media serves as the ultimate source of truth in an increasingly automated world where strategic PR coverage functions as vital training data for AI models.

Presented by:

Rebecca Doser | Senior Associate Director, PR, KHM

Rebecca Doser

Talent Wars at 10: What the Data Says, and What It Means for Greater Burlington

What does today's talent really want, and how does Greater Burlington measure up? At Destination BTV, Patience Fairbrother Wallace, Senior Vice President and Robyn Domber, SVP of Research at Development Counsellors International (DCI), will unveil findings from the 10th annual Talent Wars study, DCI's national research on how people choose jobs and the places they call home. They’'ll translate those national trends into what they mean here, from cost of living and housing to quality of life and career opportunity, drawing on fresh benchmarking of Greater Burlington against peer metros and insights gathered directly from regional employers. They will also share progress on the regional talent attraction strategy framework being built with and for Burlington’s employer community, a practical toolkit designed to help local HR and hiring teams compete for the people they need. If your organization is hiring, this is the session that will change how you tell Greater Burlington's story.

Presented by:

Patience Fairbrother Wallace | Senior Vice President, DCI
Robyn Domber | SVP of Research, DCI

Robyn Domber

Patience Fairbrother Wallace

Event Registration

Who Should Attend

Destination BTV is the hospitality industry's year in review, a farewell ode to the summer season, and a forward-looking opportunity to discuss how to use our visitor economy to drive economic development and quality of life. If you're involved in attracting people to this place that we love; if you work in hospitality, talent attraction, higher education admissions, or economic development in Greater Burlington, then this event is for you. Register today!

Parking & General Information

Hotel Champlain Burlington, Curio Collection by Hilton is located at 60 Battery Street, two blocks from Church Street Marketplace and steps from Waterfront Park.

Parking
Self-parking is available on-site. A city-managed parking garage connects to the hotel via a walking bridge on the third floor, leading directly to the hotel's mezzanine level, one floor above the lobby and registration desk. EV charging stations are available in the garage.

Destination BTV 2024

Destination BTV 2024 Highlight

Stay Tuned!

We’re putting the finishing touches on an exciting lineup of speakers and sessions that will dive into the latest trends in tourism, economic development, talent attraction, and more. Stay tuned for announcements about our keynote speakers and full agenda coming soon!