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.

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.

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.

What the Hell is Hello Burlington (And What It Can Do For You)

Most people know Hello Burlington puts out Inspiration guides, runs the Instagram, or maybe books a hotel room block downtown. Fewer know what that means for business throughout the region. Or how a meeting planner choosing between Burlington and three other cities decides to host their event here, and how that turns into money in your register.

In this panel, the Hello Burlington team breaks down what a destination marketing organization really does, how meetings and group business create local economic impact, and why social media matters for bringing visitors here, including how to work with Hello Burlington's influencer and travel writer partnerships.

Our Visitor Economy By The Numbers

Gathan Borden, Client Relationships and Insights Manager at Tourism Economics, will deliver a data-driven snapshot of Greater Burlington’s visitor economy, unpacking the trends that shape how and why people travel to our region. Their “by the numbers” presentation will connect the dots between visitor spending, overnight stays, seasonal patterns, and the broader economic ripple effects. Expect a holistic look at performance today, context from the past, and insights to help us anticipate what’s next for tourism in Northwest Vermont