NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana Travel Association (LTA) and the Mississippi Tourism Association (MTA) are collaborating to host the LTA/MTA Leadership Forum in New Orleans from May 19 – 21 at the JW Marriott. This event aims to bring together tourism professionals from both states to discuss industry trends, share best practices, and foster networking opportunities.
Registration is currently open, with an early bird rate of $300 available until April 25.
The LTA/MTA Leadership Forum is specifically designed for tourism industry executives, marking a new chapter in regional cooperation. While both associations regularly host their own annual conferences (for example, LTA’s Louisiana Travel Summit each August), this Forum will bring tourism leaders together for the first time to strategize and collaborate for mutual benefit.
The 2025 forum is expected to draw a concentrated group of tourism professionals from across the two states. Unlike broad tourism conferences that can attract hundreds of attendees, this Leadership Forum is geared toward top executives for a more intimate gathering of decision-makers from the travel industry.
Organizers anticipate attendance from dozens of CEOs, directors, and senior leaders of convention and visitors bureaus, state tourism offices, destination marketing organizations, hotels, attractions, and other key tourism businesses in both states. Given the combined reach of LTA and MTA’s memberships, the event is expected to attract over 100 industry leaders.
LTA/MTA Leadership Forum Sessions
Workplace Dynamics & Personalities: “It’s not you, it’s me… well maybe it’s you: Exploring Workplace Personalities” – a session led by Lindsey Lewis focusing on understanding different personality types in the workplace and how they affect team dynamics and leadership.
Media & Industry Insights: “News You Can Use!” – a talk presented by Lee Zurik, an award-winning New Orleans investigative journalist and Senior Vice President of News Strategy and Innovation at Gray Television. The session will cover insights into current events and media trends relevant to the tourism industry including how to manage media attention in the travel sector.
Tourism & Economic Development Partnerships: A panel discussion moderated by Scott Walker, a former television news anchor who now serves as Harrison County Supervisor on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The session is called “Economic Development & Tourism: Building Strong Partnerships for Growth.”
Leadership and Team Building: A second panel, “Building a Championship Team: Leadership Insights”, moderated by Mark Romig, will delve into leadership best practices.
Speakers
The scheduled speakers for this event include Dr. Lindsey Lewis of iNGAGE Talent Development, LLC; Lee Zurik of Gray Media; Scott Walker from Jefferson Parish; Walt Leger of New Orleans & Company; Matt Wolfe of Greater New Orleans, Inc.; Mark Romig of New Orleans & Company; Swin Cash-Canal with the New Orleans Pelicans; Colonel Mike Edmonson of the Louisiana State Police; Christopher Pike from the Jackson Redevelopment Authority (JRA); and Yolanda Clay-Moore of Visit Jackson.
Attendees
There will be over one hundred attendees coming from cities across Louisiana and the broader Gulf South region, including Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Biloxi, Corinth, Dothan, DeSoto County, Houma, Jackson, Jefferson Parish, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Monroe-West Monroe, Natchitoches Parish, New Orleans, Pointe Coupee Parish, Ruston, Sabine Parish, Shreveport-Bossier, St. Francisville, Starkville, Tangipahoa Parish, and The Northshore.
They represent a range of organizations and agencies such as convention and visitors bureaus, tourism associations, marketing and media firms, advertising agencies, municipal tourism departments, state police, sports and entertainment entities, and regional economic development commissions.
By hosting the forum in New Orleans, the organizers leverage one of the South’s premier travel destinations as a living classroom.
New Orleans & Company is hosting the closing dinner.
