Destination BTV is back on Wednesday, November 18 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: 12-5pm
Location: Hotel Champlain
Confirmed Sessions
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
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
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
Stay tuned!
Full agenda coming soon! Follow @helloburlington and @lakechamplainchamber on LinkedIn for updates.
Scholarships are available -- please email hello@helloburlingtonvt.com to request information.
Please note: cancellations made on or before November 11 will be honored with a full refund. Unfortunately, no refund can be offered after that date. Review our full photo and refund policies before registering.
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