*schedule, including speakers and sessions, subject to change
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 (Pre-Conference/Conference Day 1)
9:00 am – 5:00 pm | Registration | Atrium
10:00 am – 2:00 pm | Exhibitor Set-Up | Atrium
10:00 am – 11:30 am | Pre-Conference Sessions
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm | Lunch on your own | Grand Island, NE
Explore the Visit Grand Island’s recommendations for great local spots to eat, sip, and enjoy!
2:00 pm – 2:30 pm | Conference Welcome | Grand Royal Ballroom
Welcome to the 29th annual UMCVB Fall Conference!
Presented by: Grand Island Tourism
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm | Opening Keynote | Grand Royal Ballroom
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm | Break & Visit Exhibitors | Atrium
Take time to network, visit our sponsors, and purchase your tickets for the UMCVB Basket Raffle!
4:00 pm – 4:45 pm | Roundtable Discussions
Roundtable: Marketing | Speaker, Organization | Room
Connect with fellow destination marketers to swap ideas, share what’s working and what isn’t, and dig into how AI and other emerging tools are changing the way we promote our places.
Roundtable: Meetings, Groups & Sports | Speaker, Organization | Room
Join peers focused on bringing meetings, groups, and events to their communities to compare notes on sales strategies, talk through shifting group travel trends, and swap ideas on what’s actually moving the needle.
Roundtable: Executive/Leadership | Speaker, Organization | Room
A candid peer conversation for destination leaders to connect and reflect on what’s top of mind, from funding and advocacy to the evolving role of the DMO in your community and beyond.
4:45 pm – 5:45 pm | Welcome Happy Hour | Atrium
Join us for a snack and a drink to network with your peers, the UMCVB Board, and our incredible sponsors.
Hosted by TBD
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Opening Reception | Location TBD
Title TBA
Session Description TBD
Sponsors: TBD
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 (Conference Day 2)
7:00 am – 5:00 pm | Registration | Atrium
7:30 am – 8:30 am | Breakfast Buffet | Atrium
8:30 am – 8:45 am | Welcome & Announcements | Grand Royal Ballroom
8:45 am – 9:15 am | Bureau Innovation Presentations | Grand Royal Ballroom
9:15 am – 9:45 am | Networking Break & Visit Exhibitors | Atrium
Take time to network, visit our sponsors, and purchase your tickets for the UMCVB Basket Raffle!
9:45 am – 10:30 am | Concurrent Sessions
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
10:30 am – 10:45 am | Networking Break
Take time to network, visit our sponsors, and purchase your tickets for the UMCVB Basket Raffle!
10:45 am – 11:30 am | Concurrent Sessions
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
11:30 am – 12:30 pm | Lunch Buffet & Visit Exhibitors | Atrium
12:00 pm – 12:45 pm | Award Presentations | Grand Royal Ballroom
The Bureau Innovation Award winner(s) will be announced based on your votes. Geist Up and Coming Leader Award and McDaniels Individual Professionalism and Lifetime Achievement Award winners will both be announced and presented. We host another auction to support a deserving charity in Grand Island.
12:45 pm – 1:00 pm | Networking Break & Visit Exhibitors | Atrium
Take time to network, visit our sponsors, and purchase your tickets for the UMCVB Basket Raffle!
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm | Concurrent Sessions
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
1:45 pm – 2:00 pm | Networking Break & Refresh
2:00 pm – 2:45 pm | Concurrent Sessions
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
2:45 pm – 3:15 pm | Networking Break & Refresh
3:15 pm – 3:30 pm | Gather and Load Busses for Tours
Meet in the Atrium of the hotel to find your group and head to the experience tour you have registered for.
3:30 pm – 5:00 pm | Experience Tours
Before the Purple Ribbons: Hosting National Livestock Shows | Fonner Park
See how the Nebraska State Fair preps for the nearly 100-year-old Aksarben Stock Show. Youth from 14 states will show cattle, swine, goats, sheep, and broilers, while vying for cash prizes and the all important purple ribbon. It’s one of the many local, regional, and national livestock shows Grand Island hosts. Registration coming soon!
Teamwork: How Collaborations Are Impacting City Parks | Strolley Park and Ryder Park
When city funds just can’t keep up with the demand for amenities, local groups can bridge the gap. Visit two of Grand Island’s parks enhanced by multiple private and non-profit partnerships. From flower gardens to collegiate baseball, and pavilions to STEAM learning, Grand Island parks are evolving. Registration coming soon!
Behind the Curtains: What You Don’t See at a Museum | Stuhr Museum
What you see at a museum is just the tip of the iceberg. On this tour, you’ll go inside Stuhr Museum’s architecturally significant main building. From there, the group will be split into four groups due to limited time. Guests will see the collections building, archives, Pawnee earth lodge or an 1890s living history town. Registration coming soon!
Everything Old is New Again: Buildings Get New Life | Railside Historic District
Grand Island’s historic downtown has had many facelifts in recent years. Facade improvements, development of stagnant buildings, and increased upper-level living have breathed life into the area. Now it’s emerging as a place for entertainment, dining, and art. Go on a walking tour with the district’s BID director. Registration coming soon!
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm | Pre-Dinner Reception | Location
Description TBA
6:30 pm – 10:00 pm | Dine Around Grand Island
Dinner on Your Own
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 (Conference Day 3)
7:00 am – 12:00 pm | Registration | Atrium
8:00 am – 9:00 am | Breakfast Buffet | Atrium
8:45 am – 9:00 am | Welcome & Announcements | Grand Royal Ballroom
9:00 am – 9:45 am | Concurrent Sessions
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
9:45 am – 10:00 am | Networking Break & Snack | Atrium
10:00 am – 11:00 am | Closing Keynote | Grand Royal Ballroom
Title TBA | Speaker, Organization | Room
Session Description TBD
11:00 am – 11:15 am | 2027 Welcome Presentation | Grand Royal Ballroom
Join us for the official announcement of the 2027 UMCVB Host Destination!
11:15 am – 11:30 am | Conference Closing | Salon AB
We’ll wrap up by announcing the UMCVB Basket Raffle winners and bidding farewell until the 2027 UMCVB Fall Conference!