Visit Jackson to Host Capital Area Tourism Summit May 4
April 26, 2022
Visit Jackson will host a full day of education and networking for industry partners on May 4 at the Jackson Convention Complex.
The 2022 Capital Area Tourism Summit has slated keynote speakers, including two-time Pulitzer Finalist, author, speaker, radio host, and syndicated editorial cartoonist Marshall Ramsey, along with others, plus educational sessions, food and fun.
Tickets - $50 each - include the opening reception the night before the conference and a fun-filled closing event at The Mississippi Museum of Art.
Register Here
Schedule of Events
Tuesday, May 3
3:30 – 5 pm
Stakeholder Meeting
Jackson Convention Center Third Floor Theatre
The Jackson tourism industry has been resilient during this global pandemic. During the upcoming stakeholder engagement session, the Visit Jackson Team will share the results of FY2021 and how data is driving strategy as our industry navigates through the endemic. Special guest, Erik Evjen, Director of Data Analytics from Tourism Economics, will lead us through that discussion and provide an initial road map to maximize our recovery.
5 – 8 pm
Opening Reception
Ecoshed - 133 Commerce Park Dr.
Remarks from The Honorable Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba; Chris Chapman, President of Visit Ridgeland; Alex Lawson, Jackson Redevelopment Authority; Rickey Thigpen, President/CEO of Visit Jackson.
Food by Chef Enrika of Fauna Foodworks
Music by Epic Funk Brass Band
Sponsored by Jackson’s Bicentennial
Wednesday, May 4
8 am – 8:45 am
Conference Registration/ Continental Breakfast
Jackson Convention Center Second Floor Gallery
Sponsored by The Tell Agency
8:45 – 9 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Rickey Thigpen and The Honorable Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba
Jackson Convention Complex Third Floor Theatre
9 – 10 am
Opening Session
Erik Evjen, Tourism Economics
Jackson Convention Center Third Floor Theatre
Sponsored by Advance Travel
10 -10:30 am
Cheers to Tourism: Beverage Break
Jackson Convention Center Second Floor Gallery
Sponsored by MWB
10:30 – 11:30 am
Breakout Sessions
Jackson Convention Center Third Floor Rooms 301/302 and 303/304
- Sports Tourism: How the Game has Changed – presented by Karin Aaron with KKD Tourism Advisors.
- Public Safety Panel: Perception vs. Reality – with moderator Dr. Rickey Thigpen, President/CEO Visit Jackson.
Panelists include Tai Takahashi, News Director at WJTV; Shun Hatten, Vice President of Sales, Visit Jackson; John Horhn, state Senator; and a representative from the Jackson Police Department.
11:30 am – 1 pm
Luncheon
With Remarks from Pam Confer, featuring Marshall Ramsey
Jackson Convention Center Second Floor Gallery
Sponsored by MWB
1 – 2:30 pm
General Session
Jackson Convention Center Third Floor Theatre
Workforce Development: Brain Drain
Q&A with David Pharr, Esq., Justis R. Gibbs II, Esq.; Hosted by Tim Mask, President/MWB.
2:30 – 3 pm
Networking Break
Jackson Convention Center Second Floor Rm 21
3 - 4 pm
Closing Session
Danielle Morgan, Director, MS Tourism Association Jackson Convention Center Third Floor Theatre
4 – 5 pm
Closing Remarks
The ENDemic – Recovery & Opportunity
Rickey Thigpen, President/CEO, Visit Jackson
Jackson Convention Center Third Floor Theatre
5:30 – 7 pm
Closing Reception/Networking event
MS Museum of Art – 380 S. Lamar St.
With just a short stroll from the Jackson Convention Complex, you can experience 12 of America’s most acclaimed artists as they explore the Great Migration from the South through paintings, sculpture, film, and sound in the MS Museum of Art’s newest exhibit, “A Movement in Every Direction; Legacies of the Great Migration.” Enjoy a cocktail (or craft beer) and join us for this immersive exhibit on ancestry, place, and possibility.