MUSE 2024 Recap & Insights
December 16, 2024
MUSE 2024 was nothing short of inspiring. We hosted 200 Maddenites, clients, and partners in Alabama’s Beaches to learn, collaborate, and innovate in the heart of destination marketing.
The first day kicked off with an energizing welcome from Madden CEO, Dan Janes, and Crystal Hinds, the VP of Marketing from Alabama’s Beaches, setting the tone for collaboration and exploration.
Duncan Wardle then took us on an adventure to challenge each of us to rethink the creative process, and how we each approach creativity. After spending 25 years working at Disney, leading teams to craft stories and iconic experiences, Duncan empowered everyone to understand the core value of innovation and creativity.
Our very own Brianna Francis, Public Relations Director extraordinaire, taught us about the impact of PR and niche media. Topics included better differentiation between lifestyle publications and traditional travel media to hone into targeted media placements.
We then ventured into the land of SEO in the age of AI, and what GEO (generative engine optimization) means for destinations. AIOs (AI overviews in Google) are changing the landscape of search results for everyone, destinations included. Just a few months ago, only 2% of destination and travel related searches included AIOs, that has increased to 7% in a short time, and we expect that number to keep climbing. Mico-moments, and micro-intents emphasize the importance of meeting specific needs quickly. Best practices for SEO and GEO going into 2025 include writing unique, accurate and crawlable content with human-like fluency.
Our resident expert in all things data and insights, Heather Molina, guided us on a conversation around combining qualitative and quantitative data to help us understand audience behaviors both online and offline. It’s not just about metrics anymore but also uncovering how people think, search, and engage with your destination.
Curtis Thompson delivered a thought-provoking set of hot takes around web trends shaping 2025, including hot takes on TikTok’s longevity (spoiler: it’s not going anywhere) and the growing dominance of multi-modal content (think YouTube and social media fluency).
We then hosted Show & Tells across our teams of talented creatives, where ideas and successes were shared, a perfect reflection of Madden’s collaborative spirit.
Last but certainly not least, we ended the day with a Client fireside chat hosted by Madden President, Brett Gordon. We had the opportunity to hear directly from our clients what challenges they face, and how agencies can better support DMOs going into 2025.
Our second and final day began with a grounding morning meditation and coffee, a calming prelude to the day’s sessions.
Mike Erwin, the founder of TeamRWB, a nonprofit enriching veterans’ lives through physical and social activities, and co-founder of the Character & Leadership Center, guided us through the principles of effective, integrity-driven leadership.
From there, we hosted a range of activity-based breakout sessions, where attendees could choose from a variety of insightful (and actionable) exercises to spark growth and innovation:
- Building Flywheels: Our very own Dan Janes shared strategies for creating sustainable momentum in destinations.
- Creative Differentiation: Our creative showstoppers, Katy Livingston, Bria Hammock, and Matt Stiker lead us on a journey to better understand and explore ways to stand out creatively in a competitive destination market.
- Media Partner Roundtable: Our media partners from Epsilon, ClickTripz, and Azira helped us strengthen our knowledge around tooling and data opportunities for destinations.
- Building CustomGPTs: Carl Cox and TJ Fletcher guided us on best practices on implementing CustomGPTs to streamline content, operations and stay up to date on innovation in AI trends.
- Destination Diversity Marketing: Code-switching and moving the conversation from “Should I?” to “How Should I?” when it comes to inclusion, representation and creating impactful campaigns, hosted by our Strategic and Creative masterminds, Kwaku Amuti and Matt Stiker.
Over lunch, our leadership and clients were put in the hot seat (literally) – taking live questions from the audience while eating hot wings. Lively discussions and spicy perspectives made this midday break unforgettable.
Closing remarks & excursions
The day concluded with closing thoughts that tied the whole experience together, from leadership values to creative growth. And because no MUSE is complete without some fun and exploration, attendees wrapped up the day with excursions that embraced adventure connection and fun.
what we learned
MUSE 2024 reminded us that creativity thrives at the intersection of bold ideas, collaboration, and meaningful strategy for destinations. From breaking barriers to innovation to understanding the impact of AI and earned media in an ever-evolving landscape, the event reinforced Madden’s commitment to pushing boundaries in destination marketing.
Key takeaways include:
- Creativity requires bravery and a willingness to break from conformity
- AI is reshaping how travelers plan, discover, and engage with destinations
- Leadership values like empathy and integrity drive both personal and organizational growth
- Collaboration is the heartbeat of innovation: when we share ideas, amazing things happen
MUSE isn’t just an event, it’s a catalyst for growth, connections, and inspiration. We left with fresh ideas, new tools, and an even stronger sense of purpose in shaping the future of tourism marketing. Until the next MUSE, let’s keep creating, connecting, and innovating!
