Below find the preliminary schedule for the 2022 NATJA Conference & Marketplace. The schedule is subject to change.
Tuesday, May 3
9:30am - Registration Opens
Location: San Felipe Room
Come check-in with the NATJA team to pick up your conference badge and other items.
10:30am to 11:30am - Coffee Mixer
Presented by:
Location: Miramar Foyer
Join our NATJA team and Advisory Board members for a mid-morning cup of joe. All members are welcome!
12:30pm to 1:30pm - Opening Luncheon
Location: Miramar 4
The NATJA Conference officially kicks off with our Opening Luncheon.
1:30pm to 2:45pm - Welcome
Location: Miramar 4
NATJA and Discover Puerto Rico welcome attendees to the 19th Annual Conference & Marketplace.
Keynote Speakers: Jose Arana, Marketing Manager, Discover Puerto Rico and Davelyn Tardi, Communications Manager, Discover Puerto Rico
What makes Puerto Rico truly special? Keynote speakers Davelyn and Jose will talk about Puerto Rico’s history, people, and culture, and give you a sneak peek at what you can expect to discover in Puerto Rico.
2:45pm to 3pm - Break
The breakout sessions will take place in Miramar 2, Miramar 3, and Miramar 4.
Preparedness + Agility: Learnings in Crisis Communications
As a destination that has overcome adversity with proven record-breaking tourism growth in the wake of natural disasters, political turmoil and a pandemic – Puerto Rico is a model for crisis preparedness and effective communications. Hear from Leah Chandler, CMO of Discover Puerto Rico and Bettina Garibaldi, Managing Director of Ketchum’s Travel, Hospitality & Leisure sector about instrumental measures and tactics for effective crisis communications strategies.
Presenters: Leah Chandler, CDME, Chief Marketing Officer, Discover Puerto Rico, and Bettina Garibaldi, Managing Director of Ketchum’s Travel, Hospitality & Leisure sector, Ketchum PR
Location: Miramar 4
How to succeed in the travel and publishing industries when hard times hit
The pandemic has been hard on travel writers. Some quit altogether. Some found creative solutions for keeping their blogs running despite ad revenue loss. Others came up with new angles and topics to cover, more relevant in those difficult days. Many branched out into other fields and built relationships with new outlets they may now keep for stability. Alas, this won’t be the last time we have to reinvent ourselves—even though globetrotting is becoming possible again, travel and publishing are volatile industries, easily affected by economic, medical and political instabilities. In this panel, several NATJA colleagues will share how they changed their business models to stay afloat during the hard times and how they plan to stay resilient in the future. Their inspiring stories and lessons learned will help others adjust to the ever-changing nature of the business while still pursuing their passions of travel, food and lifestyle storytelling.
Moderator: Lina Zeldovich, Freelance Journalist
Panelists: Julie Bielenberg, Journalist & Content Creator; Sandra Foyt, Photographer & Storyteller; Jen Ruiz, Founder, Jen on a Jet Plane
Location: Miramar 3
Press Trips: Etiquette and Expectations
As travel journalists hit the road again, it is beneficial to know what has changed for destination hosts and what has not. What are destinations looking for when hosting media? And once you get there, what is the expectation? Get insight from destination panelists on how to ensure a successful press trip for you and your host!
Moderator: Francesca Donlan, Director of Communications, Discover Newport, RI
Panelists: Kathryn Farrington, Vice President of Marketing, Discover Newport, RI; Barbara Golden Communications/PR Manager, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau; and Gustavo Rivas-Solis, Vice President, EnRoute Communications
Location: Miramar 2
4:15pm to 4:30pm - Break
4:30pm to 5:45pm - Professional Development Sessions
The breakout sessions will take place in Miramar 2, Miramar 3, and Miramar 4.
Instagram for work: how to use social media to build your rep as a writer
In this class-meets-workshop, participants will get a quick lesson in how to use Instagram (and social media in general) to build their personal brands, establish legitimacy as a writer, and take, share, and edit photos to accompany their stories. We’ll cover “how-tos,” supplemental apps, and light photo, video, and reel editing, as well as ways to connect with peers and editors. The syllabus will be heavily influenced by attendees, who will be asked to take a short questionnaire when registering to help tailor the class to their needs and interests. Pre-registration required. Limited to 15 participants.
Presenter: Suzie Dundas, Freelance Writer & Editor
Location: Miramar 4
How to succeed in the travel and publishing industries when hard times hit
The pandemic has been hard on travel writers. Some quit altogether. Some found creative solutions for keeping their blogs running despite ad revenue loss. Others came up with new angles and topics to cover, more relevant in those difficult days. Many branched out into other fields and built relationships with new outlets they may now keep for stability. Alas, this won’t be the last time we have to reinvent ourselves—even though globetrotting is becoming possible again, travel and publishing are volatile industries, easily affected by economic, medical and political instabilities. In this panel, several NATJA colleagues will share how they changed their business models to stay afloat during the hard times and how they plan to stay resilient in the future. Their inspiring stories and lessons learned will help others adjust to the ever-changing nature of the business while still pursuing their passions of travel, food and lifestyle storytelling.
Moderator: Lina Zeldovich, Freelance Journalist
Panelists: Julie Bielenberg, Journalist & Content Creator; Sandra Foyt, Photographer & Storyteller; Jen Ruiz, Founder, Jen on a Jet Plane
Location: Miramar 3
Inclusive Marketing: Reaching Diverse Communities
What does “inclusive marketing” mean and why is it important? This session will share insights from various perspectives on the significance of reaching diverse communities and how it can make a difference for a destination’s bottom line. This panel is brought to you by NATJA’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee.
Moderator: Ian Fitzpatrick, Co-Founder, World Footprints
Panelists: Vickie Ashford-Thompson, Greater Birmingham CVB; Nancy Besharah, Freelance Writer & Blogger, Luxe Travel Family; Yanira Leon, Vice President of Operations, NATJA; Troy Petenbrink, Freelance Media
Location: Miramar 2
Press Trips: Etiquette and Expectations
As travel journalists hit the road again, it is beneficial to know what has changed for destination hosts and what has not. What are destinations looking for when hosting media? And once you get there, what is the expectation? Get insight from destination panelists on how to ensure a successful press trip for you and your host!
Moderator: Francesca Donlan, Director of Communications, Discover Newport, RI
Panelists: Kathryn Farrington, Vice President of Marketing, Discover Newport, RI; and Barbara Golden Communications/PR Manager, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau
Location: Miramar 2
5:45pm - Downtime
Sessions are over for the day! Take a break and we will see you later for the Welcome Reception & Dinner.
6:30pm - Welcome Reception & Dinner
Location: Bella Vista Terrace at the Sheraton.
Head over to the 4th floor to join us at the Bella Vista Terrace, adjacent to the infinity pool.
Wednesday, May 4
8:00am to 9:30am - Breakfast Buffet & General Session
Location: Miramar 4
Join us for the breakfast buffet and general session, which will include various announcements for the day.
Learn from editors from various major publications how the travel story has changed in this post-pandemic landscape and how story pitching has been affected.
Moderator: Adam Pitluk, President/Group Publisher, Midwest Luxury Publishing
Panelists: Suzie Dundas, Sr. Outdoor Editor, Matador Network; Theresa Medoff, Editor, AAA Club Alliance Inc; Starlight Williams, Editor, National Geographic Travel
Location: Miramar 4
10:45am to 11:00am - Break
11am to 12:15pm Professional Development
The breakout sessions will take place in Miramar 2, Miramar 3, and Miramar 4.
Instagram for work: how to use social media to build your rep as a writer
In this class-meets-workshop, participants will get a quick lesson in how to use Instagram (and social media in general) to build their personal brands, establish legitimacy as a writer, and take, share, and edit photos to accompany their stories. We’ll cover “how-tos,” supplemental apps, and light photo, video, and reel editing, as well as ways to connect with peers and editors. The syllabus will be heavily influenced by attendees, who will be asked to take a short questionnaire when registering to help tailor the class to their needs and interests. Pre-registration required. Limited to 15 participants.
Presenter: Suzie Dundas, Freelance Writer & Editor
Location: Miramar 4
SEO 101: Create Engaging Content That Gets Found By Search Engines
In this workshop, you’ll learn the basics of how to structure editorial content to improve search engine results. Topics include researching existing search terms and keywords to create more engaging content and understanding metadata for better ranking in search engine results.
Presenters: Kimberly Hickok, Principal for Marketing Kangaroo
Location: Miramar 3
Nature-Based Solutions and the Power of Communities
Para la Naturaleza is a Puerto Rican nonprofit organization that has provided educational and conservation services to citizens in the islands of Puerto Rico for the past 52 years.
We bring together every person who wants to grow up in healthy cities, swim in crystal clear oceans, drink from rivers and aquifers, and be able to feed themselves off the land.
We accomplish our objectives through our transformative immerse experiences in nature while exploring how it provides the solution for most of our everyday challenges. We help cultivate our relationship with the living systems in the islands of Puerto Rico.
We offer our community solutions based on nature use the power of functioning ecosystems as infrastructure to provide natural services to benefit society and the environment.
Presenters: Esq. Neida Pumarejo and Therel Santos for Para La Naturaleza
Location: Miramar 2
Press Trips: Etiquette and Expectations
As travel journalists hit the road again, it is beneficial to know what has changed for destination hosts and what has not. What are destinations looking for when hosting media? And once you get there, what is the expectation? Get insight from destination panelists on how to ensure a successful press trip for you and your host!
Moderator: Francesca Donlan, Director of Communications, Discover Newport, RI
Panelists: Kathryn Farrington, Vice President of Marketing, Discover Newport, RI; and Barbara Golden Communications/PR Manager, St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau
Location: Miramar 3
12:15pm to 12:45pm - Break
Sessions are over for the day. You have a short break before we head out for our afternoon tours, which include lunch.
12:45pm - Afternoon Tours with Lunch
Suggested Attire for all Tours: Comfortable walking shoes and loose clothing. Poncho or umbrella in case of rain. A face mask for indoor activities is recommended.
Meeting Location: Gather in the Hotel Lobby to depart for your Afternoon Tour
Click here for all of the tour options.
You will have an opportunity to pre-select your afternoon tour. If you need to change your selected tour, please see a NATJA team member, who will check availability for you.
5:00pm - Arrive back at the Hotel
5:00pm to 6:45pm - Downtime
6:50pm - Depart for Dine-Around
Meeting Location: Gather in the Hotel Lobby to depart for Distrito T-Mobile.
We will be walking to our dinner location, which is a short 5-minute walk from the hotel.
7:00pm - Dine-Around at Distrito T-Mobile
Presented by:
Location: Distrito T-Mobile
Distrito T-Mobile exists to revolutionize the way people connect and have fun by creating happy moments in a breathtaking place that showcases the best of Puerto Rico’s people and culture. Puerto Rico now has a culture-centric space to get together and enjoy a happy, vibrant, and energetic time.
You will have an opportunity to pre-select your dining experience from among the participating restaurants, which include Barullo Taberna Española, Denko, La Burguesia, and Sazón Cocina Criolla.
After dinner, you are encouraged to wander Distrito T-Mobile and return to the hotel at your leisure.
Thursday, May 5
7:30am to 9:30am - Breakfast Buffet
Location: Miramar Foyer
A breakfast buffet will be available for the early birds!
8:00am to 9:00am - Marketplace Setup for Exhibitors
Location: Miramar 1, 2, and 3
Look for the table with your organization’s name or find a NATJA team member to assist you to your table.
9:00am to 12:00pm - Marketplace
Location: Miramar 1, 2, and 3
Media and destination marketing organizations meet for one-on-one chats. Make sure to bring your business cards!
12:00pm to 12:45pm - Downtime/Marketplace Breakdown
You will have the opportunity to return to your room and prepare for your Afternoon Tour.
12:45pm - Depart for Afternoon Tours with Lunch
Location: Meet in the hotel lobby for departure
Suggested Attire for all Tours: Comfortable walking shoes and loose clothing. Poncho or umbrella in case of rain. A face mask for indoor activities is recommendednAT.
Click here for all of the tour options.
You will have an opportunity to pre-select your afternoon tour. If you need to change your selected tour, please see a NATJA team member, who will check availability for you.
5:00pm 6:00pm - Arrive back at Hotel/Downtime
6:00pm - Depart for Closing Reception
Meeting Location: Hotel Lobby
6:30pm - Closing Reception
Location: Delavida Restobar
Located in La Placita de Santurce, Delavida Restobar is dedicated to first-class gastronomic experiences, led by Chef Fernando José.
At the Closing Reception, we will say goodbye to fellow members, reminisce on the week’s experiences, and find out where NATJA 2023 will take us.
Transfers back to the hotel will be provided at 8:30pm & 9:00pm. If you decide to stay longer, you will be on your own for transportation back to the hotel.
Friday, May 6
Breakfast
Time: Breakfast may be taken at your leisure.
How: Vouchers will be provided for your use at the hotel restaurant.
Check-Out by 11am
Please make sure to check-out of your room before departing for home or heading out on your post-press trip.