Hundreds Attend First Stafford Tourism & Business Marketing Summit

Small business owners and marketing professionals from across Virginia gathered in Stafford County on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, for the inaugural Stafford Tourism & Business Marketing Summit at the Holiday Inn & Conference Center.

The one-day, free event focused on digital marketing, branding, and artificial intelligence, providing attendees with insights into how businesses can enhance their outreach and advertising strategies. The summit featured a keynote address by Greg Kihlström, a best-selling author and consultant specializing in marketing technology and digital transformation.

A Day Packed with Insights and Strategy

The summit’s agenda included breakout sessions on social media strategies, branding, and data analytics, giving business owners tools to enhance their marketing efforts. A panel discussion closed the event, allowing industry experts to share their thoughts on the latest trends in digital marketing.

Among the speakers was Jay Owen, CEO of Business Builders, a marketing agency he founded in 1999. Owen, who has spoken at conferences nationwide, emphasized that the challenges businesses face today are increasingly universal rather than region-specific.

“It’s more globalized now than it ever has been because of the internet,” Owen explained. “Back in the day, what a local community needed marketing-wise was much more niche, but now, most people are staring at their phones half the time anyway. The question is: how do we connect with them wherever they are? Even if I’m a local business, I still need to reach people whether they’re at home or on the go.”

AI’s Growing Influence on Marketing

One of the most talked-about topics of the day was artificial intelligence’s impact on marketing and search engine optimization (SEO). Despite the uncertainty surrounding AI’s influence on marketing, Owen believes businesses should embrace the change rather than fear it.

“There aren’t a lot of hard answers on it yet because of all the AI changes in the world,” he said. “It’s just not what it used to be. That said, I always tell people you’ve got two choices: you can be scared about it or excited about it.”

Speakers and Industry Experts

The event brought together a diverse group of marketing professionals, including:

• Zack Flanagan, CEO of Hive Marketing, who emphasized data-driven marketing strategies
• Chris Muldrow, owner of Rambletype, a Fredericksburg-based digital marketing firm
• Lindsey Norment, Brand Director for the Virginia Tourism Corporation, who discussed the role of tourism marketing in economic development
• Annie Plotkin, a paid media strategist specializing in building brand awareness through digital advertising
• Mark Devito, a three-time Emmy Award-winning creative director, who highlighted the power of storytelling in branding