Geary County approves CVB director’s trip to ESTO conference in Phoenix

Geary County commissioners approved a request from Raquel Sinko, director of the Geary County Convention and Visitors Bureau, to attend ESTO (the Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations) in Phoenix in August.

Sinko told commissioners the conference is a professional-development event for destination-marketing professionals that would offer “the latest insights, tools, and techniques to enhance tourism initiatives” and help “position Geary County as a competitive and attractive travel destination.”

Sinko provided estimated costs for a single attendee: $1,250 for registration, roughly $480 for airfare (she said airfares had risen since she first checked), and about $1,500 for hotel fees depending on lodging. She said she would fly out of Manhattan and that only she would attend this year unless she judged additional attendance warranted later. Sinko described the trip as a first for the department and said she had already coordinated required purchase-card, finance and human-resources paperwork for prior travel.

Commissioners asked a few procedural questions during the discussion and emphasized the need for receipts, use of tax-exempt forms where applicable and clear contracting terms for sponsored events; Sinko said she had previously worked with finance and HR to submit travel paperwork and would do so for this trip. Commissioner 1 moved to approve the travel request; Commissioner 2 seconded. The motion carried after a voice vote.

The bureau director said she would return with ideas on marketing and partnership strategies and noted the conference’s potential to increase visitation and spending that could benefit local businesses.

The approval included directions to ensure travel paperwork and purchase-card procedures were completed before departure; no additional funding sources or budget amendments were specified at the meeting.