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Tourism staff report: exhibitor conference takeaways, CTSM training plan and visitor guide on press
Summary
County tourism staff said lessons from Exhibitor Live 2025 and training on AI and trade‑show management will shape upcoming marketing and event work; the new visitor guide is on press.
Tourism and visitor services staff briefed the commission on Exhibitor Live 2025 and related training and outreach efforts. Staff described sessions on booth strategy, event ROI, carbon‑footprint reduction for events and applications of artificial intelligence to tourism marketing.
CTSM certification and AI: A staff member said she had enrolled in the Certified Trade Show Manager (CTSM) program but had not yet paid and will return with cost details and an approval request. Staff reported work with an assigned CTSM adviser and plans to integrate conference‑derived techniques into future trade‑show planning. Another staffer described work on conversational AI and a county chatbot prototype intended to provide 24/7 information in multiple languages.
Visitor guide and marketing: Staff reported the new county visitor guide is on press and promotional plans include Meet Kansas events and a small‑bottled dairy product to distribute at a Topeka meeting of meeting planners. Staff also applied for an attraction‑development grant and reported a modest pipeline of applications.
Butterfly House and event planning: Staff asked the commission to support a $4,000 repair for the Milford Nature Center’s butterfly house; the commission approved the funding. Staff also outlined plans to attend the Branson small‑market meeting with two partner entities at a shared cost of about $1,500.
No immediate spending approvals were made for CTSM enrollment or travel beyond the items addressed during the meeting; staff said they will return with detailed cost estimates when available.
