Frequently Asked Questions

The Cultural Heritage Economic Alliance, Inc., Tourism Cares, The Travel Foundation, and the U.S. Cultural & Heritage Marketing Council formed a collaborative partnership through the launch of the Power of Partnership Stewardship Summit, an event dedicated to exploring the intersections of culture, climate, and community in travel and tourism. 

We plan to bring the travel and tourism industry together to envision a collaborative, cross-sectoral, and inclusive future. As travel and tourism continue to crawl out from the pandemic, there is a need to radically change how the industry manages its stewardship of destinations and the people who live there. The primary goal of POPS is to generate action and partnerships -- it’s not just a talk shop. If you are a travel professional who wants to take what they learn on the show floor and make a commitment to action, this is the show for you. 

All those connected in the travel, tourism, cultural heritage and climate communities. This is a business-to-business event with an anticipated 350-400 registrants, DMOs as exhibitors, and supplier partners and domestic & international buyers and press.

• Travel industry professionals representing all sectors and segments of the global travel and tourism industry
• Corporate brands and SMEs
• Destination Marketing Organizations/Tourism Boards
• Small BIPOC Suppliers
• Domestic and international buyers and press
• NGOs
• Trade associations
• Community-based organizations
• Municipalities, State and Federal agencies
• Educators + Students
• Media, journalists, content creators and influencers

POPS is the first tourism event that brings together the issues of climate, culture, and community in a joint call for industry transformation. Three areas often discussed in silos, POP connects the dots between sustainability, DEI, and ROI. Through awareness raising on the barriers and opportunities faced by vulnerable communities via education, speakers, and community visits in and around Richmond, there will be a call to action for common areas of transformation to be developed and issued. There will be ample networking opportunities throughout the Summit designed to provide maximum ROI for all participants.

• A multicultural marketplace with appointments for DMOs and BIPOC suppliers meeting with domestic and international buyers and press
• Facilitated education sessions
• Full in-community experience day - with meaningful cultural tours and volunteer opportunities
• Hosted receptions at culturally significant venues 
• Live cultural arts performances and storytelling
• Networking opportunities with more than 400 attendees from around the world 

Summit partnership provides a tangible way to support DEI, ESG, Multicultural Marketing and Stakeholder Engagement goals and strategies. Our Partnership Package and Opportunities are available here. Partnership packages range from $1,000 - $50,000 and come with a variety of bespoke benefits. 

The wonderful city of Richmond, VA! Richmond was chosen as the inaugural destination to host the Summit for its rich cultural heritage and its ability to leverage tourism as an economic driver for fueling its local BIPOC businesses and communities. The City of Richmond and Richmond Tourism both actively invest in supporting Black-owned businesses and creating equitable opportunities for them to thrive and scale. Engaging BIPOC stakeholders in its local tourism ecosystem was a key requirement in choosing the destination to host the Summit.

Early-bird: $595 (rate ends June 30, 2023)

General: $795 (rate begins July 1, 2023)

Day Pass: $395

Small Supplier Rate (to attend full show): $295

Student: $250

Buyers: Complimentary upon application and approval (Application Opens January 15, 2023)

Press: Complimentary upon application and approval (Application Opens January 15, 2023)

Click here to register!

This is an intimate, exclusive VIP networking event designed for our top-tier Summit partners, key industry and government leaders to spend a day in beautiful wine and horse country in Middleburg, VA as special guests of our Summit Partner, Salamander Hotels and Resorts. Owned by Sheila Johnson, Salamander is a Five-Star Rated Luxury Resort by Forbes Travel Guide. Select Summit partners will spend an uninterrupted day of networking, wining, dining and enjoying amenities. Click here to become a top-tier Summit partner and join this exclusive VIP networking opportunity.

The Multicultural Marketplace provides a tangible opportunity to support DMO's DEI, Multicultural Marketing and Local Stakeholder goals and strategies. The DMO-sponsored booths  allow DMOs to invite two (2) small BIPOC suppliers who represent diverse, community-level tour products and experiences as a means to provide access to the travel trade supply chain. Suppliers will participate in a minimum of 30 scheduled appointments with domestic and international leisure buyers including tour operators, DMCs, travel advisors, meeting and event planners seeking to do business with destinations that offer diverse tour products and experiences and access to local minority vendors. Suppliers will also meet with national and international press and top social media influencers. Learn more about the appointment process here.

Single booths - 10x10 and Double Booths - 10x20, are available for DMOs to purchase at a $5,000 exhibitor level. A six (6) foot table with two chairs is included with each 10x10 booth. Wi-Fi and electrical available at additional fee. Additional details will be provided in the Exhibitor Package available May 1, 2023.

This is not an appointment-based only program. There will be various activities for all attendees. Education sessions will run throughout each day, there will be networking time on the show floor, and the Tuesday afternoon Experience Day invites all Summit attendees to get out into the community to immerse, experience and volunteer. 

Appointment scheduling will open in Summer, 2023.

There will be several opportunities to network in the marketplace, during evening receptions, and during Experience Day. We will also have a messaging feature within our official event app to help you connect with contacts and set up meetings on-site or post event.

Yes! General attendees are welcome to participate to network, learn and immerse in the programming. Register under the “general” rate - or early bird before June 30, 2023 to save $200.

Buyer and press registrations are complimentary, but all team members and guests require a registration to attend. Summit partners and exhibitors receive registrations as part of their benefits package. To learn more about sponsorship, click here. 

Absolutely! If you do not plan to use all or some of your registrations included in your benefits package, please email us to let us know you want to donate them.

Once you register, you will receive a confirmation email. You will then be able to log into your account via the event App and website to make edits to your registration.

The host hotels are the Marriott Richmond and Hilton Richmond Downtown. To book your room by block closing date, click here.

Yes! We will have airport transfers available on arrival day, Sunday, October 15, and departure day, Thursday, October 19. Both of our host hotels are within a short 15-minute drive to/from Richmond International Airport. 

Yes! A major component of POPS is immersing in as much of Richmond as we can. Attendees will experience Richmond through a mix of receptions at locally-owned, historic venues, through an experience day filled with volunteering, tours, and hands-on experiences, as well as fam tours, etc. It is incredibly important for conferences like POPS to generate positive social, environmental, and economic value for the communities in which these shows are held. We intend to leave as much support in the community as possible.

The Power of Partnership Stewardship Summit is built on a foundation of sustainability. We want to generate as much positive impact as possible and mitigate the negative impacts large conferences can generate. We will be offsetting all attendee travel, working with local vendors as much as possible to keep money in the community, limiting waste, choosing more sustainable products, and providing guidelines for all attendees. For a full look at our sustainability efforts, click here. 

All registrations are non-refundable unless the Summit is canceled or rescheduled more than six months from the start of the original Summit date. If the program is canceled or rescheduled more than six (6) months from the original start date, you will be promptly notified via email. At that time, you may elect to have your Summit fees (i.e. registration, exhibitor, sponsorship or advertising) retained in full by POPS and credited towards future programs, or refunded in full to you. If the Summit is rescheduled within six (6) months of the original program start date, you will be promptly notified via email. Your Summit fees will automatically be transferred to the newly scheduled program.

Attendees for the Power of Partnership Stewardship Summit come from all over the world! While our DMO and small BIPOC supplier exhibitors are mainly North America-based, speakers, attendees, and Summit partners, all represent companies global in scale. Non-US based DMOs/Tourism Boards are welcome to participate in the Multicultural Marketplace. Click here to express interest.