Spark 2024 Agenda

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Third Floor Conference Center

Spark Registration
Check in to Spark NOLA! Grab your badge and start your Spark experience! 

Sponsored by Wherewolf

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Mark Twain Courtyard at the Hilton Riverside

Welcome Reception 🎉
Let’s kick off Spark the only way we know how – with a party overlooking the river! Join us for drinks, bites, music, and other local entertainment all while mingling with hundreds of other tour operators and FareHarbor staff.

Sponsored by Yonder and TOMIS

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Hilton Riverside, Floors 2 & 3

Spark Officially Opens!
Check-in desk – Floor 3
Exhibit Hall – Floor 2 in Churchill
1-1s – Floor 2 in Churchill A-1 and A-2, Limited walk-up spots are available, inquire at the 1-1 desk to grab an open spot.
Support Center – Floor 2 Churchill Hallway
Community – Floor 2 Churchill Hallway

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
St. Charles Ballroom

Opening Session
Kick off an exciting two days at Spark with an energizing opening session! Hear from our CEO and other top leaders as they unveil our latest innovations, share important updates, and cover essential housekeeping items to ensure you make the most of your time here. Plus! This session concludes with an exclusive presentation from Google, offering fresh insights into the dynamic trends shaping the future of the travel industry.

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Churchill Hallway

Refreshment Break
Coffee, tea, sodas and light refreshments provided. 

Refreshment break sponsored by TOMIS/YONDER

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
St. James Ballroom

Easy & Instant Wins with 3 FareHarbor Product Releases
This interactive workshop explores three powerful Dashboard tools to maximize your revenue, safeguard your business, and enhance your visibility. This session will guide you through the step by step process of setting up and activating essential product features directly in your Dashboard.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Jefferson Ballroom

Score More Conversions with Winning Item Descriptions
What’s one of the best ways to stand out in a competitive market? Crafting high-quality, engaging tour descriptions, of course! In this session, you’ll unlock proven strategies to turn your item descriptions into a powerful marketing tool. Discover how optimized descriptions can boost your bookings, enhance your brand’s appeal, and convert more lookers into loyal bookers.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
St. Charles Ballroom

Financial Health Strategies: How to Avoid Accounting Pitfalls
Money is the lifeblood of your business, and your accounting reports are your main tool for making important company decisions. Tour and activity businesses have specific needs for their financial and accounting reporting. In this session, tour accounting specialist, Ingrid, will provide an overview of this unique landscape, empowering you to make the right choices that keep your funds flowing.

12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Churchill

Lunch

Lunch sponsored by Wherewolf

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
St. Charles Ballroom

Live Hot Seat: Expert Tips for Website Optimization
FareHarbor’s SEO and Website Optimization team will present in-depth case studies of select FareHarbor websites. We’ll explore online performance improvements from specific website updates, focusing on user experience insights and SEO traffic metrics. Bonus! We’ll wrap up with a live Q&A where you will put our experts in the hot seat to answer your pressing questions about SEO and website optimization.

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Churchill Hallway

Refreshment Break
Coffee, tea, sodas and light refreshments provided.

Refreshment break sponsored by TOMIS/YONDER

3:00 – 4:00 PM
St. Charles Ballroom

Sailing to Success: A Discussion with Big Boat Operators
Hear from big players in the big boat game as they talk through challenges and opportunities based on their own personal experiences. From optimizing operations year-round and enhancing the guest experience, to building strong relationships within their communities and pricing innovations — they’ve done it all!

3:00 – 4:00 PM
St. James Ballroom

The Social Hour: Connect & Collaborate With Your Region
Get connected with operators who share your region or tour type in this lively networking session! Whether you’re swapping stories, sharing tips, or just having a laugh, this is the perfect chance to build connections and partnerships that matter. Join the fun, celebrate your local community, and discover new ways to collaborate and succeed together.

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Jefferson Ballroom

Walk this Way! A Panel with GFTA and Food Tour Operators
Learn from your peers about the dynamic — and delicious! — world of food tourism. Discover innovative strategies and ideas that will encourage growth within this competitive landscape. Not a food tour operator? No problem! Our panelists will also explore the importance of managing reviews, leveraging strong relationships with local partners, and crafting a quality website that boosts bookings.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Floor 2 in Churchill

Exhibit Hall
For the final hour of the day, head down to the Exhibit Hall to meet and mingle with dozens of sponsors, partners, and representatives from our FareHarbor Product, Distribution, and Sites and SEO teams!

8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Hilton Riverside, Floors 2 & 3

Spark Officially Opens!
Check-in desk – Floor 3
Exhibit Hall – Floor 2 in Churchill
1-1: Location: Churchill A-1 and A-2. Limited walk-up spots are available, inquire at the 1-1 desk to grab an open spot
Support Center – Floor 2 Churchill Hallway
Community – Floor 2 Churchill Hallway

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
St. James Ballroom

Is Your Price Right? Smart Pricing Strategies with Chenmark
In this session, Trish Higgins of Chenmark will use her hands-on experience as owner-operator of Cap’n Fish’s Cruises to dive into the world of pricing for tour operations. The session will explore how operators of all sizes can think about pricing philosophy and will explore ideas for tactical implementation.

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Jefferson Ballroom

Paid Attention: Essentials of Effective Advertising
We’ll explore how to leverage paid advertising to make your tourism business stand out. Learn about the unique benefits of platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram, as well as targeting the right audience. You’ll also gain actionable strategies to optimize your ad spend, increase bookings, and measure campaign success, helping you drive more awareness and revenue for your brand.

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
St. Charles Ballroom

Turn Conversations into Conversions with New Technologies
Discover the recent advances in conversational technology and learn how it can enhance your business. Boost conversion rates and direct bookings, while improving your customer experience and overall operations with this software. Gain new data insights from guest behavior on your website, positioning you as the top information source for potential bookings.

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM
Churchill Hallway

Refreshment Break
Coffee, tea, sodas and light refreshments provided.

Refreshment break sponsored by PicThrive

10:45 AM – 11:45 AM
St. James Ballroom

The Social Hour: Connect & Collaborate on Development
Step into a fun and interactive space where business development meets networking! Join fellow professionals as we share our best-kept secrets, success stories, and practical tips for driving growth. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just looking to pick up some new strategies, this session is all about learning from each other in a relaxed, friendly environment. Swap ideas, spark collaborations, and leave with fresh insights to take your business to the next level!

10:45 AM – 11:45AM
Jefferson Ballroom

Conquering GA4: A Masterclass for Operators
Dive into analyzing events within the FareHarbor lightframe, with a focus on your booking funnel report. After this session, you’ll be able to confidently assess your website’s visitor behavior, identify website drop-offs, and discover opportunities for continuous improvement. You’ll learn how to build your own booking funnel report, with a detailed PDF guide provided after the presentation.

10:45 AM – 11:45 AM
St. Charles Ballroom

How to Prevent & Navigate Customer Disputes
Unlock best practices to prevent and win credit card disputes in this session. You’ll learn more about how FareHarbor handles disputes internally, updated recommendations for dispute prevention based on our new dispute data, and advice for responding to disputes.

11:45 PM – 1:00 PM
Churchill

Lunch

Sponsored by Smartwaiver

1:00 PM – 2:15 PM
St. Charles Ballroom

Keynote: You Are The Spark!
How to Lead for Growth, Fun — and Profits

CEO and author John R. Brandt focuses on single question: Where is the hidden value in your business today – and how will you grow that hidden value into revenues and profits tomorrow?

Based on 20+ years of research across more than 50,000 organizations and business units, Brandt has identified a common formula for business growth and improved performance that works regardless of a firm’s sector or size — or a leader’s level of experience. In this presentation he’ll outline how you can succeed with this formula, too, by focusing on:

• Innovation: What do your customers really want? (Hint: It’s probably different than what you think)
• Talent: What matters most to your employees? (Hint: You might not be managing it right now)
• Process: Which processes matter most to your success? (Hint: You may be focused on the wrong things)

Don’t miss this chance to grow your business — and have more fun doing it!

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
St. Charles Ballroom

Boost Your Bottom Line with Affiliates ft. GetYourGuide and Operators
Learn about the importance of engaging with affiliates and utilizing FareHarbor’s distribution channels, including OTAs and the FareHarbor Distribution Network, to broaden your reach and increase bookings. In this panel, you’ll hear from industry experts and successful operators on adopting new features, how you can optimize your listings through FareHarbor and OTAs sites, and more.

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
St. James Ballroom

Unlock the Power of FareHarbor Reporting
Uncover opportunities for business growth and celebrate your achievements through reporting! Discover how to gain in-depth insights into your business performance, identify your target customers, and strategically increase profits. Whether you’re looking to refine your current strategies or explore new avenues for success, this presentation will provide you with the tools to take your business to the next level.

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Jefferson Ballroom

Impress the Locals: How to Harness Repeat Business
You know they’re out there, but you’re unsure how to connect with your local market in a meaningful way. Or perhaps you’re already trying a few strategies but want to expand your connections and discover ways FareHarbor can assist your brand. Learn about local markets, effective methods for capturing them, and key factors to consider when building connections.

5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
400 Toulouse St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Closing Reception Boat Party 🎉
Cruise with us on the Mighty Mississippi to close out Spark 2024! Enjoy food and refreshments, as well as tour narration, and the tunes from a live Grammy nominated jazz band. This will be an evening to remember!

Shuttles will begin departing the Hilton promptly at 4:45pm, or it’s just a short 15 minute walk up the riverwalk to the dock!