5 Things Not to Miss at GFTC ’18

Last Updated October 11, 2018

The Global Food Tourism Conference is almost here and the EzTix team is all packed up and ready to go. We’re excited to see so many leaders and innovators in the culinary tourism industry. Now, as much as we love basking in the glow of our pals, we are also looking forward to a great lineup of sessions.

Taking a look at the GFTC agenda, there are a ton of great learning and networking opportunities. But what kind of blog would this be if I didn’t make a listicle every now and then, am I right? So without further ado, 5 things you don’t want to miss at the Global Food Tourism Conference.

By the way, you can still register!! So read this article, then book your tickets to Austin.

1. Axe Throwing Competition

Ever had the pleasure of holding a small axe in your hand, throwing the said axe, and seeing it wedge itself into a bullseye? If not, you have not lived. Here’s a photo of me having just experienced that for the first time.

That’s some good living.

The very first event on Saturday morning is a competition to see who among the attendees has the most lumberjack blood flowing through their veins. It’s a great bit of fun and an amazing way to build camaraderie nice and early. This event is strictly BYOP (Bring your own plaid).

2. EzTix Welcome Soiree

So we do a few things really well: Makin’ it Ez, and throwing parties.

Join us Sunday night for our annual Soiree and network with attendees while sampling some good ol’ Texas BBQ. While your tastebuds are enjoying the eats, your ears won’t be left behind. This year we’ve got a great Americana band from the Austin area, The Golden Roses, to keep the party rocking.

3. Marketing Done Right

Whenever we run surveys about the challenges our Partners face, marking is always at the top of the list by far. The two-part session hosted by Casey Clark and Cassi Niekamp, promises a tangible action plan to improve conversion rates. The GFTC site says, “It’s no secret that revenue is everything when running a business of any size or shape. Too often business leaders don’t focus on the right controlled metrics and therefore don’t fully understand the sales channels at their disposal to drive ticket sales and profitability. In this detailed session, you will learn how to breakdown and overcome the barriers of marketing while uncovering industry best-practices that will drive results.”

Count me in.

4. Emerging Tech & Data Trends

In another two-part master class, you’ll see some familiar faces talking about how your business can become data driven.

EzTix Founder and CEO, Jeremy Mitchell, hosts part one with a focus on what tools are actually relevant and useful in the activities and event space.

“By breaking down the most important business metrics and analytics, attendees will learn how to optimize tech and data by learning what it means, why it’s hugely important and how you can leverage technology to better understand, track and improve your bottom line to help drive key investment decisions in sales, marketing, operations and human capital.”

In part two, hang out with our Director of Product, Joe Martin. He’ll show you how to use the tools and data you learned about with Jeremy, and better understand it’s significance to your business. “With a technology-driven process and detailed reporting that allows you to clean your data and extract meaningful and actionable insights, you will learn how to make more informed business decisions backed by analysis while enabling continuous monitoring of your strategies and data-driven decisions to influence performance and desired business outcomes.”

5. The GFTA Awards Ceremony

Before everyone says their farewells, the Global Food Tourism Association will throw around some bling for the best of the best. Among the honours are Brand Champion, Owner of the Year, Guide of the Year, and more.

The tourism business is tough, competitive, and challenging. I can’t think of a better way to wrap up the premiere culinary tourism conference than by celebrating the great work of our colleagues.

Be sure to check out the entire agenda here, and it’s not too late to register! We can’t wait to see everyone in Austin at GFTC ’18!