Connecting ... Networking ... Sharing
2022 SCNBTA Annual Conference
November 8-9, 2022
P.A.V.E.-ing the Way to Success
Partnerships/Advancement/Value/Education
Please join us in November for the South Carolina Nature-Based Tourism Association (SCNBTA) Annual Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC. The event program will kick-off with the 4th Quarter Business meeting open to all members, followed by lunch and an opportunity attendees to explore the local area on one of two field study guided tours. There will also be time for networking during the evening reception and dinner, as well as a chance to bid on some of our silent auction items. On Day 2, we have a full agenda with presentations and activities from our invited guest speakers, including John Balhouse with Compass Media; Lynn Fuhler, principal of Flying Compass; and Drs. Atiya Stokes-Brown and Cassandra Boyd from Coastal Carolina University. All conference programs will take place in the Ocean Lakes Family Campground Recreation Center.
Registration: Registration is required for all attendees. The early bird registration rate is $65.00 and ends on October 21, 2022. The regular registration fee is $75.00. Additional conference registrants from the same organization are eligible for a reduced rate of $55.00 per registration. Regular registration has been extended until November 4, 2022. The registration fee covers all conference sessions and activities, including lunch on both days, and dinner.
Conference Venue and Lodging: The event will be held at the Ocean Lakes Family Campground Recreation Center in Myrtle Beach (6001 S. Kings Hwy). With nearly a mile of oceanfront property, our 310-acres offers the most diverse accommodations on the Grand Strand! Accommodations include 859 pull-thru campsites, or beach houses can be reserved. There is something for everyone!
- For house rental reservations on site, contact Ocean Lakes Properties to book online or call (800) 845-2229.
- For campsite reservations call (877) 510-1413.
- Accommodations are also available at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront Surfside Beach, which is next door to Ocean Lakes Campground. The room block has been extended and is available through November 4, 2022. There are two options: Oceanfront for $90/night and City View for $70/night. To book call the hotel Sales & Catering Manager, Lesley Montee, directly at (843)854-5735 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Mention you are with the SCNBTA.
Questions
Please contact by email or phone: April Turner or (843) 991-3192.
Presentations and Speakers
The Evolution of Digital Advertising
John Balhouse, Compass Media, Inc.
Join us for a presentation from an industry expert who will take us through a discussion and case studies on how to make the most of digital marketing efforts on a limited budget. He will go through how this branch of marketing has evolved and his thoughts on what will be the most effective platforms for the near future.
Members: Take Advantage of Our Website's Promotional Features
Lynn Fuhler, Flying Compass, Inc.
During this interactive session, members will learn how to add nature-based events, specials, and blog posts to our consumer-friendly website. Bring your laptop, and we will walk you through the process every step of the way. Adding content and gaining exposure on our website is not complicated. Your events can appear on the website’s home page and then link over to a detail page with more information. We will discuss using specials to fill in low-season days, dates, and times. Promote group pricing in specials, too. They rotate on the home page, giving you prime website exposure. Blog posts are another way to highlight your industry or outdoor recreation activity generically and then list your business and others in different parts of the state.
Recognizing Blind Spots and Unlocking Recruitment Success: Best Practices and Tools for Equity-Minded Leaders
Cassandra D. Boyd, Ed.D. and Atiya Kai Stokes-Brown, Ph.D., Coastal Carolina University
This interactive workshop will explore outreach and recruitment best practices to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce. Areas to be explored include: self-awareness assessments to identify blind spots and recommendations for understanding cultural differences that lower the risk of “doing business as usual.” Participants will gain a clear understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and sense of belonging and learn how these concepts improve team creativity, problem solving, and employee engagement.
Field Studies
Participants will meet at the Ocean Lakes Rec Center (Conference Location) for the field studies at 1:00 p.m. Transportation will be available for those who would like to carpool to both sites. If you choose to take your own transportation and meet at the field study location, please arrive no later than 1:45 p.m. Attendees can choose between the following two excursions.
Guided Tour of Huntington Beach State Park with Interpretive Ranger Mike Walker
Join us for a whirlwind tour of Huntington Beach State Park with Ranger Mike Walker. We will start at the Nature Center to explore its exhibits showcasing a variety of live animals and the diverse ecosystems that make the park so special. Did you know Huntington Beach is considered the best birding spot in the Carolinas, and one of the best on the East coast? We will see some of this avian bounty as we head out to the boardwalk for an exploration of the salt marsh: producer of seafood and nursey of the sea.
We will then drive over to Atalaya, a National Historic Landmark and former winter home of park namesakes, Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington. But before heading inside, we will take a stroll down its driveway to look for abundant wildlife (including alligators and waterfowl) in Mallard Pond, a freshwater wetland created in 1930 by the Huntingtons as part of their rich legacy of nature conservation. We will then conclude with a tour of their Moorish-inspired castle home which is one of the most unique pieces of architecture to be found in South Carolina.
Brookgreen Gardens: A Creek Excursion and Guided Tour of the Huntington Sculpture Garden
Leaving at 3:00 p.m. aboard the Springfield on a creek excursion, guests will pass historic rice fields, now home to alligators, waterfowl, and osprey as an interpreter points out the distinctive landscape of the rice plantations and discusses the role of enslaved Africans in the cultivation of the rice crop and the shaping of the history of the Lowcountry. The Creek Excursion lasts approximately 45 minutes. *The guide will meet the group at the boat dock after the creek excursion for the Huntington Sculpture Garden tour.
Following the boat tour, stroll the gardens with a guide who will describe the history of Brookgreen Gardens and the sculpture of Anna Hyatt Huntington and other sculptors. The tour docent will also inform attendees about some of the plant life in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Conference Agenda
Tuesday, November 8, 2022
10:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Conference Sign In (Recreation Center)
10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. SCNBTA Business & 4th Quarter Board Meeting
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch
1:30 – 2:00 p.m. Travel to Field Studies
2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Field Studies
Brookgreen Gardens
Huntington Beach State Park
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Conference Sign-In Resumes
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Networking Happy Hour
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Dinner
8:30 – 11:00 p.m. Social/Networking Mixer
6:00 – 11:00 p.m. Silent Auction
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Conference Sign-In and Continental Breakfast
9:00 – 9:15 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
Peach Morrison, SCNBTA President
Craig Culbreath, Ocean Lakes Family Campground
9:15 – 10:30 a.m. The Evolution of Digital Advertising
John Balhouse, Compass Media, Inc.
10:30 – 10:45 a.m. Break
10:45a.m.-12:00 p.m. Members: Take Advantage of Our Website’s Promotional Features
Lynn Fuhler, Flying Compass, Inc.
April Turner, SC Sea Grant Consortium
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch
12:55 p.m. Silent Auction Closes
1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Recognizing Blind Spots and Unlocking Recruitment Success: Best Practices and Tools for Equity-Minded Leaders
Cassandra D. Boyd, Ed.D. and Atiya Kai Stokes-Brown, Ph.D., Coastal Carolina University
3:00 – 3:15 p.m. Silent Auction Winners Announced
3:15 – 3:30 p.m. Conference Wrap Up
3:30 – 3:45 p.m. Silent Auction Cashier Opens
3:30 p.m. Adjourn