Cultural Tourism Professionals Enjoy the Flagler Museum’s Grandeur

November 24, 2008

It was a breezy November evening as attendees of the 10th Annual Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance Conference strolled throughout the Flagler Museum, its outside patio and the Kenan Pavilion for the conference’s opening reception.

Guests enjoyed hors d'oeuvres, drinks and the Intracoastal view while listening to the Pantastics play steel drums. The conference attendees, some who traveled from Hawaii and Canada, were excited about the Gilded Age grandeur of Whitehall and the dynamic conference they were attending. Welcoming the crowd to Palm Beach County and the conference were Bill Nix, Palm Beach County Cultural Council Vice President Marketing and Government Affairs, Jorge Pesquera, Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO, Katharine Dickenson, Florida Arts Council member and Kerri Post Visit Florida Vice President of Industry Relations.

All the downstairs rooms in the Flagler Museum were open for guests to enjoy and docents explained details in each space. Guests were also encouraged to visit the Kenan Pavilion where they could tour Henry Flagler’s private railcar #91.

The Flagler Museum’s rich history was a great setting to kickoff the Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance Conference. The conference helps organizations and individuals keep current with tourism trends, build strategies and aid in creating, marketing or managing cultural and heritage tourism destinations and programs.

Conference participants enjoyed dynamic keynote addresses and workshops conducted by 27 regional and nationally recognized authorities. Away from the panels and workshops, conference attendees experienced exciting Palm Beach County cultural tourism stops such as the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Jupiter Lighthouse, Old School Square, Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens and the American Orchid Society headquarters.

“The conference was great, including expert presenters, valuable networking and open discussions on current issues,” says Bill Nix. “The fact that it was held in the beautiful surroundings of Palm Beach County was a definite bonus.”

The 10th Annual Cultural & Heritage Tourism Alliance Conference was hosted by the Cultural Council, in partnership with the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Visit Florida.