More than 150 tourism leaders from around the state will come to Clarksville for the annual Indiana Tourism Conference, thanks to the successful bid proposal from the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center and the Clark-Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau. The Indiana Tourism Association (ITA) officially announced its pick for the annual tourism conference on Wednesday, Nov. 16.

The conference will be held March 5-7, 2018. The Clark-Floyd Counties Convention & Tourism Bureau, the destination marketing organization (DMO) for Clark and Floyd Counties in Southern Indiana (SoIN), will be the host destination.

The three-day conference gathers tourism leaders from around the state for networking and educational sessions. The 2017 Indiana Tourism Conference will be at Purdue University in West Lafayette.

“Though the conference’s focus is to help professionals improve how they promote their own destinations, the attendees are first and foremost passionate about travel,” said Kate Kane, director of sales for the CTB. “We’re excited to host them and showcase our area. It will be SoIN’s time to shine.”

ITA requested bids for the conference in August 2016. Eight locations from around the state submitted proposals for the 2018 conference. The Clark-Floyd Counties CTB collaborated on the proposal with Becky Fulkerson of the Clarion Hotel.

Clarion Hotel and the Clark-Floyd Counties CTB went above and beyond expectations by committing to additional sponsorship dollars and providing unique entertainment and venues for the opening reception,” said Carrie Lambert, Executive Director of the ITA.

The impact of tourism continues to grow in the region. In Clark and Floyd Counties, the tourism industry employed more than 4,600 people in 2014. That makes tourism the sixth largest industry in the two-county region. Travelers to the area spent more than $265 million in 2014, and studies show the state brings in $10.7 billion.

The Indiana Tourism Association’s mission is advocating the value of tourism in Indiana and supporting the best practices of its members. Established in 1980, the association partners with the Indiana Office of Tourism Development, Association of Indiana Restaurant and Lodging and other statewide associations to support tourism investment and promotion as an economic contributor to the state.

For more information on the conference and the Indiana Tourism Association, visit www.IndianaTourismAssociation.com