Tourism Marketing Speaker, Patrick King

Patrick King

A Fresh Perspective on Destination Marketing

Patrick King, branding and marketing expert and president of Virginia-based Imagine, has dedicated his career to helping destinations strengthen their visibility, reputation, and resilience. Working closely with his team, he stays involved in client projects, keeping his insight current and relevant in today’s accelerating world.

Speaking on topics ranging from destination management and strategy to current and upcoming digital marketing trends, Patrick’s presentations deliver insight through warmth, simplicity, and interaction.

Patrick is the author of The DMO Pocket Guide: Tips for Navigating the Wild & Crazy World of Destination Marketing (available here) and is a Past President of the American Marketing Association‘s chapter in Washington, DC. He frequently contributes to the growing digital marketing community through articles, webinars, podcasts, videos, and more.

Popular Topics Include

Brand Strategy
Web Development
Destination Marketing
Marketing Research
Digital Strategy

Igniting Creativity
Community Engagement
Economic Development
Full Funnel Marketing
Visitor Experience

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“Patrick's refreshing energy, endless creativity, and quick response have made it an absolute pleasure to work with him, and his speaking ability is unparalleled. We would love to clone him!”
Maria-Christina KolodziejDirector, LEWIS PR division for Comcast Business

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"Patrick shared his personal journey in a humorous way that not only inspired his audience to reach for their dream, but showed them how to achieve it.”
Stacy BarrettPresident-Elect, SMPS Philadelphia Chapter

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"Patrick King reminded us of our need to go beyond setting goals for ourselves, but to dream big and make it real and vivid. Dreaming will push you forward and beyond the horizon to places your cannot see.”
Tom Townes AIA, FSMPS, CPSMDirector of Business Development, SMPS

Commonly Requested Talks

“Shiny Objects: Tech You Need and Tech You Don’t”
There seems to be no limit to the tech a DMO has at their disposal that could *possibly* be a game-changer. The truth is that most tech is an absolute waste of time and money. In this talk, Patrick shows the principles of how to determine the technology to keep versus what to ignore.

“In Defense of Visitor Centers”
The combination of tech empowering travelers to be their own tour guides, and the economy making visitor centers harder to keep open, have made some question whether or not visitor centers have a place in small destination marketing. In this talk, Patrick defends the use of visitor centers and shows how they can become a beacon for both tourists and the community.

“Navigating the Destination Life Cycle”
Every city, town, state, country, etc. is on the destination life cycle. Some spots are good, some are terrible. This talk will show DMOs where they currently stand, informing the choices they make to progress and maintain visitor growth, community support, and business attraction.

“The Science of Creativity”
Many think that creativity is something for a select few, that some people are “just born with it”. The stories of some of history’s most creative minds all point to the contrary. In a 30-minute presentation, Patrick King will explain what made these people exceptional at their work, the science behind it, and how anyone can replicate the process to make it work for them.

Other talks include:

“The Shift from Social Media to Recommendation Media”

“Tribal Thinking: Your Culture’s Impact on Community Development”

“SEO and Google Analytics: What DMOs REALLY Need to Know”

“Training Tourism Partners, Your Marketing Support System”

Pricing/Availability

Patrick’s speaking fee ranges from $2,750 to $3,750 per session, plus travel expenses. The cost depends on the specific situation, including the topic(s), date, location, and presentation length. Let us know what you’d like Patrick to cover and we will gladly provide a free estimate, including travel costs from the Washington, DC area.

Are you planning a local conference? Patrick will often waive speaking fees when presenting to smaller events.

To help reduce your costs and can handle the technology logistics, Patrick is open to presenting virtually via Zoom/Teams/videoconference or pre-recorded presentations.

Although sometimes available with less advance notice, Patrick typically books 2-3 months in advance.

Interested in learning more? Contact Patrick to learn how having him as a tourism marketing speaker can enlighten, entertain and inspire your audience.