Agenda

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Monday, February 9, 2026

9:00 am – 5:30 pm | Registration Open
Location: Grand Ballroom Prefunction Area

 

9:30 am – 11:30 am | Ancillary Meeting
Location: Myrtle Beach Convention Center room 202 (second floor up the escalator)
South Carolina Travel & Tourism Coalition Meeting

This meeting is for current/active members of the South Carolina Travel & Tourism Coalition.

 

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm| General Session | Welcome & SCPRT Update
Duane Parrish, Director of SCPRT
Location: Grand Ballroom

 

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm | General Session |
Location: Grand Ballroom

 

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm | Workshop
Location: Grand Ballroom

 

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Host City Reception
Location: The Hangout at Broadway at the Beach

 Visit Myrtle Beach welcomes attendees to The Hangout for a relaxed and memorable Host City Reception featuring a classic seafood boil and a variety of coastal-inspired dishes. Enjoy lively music from a featured DJ, beach-themed cocktails, and entertainment including fire dancers and interactive arcade games. Attendees can also take a ride on the carousel and experience the vibrant energy that defines the Myrtle Beach community.

Tuesday, February 10, 2026

**On Tuesday, help us all celebrate South Carolina’s 250th by wearing your best red, white, & blue! We will have a Revolutionary War-themed break and a Revolutionary War Tourism breakout session.

8:00 am – 4:30 pm | Registration Open
Location: Grand Ballroom Prefunction Area

8:00 am – 9:30 am | Breakfast
Location: Grand Ballroom Prefunction Area

Enjoy a continental breakfast before any morning events you may have planned.

 

Choose Your Morning Experience

GovCon 2026 offers a selection of optional morning activities designed to showcase the best of Myrtle Beach - from its golf heritage to its cultural history and coastal charm. Whether you participate in Myrtle Beach’s History Tour, golf, the Beach Bash, or choose to spend your morning networking and independently enjoying Myrtle Beach, you are sure to find something that fits your interests!

 Option 1: Golf at Pine Lakes Country Club

Tee Times Begin: 8:00 AM
Rate: $59 + tax
Reservations: Call (843) 315-7700 and ask for Kurtis or Christian. Mention the SC Governor’s Conference on Tourism & Travel to receive the discounted rate.

This year, the Governor’s Conference will not be offering an organized golf outing.  If you are interested in playing golf, the Governor’s Conference has arranged a special rate at Pine Lakes Country Club for Tuesday, February 10th.  Players will make their own reservations by calling the course directly. Golf will be played independently without oversight from the Governor’s Conference. 

Affectionately known as “The Granddaddy,” Pine Lakes is Myrtle Beach’s oldest and most celebrated golf course, approaching its 100th anniversary in 2027. Just minutes from the host hotel, the course offers a timeless layout and a memorable round for players of all skill levels.

Option 2: Myrtle Beach History Tour
Time: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Join local historians Kathryn Hedgepath and Matthias Grissett for a guided journey through Myrtle Beach’s past. Visit key sites including Warbird Park, Charlie’s Place, and the Myrtle Beach Historic Colored School, and learn about the people and events that helped shape the Grand Strand’s unique cultural identity.
*This tour has a limited number of spots and must be registered for when you register for the conference.

Option 3: “United We Sand” Beach Bash
Time: 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Location: Atrium, Myrtle Beach Convention Center

Celebrate the spirit of Myrtle Beach with a lively, beach-inspired brunch event. Enjoy interactive entertainment including caricature and henna artists, games, photo opportunities, and shag dance lessons. Sample local food truck favorites and enjoy creative offerings from the Bloody Mary and Mimosa Bars. This casual gathering offers the perfect opportunity to relax, connect, and enjoy the coastal ambiance of GovCon 2026.

 

1:00 pm – 2:15 pm| General Session | Attracting & Retaining the Next Greatest Generation
Kristin Scroggin, genWHY.com
Location: Grand Ballroom
Amid The Great Resignation (or the epic Reshuffle, if you prefer a more dynamic term), the stakes for attracting and retaining talent have reached new heights. Join us for a riveting presentation where we spill the beans on our top-notch strategies for interviewing, onboarding, and empowering Millennials and GenZs, making them not just stay but genuinely WANT to be part of your organization. Discover the art of assessing "THE TWO T's" (Teachable and Tolerable) through insightful questions, ensuring your team comprises individuals with the right mindset. We'll guide you along the Roadmap to Retaining Rockstars, ensuring you're equipped to conquer the challenges of retention in today's dynamic workforce. Trust us; you won't want to miss this game-changing session!

 

2:15-2:45 pm | Break | Remembering the Revolutionary War
Location: Ballroom Pre function Area
Use this break time to enjoy some snacks and drinks while exploring the SC250th booth and our friends from colonial times that you may see in the break area. You can also spend this time visiting with our many vendors or shopping at our SC State Parks Store.

 

2:45 – 3:45 pm | Breakout Sessions

 

Breakout Session 1 | Continuing the Conversation
Kristin Scroggin, genWHY.com
Location: TBD

 

Breakout Session 2 | Sports Tourism Session
Location: TBD

 

3:45 – 4:15 pm | Break
Location: Ballroom Pre function Area
Please use this time to grab a snack, visit our wonderful vendors and stop by our SC State Parks Store.

 

4:15 – 5:15 pm | Breakout Sessions

 

Breakout Session 1 | Leveraging America 250th to Drive Tourism, Storytelling, and Community Growth


Darley Newman and Panel
Location: TBD
As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of independence, South Carolina’s destinations have a unique opportunity to inspire travelers through their Revolutionary War heritage, vibrant culture, and authentic local stories.

In this engaging panel, Travels with Darley host Darley Newman leads a discussion with tourism leaders from across the state on how the America 250th commemoration can be leveraged to build community pride, drive visitation, and strengthen collaboration.

Panelists will share insights on heritage tourism initiatives, successful partnerships, and creative storytelling strategies that connect historic assets with modern travel experiences—from Charleston and Camden to the Old 96 District and beyond.

Attendees will learn actionable approaches for using content, media, and collaboration to amplify their destination’s visibility leading up to and beyond 2026.

 

 

Breakout Session 2 | Destination Discourse LIVE: Are You Ready For What's Coming?
Stuart Butler, Visit Myrtle Beach and Adam Stoker, Brand Revolt
Location: TBD
Let’s be honest, it’s a weird time to be in the tourism industry. Expectations are rising, consumer behavior is evolving, and technology is moving faster than we can keep up. Whether you’re running a destination, an attraction, a hotel, or a tour company, it often feels like we’re all just trying to hold it together with optimism and duct tape.

 In this live, interactive session, Stuart Butler from Visit Myrtle Beach and Adam Stoker from Brand Revolt will bring their Destination Discourse podcast format to the stage for a candid conversation about what’s really on people’s minds. We’ll start by asking the audience to vote on a series of questions. What’s stressing you out? What’s shifting in your community? What do you wish someone would just say out loud already?

 Then we’ll open it up. You’ll hear how others are navigating the same issues, share what’s working for you, and maybe even laugh a little in the process. No PowerPoints, no pressure, just a chance to be real about where we are and where we go from here. 

Key Takeaways

  • Identify the top challenges facing South Carolina’s tourism professionals today
  • Participate in live audience polling to guide the conversation in real time
  • Hear practical, no-spin responses from peers who are in the trenches too
  • Leave with fresh ideas, a little perspective, and maybe even a sense of relief that you’re not alone

 This session is built around audience participation. We’ll open with a short series of polling questions to get the room talking. The top-voted topics will shape the rest of the conversation. Adam and Stuart will guide the flow, but the audience is the real panel. The vibe is relaxed, honest, and welcoming - think town hall meets podcast meets therapy session.

 If you're looking for a session that’s practical, energizing, and unafraid to call things what they are, this is it.

 

6:30 – 8:30 pm | Industry Awards Dinner
Location: Grand Ballroom
Join us as we celebrate an amazing year in South Carolina Tourism. We will enjoy dinner, music and great company while we show off your accomplishments from the year, and hand out a few awards. Bring your checkbooks, because there will be a live auction for some incredible prizes.