This past weekend, I attended the Northwest Travel Writers conference put on by Northwest Travel and Life Magazine in Vancouver, Washington. It was an incredible experience to put writers’ and editors’ names to faces, and learn about the ever-evolving world of travel journalism.

The Travel and Words conference truly felt like a community of people wanting to learn from each other, work together, and explore every corner of the PNW. I spoke with marketing directors from destinations all over the Northwest, and representing a client like Wenatchee Chamber of Commerce, it was helpful to make those connections and make note of how they draw people to their respective cities.

On the other hand, it was really important to me to develop relationships with the media I’ve been working with since I started at Parsons + Co. It’s one thing to exchange emails for months, but another to have a beer with a writer and get to know them on a personal level. Moving forward, it will be so nice to communicate about our clients with these writers in a more authentic and targeted way.

Not only were connections made, but insights were explored. Folio Magazine’s Content Director Caysey Welton made an important statement that I think applied to everyone at the conference: “Always think about your mission before going into any project.”

I visited a new city and represented Parsons + Co. at Travel and Words this year and can’t wait to expand my marketing and communications knowledge at the next conference!

-Hannah