January has a reputation problem.Too many destinations treat January like a dead zone: quiet, unimportant, or something to simply get through until spring. But that thinking quietly undermines momentum for the rest of the year.In ...

A new year or a new season doesn’t magically reset anything.Most communities walk straight into January carrying the same meetings, the same tired events, and the same frustrations they were juggling the month before. And adding more goa...

Most visitors don’t fall in love with a destination because of one big attraction.They fall in love because of how a place feels, because of how it makes them feelIn this episode of Destination Roadmapping, we’re talking abo...

Most tourism and event websites don’t fail because they’re ugly or outdated.They fail because they make people work too hard to decide.In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, we’re taking a tough-love look at what your web...

Nothing derails an event faster than discovering another organization has scheduled their big event on your exact date. Sometimes it’s innocent. Sometimes it’s political. Sometimes it’s a whole thing.In this episode of ...

It doesn’t matter how polished your event is. Every festival, tournament, parade, or downtown weekend has one thing in common: the unpredictable.From sudden storms to fainting visitors, lost kids, or full evacuations, every commun...

It’s Thanksgiving week in the States, and there’s no better time to talk about something every community thinks it’s doing well, but many are quietly struggling with: gratitude.In this episode, Vicky digs into The Gratitude Ga...

Since it's my birthday this week, I thought we should take a look at how communities do and don't celebrate THEIR birthdays. In today’s episode of Destination Roadmapping, we’re digging into why your community’s birthday is one of t...

You don’t need a convention center or a six-figure budget to compete in the meetings market.You just need to know who you’re built for — and how to prove it.In Part 2 of Can Your Small Town host Conferences and Meetings? ...

Small towns can host mighty gatherings, no convention center required. In this episode of Destination Roadmapping™, Vicky shares how rural communities can attract smaller conferences, retreats, and meetings by leaning into authenticity...

Micromanagement is fear in disguise, and it’s quietly killing your community’s creativity.In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky unpacks the truth behind overcontrol: it doesn’t protect quality, it limits capacity. Yo...

Your town doesn’t have a volunteer shortage, it has a volunteer retention problem. In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, we’re cracking open one of the most painful but fixable community event issues: the rev...

If your event or visitor experience looks good on paper but falls flat in person, it might be missing the magic ingredient — sensory design.In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky Soderberg breaks down why the most unf...

QR codes aren’t the enemy.But when they lead to broken links, cluttered homepages, or pages that make visitors pinch and zoom until they give up? That’s not innovation—that’s aggravation.In this episode of Destination Roadmapping...

Your Friday crowds are hot, Saturday is packed—and then Sunday rolls around and your festival feels like a ghost town. Vendors are cranky, visitors head home early, and the finale fizzles instead of soaring.In this episode of Destina...

Tourism isn’t a solo sport—it takes a full roster to win. In this episode, Vicky breaks down how cities, Main Street programs, chambers, and CVBs can finally stop playing tug-of-war and start acting like a team.You’ll hear why shared goa...

Your town looks great on paper, or at least on Instagram. But when visitors show up, the reality may not quite match the hype. That’s what we call Visitor Catfishing, the glossy marketing that promises more than your experience delivers....

“There’s nothing to do here.” If you’ve ever heard that line from a teen, a clerk, or even your own residents, you know how much it stings. In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky breaks down why people say it—and ...

Main Street grabs the spotlight; side streets earn the encore. This episode spills the tea on the Side Street Spillover Effect—that blink-and-decide moment when visitors either wander deeper or beeline for the car.&nbs...

Farmer’s markets aren’t just about fresh tomatoes and handmade soap—they’re the weekly habit that can breathe life back into a downtown. In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky Soderberg breaks down why markets work, the ripp...

If your “big” plan for showing off your town’s history is a shiny square on a stick, we need to talk.In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, I’m sharing five ways to turn your community’s past into a living, breathing, cash-...

Small towns love to say they want to “keep their young people.”But if your youth have never been invited to plan, lead, or create anything in your community… what exactly are you asking them to stick around for?In this ep...

Before you book the band or design the flyer, there are seven questions every event must answer if you want it to succeed. In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, I’m breaking down the planning gut-check that saves time, m...

Let’s get one thing straight: good intentions aren’t a strategy—and assumptions won’t bring results. In this episode, we’re busting four of the most stubborn myths that keep small-town tourism and events spinning their wheels.From the fa...