Sep 9, 2026
AI-Ready Destinations: How New York DMOs Are Winning the New Era of AI Search
Join us Thursday afternoon during the One-on-One Sessions at the 2026 New York State Tourism Excellence Summit in Corning, where Kathleen Blan, Account Executive with ITI Digital, for a look at how New York destinations are already using automation and AI-optimized schema markup to keep their events and business listings visible, accurate, and AI-discoverable, without adding to staff workload.
Why You Should Attend This Session:
- The shift from traditional search to AI-driven travel discovery, and what it means for DMO websites
- How ITI Digital's Digital Experience Platform (DXP) automates events, business listings, and trip-planning content for 200+ destinations nationwide, including nearly 20 across New York State. Real case studies from other DMOs — showing measurable engagement gains from automation.
- A walkthrough of ITI Digital's new AI Visibility enhancement: structured schema markup and JSON-LD data built into the Events Calendar and Smart Business Listings modules
Key Takeaways:
- Practical takeaways New York DMOs can apply now to stay visible as AI reshapes how travelers plan trips
- Access to a Free AI Visibility report showcasing strengths and opportunities for your DMO website
About Kathleen:
Kathleen Blan brings five years of experience at ITI Digital and currently serves as an Account Executive, expanding the company's client base nationwide. She connects destination marketing organizations, Chambers of Commerce, and economic development offices with ITI Digital's Digital Experience Platform (DXP) — technology used by 200+ destinations nationwide, including 20 across New York State, to automate events, business listings, and AI-ready content. Through this work, Kathleen has developed deep familiarity with how DMOs are navigating the shift toward AI-powered travel discovery, including ITI Digital's new AI Visibility enhancement for its Events and Business Listings modules. Previously, she was a Sales and Marketing Representative at Techtronic Industries, managing multiple power tool brands across four Home Depot locations. Kathleen holds a Bachelor's degree in Marketing from Louisiana State University and lives in Mobile, Alabama, with her family and dog.
About ITI Digital:
For over 30 years, ITI Digital has delivered what matters most—a destination’s website content. Their platform automates the delivery of real-time, relevant information while giving destinations' teams complete editorial control. Unlike others offering standalone tools, their Digital Experience Platform works alongside existing CMS systems to power dynamic, branded content at scale. Their AI-driven and Automated Events Calendar, Smart Business Listings, and several AI Travel Planning tools eliminate the burden of manual updates and transform static tourism websites into interactive digital infrastructures supporting strategic goals.