CMO JAM 2026, Part 2 – How 6 DMOs Prove Value Beyond Website Traffic

Website traffic is down year over year at almost every destination Adam Stoker talks to, yet most DMOs still use clicks to prove their value to stakeholders. Six DMO marketing leaders show what they’re building instead. Christian Mengel of the St. Joseph CVB argues the goal is significance, not relevance, and Kelli Steele of Putnam County Tourism calls website metrics a vanity metric. Allison Brown of Discover Long Island runs quarterly immersions across 126 towns and gives every chamber a free partnership, and Karina Anthony of Visit Atlantic City gives community development groups free space on its site. Joshua Albrecht of Visit Milwaukee makes the case for cathedral thinking: tourism is the outcome, culture is the strategy. Megan Buchbinder of Wilmington and Beaches weighs a 10-year master plan against a three-year one, and Adam argues residents deserve the same campaign DMOs build for visitors.

Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠!

The ⁠⁠⁠⁠Destination Marketing Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Destination Marketing Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠. It is hosted by Adam Stoker and produced by Brand Revolt. If you are interested in any of Brand Revolt’s services, please email ⁠⁠⁠⁠adam@thebrandrevolt.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ or visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thebrandrevolt.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.

To learn more about the Destination Marketing Podcast network and to listen to our other shows, please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thedmpn.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you are interested in joining the network, please email ⁠⁠⁠⁠adam@thebrandrevolt.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.