MISSISSIPPI STATE – Small business owners and tourism professionals can learn how to translate tourism into dollars from expert speakers at an upcoming conference.

The Miss-Lou Tourism Summit will be Feb. 25-27 at the Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, La.

“This year’s event focus is marketing and public relations, with an emphasis on establishing unique relationships and trying different approaches to capitalizing on tourism,” said Rachael Carter, an Extension economic development specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Center for Government and Community Development.

“Whether it’s capitalizing on music events or ways to bring hikers and bikers off the Natchez Trace and into town to spend money, this year’s event has a variety of innovative strategies for regional business owners,” she said.

Highlights of the conference include presentations by

• National Main Street Award winners Margaret Miller and Cynthia Sutton with the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce,
• Luther Brown of Delta State University and Charly Abraham of the Delta Music Institute,
• Amy Robertson, PR officer with the Kisatchie National Forest Heritage Area, and
• Jamie Fox-Smith with Country Roads Magazine.

Conference fees are $75 per day or $105 for the entire conference. Attendees can call Carter at 662-325-8329 to register.

The deadline to register is Feb. 21. Cancellations must be made in writing or by email by Feb. 15 to receive a refund. The program is hosted by the MSU Extension Service and the Miss-Lou Rural Tourism Association. The Avoyelles Tourism Commission, the Marksville Chamber of Commerce, the Paragon Resort and Casino, and the Vernon Parish Tourism Commission are sponsoring the event.