RMI TRAVEL UPDATES

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT!

REPORTING & DATA

RMI TRAVEL

Mathias and Lori (along with several other industry friends) attended Go West Summit in Palm Springs, California. The event is clearly a must-attend for those interested in buying and selling tourism in the western United States. Buyers and media representing 22 countries met with tourism suppliers from 24 Western U.S. States and Canadian Provinces. Over 500 attendees and 10,002 confirmed appointments over the two-day Marketplace meant for record-setting appointments. 

Evan attended the South Dakota Governor's Conference on Tourism in January. It was great to catch up with friends and meet some new ones as well! Through educational and informative sessions, one thing remains clear: The visitor economy in S.D. is very strong!

Mathias, Lori and Alyssa attended the Wyoming Governor’s Conference in January. Lori presented a breakout session on brand-building basics, loving the chance to share some insights into building a memorable brand. The team was happy to be there as Diane Shober, executive director for the Wyoming Office of Tourism, was presented with the Big Wyo award for her years of dedication to Wyoming’s Tourism Industry. Congrats and well-deserved, Diane! 

Lori and Elvira attended the Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference in Minneapolis in mid-February. What a great industry conference! Leadership, education and inspiration – all in two jam-packed days. They appreciated learning about the Minnesota tourism landscape, getting to know the local partners and spending time with a valued client.

Mathias was in our nation’s capital to attend Brand USA’s industry input session. Destinations, attractions and firms from across the country were able to engage with the new leadership at Brand USA and covered topics including the current geopolitical landscape, upcoming major national events and milestones and brainstorming for 2026. The high energy session was productive and well-received. 

• Alyssa will head to Minot, North Dakota, for the state's annual Travel Industry Conference April 28-30. She will be met by North Dakota tourism professionals and industry leaders at the State Fair Center for a few days of informational sessions, state updates and pent-up excitement for International Roundup a few days following! 
• Our team is preparing for the upcoming Great American West Summit Meeting in Rapid City, South Dakota, on May 6. This meeting is a once-a-year opportunity for over 40 GAW delegates, representatives and partners to gather in one place to discuss international trends, opportunities and plans that impact the region’s visitor economy. 

12 MONTHS OF GIVING

As we proudly mark our 35th anniversary, we are celebrating by making a conscious effort to give back to the causes that resonate deeply with our team and our community. Throughout our anniversary year, we will mark 12 months of giving – 12 opportunities to focus our attention on the local initiatives that inspire us. Each team member will spearhead a month, choosing a way to honor a project, initiative or cause they feel strongly about – through monetary donations, volunteer hours, sponsorships and more. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn, and sign up for our newsletter to see the causes we choose and how we’re giving back. 

• Alyssa kicked off the year with a heartfelt donation to Children with Hair Loss, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization devoted to providing free wigs to children and families struggling with medical-related illnesses. She donated over 9 inches of her hair, and RMI supported it with a generous monetary donation to their cause. 
• Kim selected the Wyoming Arts Alliance to receive a monetary donation for the month of February. The organization focuses its efforts on the preservation and expansion of state and local arts with the mission to advance a creative and culturally vibrant state. See why she chose it here. 
• In March, several members of the RMI team rolled up their sleeves and donated blood at our local Vitalant Blood Donation Center. Something that takes such a short amount of time can make a MASSIVE impact in your community! We will be back again!

INDUSTRY UPDATES

What do books, horoscopes and "herstory" have in common? They're all likely to influence travel in 2025! Read more about them, and the rest of Conde Nast's predicted 2025 travel trends, here.

STAFF UPDATES & ANNOUNCEMENTS

RMI is thrilled to welcome Scott Balyo (back) as our new Vice President of Marketing! Scott re-joined RMI on March 17 and will oversee and direct the Great American West marketing cooperative program.  

With over 20 years of experience in marketing, communications and leadership across a range of industries – including international destination marketing, state and local economic development, and higher education – Scott brings a wealth of expertise to this position.

As the VP of Marketing and GAW Program Director, he will be responsible for overseeing client strategy, goal-setting, market management, program execution, trade and media relations, budgeting, and overall project management for the GAW program.  

Scott holds a master’s degree in communication and leadership studies from Gonzaga University and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Taylor University. Having grown up in Michigan and Montana, Scott’s passion for tourism was sparked early on through experiences in Yellowstone National Park and his work in Mackinaw City, Michigan, a leading Midwest destination.

Scott was previously Director of Marketing at Rocky Mountain International from 2002-2007, and most recently served as Executive Director of Capital Region USA, a marketing consortium representing Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. 

Welcome back to the team, Scott! 

Lori will now wear the title of Executive VP, continuing to help RMI grow and diversify. She will continue to focus on client strategy and program development, while assisting the entire RMI team with professional development, mentoring and HR-related duties. Lori is grateful for the continued growth opportunities she has had at RMI and is excited to see what the future has in store for our amazing team!  

MISC.

Kim joined as a member of the Skål International Boise Chapter in January. Skål aims to develop friendship and common purpose between members of the tourism industry and to foster goodwill through international tourism in order to increase mutual understanding among the people of the world. In Idaho, they work with members and both state-wide and regional partners to grow and highlight the tourism industry in their own backyard.

RMI has officially been “Getting There Together” for 35 years! The company was founded in 1990 and has been honored to serve alongside dozens of national, state and community destinations and organizations. Read more about our origin story, growth and future goals here. 

BLOG POSTS

Missed the last post? Organizational Guru/RMI Business Manager Ashlie Connelly shares her top tips for starting the New Year off strong. (We know it’s March, but no judgement if you’re just getting around to reading this one!) 



Looking ahead: RMI Director of Global Programs Kim Snape will drop some knowledge on how to build a winning project strategy and stay organized like a pro.