AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center in Austin, Texas

If you are passionate about seeking out, saving, and leveraging these places and the stories they tell about your community, the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, Texas Heritage Trail regions, and THC invite you to join us in Austin for REAL PLACES 2016 — a conference focused on the growing market for heritage tourism.
Featured speakers include destination business specialist Jon Schallert; Texas food historian and writer Robb Walsh; and Texas travel explorer Chet Garner, seen on the airwaves and in the pages of Texas Highways as The Daytripper.
Together, these thought leaders will share the knowledge and tools your community needs to take its share of the Texas travel bounty.
At REAL PLACES 2016 you will:
- Network with County Historical Commissions, Main Street programs, local governments, chambers of commerce, convention and visitor bureaus, preservation organizations, historic sites, and travel industry experts
- Learn best practice strategies to promote and increase visitation to your community's historic places.
- Position your community or historic site as a unique travel experience for families, retirees, and millennials
- Empower front line hospitality representatives as local history experts
- Satisfy travelers’ hunger for legendary culinary experiences
- Refresh stale tours and create robust visitor experiences
- Protect historic courthouses at the heart of many Texas communities