This week, we sat down with Adam Stoker, President/CEO of Brand Revolt, to learn more about DMO Jam.

We’ve seen a massive demand for a space where destination leaders can collaborate on the industry’s biggest challenges. DMO Jam is the model: a year-round mastermind community built specifically for destination marketers to connect, examine problems, and share strategic solutions.

Q: First of all, where did the idea of DMO Jam come from? We understand there was a CMO Jam last year that was so effective that it led to a second one—and now this. Can you tell us more about “the room where it happened”?

A: The idea for DMO Jam came from my friend, Scott Peacock from Visit NC. He sent me a message on LinkedIn asking when I was going to create the non-conference conference where people could actually have meaningful discussions that help push each other forward. I redacted his info and shared his request on LinkedIn, asking if anyone else would like to see something like this. The response was incredible.

At that point, I had to build it. We did CMO Jam last year live, in person the day before ESTO in Phoenix. That day was fantastic and the feedback was excellent. This year, we did if virtually and had a similar response. Each time, I had more people who wanted to participate than seats for people. I realized this was something that should happen all year long, not just once per year.

Q: OK, so it’s a place where CMOs of DMOs can gather to talk openly to peers from other DMOs about the specific issues they face in that role. And that could grow into other rooms dedicated to CEOs, or CIOs, or CSOs, correct?

A: We’re planning on building cohorts of people with similar roles and situations so we can provide value in the group discussion. As of now, we’re building a CEO/Executive Director Cohort, a Marketing Leadership Cohort, a Destination Technology Professionals Cohort, and a Sales Cohort. I’m sure there will be evolution from there.

Q: Do you think conversations in rooms like these could actually accelerate the pace of change and innovation, moving the industry forward faster? And if so, why is this so important right now?

A: These conversations are great because they give people permission to get out of the sea of sameness. If you hear more examples of the courageous risk taking that’s happening at other DMOs, you feel more license to try things yourself. More importantly, you can learn from the mistakes and failures of others. Peer learning is the very best way to learn. There’s also going to be a library of content that derives from each session, compounding the value of each session.

Q: How can a person get involved?

A: People can sign up at dmojam.thebrandrevolt.com and apply to be a participant. We’re being careful to get the right people in the room, so an application process is necessary for placement in a cohort and access to the group.