Feb. 5, 2025

This paid piece is sponsored by Experience Sioux Falls.

Fresh off the recent news from Travel South Dakota that the state welcomed a record 14.9 million visitors in 2024, destination marketing organizations throughout South Dakota like Experience Sioux Falls are poised to capitalize on that momentum this year by inviting both new and repeat visitors to come discover something new in our great state.

The mission of ESF is to market Sioux Falls as a one-of-kind destination to potential travelers, which not only includes leisure travelers such as those seeking a weekend family getaway but also the business travel markets that host conferences and tradeshows.

One way that ESF approaches the business travel markets is by attending trade shows that are focused on pairing professional planners with destination representatives to find suitable matches.

The ESF sales team is hitting the road to attend the first of many times trade shows this year to sell Sioux Falls as a destination to planners from around the country who are looking to find a city that fits their wants and needs.

A typical show involves a member of the ESF sales team meeting with planners, often in pre-set, one-on-one appointments, where they can hear from the planner about what they are looking for in terms of event space and hotel needs. ESF can showcase the various facilities and properties that may be of interest, along with the attractions, activities and everything else that makes Sioux Falls a great destination.

“These appointment-based shows can be thought of similar to speed dating,” ESF director of sales Allyson Kasch said.

“Each appointment only lasts about five minutes, and then everybody moves to their next appointment, so the goal of these shows isn’t necessarily to book an event on the spot but rather garner some interest, and then in the weeks that follow, we can talk further with the planner to see if Sioux Falls is a good match for their event.”

This year, ESF will be at three shows dedicated to the sports market, four shows in the travel trade and group tour markets, and four shows that are dedicated only to planners of meetings and conventions, including one that is solely for organizations with faith and religious events.

“In this industry, planners are very rarely looking to get their event booked for later in the year or even next year. They had 2026 booked awhile ago, so we’re working with them to land their event in 2027, 2028 or 2029,” ESF CEO Teri Schmidt said.

“We have been going to some of these shows every year to make sure Sioux Falls is always on the radar of those planners. It’s about getting in front of those folks ahead of time and establishing a relationship with them that can grow over time and hopefully lead to repeat business for years to come.”

While ESF is always looking to land the next big event like National PheasantFest & Quail Classic, which set an attendance record in Sioux Falls in 2024, the sales team is eager to work with groups of any size to help bring events to the city.

Think about the industry you work in or your personal interests and hobbies. Are you part of an association or a group that has yearly or quarterly meetings and conferences outside of Sioux Falls?

If so, let ESF know.

“We would love to try to bring them to Sioux Falls” Kasch said. “Just give us the name of the group, and we will do all the work.”

Do you have a lead for the ESF sales team? Get in touch with them.