Highlands County’s tourism leadership is earning statewide recognition as Tourism Director Casey Hartt and Tourism Consultant Shellie Phelps of Biggest Fish Consulting have been invited to present at a statewide Marketing Summit for Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) across Florida.
Their session, titled “From Home Town Takeover to Destination Transformation: How a Culture of Collaboration Rebuilt a Tourism Ecosystem,” will highlight how Highlands County turned national attention from HGTV’s Home Town Takeover into long-term momentum for tourism growth and community alignment.
The presentation, which will be given at Destinations Florida’s Marketing Summit in Palmetto, FL, will focus on the creation of a Regional Leadership Team, which has brought city, county, and chamber leaders together from across Highlands County to align priorities and work collaboratively to strengthen the local economy. Hartt and Phelps will share how this unified approach has helped break down long-standing barriers and has transformed community excitement into sustained regional cooperation.
Attendees from across the state will gain practical strategies on:
- Building strong partnerships across jurisdictions and organizations
- Turning short-term exposure into long-term tourism development
- Creating authentic tourism products that reflect a region’s unique story
- Leveraging collaboration to increase visitation and economic impact
The session will also spotlight Highlands County’s locally developed hospitality training program, “Everyone Matters,” a free initiative created by the Highlands County tourism team to ensure residents, businesses, and frontline staff help create a welcoming and memorable experience for visitors.
“This opportunity allows us to share Highlands County’s story and demonstrate how collaboration can truly transform a destination,” said Hartt. “What started as a moment in the national TV spotlight has evolved into a long-term strategy for growing tourism in a way that benefits our entire community.”
By presenting at the summit, Highlands County joins a select group of destinations recognized for innovative approaches to tourism development and regional collaboration.
For more information about Visit Sebring and tourism initiatives in Highlands County, visit www.VisitSebring.com.Media Contact:
Casey Hartt, Visit Sebring – Highlands County Tourist Development Council
