2026 RURAL TOURISM CONFERENCE

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Pre-Conference Tours & Reception

Monday, October 19, 2026

Optional Excursions

Two excursions are available at no cost, no limits on space, but must register

One excursion has a $40 fee and is limited to 25 people

Afternoon Excursions (October 19)

Emmett Till & Civil Rights Excursion Fee: none No Limit

1 pm departure – 4:00 pm return

Start your excursion in Greenwood, MS, at the Emmett Till statue, and begin a civil rights tour through the town. Continue on to Money, MS, where the events surrounding Emmett Till took place. Then visit Sumner, MS, to explore the Emmett Till Interpretive Center and the courthouse where the trial occurred. End your tour at the Tallahatchie River, where Emmett Till’s body was found, honoring his memory and the legacy of the civil rights movement. [see full description at the end of the conference schedule]

Wings Over the Delta – Greenwood Aviation Experience Fee: none No Limit

1 pm departure – 4:00 pm return

Begin your excursion with a behind-the-scenes tour of Aercap at the Greenwood, MS airport, where you’ll see how they meticulously break down planes for parts. Next, visit the flight tower for a panoramic view of the runway and operations. Then enjoy a private aerobatic show with Frank Kimmel in a classic vintage plane, soaring through the skies for a thrilling end to your day. [see full description at the end of the schedule]

Greenwood Sips & Bites: A Viking Culinary Adventure Fee: $40 Limit: 25

3:00 pm departure – 4:30 pm return

Enjoy a Delta experience at the Viking Cooking school with a chef from the school sharing with you how to make two delightful cocktails and delicious appetizers. The menu will include: Strawberry Whiskey Lemonade, Cucumber Sunrise, Creole Catfish Cakes, and Baked Brie with Bacon Jam.

Opening Night Reception

6:00 – 9:00 pm at The Alluvian

Conference

Episcopal Church of the Nativity, 400 Howard St, Greenwood, MS 38930

Rural Rhythms: Tourism Marketing, Revitalization, and Events That Work

Tools, partnerships, and creative strategies to attract visitors and strengthen downtowns

Day 1 - Tuesday (October 20)

Marketing, Media, and Visual Storytelling

8:45-9:00 Welcome

Ashley Farmer and Greenwood Leadership

9:00-9:45 Small Towns, Big headlines: Practical PR Strategies That Get You Noticed

Ashley Svarney, Lou Hammond Group

9:45-10:30 Pitch, Place, Publish: Strategies that Made National Headlines

Maggie Kirkland, Coastal Mississippi

Paige Hunt, Visit Starkville

Laura Beth Strickland, Visit Vicksburg

10:30-10:50 Vendor Break

10:50-11:40 Revitalize Your Downtown: Grants, Partnerships, and Strategies That Work

Thomas Gregory, Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation

11:40-11:55 Connect with Sponsors: Tools, Resources, and Opportunities

Recognizing sponsors

12:00-1:45 Turning Food into Tourism: Using Culinary Culture to Attract Visitors

Lunch Session + Networking

Senator Lydia Chassaniol, Senate Tourism Chair and host of Southern Dish on Mississippi Public Broadcasting

1:45-2:45 Lead with Impact: Turning Ideas into Action and Results

Dr. Joseph “Jody” Holland, University of Mississippi

2:45-3:05 Vendor Break

3:05-3:30 Fix the Photo, Sell the Place: Create Images That Attract Visitors

John Dersham, DeKalb Tourism

3:30-4:00 Find the Story: Discover Tourism Assets in Downtown Greenwood

Revitalization Tour & Photo Challenge

John Dersham and Lila Winfield
Identify key tourism assets
Capture and share visuals
Practice real-time storytelling
Downtown Greenwood Experience

Optional time to explore local shops and boutiques

6:00-10:00 Reception : The Riverfront

Day 2 - Wednesday (October 21)

Festivals, Revitalization, and Economic Impact

9:00-9:40      Revive, Rebuild, Fill the Streets: Lessons from the World Catfish Festival

Emily Donovan, Belzoni Humphreys Development Foundation

9:40-10:20   From Farm to Feed: Stop Posting, Start Storytelling

Stafford Shurden, Retired judge and author

Jenn Gregory, Downtown Strategies at Retail Strategies

10:20-10:40  Vendor Break

10:40-11:20  Prove Your Impact: Show the Value of Downtown Revitalization

Ben Muldrow, Arnett Muldrow and Associates

11:20-12:15  Pitch, Celebrate, and Move Forward: Ideas That Drive Tourism

Tourism Pitch Contest

Agnes Zaiontz Rural Tourism Leadership Award

Conference Evaluation & Closing

12:15        Adjourn

Full Description of Monday’s Pre Conference Tours:

Emmett Till & Civil Rights Excursion

Greenwood * Money * Sumner * Tallahatchie River

A powerful Mississippi Delta journey through history, remembrance, and reflection.

Start at the Alluvian Hotel:

Our first stop will be at the historic Emmett Till statue in downtown Greenwood. This opening stop provides context for Emmett Till’s connection to the MS Delta and the events of 1955 that became a catalyst for the modern Civil Rights Movement.

Then we will travel through historic Greenwood, one of the most important Civil Rights Movement cities in MS. Greenwood became a major organizing center during Freedom Summer and was home to key civil rights activism throughout the 1960’s.

Travel to Money, MS:

Drive through the MS Delta landscape toward the tiny community of Money, MS with a stop along the way at the famous bluesman, Robert Johnson’s, grave located at the historic Little Zion Church. In Money, we will stop at the historic site of Bryant’s Grocery and the Emmett Till Historical Marker. This was the location where Emmett Till allegedly whistled at Carolyn Bryant in August 1955- and encounter that led to his kidnapping and murder days later. The Emmett Till story became internationally known and helped galvanize the Civil Rights Movement.

Continue to Sumner, MS:

This is the home of the 1955 murder trial. Here we will visit the nationally recognized Emmett Till Interpretive Center. The center promotes racial healing and historical interpretation through exhibits, storytelling, preservation, and education.

We will then walk across the street to the historic courthouse where the all-white jury acquitted Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam after deliberating for little more than an hour. The courthouse is now part of the National Park Service monument partnership and serves as a preserved historic site.

Final Reflection at the Tallahatchie River:

We will end the excursion near the Tallahatchie River, where Emmett Till’s body was recovered in 1955.

Wings Over the Delta: Greenwood Aviation Experience

Experience the fascinating world of aviation in the heart of the Mississippi Delta with an exclusive behind the scenes excursion and thrilling aerial entertainment at the Greenwood-Leflore Airport.

We will arrive at the historic airport, originally developed from a World War ll Army Airfield, while overlooking rows of commercial aircrafts from around the world. Greenwood’s airport has become internationally known as a major aircraft dismantling and recycling facility.

Exclusive AerCap Aircraft Dismantling Tour:

The highlight is a private guided tour of AerCap Materials, where we witness the incredible process of commercial aircraft disassembly and recycling. We will walk alongside retired passenger jets and learn how skilled aviation technicians carefully strip, catalog, and repurpose thousands of aircraft components for reuse around the globe.

Inside the Control Tower:

Next, we will receive rare access to the airport’s air traffic control tower for a bird’s eye view of airport operations. We will meet aviation professionals who coordinate aircraft movements while learning about Greenwood’s role in Delta aviation history and modern aerospace logistics.

Private Aerobatic Exhibition with Frank Kimmel:

The afternoon concludes with a private aerobatic performance by Frank Kimmel, a celebrated Mississippi aviator known for his thrilling demonstrations in vintage aircraft. We will watch him do loops, rolls, low passes, and precision maneuvers in a beautifully restored vintage plane. Frank has performed not only at regional aviation events across MS, but all across the USA, and will be the featured pilot at the world-renowned airshow in Oshkosh, WI in September 2026.