Events Jersey hosted the Digital Tourism Think Tank Campus to Jersey in autumn 2018. The Digital Tourism Think Tank provides leadership to the tourism industry in digital marketing best practice.
The event welcomed prestigious speakers from the world’s leading tourism destinations, coming to see the work undertaken in Jersey and coming to share their own approaches. These included Visit California, Cape Town Tourism, Singapore Tourism Board, as well as Paris Tourism, Visit Oslo and Switzerland Tourism.
Powered by JT’s full-fibre network, the event which took place at the iconic Victorian Lido, welcomed over 120 tourism marketing delegates from across the globe to explore, create, learn and apply the latest marketing trends. Every workshop was individually crafted and led by creative ambassadors to showcase the unique diversity of Jersey’s landscapes.
From exploring Jersey’s oyster beds to foraging on Jersey’s coastline, discovering Jersey’s farm story to capturing Jersey’s surf story and abseiling down Mont Orgueil; delegates discovered the island break, and then shared their experiences using the latest digital marketing techniques.
At Digital Tourism Think Tank, we’re very selective in choosing our host destinations for Campus, now in its third year after successfully launching on the Faroe Islands in 2012. We sought a destination which could be used as a canvas to test and experiment with new ideas, explore current and future content trends to their full potential and create an inspiring backdrop which works as a catalyst for creativity out of the office, with world-class connectivity.
Campus is unlike any other event, which is both a challenge and an opportunity. On the one hand, the format requires a space where international keynote speakers can set the scene, whilst on the other, it requires a completely bespoke approach to looking at the content and product opportunities which lie just beneath the surface, upon which workshops are designed. Over the two-day programme, the event explored the destination experience with keynotes led by hand-picked industry experts. Working in partnership with the Events Jersey team, 13 workshops were coordinated across 13 locations. We were fortunate to receive strong and creative support from a dynamic range of local businesses, each of whom committed their time and support for the project, recognising the content, skill and strategic value of the opportunity.
From the bespoke experiences, to transportation across workshops and catering celebrating local provenance, Jersey demonstrated why it is the island venue. As a destination famous for its food, Jersey showcased it fresh flavour with abundant local produce, from rich creamy milk to seafood straight from the island’s clear waters. Picnics fuelled with Genuine Jersey produce to the oyster shucking station, added an authentic local flavour to Campus and invited delegates to discover the pride and passion of the island’s local ambassadors.
Jersey gave the Campus delegates a warm welcome, giving them a break from their hectic lives, many of whom had never visited an island before. They returned home inspired both professionally and personally, feeling refreshed and revitalised, reconnected and rejuvenated with lasting memories.