Edward Harris, Visit Williamsburg on Tourism, Sneakers, and America's 250th

As America prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, few destinations are more central to the story than Williamsburg, Virginia.

In this episode of Business Class, Learn Tourism's Stephen Ekstrom sits down with Edward Harris, President & CEO of Visit Williamsburg, to discuss leading a destination through a once-in-a-generation moment while preparing for what comes next.

Edward shares his unconventional journey from global brands like Converse, Timberland, Under Armour, and eBay into destination leadership, revealing how lessons from the highly competitive consumer products world continue to shape his approach to tourism marketing today.

Together, they explore the importance of collaboration, the courage required to test new ideas, the challenge of evolving a destination beyond a single identity, and why the future of Williamsburg may be just as exciting as its past.

Whether you're a destination leader, marketer, or aspiring tourism professional, this conversation offers valuable lessons about innovation, storytelling, and creating momentum that lasts long after the spotlight fades.

Business Class is brought to you by Learn Tourism, the nonprofit academy - harnessing the power of science, business psychology and adult education to advance the tourism industry and build sustainable economies. Learn how to engage your community, win over stakeholders and get more visitors at learntourism.org. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

How's it going, Steven? I am of the light. How are you? Not bad. Not bad. A lot going on, but I can only imagine you've got to have a lot going on, not only this time of year, but this year in particular.

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Yeah, the 250th birthday, once in a generation moment for Americans. And we like to say that here in the historic triangle of Virginia is where America's journey begins. Between the Jamestown first settlement, the revolutionary think tank of Williamsburg, and the Yorktown victory, the battle where we won our independence. This is where it all really starts. And so we are seeing an uptick in visitation, which is great already. We've had the Today Show from NBC come to town and do their show with Al Roker and Dylan Dreyer, excuse me. And it's been awesome. We've got PBS lined up to broadcast nationally on 4th of July for the first time in decades. They won't be in DC. They will be in Williamsburg. So we've just had a really good run. And there's lots of events popping up, special projects. It's been a big year already. My name's Edward Harris, and I am the president and CEO of Visit Williamsburg, Virginia. So you've been with the destination for just over two years. That's right. Yeah, this month actually is the start of my third year here in Williamsburg.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

What are you most proud of?

SPEAKER_01 1:41

I guess just the team here. We've added a few new positions, but we've all kind of rallied together to seize the moment of this year. And I'm proud of all the new agency partners we've onboarded to refresh the story. I'm proud of the new platform that we came up with from an advertising standpoint that we rolled out last summer, actually, which was a refresh from life at your pace, which was pretty strong coming out of the pandemic, but we were ready to introduce something new for the 250th year. And that new platform is where America's journey begins. And so it was a new platform for us, something we felt we could own given what's happened here. And the response has been great. We've really focused more so than recent years on all the great history here, as well as Bush Gardens and some of the other key attractions and things to do in this area. But for a moment like this, the 250th birthday, we wanted to just remind Americans of the importance that this destination has. So I guess I'm proud of just the team embracing a lot of new thinking, new partners that we've been working with, new events like the Today's show coming to town, just thinking outside the box. I think it does when it comes to just thinking about meeting new audiences, developing content, whether it's blogs or adding a chat bot to our homepage, which is rooted in AI, just presenting the product in new ways through AI. I think there's a lot of great work being done across destination marketing organizations or destination management organizations are embracing it more and more every season. I think AI is obviously a hot topic and an agenda topic at almost every conference on the tourism circuit. I think it's just playing with it and getting comfortable with it and seeing how it can enhance what you're doing to attract visitors. How did you end up working in the destination space? My background is in brand development for consumer product companies, specifically sneaker brands and apparel brands. Spent 15 years at the headquarters of some fun companies like Converse, Timberland, Under Armour, to name a few, eBay. And when you work in those worlds of very high levels of competition from different brands, all going after the same customer, you work with some impressive agencies and creative people, media planners, and you do a lot of research and studying the competition. And so I was in this sort of unique industry for 15 years. And then I came over to become the head of marketing at Valley Forge Tourism when I made the jump, just outside of Philadelphia, and just kind of rolled out everything that I had learned in that other world. And so, in a way, we were doing some things that maybe were new to the industry at the time, but for me were kind of it was kind of second nature. But I came into this space primarily because I at the time I was at eBay and I was at one of the regional headquarters outside of Philadelphia, and that e-commerce grind of the store online never closes, never shuts down. And it's 24-7. And when there's issues, they've got to be addressed right away. Inventory needs to be sold. You just get into this treadmill that just never turns off. And it was really a lifestyle change I needed at that point in my life. And so nonprofit tourism destination management came up on a job search I was doing one day when I was I was getting to a point where I was like, you know, maybe I'm ready to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond versus working for these giant companies. And that's ultimately what I did. I made the leap and I went from marketing sneakers and apparel to marketing experiences, which is what we do in this world. And there's a lot of parallels, even though it sounds very different. There's a lot of preparation and thinking ahead and competition and all the unique tools you can use to connect with people who want to buy your product, so to speak, or do your experience in this case.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

One of the things that I maybe harp on a little bit is the fact that there's only so much knowledge in the room. It's not until industries embrace technology best practices that are applied in other industries that is the entire room able to grow. What do you think are maybe two or three of the best transferable skills that uh people who may not yet be in tourism or maybe starting out in tourism should really focus in on if they want to get into a leadership role?

SPEAKER_01 7:46

Yeah, I think there's a couple things. I think from a leadership standpoint, it's being able to listen. Brainstorming sessions are where I've found the best ideas come from or they're built, so to speak. Somebody makes a suggestion, but then somebody else has an idea and it becomes a better idea. And bring a group of people together and they all feel part of something, magic happens. And it could be a new campaign, it could be lots of different things. But I think collaboration in this world is so important to stand out. And I would say the bravery to test new ideas, whether it's a new festival, a new itinerary, a new web page, a new website, a new, you know, it could be anything, but constantly having something baking in the oven that you're gonna introduce. I think that's what I took from every season rolling out a whole new product line of sneakers and colors and fabrics and jackets and shirts and shorts. And every three months, it's hyper competitive. And you've got to tell a whole new story that represents something. And we do that tourists. The seasons change. What's next? What could we add that doesn't exist today? Here in Williamsburg, last fall, we introduced a pancake festival on National Pancake Day because we have an unusual number of pancake houses. Within nine square miles, we have over 10 pancake houses, and we decided, you know what? Let's lean in, let's celebrate that. So trying new things, I think is so important. Having brainstorming regularly, obviously, data and measurement, everybody talks about that. That's important. But the bravery piece, I think, is something that isn't discussed enough in terms of marketing in general. Our work is put out there into the world for people to digest. Not to knock an accountant or economist or financial person, but there's a certain amount of bravery of putting something new out into the world and watching the response. When you're working side by side with sneaker designers and seeing a sketch ultimately end up on a wall in, say, Foot Locker and a group of people going up and picking it off the wall and looking at this, and you are along for that ride to see it from its initial stages. To me, that's the best part about these kind of jobs is you have ideas on a whiteboard or on a piece of paper, and they actually turn into something that's put out into the world. And you can do that over and over again. And to me, that's why I think I'll stay in this world forever, is because to me, that gets me juiced.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

One of the things I love most about working in this industry is the opportunity that I have to chat with people who are experiencing it. Tell me about a time when you ran into a visitor in Williamsburg that helped shape your vision for the destination.

SPEAKER_01 11:12

I think it's happened more than once where if you get a chance to visit a place like Williamsburg and just walk around the colonial streets, it's like being in a time machine. Interpreters and reenactors are walking up to you in character, and you really start to feel like you're walking down a street in 1776. And sometimes people forget that although that is probably the number one reason people like to visit this area, there's Bush Gardens a couple miles away that is a completely different experience. You want to talk about an adrenaline rush on, I think they have 12 roller coasters now, versus sort of the calm, beautiful Williamsburg vibe you get walking around the colonial streets. And I think people wonder, you know, what else is there to do here? And that's something as marketers, I think you'll see from our team as we emerge out of the 250th celebration, is you'll see us turn the volume up on things like Bush Gardens and places like Great Wolf Lodge and Water Country and our awesome breweries and restaurants and pancake houses and golf courses and water sports and so much more stuff that I think most people are familiar with. So I guess in summary, people say, you know, what else is there to do here? The history here is incredible, but if I'm not really into that, what else can I do? And so that has me thinking every day about how are we gonna take that next step once we get through all the celebratory stuff coming up for the big 250th birthday and really leverage that.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

It's a comeback story. And you've been here for the 250th. Here are reasons to come back. Great way to say it. I was in Williamsburg just a couple months ago. Really? I was. I'm a digital nomad. So what you see behind me is actually the inside of my motorcoach. No way. I'm parked on the shore of Flathead Lake outside of Gablacier National Park today. But we were in Virginia and we made time to visit Williamsburg and to experience quite a bit of what the community had to offer. I am a pancake aficionado. Are you really? Oh, we went out for pancakes for dinner the other day.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

Oh, that's great.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

It's an issue. What's something about the destination that you learned once you were living there that may surprise others?

SPEAKER_01 13:58

I knew a decent amount about Williamsburg because growing up in Pennsylvania, about five, six hours away north from here, the school I went to for middle school had a school trip to Williamsburg. And it was actually an overnight trip. So I had lots of good memories from that trip, that first trip of kind of getting away with people my own age, away from mom and dad, even though it was a school trip. And I'll be honest, I just remember how much fun I had. I forgot a lot about the history of the words. But that feeling of just discovery and heritage of where we came from was just really interesting to me. So so on that school trip, you know, you're here, you experience Williamsburg. If you're lucky, you also get to get over to Jamestown and Yorktown. But what it you don't realize, I don't think, on your initial visit, is just the geographic location of being part of the Virginia Peninsula and the amount of water sports. And whether it's kayaking or going out on a historical schooner or jet skiing, all the stuff that can be done on the water here. I think the average person doesn't know that. I think we'll talk more about that going forward. That's definitely one thing that I've learned since being here. Like lots of people have boats here. That's just something I never really thought about before I moved here. What's something I didn't ask that you wish I did? That is an excellent question. I guess some of the challenges really of a destination like this is there's actually a lot of things to do here, and you can only focus on so much of that story. And the DNA of this region is really about early American history. I mean, that's what makes the historic triangle of Virginia what it is. And the challenge for people in my role is how much do you talk about that, which everybody seems to know already, versus all the other things that make this place so unique? And that's just it's an ongoing challenge. Not everybody loves early American history, but it is the differentiator that makes us different than any other place. And so that in and of itself is a challenge, acknowledging that, hey, early American history for some people puts them to sleep. But that's where Busch Gardens comes into play and some of these other attractions you can experience. And so if there is a challenge, it's taking a place that has a lot of variety, but has a perception of just being all about one thing and balancing how much beyond the thing you're famous for do you should you talk about?

SPEAKER_00 17:06

What is something you're looking to learn this year?

SPEAKER_01 17:09

I think the comeback story that you mentioned earlier, this area has been getting a lot of really great PR and press and interest in the build-up to this once in a generation moment of the semi-quincentennial, which I can finally say accurately, but what does all this mean for the destination going forward? Will it renew a sense of discovery for people to come back or arrive here for the first time? And what's interesting about this month, specifically in the lead up to 4th of July, is that in two weeks we're gonna cut the ribbon on a 200,000 square foot indoor sports and events center right across the parking lot from the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center. And what's interesting about that is not that it's gonna bring in a lot of new visitors through big sports tournaments, but in 1975, on the eve of the bicentennial, Busch Gardens opened in Williamsburg and ushered in a whole new chapter wave of tourism that emerged here in our neck of the woods. And it's just interesting the timing of how here we are, right before the semi-quincentennial. 50 years later, Busch Gardens is still going strong, and we're about to introduce another B venue that's gonna draw in groups from out of state. That's exciting, it's gonna create, I think, sort of a renaissance for this area as people come in to play sports here for the first time and really get to see how unique and beautiful and special this area of the country is. I think it's gonna put in motion an increase in the population over time, lots of new hotel development. And I think it's only gonna get better. It's exciting to be part of the team that's gonna open up this new sports and events center and really change the trajectory of what's possible here.

SPEAKER_00 19:32

It's exciting, Americana. Yes. I'm giving you all the taglines for your next campaign. I know. This is awesome. The comeback America. I mean, I love it. Really small. What would you like to ask me?

SPEAKER_01 19:47

Why did you decide to start a podcast?

SPEAKER_00 19:50

I worked in tourism and tourism development for 25 years or so. I discovered about 11 years ago I love learning more than I love the actual travel experience. So learning about new things and places and people and music and art and culture and nature and food and all this stuff. Finding a way to make education better for the tourism industry had been a backburner project of my destination consulting work. And then COVID struck. And my destination consulting work evaporated overnight, and I had the choice. Was I going to restart a consulting business from scratch? Or was I going to focus on something new that might be more personally gratifying and might have a greater impact? So started a nonprofit. One of the things that you have to do when you start an organization is you have to have credibility. You have to have credibility and you have to have connections. And while I'd been working with destinations for a long time, it was a different contact than it was going to need for the learning organization. So A, it was a great way to get the CEO on the phone. B, it was a great way to recruit a team of advisors and mentors who knew the industry inside out. And C, it's turned into a hallmark for leadership in the industry. And we have 20,000 listeners. Wow. I have learned from each and every CEO that I've talked to over the last five years. And several have become good friends. It was meeting people, getting the right people on the phone, building credibility, and finding mentors. And I think back to that Robert Heinlein quote, when one teaches to learn, people have people who are passionate about what they do have an interest in teaching others. No matter how subtle or how overt, teaching is a great tool.

SPEAKER_01 21:46

You're speaking my language. I taught a marketing management class in an FBA program for 12 years. One night a week. I miss it. It was too much to keep when I accepted this opportunity two years ago. I really missed teaching because of the things you just said. And I found with teaching, I was learning as much as I was sharing from the students in the class. But you mentioned something I want to ask you about real quickly. Something about you mentioned the word culinary. And I'm just curious, when you've talked with lots of CEOs and different destinations, how often does culinary pop up as a very important reason why people will go to a place?

SPEAKER_00 22:30

I think reflecting on the conversations I've had, I think it comes up as one of the benefits of a community or one of the features of a community, with few exceptions. I haven't heard anybody mention it as one of the primary.

SPEAKER_01 22:52

Right.

SPEAKER_00 22:53

You better.

SPEAKER_01 22:54

I just wonder if anybody leans into that more than others or leads more than okay.

SPEAKER_00 23:00

Yeah, if you look at just about anything in Louisiana, okay. They really lean into the Cajun Creole food scene. New Orleans, Baton Rouge, great examples of that. The other one that's really come to mind is was that back to nature, the farm to fork.

unknown 23:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

So if you look at Sacramento, yes, it's the state capital, but it's also one of the farm to fork capitals in the country. Is that right? Oh, yeah. The food scene influences that. And then you get into food and wine.

SPEAKER_01 23:29

Yeah, I asked because that's to answer your earlier question. It's another thing I've discovered in moving here from a different state is the quality of the restaurant and the food here is outstanding. And we really need to figure out a good way to celebrate that amongst all the other things you can do.

SPEAKER_00 23:50

I will attest to that.

SPEAKER_01 23:51

We got some good meals. Okay, good. We'll have to have come back sometime.

SPEAKER_00 23:55

Will I see you at the DI conference in Portland?

SPEAKER_01 23:57

Yes, absolutely. Or if you're not one. Williamsburg.com is the place to plan your trip. And definitely follow us on all of our social channels from TikTok to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

Fantastic. That's a great conversation. So I really appreciate your time. Well, thanks for inviting me, and we'll talk again soon. Enjoy your afternoon. You too. Thanks. Bye.