Boating, beer cheese and Bible stories sounds like a recipe for a great time — and a productive Going On Faith Conference.
Each year, directors of faith-based group travel programs convene at the annual conference to talk shop and plan trips during one-on-one marketplace appointments with destinations and industry suppliers. This year, they’ll descend on the Cincy Region to explore the offerings of both Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. They’ll enjoy sponsored meals and outings to explore the unique features of the host region, as well as the opportunity for an exciting post-conference FAM that will let them further explore both sides of the Ohio River.
The 2025 Going On Faith Conference will take place August 6–8 in the Cincy Region at the Marriott Cincinnati Airport in Hebron, Kentucky. To register, visit gofconference.com.
Two States of Faith
The Cincy Region consists of both Cincinnati, Ohio, and the communities that make up Northern Kentucky. In addition to the many offerings available in a larger city like Cincinnati, the charms of the smaller communities on the Kentucky side provide equally impressive group opportunities.
“The fact that we’re a destination that comprises two unique areas is something that’s very appealing to visitors,” said Amanda Johannemann, director of destination marketing and communications for MeetNKY. “It’s kind of like having two states in one place, and it gives them more to explore.”
Cincy Region is excited to welcome delegates to the 2025 Going On Faith Conference because of the destination’s many faith-based attractions, including some of the most popular in the country.
“We’re also the northernmost point of Kentucky and a good starting point for the Kentucky Faith Trail,” Johannemann said. “It’s a great gateway to exploring other parts of the state.”
Northern Kentucky contains four of the 11 stops on the Kentucky Faith Trail, many of which will be explored during the Going On Faith Conference and the post-conference FAM hosted by the Cincy Region.
A Cincy Region Welcome
Opening night of the 2025 Going On Faith Conference will feature a welcome reception and opening event at BB Riverboats in Newport, Kentucky. BB Riverboats has been providing cruises along the Ohio River since 1979, and it’s one of the region’s most popular activities for casual outings and elegant events alike.
The welcome reception will take place in the riverfront ballroom area on the dock. Delegates will then move onto the Belle of Cincinnati riverboat for a dinner cruise that will last about an hour and a half. Following dinner, delegates can enjoy onboard entertainment and views of the Cincinnati skyline as the boat glides along the river.
“We’re going to bring touches from the region onto the boat,” said Stacy Howell, senior destination engagement manager at MeetNKY. “There are going to be stations that people can visit to get little touches of Northern Kentucky.”
For example, one station will provide samples of Bavarian pretzels and beer cheese from Hofbräuhaus, a Bavarian restaurant and group dining staple in Northern Kentucky.
The following morning, delegates will enjoy an educational breakfast sponsored by the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum before convening for one of two marketplace sessions to network with destinations and tour operators. The following day, another breakfast sponsored by The Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, as well as a luncheon sponsored by Visit Owensboro will bookend the second marketplace session.
Other conference sponsors include Collette, Southwest Adventure Tours, Sweet Home Alabama and Going On Faith Magazine.
Sightseeing at the Ark Encounter
Attendees of the 2025 Going On Faith Conference are in for a treat with this year’s sightseeing opportunities. There will be an extended outing on the afternoon of Thursday, August 7, to the Ark Encounter. After all, when one of the largest and most popular faith-based attractions in the country is located nearby, attendees won’t want to miss it.
“The Ark is really, really large, so in order to do it justice, you need to give people time to explore it,” Howell said.
After enjoying a box lunch from BB Riverboats, delegates will board buses and head to the Ark Encounter in Williamstown. Though it’s known for its titular life-size Noah’s Ark, the encounter entails an entire campus of fun activities that explore the story of Noah. This includes a zip line, a zoo, a virtual reality experience and several dining options, in addition to speakers, educational events and performances.
Attendees will tour the three decks of the 510-foot-long replica ark to explore its interactive exhibits and learn about the Book of Genesis and the story of Noah, but the fun doesn’t stop there.
Another special treat for attendees is that the Going on Faith Conference will take place during one of the Ark Encounter’s largest events of the year, the 40 Days of Christian Music Festival. The fest is the largest Christian music festival in the world, featuring Christian musicians performing daily at the Ark for 40 days and 40 nights. Evenings also feature talks from prominent speakers.
“It’s exciting that we’re hosting Going on Faith because we have the Ark, and we have the Creation Museum,” said Lorey Hall, leisure sales manager at MeetNKY. “The fact that it’s at the time of 40 Days and 40 Nights Music Fest is really exciting, too.”
A visit to the Ark Encounter will treat delegates to the museum experience as well as entertainment, followed by dinner at Emzara’s Buffet, the campus’s largest restaurant.
Post-Conference FAM
Immediately following the Going on Faith Conference, delegates who opt to attend the post-conference FAM will depart for an additional day of exploring faith-based attractions in the Cincy Region.
On Friday, August 8, upon the conference’s completion, FAM-goers will head to Petersburg, Kentucky, to visit the Creation Museum, a sister museum to the Ark Encounter that is also owned by Answers in Genesis. This renowned museum explores creation science with a variety of interactive exhibits and on-site attractions, including botanical gardens, a zoo, a planetarium and a zip-line course.
Following their time at the Creation Museum, the group will enjoy dinner at Spear Ridge Café in Florence, known for its rustic atmosphere and delicious casual fare. Smash burgers, the catfish po’boy and the classic Cuban sandwich are among its signature menu items, but the restaurant also has a general store for diners to peruse. FAM-goers will then head back to their hotel.
On Saturday, August 9, the FAM will start bright and early with breakfast at the hotel, followed by a tour of St. Mary’s Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, Kentucky, to learn about its gothic architecture, three pipe organs, stained-glass windows and other fascinating features. A tour of another iconic cathedral will follow at Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains in Cincinnati.
Next, FAM attendees will check out the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, which contains 20,000 square feet of signage, from florescent neon signs to some of the country’s vintage road signs.
Finally, they’ll eat lunch back in Northern Kentucky at Hofbräuhaus Newport for Bavarian cuisine, including some of the pretzels and beer cheese that attendees enjoyed on their first night of the conference. They can also expect to sample sausages, schnitzels and a Bavarian cream puff before departing the Cincy Region with full bellies and plenty of ideas for future conferences.
To register for the FAM, contact Lorey Hall at lhall@meetnky.com or 859-655-4151.
To register for the 2025 Going On Faith Conference in the Cincy Region, go to gofconference.com.
