The 2024 Going On Faith Conference will take place August 6–8 in Branson, Missouri. The town of roughly 13,000 in the Ozarks is preparing to welcome conference attendees for several days of discussing the faith-based group travel market, networking and exploring the city.
The conference will be held at the Hilton Branson Convention Center, which is just across the street from Branson Landing’s plentiful shops, restaurants and entertainment, and a short drive from many of Branson’s other major attractions. The 293-room hotel is a AAA Three Diamond property and features gorgeous views of the river and the surrounding Ozark mountains.
“Branson is so excited to welcome attendees of the Going On Faith Conference,” said Yvonne Long, assistant director of meetings and conventions for the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB. “We love our Group Travel Family; they always do a wonderful job for any of the markets they’ve brought in.”
Welcome to Branson
Branson’s ties to tourism and the faith-based market have been interwoven dating back to the city’s founding in the early 20th century.
“Branson’s tourism started because the minister Harold Bell Wright wrote ‘The Shepherd of the Hills,’ which is the book about redemption and second chances and the history of the area,” Long said. “When it was published in 1907, it was one of the first books that sold 1 million copies.”
The success of “The Shepherd of the Hills” put Branson on the map and established a booming tourism ecosystem in the city. To this day, tourism is the city’s only major industry, welcoming over 10 million visitors annually. Branson is no stranger to group travel, either. Its attractions, which center around the performing arts, the area’s beautiful natural scenery and an amusement park, are exceedingly family friendly. Guests of all ages can find things to do, making it a good fit for faith-based travel groups, including youth groups.
“Branson has always had a faith and family basis,” Long said. “We have a lot of faith-based meetings that come in too, as well as tours. So Branson is used to welcoming visitors. It’s all about family, God and country.”
Event Details
The Going On Faith Conference features days packed with educational speakers, social events and marketplace sessions where religious tour planners can meet one-on-one with suppliers.
The conference will kick off with something sweet: an ice cream social held at the Branson Convention Center. Then on the conference’s opening night, delegates will attend a performance at Sight and Sound Theatres. This year’s production of “Queen Esther” explores the beloved story of Esther from the Old Testament. The theater company is known for its elaborate set design and costumes, as well as its high-quality productions. It’s one of the city’s biggest attractions, drawing millions of audience members each year with its biblically themed productions. Conference attendees are sure to be equally captivated by the performance.
Both days will feature an educational breakfast, several presentations and speakers, and a marketplace session with six-minute appointments. These marketplace sessions, which feature one-on-one meetings between delegates, foster valuable relationships among industry professionals in the religious tour market.
Karin Aaron, president and CEO of the Green Book Experience, will be the conference’s keynote speaker. Aaron is an experienced tourism professional and a Certified Tourism Ambassador.
Green Book Experience (GBX) is an online platform being introduced this year that serves as a travel guide with information about minority communities that highlights relevant historic and cultural sites and experiences. It was inspired by the “Negro Motorists Green Book,” the book that guided Black travelers to businesses that would welcome them during the Jim Crow era.
“We believe that the power of travel brings people together, and access to arts, history and cultural experiences is the gateway to understanding the African American story,” said Aaron. “The new Green Book Experience embodies the best of travel experiences to connect you to adventures that will intentionally transform our lives.”
Exploring Branson
On the afternoon of Wednesday, August 7, conference attendees will head out to explore Branson with four sightseeing tours.
The first sightseeing excursion will include a tour of two chapels in Branson.
The second tour will be Branson Duck Tours, which combines land and lakes into one incredible experience. Attendees will enjoy riding on brightly colored amphibious vehicles that take them first through the streets of Branson and then right onto Lake Taneycomo to view the city from the water. Then, attendees will visit the Aquarium at the Boardwalk, which is home to over 250 species of marine animals.
The third sightseeing tour will let attendees revel in the outdoors. Pink Adventure Tours takes visitors through forests and up mountains in bright pink Jeep Wranglers. They’ll get to see the stunning views of Branson’s three lakes and the Ozarks, followed by a thrilling ride on the Runaway Branson Mountain Coaster.
The final sightseeing tour will let attendees experience Immersive Disney Animation, followed by a trip to Beyond the Lens Branson. Each of these interactive attractions promises fun for attendees. The sightseeing tours will be followed by dinner at Chateau on the Lake.
Register for the conference at gofconference.com.
