January 21, 2026 - New York City The TravMedia Summit returned to New York City as the travel industry's leading forum for connection, learning, and thought leadership, bringing together travel and tourism communicators and media one day ahead of IMM North America 2026.

Presented annually on the day before IMM, The TravMedia Summit is a one-day conference designed to inspire ideas, share practical insights, and explore the trends and challenges shaping global travel media and communications. The program featured senior industry leaders, experienced practitioners, and influential voices from across travel, tourism, and media.

The Summit welcomed a diverse audience, including destination marketing organizations, hotel and resort marketers, PR agencies, in-house communications teams, senior travel editors, writers, and freelancers. Both emerging and experienced professionals attended to gain new perspectives, exchange ideas, and strengthen industry relationships.

“The TravMedia Summit is about elevating the conversation,” said Nick Wayland, CEO and Founder of TravMedia. “It creates space for the industry to learn from those shaping the future of storytelling, media engagement, and communications, while building meaningful connections ahead of IMM.”

As a core component of IMM North America, The TravMedia Summit continues to play a vital role in preparing delegates for productive media engagement, equipping attendees with fresh thinking and actionable insights before the IMM marketplace opens.

Summit sessions included:

• The Data Behind Desire: Travel Trends for 2026, presented by Nick Bunker, Lead Economist, North America, Mastercard and Sheridan Stavac, Vice President, US Travel, Food and Fuel, Mastercard
• The Rise of Independent Publishing: What It Means for Travel Media, moderated by Angela Bernardino, Principal, The Brouhaha Collective; with Alicia Kennedy, Publisher, From the Desk; Amy Cavanaugh, Editor, American Weekender; and Rachel Ayotte, Founder and Editor in Chief, Late Checkout
• State of the Industry Address: The Survey Is In, with Dominika Dryjski, Chief Operations Officer, TravMedia, and Julie Ott, Chief Marketing Officer, TravMedia
• Battle of the Generations: Creating Content for All Ages, sponsored by Memphis Art Museum, moderated by Joyce Kiehl, Director of Communications, Visit Greater Palm Springs; featuring Darley Newman, Host and Executive Producer, Travel with Darley; Kelsey Knoedler Perri, PR Director, Road Scholar; Kevin Kern, Vice President of Public Relations, Memphis Tourism; and Lauren Gay, Content Creator, Outdoorsy Diva
• The Future of Wellness Tourism: The Next Wave of Storytelling, moderated by Dan Christian, Founder and Host, Travel Trends Podcast; with Camille Lopeo, CMO, Sofitel Legend, MGallery, and Emblems; Josefin Haraldson, Country Manager and Senior PR Manager US, Visit Sweden; Kathleen Booker, Breathwork Teacher, The Jedi of Calm, and Sharael Kolberg, Freelance Travel Writer
• Keynote: The Next Disruption of Media and What to Do About It, presented by Doug Shapiro, Founder, Doug Shapiro Media
• The Role of Travel Editors: From Perfect Pitches to Content Pillars, moderated by Nick Wayland, Founder and CEO, TravMedia; Johanna Jainchill, Editor in Chief, Travel Weekly; Kat Craddock, Editor in Chief and CEO, SAVEUR; Katherine LaGrave, Executive Editor, Afar; and Nikki Ekstein, Travel Czar, Bloomberg
• Rewriting the Rules of Freelancing: Futureproofing for PRs, Content Creators, and Writers sponsored by Visit Carlsbad, moderated by Birgitt Vaughn, Director of Public Relations, Sonoma County Tourism; featuring Alexandra Cheney, Freelance Travel Writer; Jeremy Tarr, Digital Editorial Director, Fodor's; and Martinique Lewis, Diversity Consultant and President, Black Travel Alliance

TravMedia extends its sincere thanks to Rimrock Banff, Emblems Collection, the Official IMM Summit Luncheon Sponsor, as well as the SATW and all the Summit panelists and speakers for their insights and contributions.

Photo gallery available to view here.

More information about The TravMedia Summit is available at travmedia.com/immnorthamerica/summit.

Registration for IMM North America 2027 will open in September 2026.

Media Contacts for IMM North America:

Kim Grant
Global Media Director
kim.grant@travmedia.com

Exhibitor Contact for IMM North America:

Dominika Dryjski
Chief Operating Officer
dominika@travmedia.com

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About TravMedia

TravMedia is the travel industry's only global media network. Founded in 1999 by Nick Wayland, a former travel editor seeking an easier way to research and report travel news, TravMedia is the one-stop solution trusted by travel PR Professionals and media to network and share press releases, stories, and ideas. The platform hosts thriving online communities and is an essential daily tool for collaboration and the development of long-lasting relationships.

TravMedia provides global travel newsfeeds and connects more than 25,000 travel media and more than 20,000 travel brand PRs worldwide via an online newsroom, press release distribution, events, Journalist Alerts, and daily industry updates. To learn more and register for TravMedia, visit travmedia.com.

About IMM

TravMedia's IMM is the leading travel industry event for travel brands and destinations to connect with the media. In 2026, in its 14th year, IMM hosts more than 2,500 media and international travel brands in eight countries worldwide. International Media Marketplace events in 2026 include IMM Australia in Sydney on February 26-27; IMM Germany in Berlin on March 2; IMM UK in London on March 9-10; IMM France in Paris on March 11; IMM Brazil in Saõ Paulo on April 13; and IMM Asia in Singapore on October 19-20. The second annual IMM LUX returns to Las Vegas in September 2026 and IMM North America to NYC in January 2027.

For more information and to register for IMM 2026 events, visit www.travmedia.com/imm and immlux.com, or email imm@travmedia.com.