Are you hoping to earn the CDME credential in 2026? Have you recently completed all required courses and core papers in the CDME Program, or will be in late February at CDME Winter 2026 in Cleveland, OH? Then this webinar is for you! During this session, we will cover important updates to the CDME Final Exam instructions for 2026, including the revised assignment instructions and grading rubrics, deadlines for submission, and other frequently asked questions. Please note that all prospective candidates for the CDME Class of 2026 are required to either attend this session live or watch the recording prior to completing their final exam. If you would like to be considered for CDME recognition during the 2026 Annual Convention, your CDME Final Exam is due by March 31, 2026. The recording will be sent to all who register, so be sure to sign up to set yourself up for success in the new year. Congratulations on being one step further towards completing your CDME!

A true destination stewardship approach requires understanding and engaging diverse stakeholders to co-create a shared vision for the future. In this session, we’ll explore the critical role of stakeholder engagement and how it can foster meaningful partnerships that become the key to driving positive, lasting change for the destination, its communities, and visitors. Beyond theory, we’ll explore how destination leaders and entire organizations can build the capability needed to implement strategies and approaches for stakeholder engagement, referencing Destination Wayfinder’s global framework for destination stewardship and diving into the elements of the Stakeholder Engagement module. Attendees will gain experienced, practical insights into identifying and mapping their stakeholder ecosystem, and approaches to fostering stakeholder discussion and input. We’ll also explore common challenges in multi-stakeholder collaboration along with actionable tips for overcoming them.

See how leading destination organizations are using rich attribution data to pinpoint the website content and brand campaigns that actually drive real-world visitation—plus, how it comes to life in Symphony. We’ll unpack practical case studies from Visit Overland Park and Experience Scottsdale to show how these insights shape strategy, investment, and stakeholder storytelling. Plus, get a first look at new Symphony platform UX updates that make it even easier to explore and act on this intelligence.