This CEO on The Branding Mistake Almost Every Destination Makes

from Suite Success: Masters of Hospitality · host Skift

On this episode of Suite Success, host Katie Cline interviews Gary Sherwin, President and CEO of Visit Newport Beach, to unpack the strategy behind building a destination people don’t just visit but aspire to be part of. Gary shares why most destinations get branding wrong, the surprising shift from selling hotel rooms to telling holistic stories, and how a single, well-defined brand promise can influence everything from luxury hotel development to how local police interact with visitors. From celebrity influence and global perception to the power of authenticity over aspiration, this conversation reveals what it really takes to create a place people fall in love with and keep coming back to. Whether you're in hospitality, marketing, or building a brand of your own, this episode will change how you think about experience, storytelling, and what it means to be truly essential. Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome to Suite Success 00:38 Meet Gary Sherwin 01:49 What Is Destination Marketing 03:45 Tourism As Economic Engine 06:40 Aligning Local Stakeholders 09:41 The Newport Beach Brand 11:55 Building Brands With Data 14:28 Delivering on a Brand Promise 17:05 Social Media and Reputation 18:20 Police as Tourism Ambassadors 22:02 Brand Research 26:17 Authenticity Over Aspiration 28:09 Taglines Done Right 32:45 Celebrity Pop Culture Halo 35:33 The Future of Destination Marketing 45:05 Suite Summary This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lodgify!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Connect with Gary:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Gary's LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gary-sherwin-a261871/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Newport Beach's Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: https://visitnewportbeach.com/ Links: Apple Podcasts - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Suite Success Website - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Katie⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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This episode is 48 minutes long.

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This episode was published on March 26, 2026.

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