Travel professionals throughout the United States and Canada will gather at the Desert Diamond Hotel and Casino in Tucson for the 15th annual Spotlight on the Southwest Tourism Conference April 21-23, 2013.

Spotlight on the Southwestern USA is a tourism conference which combines educational seminars, networking functions and a trade show. Operators are primarily domestic and range from small operations to large receptive companies. The ratio of suppliers to operators is never surpasses 2.5 to 1.

Spotlight is not just about networking, but about building mutually successful and long-lasting business relationships. New tour itineraries to off the beaten path destinations are highlighted, using the closest Southwestern gateway cities as arrival and departure points.

“Spotlight is one of my favorite annual conferences”, said Anne Basile from Mirage Tours.

“It is great for developing relationships as I have made so many good business contacts and friends over the years. I have attended 12 of the 13 past conferences and encourage other operators to attend.”

A Pre-Fam is scheduled for April 18-21, 2013 and will highlight Southern Arizona treasurers such as the historical city of Florence, Biosphere 2, Sabino Canyon, Kartchner Caverns and DeGrazia’s Studio.

The Spotlight Conference itself will begin on April 21, 2013 with a welcome reception. The next day will feature a keynote address followed by a trade show. After a sponsored lunch and brainstorming lesion, a progressive dinner around Tucson will conclude the day. The last day, attendees will share best practices before the event concludes.

Spotlight on the Southwestern USA, www.spotlightsw.com