A Spark to remember: Our biggest event ever was a hit in NOLA!

We’re still buzzing over the immense success of Spark New Orleans! As our biggest event ever, we were thrilled to welcome over 600 tour and activity operators, trusted partners, and FareHarbor staff to the vibrant city of NOLA. 

Over three days, October 13th-15th, like-minded industry professionals gathered for 18 unique learning sessions, countless networking opportunities, free local tour and activity experiences, and exceptional reception celebrations. 

Spark NOLA was a tremendous success — but don’t just take our word for it…

“This was my second Spark event. You guys hit it out of the park with this one. It was jam- packed with useful information, great vendors and well laid out. The ability to experience the operations of other tour operators in the area was not only fun but insightful!” – Gary Cooper, TourCDA

We’re covering a few of the top takeaways from Spark New Orleans. We hope you can join us next year for unmatched innovation, collaboration, and growth! Insider tip: we’ll be announcing our location and dates in early 2025. 

The energy of 600+ attendees

The passion and inspiration felt throughout this year’s event was palpable. Hundreds of tour and activity operators from across the country came together to learn new strategies, connect with their peers, and unlock potential partnerships. 

Folks who run boat excursions, hiking tours, food tours, water sport activities, helicopter tours, history walks, and more, formed the diverse crowd, ready to take part in all of the festivities.

These individuals were able to chat with our software and API partners, external speakers, our leadership team, Product team, and experts from each of our other FareHarbor teams and, of course, one another!

“I noticed that all of the Fareharbor employees I spoke with all had a passion for their job and seemed to really enjoy helping customers.” – Karen Styles, Kawanti Adventures

Our team is always eager to meet our operators in person, offering real-time business tips and nurturing relationships and friendships. 

Spark content highlights

Following last year’s Spark, we took our attendees feedback to heart: more advanced sessions, niche topics, and time for networking. Here’s how we gave the people what they want.

Sessions designed with YOU in mind

From our intermediate+ GA4 talk to a hands-on Product workshop and an inspirational keynote address from John R. Brandt, there was no shortage of intriguing, helpful sessions to attend. 

We hosted panels with real operators, put some of our teams in the hot seat, and created each learning opportunity to focus on innovation, growth and community.    

“The SEO sessions really drilled into some interesting points, as did GA4. The keynote speech was very inspiring and helpful at simplifying what it really means to be a good leader without overcomplicating it.” – Joshua Johnston, Spectral City Tours

Dedicated and organic network opportunities 

This year, we hosted two networking sessions, one that connected attendees by region and another by business goal and industry. Operators with these attributes in common were able to talk with each other about shared problems, strategies that have worked, and anything else that suited their business journey.

Aside from these times, we also offered time to chat during coffee breaks, provided lunches(and objectively delicious — cheesy grits, anyone?!), and unbeatable receptions. 

If you’re looking for consistent support from your peers across the globe, consider joining the thousands of operators in our Official Online Community! 

The full New Orleans experience

We chose to travel to NOLA for Spark so we could all dive into the exceptional local culture of the city — amazing food, music and hospitality. This soulful city was a huge part of this year’s success and further enhanced the Spark experience. 

Free local tours with Smartwaiver Experiences

For the first time ever, in partnership with Smartwaiver, Spark attendees were able to book and participate in a select NOLA tours — completely on us. Operators could immerse themselves in the city, see how their peers run their businesses, and have a little extra fun on their work “vacation.” From a kayak swamp tour to a cajun cooking demonstration, and everything in between, attendees were able to experience NOLA in ernest. 

This is a new Spark perk that will stay for years to come!  

A closing reception on the Steamboat Natchez

It’s not every day you get to end a conference on one of the last real working Mississippi steamboats! Our end-of-Spark celebration on the Steamboat Natchez offered live local jazz music, great bites, and a great way to let off some steam following the jam-packed event.

“This was my first Spark conference and I will make it a priority to attend next year. The Natchez experience was incredible.” Eric Johnson, Voyageurs Outfitters

Looking ahead: What’s next for Spark?

We’re currently searching for next year’s Spark location and date. Stay tuned on the FareHarbor Community to be the first to know all the details. 

Meanwhile, we’ll be busy planning away and taking in your feedback so Spark 2025 will be even bigger and better than before. 

“FareHarbor has been a true business partner. Your team is always ready to help and work with us to meet our goals. You bring passion and dedication to everything you do and celebrate our successes alongside us. We value your support and commitment to making our vision a reality.” -Syreeta Bennie, Act Three Entertainment