MAICON brings collectively high visionaries and specialists within the area of AI throughout a three-day convention full of actionable classes and networking occasions—all to place you because the change agent your group (and profession) wants. On this ongoing speaker sequence, we’re that includes these extraordinary leaders, with forward-looking predictions, actionable suggestions you should utilize as we speak, and a preview of their MAICON 2025 classes.
Janette Roush is the SVP of Innovation and Chief AI Officer at Model USA, the nation’s vacation spot advertising group. Right now, she leads the group’s AI technique and all innovation to advertise U.S. tourism.
However Janette’s curiosity in rising expertise lengthy predates the AI growth. Previous to her work in tourism promotion, she spent 20 years selling Broadway the place she related media spend to real-time gross sales knowledge, adapting Broadway’s advertising playbook as smartphones reworked how audiences found and acquired tickets.
“I noticed nothing however alternative,” she recalled.
Janette took full benefit of the technological shift and noticed large success in her function. When AI started gaining traction, she noticed an analogous inflection level, and as soon as once more, she leaned in.
“I used to be drawn into AI as a result of it provides you the superpower of not solely figuring out what to do, however methods to do it.”
She started experimenting with AI instruments in 2023 and rapidly realized that no roadmap existed. So, she created one, sharing her learnings in actual time by way of stay blogs on LinkedIn. Her posts resonated, constructing a devoted following and incomes her recognition as a LinkedIn High Voice.
In her present function as Chief AI Officer, she treats AI as her thought companion, leveraging instruments corresponding to Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude, amongst others, to help her analysis and ideation.
Session Preview: Create a Motion to Surprise
On this MAICON session, uncover methods to transfer even probably the most AI-resistant groups from skepticism to curiosity—and in the end, adoption. As Janette places it: “We have to pierce the veil of indifference,” particularly when groups are nonetheless slowed down by handbook duties AI can simply deal with.
Her technique? Lead with curiosity.
“You may assist somebody have that a-ha second about what makes AI completely different,” she says. “It is advisable to create that motion to marvel if you’d like folks to lean in.”
On this session, Janette shares:
Actual-world examples of how she’s launched AI in surprising, approachable methods
Techniques for sparking curiosity in groups that really feel overwhelmed or uninterested
Tricks to preserve experimentation lighthearted and enjoyable with out sacrificing outcomes
You’ll stroll away with sensible concepts to spark curiosity, construct momentum, and assist your groups expertise their very own AI a-ha second.
Lesson Realized: Utilizing AI Is Not Dishonest
Janette says, “It’s not dishonest to make use of AI at work.”
Many professionals, particularly girls, nonetheless hesitate to make use of these instruments at work. Harvard Enterprise Assessment even reported a 25% lag in AI adoption, particularly by girls. She feels that is instantly associated to a “good lady” mindset: the idea that utilizing shortcuts or tech help in some way diminishes the worth of your work.
It’s time to reframe that narrative.
“There aren’t any rewards for doing issues the laborious, sluggish manner,” Janette added. “It’s your obligation to find out methods to spend cash correctly, and that features accountable AI adoption. It’s time to undertake or be left behind, utterly.”
Trying Forward: Mannequin Context Protocol Disruption
Right now, we depend on private AI instruments that “know” us—our preferences, historical past, and communication fashion. That familiarity has made AI really feel frictionless. However the subsequent large leap is coming.
Janette factors to Mannequin Context Protocol (MCP) as a significant disruptor on the horizon. This rising customary will permit AI fashions to entry exterior instruments, databases, and data with out the necessity for customized API integrations or developer help.
“It’ll take a while, however it is going to be a significant unlock for the ability of AI.”
Hyperlinks We Like
America’s Chief AI Officer for Journey Shares Recommendation for 2025 – Janette Roush, Model USA [Greatest Hits]
On this episode of the Hospitality Each day Podcast, Janette shares her insights on embracing AI at work, plus the way it’s driving tourism innovation.
The AI Benefit: How Vacation spot Advertising Should Evolve [Skift]
Skift hosts a panel of promoting specialists to debate how AI is reshaping vacation spot advertising.
2025 Discover Minnesota Tourism Convention Melvin Tennant / Janette Roush Keynote
See what you missed on the 2025 Discover Minnesota Tourism Convention. Janette took the principle stage to cowl what AI will imply for tourism, together with case research, pitfalls and the trail ahead.
Janette’s Session at MAICON
Main with Surprise: Turning Organizational Readiness into AI Readiness
Find out how Model USA’s Chief AI Officer, Janette Roush, harnesses curiosity as a change administration superpower to assist entice the world’s vacationers, who spent $213 billion visiting america in 2023. By means of real-world examples, uncover methods to harness pure human curiosity to rework organizational resistance into enthusiastic experimentation.
Whether or not you are attempting to get buy-in from risk-averse executives or encourage change-fatigued groups, this session will present you methods to faucet into curiosity as your secret weapon for driving AI transformation. The longer term belongs to organizations that may preserve childlike marvel whereas executing like adults.
Hold Up with Janette (and AI)
For extra from Janette, join together with her on social media and discover extra of her work.
Be a part of Us at MAICON 2025
Advertising Synthetic Intelligence Convention (MAICON) was created for advertising leaders and practitioners searching for to drive the following frontier of digital advertising transformation inside their organizations.
We’re excited to host our fifth annual MAICON—Advertising AI Convention—at this pivotal level for our business. Be a part of us from October 14 to 16, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio, and use the particular code SPEAKERSERIES100 at checkout to obtain $100 off your registration!
