Virsitour Founder and CEO Debbie Garcia was featured on the Meetings Today Trendsetter Tuesday podcast, where she discussed her journey from event professional to technology entrepreneur and shared her vision for how virtual site tours can transform the event sourcing process. The interview followed her recognition as one of Meetings Today’s 2024 Trendsetters, an honor awarded to industry leaders driving meaningful change in meetings and events.
During the conversation, Debbie explained how the idea for virsitour emerged from a challenge many planners faced during the pandemic: finding reliable virtual site tours and venue information in one place. What began as a solution for remote venue evaluation has evolved into a broader vision for event sourcing—one that helps planners, venues, destinations, and event service providers connect more efficiently through visual content, technology, and informed decision-making. She also shared how virtual site tours can save planners valuable time, reduce unnecessary travel, and help narrow venue options before an in-person visit.
The interview also explored Debbie’s leadership philosophy, her experience building a technology company in a traditionally non-technical industry, and her belief that innovation should solve real-world problems for event professionals. “Technology should help people make better decisions and create stronger connections,” Garcia shared. “The goal isn’t to replace relationships—it’s to give planners and suppliers better tools so they can focus on what matters most: creating exceptional events.”
As the meetings and events industry continues to evolve, Debbie remains committed to helping professionals work smarter through solutions that bring greater transparency, efficiency, and confidence to the sourcing process. The feature highlights both her entrepreneurial journey and the mission behind virsitour to modernize how events are planned and sourced.