About Oetting Alchemy

Brett was one of the inaugural board members and instructors for the Destinations International Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME) board of directors. He has been Chair of the board since 2024 as the program has experienced exponential growth.

In addition to his board duties, Brett also teaches Destination Leadership and Destination Economic Development courses having designed the latter due to an industry need to find ways to work together with local economic developers and elected leaders to build economic prosperity for their communities.

In 2014, Brett started his DMO career where an eight person Visit Topeka team turned into the 48 person Greater Topeka Partnership by the time Brett left in 2020. 

What started as a contract for marketing, communications and events services with the chamber of commerce and economic development organization, Brett worked alongside the leaders of The Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce, Go Topeka, Downtown Topeka and Heartland Visioning to create a truly unique model that would propel the Kansas capital to future success. It was within the GTP that Brett learned the impact of communities being on the same page, working together towards economic prosperity for their community. Brett also became well-versed in these other civic industries leading membership, events, development projects and fundraising.

Before leaving Topeka, Brett and Visit Topeka became the first DMO in the state of Kansas to achieve Destinations International DMAP accreditation. The globally recognized Destination Management Association Program (DMAP) is a visible industry distinction defining quality and performance standards in destination marketing and management.

Brett left his home state in 2020 for an opportunity few in the DMO industry get. Visit Corpus Christi came calling with the desire to build a best in class DMO. The saying, “no where but up” was confirmed when a worldwide pandemic caused the Governor of Texas to close the state and work-from-home became necessary not on Brett’s first day on the job, but his first hour in the office before even meeting his new team. By November, Brett was one of four staff and the real fun began. 

Over the course of five years, Brett more than doubled the VCC budget, developed a staff of 28 amazing professionals, won the 2022 Texas DMO of the Year and proved an organization can successfully focus on strategy, internal processes and culture all at the same time.

In 2024, Brett led Visit Corpus Christi to being honored as one of only 29 DMOs worldwide to achieve Destinations International DMAP accreditation, “with distinction”. Additionally, VCC was also awarded the FiredUp! Culture Achievement Award.  This recognition is awarded to organizations who have shown a high level resolve and action by leadership in their workplace culture, prioritize the development of their team members and have ignited a healthy and positive environment in their workplace. The organization also went on to win the award in 2025 as well.

Brett has a strong track record in destination development and believes wholeheartedly in Maura Gasts famous quote about building places leading to community success. He developed and teaches the CDME course Destination Development and stresses the importance of DMO’s owning quality of place.

In Topeka, Brett worked with key community leaders to build and fund the world famous, Evel Knievel Museum, Washburn University’s NCAA Division II leading indoor track, The Kansas Expocentre full renovation and expansion, downtown Evergy Plaza, NOTO Arts District growth and more.

Topeka became known as a place of festivals and events during Brett’s time in the city. Brett worked with the owner of Heartland Park to move the Country Stampede, a top five country music festival in the US to Topeka. Additionally, Brett and team created new regionally known events such as the SM&SH! Summit focused on educating local travel and tourism employees with internationally known speakers, the Tap That Beer festival, the largest beer festival in the Midwest with over 300 available beers, Kansas Chocolate Festival; the largest chocolate event in the Midwest, Tacos y Tequila during Mexican Independence Day and more.

Brett’s move to Texas found himself working to build more. Brett grew Visit Corpus Christi’s influence in South Texas with the creation of the Corpus Christi Sports Commission and Corpus Christi Film & Music Commission, and Professions Across Tourism & Hospitality (PATH) workforce development program. In their first years, the commission won and hosted US Olympic Trial events, feature films and state hospitality workforce development summits.

Between Topeka and Corpus Christi, Brett created multiple events balancing revenue generation and advocacy/education for the communities. These events include the State of Tourism, Coastal Bend Sports Hall of Fame Gala, Topeka Intercity Visit Series, Hospitality Workforce Development Summit, DEI Summit, State of Tourism Summit, SM&SH (Sales/Marketing & Service/Hospitality) Speaker Series.

Brett has prided himself his entire career on helping individuals grow. Throughout his career, he has led, mentored and worked alongside multiple teammates that grew to become restaurant and hotel leaders, state, national and international individual award winners, 30 Under 30 honorees, and more. Brett could say his obsession with structure stems from his desire to create workplaces where employees thrive.

By far, Brett’s most enjoyable parts about his job are the opportunities to help others work through problems, watching them grow as humans.

Brett learned early in his career how to navigate the oftentimes uncomfortable world of DEI. Topeka, Kansas is the home of the landmark case, Brown v Board of Education, and present day National Historic Park. Brett was fortunate to be able to attend and learn from many leaders in this space through the years in addition to his wife Amber being the board chair of a local DEI organization in Topeka.

While at Visit Corpus Christi, VCC became one of the first five DMOs in the world to go through the Tourism Diversity Matters Diamond Inclusiveness Assessment. This proven international tool comprehensively assesses where your organization is today and what improvements are needed for a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive future. Visit Corpus Christi scored the highest-ever spiritual capital score on the assessment, highlighting the organization’s ability to deliver inclusive moral behavior, trust, sharing, and motivation.

Additionally, Brett created the Corpus Christi Council on Tourism and Belonging, an industry-leading EDI program that significantly impacts the entirety of Corpus Christ. This 25-person council comprises community leaders from different spaces focused on ensuring Corpus Christi truly is a welcoming place for all.

Brett attributes his career success to the order in which he joined the working world after college.

His first big boy job found him with Red Lobster, owned by Darden Restaurants and it was there where Brett learned the impact that standard operating procedures and an aligned structure can have on operators. 

In 2004, Brett was and team won the Red Lobster Diamond Club Award. The Joe R. Lee Diamond Club Award is presented annually by Darden Restaurants to the top performing General Managers and Managing Partners across the company’s restaurant brands. The award recognizes General Managers and Managing Partners throughout North America who demonstrate outstanding results by showing strong and inspiring leadership while also achieving top financial performance in the company’s previous fiscal year.

After leaving the restaurant industry, Brett found himself in Topeka, KS working his way through the world of hotels, learning all positions for a small franchisee. It was there where Brett began to implement corporate structure into a small business. It was also there, where Brett learned the benefit of being able to be flexible and create customized strategies within the frameworks of structure.  In 2010 and again in 2011, Brett was awarded the Best of Wyndham Hotels Award in Las Vegas. An award that distinguishes the hotel for its commitment to exceptional customer service, high quality accommodations and consistent brand performance

In 2014, Brett left the hotel industry to lead Visit Topeka and never looked back.

Tourism Public Improvement District (TPID) Leadership: Brett is one of two DMO leaders in the country who developed multiple TPIDs for their communities. Topeka, Kansas, was the second TPID in Kansas in 2018. In 2022, Corpus Christi became the fifth city in Texas to obtain the support of the hotel industry to deploy this program. TPID’s cannot be created without approval from local hoteliers. This highlight speaks to the close, trusting relationships Brett builds with the hotel community

The Texas Hotel Lodging Association (THLA): THLA is widely regarded as the largest and strongest state lodging association in the country. In 2023, after over 100 years in existence the longtime CEO of THLA worked with statewide hotel leaders to create three board seats for DMO leaders. In a board vote, Brett was named an inaugural DMO board member after only two plus years in the state. Brett continues his involvement on the THLA board and considers the CEO of the organization a top reference in future opportunities.

Brett is a Birkman Certified Professional and can helps you and your team solve complex personnel issues with tailored personality insights. From reducing turnover to meeting every employee’s workplace needs, Brett is able to improve both your teams dynamic and overall business outcomes.

Brett is one of a handful of individuals with the The 6 Types of Working Genius Master Facilitator designation. Brett is able to train people on their geniuses and has experience facilitating workshops for leadership teams and whole organizations.

Brett great up in Tescott, Kansas, a town of 300 people in Central Kansas.

Brett played sports his whole life through college and attributes his leadership style to growing up playing and watching sports and learning that all humans are different with different motivations, skills, and communication styles.

After graduating with a Degree in Behavioral Economics, Brett moved to Topeka, KS with Red Lobster where he eventually found his best friend and wife Amber. Brett and Amber spend their waking hours trying to plan their next experience.  It’s probably in the Caribbean on a catamaran.

They have a cat Lucy who as a kitten gave Amber typhus and a week long stay in the hospital and a golden doodle Remi who is their best dog ever. 

After a brief stint in the great state of Texas, they are happy to be back home in the Free State Capital of Kansas, living in Kansas City.

Brett will not pass up any opportunity to educate the world on the history of Kansas and it’s impact in starting the Civil War and shaping the United States.