DAM New York 2026

Pack Light, Find Everything: How We Went from Slide Chaos into a Well-Organized DAM System

Context:

At Rick Steves’ Europe, inspiring travelers begins long before they arrive at their destination – it starts with sharing stories, images, and informative content that brings those experiences to life. As that content has grown, so has the challenge of managing it.

What we’ve done:

• How the organization went from scattered slide collections and siloed systems to a structured and well-organized DAM system.
• Their philosophy – “Pack Light, Find Everything” – is based on the same principles that guide Rick Steves’ tour program, guidebooks, TV, radio, and social media. In DAM terms, that means keeping systems lean and intentional: using simple, purposeful metadata, selecting what is truly needed, and archiving what no longer serves.

Bottom line:

From image intake and curated workspaces to distribution portals and smarter search, how DAM can evolve from simple storage into a system that supports the people and teams behind the content – enabling collaboration, protecting rights, and delivering the right assets at the right time.

Sandra Hundacker, Creative & Operations Director, Rick Steves’ Europe

Orin Dubrow, Creative Operations & Production Specialist, Rick Steves’ Europe

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