October 21-22, Reedsport, OR
The Oregon Coast Visitors Association is thrilled to announce the first in our lineup of keynote speakers for the annual People’s Coast Summit, taking place from October 21-22 in Reedsport, OR.
Keynote & Film Screening: “What We Lost Along the Way” – Storytelling, Nature, and Narrative Autonomy on the Oregon Coast
Join us for a special screening of What We Lost Along the Way, a deeply personal and visually striking documentary that follows filmmaker Devin Boss and his friends, Solamon Ibe and Mat Randol, as they explore the Oregon Coast from Yachats to Newport to Florence. Through their shared experiences as Black men in outdoor spaces, the film invites viewers into moments of healing, reflection, and connection with each other and the natural world.
Rather than answering predetermined questions, Boss centers the film on shared presence and authenticity, asking: “Why do we assume this isn’t for us?” His narrative opens a door into the complexities of belonging in nature and the power of reclaiming space through story.
Following the screening, a panel conversation will feature:
- Devin Boss, the filmmaker and CEO and Founder of North East Productions, on narrative autonomy and how his vision evolved through the filmmaking process.
- Tim Williams, Executive Director of Oregon Film, on supporting authentic voices through the Outside Adventure Film Grant program and the importance of letting stories unfold beyond prescriptive expectations.
- Mo Sherifdeen, Travel Oregon’s Director of Integrated Marketing, who will share how this project reflects Travel Oregon’s commitment to equity and sustainability by spotlighting and diverse lived experiences and redefining how we share the “Oregon story.”
This keynote will leave attendees with a renewed perspective on the role of tourism in storytelling. It’s a call to action for destination managers, marketers, and community leaders to elevate local voices and create space for authentic, lived narratives, especially those not often seen in traditional destination marketing.
The People’s Coast Summit is a campus style event taking place across multiple venues in Reedsport. This year’s full agenda (coming soon) will feature a line up of speakers and workshops that will offer big-picture thinking and topics valuable to tourism stakeholders from all over the coast. Attendees can expect to takeaway valuable knowledge and resources around destination marketing, technology, sustainability, and more!
Get ready for the Oregon Coastal tourism event of the year.
Register here!
Sponsorship
Thank you to Cardwell Creative, Oregon Coast Today and Media America for their sponsorship of the 2025 People’s Coast Summit.
For partners who want to get even more involved, we are offering various sponsorship levels to suit your goals and budget, including exclusive benefits such as logo placement on event materials, complimentary summit registrations, and opportunities for direct engagement with attendees.
Sponsorship offers a great opportunity for you to gain brand visibility, engage in networking opportunities, be seen as an industry leader, and make a community impact.
View our sponsorship opportunities here, and contact Deputy Director Arica Sears for more information about becoming a sponsor of the 2025 People’s Coast Summit.
Speaker Bios
Devin Boss
Devin Boss, a Northeast Portland native, is the Founder and CEO of North East Productions, a film company focused on culturally rich, human-centered documentaries. His work has earned multiple awards, including two Telly Awards and Best Short Documentary at the Portland Film Fest. Devin is deeply committed to inclusivity and empowering narrative autonomy for Black and Brown communities.
Tim Williams
Tim Williams has served as Executive Director of Oregon Film since 2014. With over 25 years in the film industry, he has produced and partnered on numerous award-winning projects. He was formerly Co-President and Head of Production at GreeneStreet Films and has worked with companies like Fox Searchlight and Film Finances. Tim began his career in New York as a production assistant and assistant director, later producing and directing theater in London.
Mo Sherifdeen
Mo Sherifdeen is the Director of Integrated Marketing at Travel Oregon and guides the agency’s owned channels—promoting tourism that inspires visitors, uplifts communities, and fuels Oregon’s economy. Mo lives in Clackamas and spends his free time hiking with his family and looking for Oregon’s best brews and fish and chips. A former PDX Parent columnist, he’s also been known to lose track of time inside Powell’s Books.
The Oregon Coast Visitors Association organizes this event to keep coastal businesses, leaders and nonprofits up to date on new trends, studies and topics for the tourism industry while providing plenty of casual networking and fun entertainment. Stay tuned for details on workshops, speakers, and more for this year’s Summit.