October 8-9, Florence, OR
The Oregon Coast Visitors Association is thrilled to announce agenda additions to the 2024 People’s Coast Summit, an annual end-of-season tourism gathering taking place from October 8-9 in Florence, OR.
Keynote – October 9th at 12:30 PM
Whale of a Tale: Navigating Crisis Communications from Exploding Whales to Coastal Preparedness
Join us for an unforgettable keynote session featuring Paul Linnman, the television news reporter behind the iconic 1970 exploding whale coverage. Paul will recount this unforgettable moment and share how this one crisis has evolved into a career of working successfully with and for the media.
Following Paul’s riveting account, we will hear from communication rockstars Angie Galimanis, owner and president of Lawrence PR and Julia Amato, Director of Communications at Travel Oregon. Learn about Travel Oregon’s new crisis communications plan and how they’re working with RDMOs across the state to ensure we’re connected and consistent in times of crises.
This session will delve into how tourism professionals and organizations can prepare for the unexpected and become trusted voices for visitors and communities. Learn best practices, strategies, and current work in Oregon tourism to enhance crisis communication efforts.
Be inspired by real-world experiences and gain valuable knowledge to strengthen your role in supporting and guiding your community through challenges.
Summit Agenda
The campus style event will take place across multiple venues in Florence. This year’s agenda 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!
Keynotes:
October 8th Keynotes:
- Tourism in Focus: Navigating the Complexities of the Oregon Coast (9:30 am)
- Strengthening Oregon’s Coastal Hospitality Industry (12:30 pm)
- AI and Tourism (4:00 pm)
- Indigenous Perspectives on Sustainable/Regenerative Tourism (6:00 pm)
October 9 Keynotes:
- Leveraging Arts and Culture for Community and Economic Growth (9:30 am)
- Whale of a Tale: Navigating Crisis Communications from Exploding Whales to Coastal Preparedness (12:30 pm)
Workshops
- Google Business Profile and Locl
- Strengthening Oregon Coast’s Hospitality Industry
- Tourism Talks: From Taxes and Tangible Benefits
- Riding the Wave of Cycling Tourism on the Oregon Coast
- How to Attract International Visitors
- Leveraging Arts and Culture for Community and Economic Growth
- Plug and Play Graphic Design for your business
- LGBTQ+ Travel Panel
- Travelability – EnChroma Glasses, Wheel the World, Influencers, David’s Chair
- Forth Mobility Equitable Transportation – Business Sustainability
- Bring ReThink – Business Sustainability
Get ready for the Oregon Coastal tourism event of the year.
Register here!
Sponsorship
Thank you to Travel Lane County for their sponsorship of the 2024 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 2024 People’s Coast Summit.
Speaker Bios
Paul Linnman
Journalist
Paul Linnman is a veteran broadcast and print journalist who has anchored television newscasts and radio talk shows for more than five decades. He is best known for anchoring evening newscasts on KATU, the Portland affiliate of the ABC Television network. The Emmy Award-winning broadcaster also hosted morning, (“AM Northwest”), afternoon (“Two at Four”), and evening (“PM Magazine”) talk and information programs on KATU (2) and KGW (8). Linnman was also the host of morning and afternoon news and information programs on News Radio 1190 KEX and currently serves as KEX’s political and current events commentator.
Other notable work of Linnman’s includes his time as a magazine columnist, and his three books, including Oregon Golf, and The Exploding Whale and Other Remarkable Stories from the Evening News. He is perhaps best known for reporting the television news story of Oregon’s infamous “Exploding Whale,” (1970), which has become known worldwide and is one of the most-watched online videos in history. Disinterested in retirement, Linnman currently works as a freelance writer, video producer and media consultant.
Ashley Espinoza
Executive Director Lane Workforce Partnership
Ashley Espinoza, raised in the small Lane County town of Junction City, is a dedicated community leader with over a decade of experience in workforce and economic development. Her commitment lies in bridging the gap between underrepresented communities and broader community, fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors, and actively engaging with her community. Through her collaborative leadership style, Ashley has successfully overseen investments of millions of dollars, driving positive change and promoting sustainable growth within the region.
Currently, Ashley serves as the Executive Director of Lane Workforce Partnership. Additionally, she contributes her expertise to multiple esteemed boards, councils, and commissions, including the Bethel District #52 School Board, Connected Lane County Board of Directors, La Plaza Board of Directors, Lane Council of Governments Board of Directors, Founder of Latino Professionals Connect and as a Leadership Council Member of the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, further showcasing her commitment to arts and cultural enrichment.
A proud mother of two teenagers and wife to a Union Carpenter, Ashley’s personal life deeply influences her dedication to community service, shaping the landscape she passionately serves.
Matt Sayre
Executive Director Collaborative Economic Development Oregon
Matt is the Executive Director at Collaborative EDO, a regional economic development non-profit organization that serves all of Lane County. With a background at Nike and the Technology Association of Oregon, Matt’s focus is on aligning workforce systems with regional economic development. His efforts have contributed to Eugene’s recognition as a ‘Mozilla Gigabit City’ and a ‘Top 10 Up-and-Coming Tech City in the Nation’. A ’20 under 40 Rising Business Star’ awardee by The Register-Guard, Matt has played a key role in the growth of local startups and the recruitment of major employers like Uber, SentinelOne, Nulia, Stratacache, and Southwest Airlines to Eugene.
Ryan Kounovsky
Manager of Workforce Programs Lane Workforce Partnership
Ryan Kounovsky is the Workforce Program Manager for Lane Workforce Partnership. In this position, his primary responsibility is overseeing various Workforce Innovation and Opportunity (WIOA) Programs, along with management of other grant funded programs. Prior to coming to LWP, Ryan was the Chief of Staff for Representative Jeff Reardon in the Oregon Legislature, working on issues around Career and Technical Education, strengthening schools, water issues, environmental concerns, and workforce development. Two of his final pieces of legislation he worked on was passage of Future Ready Oregon, an innovative $200 million dollar investment in workforce development across Oregon, and a $250 million dollar investment in conserving Oregon’s water use and modernizing waterways.
Ryan holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Oregon’s school of Planning, Public Policy, and Management
Jesse Quinn
Engagement Director Lane Workforce Partnership
Jesse Quinn is the Community Engagement Director at Lane Workforce Partnership with over 10 years of leadership experience in nonprofit management and higher education. Prior to joining Lane Workforce Partnership, he served as Director of Annual Giving at United Way of Lane County. A position which led United Way’s year-round employee workplace fundraising efforts with over 216 local business leaders. His other leadership roles have included serving as Development Manager of HIV Alliance and advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Oregon.
Jesse graduated from the University of Oregon’s school of Planning, Public Policy and Management with a masters in Nonprofit Management.
He currently serves as a Board Member and Community Service Committee Co-Chair for the Rotary Club of Eugene and actively contributes as an HIV Alliance Board Member. In his spare time, Jesse enjoys exploring new swimming holes and running trails.
Rebecca Donley
Hospitality Industry Sector Strategist, Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association
Rebecca is the Oregon Coast Hospitality Sector Strategist at the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, where she leads initiatives to enhance workforce development and align with the Department of Labor’s Good Jobs Principles. With extensive experience in hotel operations, Rebecca is committed to strengthening the hospitality sector. She is also passionate about restoring her 1951 home and enjoys spending time on her backyard farm with her animals.
Additional speaker information coming soon!
—-
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.