SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Sunday, March 17, 2019

OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION

1:00 - 3:30 pm Travel Southern Oregon (TSO) Symposium Registration – Grand Ballroom Lobby, Inn at the Commons

1:00 - 3:30 pm Exhibitor Set up in Grand Ballroom 

1:00 - 4:00 pm Cascade Room Board Meeting

5:00 - 7:00 pm TSO Symposium Opening Night Reception

TSO Symposium Opening Night Reception at Rocky Tonk Saloon in Downtown Medford. Network with peers, speakers, exhibitors, and top tourism officials.  Heavy appetizers, wine, and beer. 

Sponsored by Travel Medford 

7:00 pm Continue the fun and networking. A list of Medford’s Downtown Restaurants and Bars open Sunday night is available. 

Lodging & Hotel

Host Hotel: Inn at the Commons (Neuman Hotel Group) Medford, OR

For reservations, please contact Courtney Toll, Director of Sales and Catering, Inn at the Commons. 

P: 541-774 4710   C: 541-951-2457 [email protected]

200 N. Riverside Ave, Medford, OR 97501, 541-779-5811

For a complete list of hotels please go to www.travelmedford.org

Monday, March 18, 2019 

SYMPOSIUM AGENDA

Inn at the Commons, Medford

7:30 – 8:20 am Grand Ballroom

Continental Breakfast, Registration, and Exhibitors in Grand Ballroom  

Sponsored by Neuman Hotel Group  


8:30 - 8:35 am Grand Ballroom 

Welcome and Introductions, Brad Niva. TSO Executive Director 

8:35 – 8:45 am Grand Ballroom

Welcome by Travel Medford, Eli Matthews, Senior Vice President Travel Medford


8:45 – 9:20 am Grand Ballroom

Presentation: Oregon History Show and Tell

Speaker: Kerry Tymchuk

Oregon Historical Society

Executive Director

Kerry will share some of the most fascinating stories and iconic artifacts from Oregon’s remarkable history in a fun and inspiring presentation.  Kerry serves as the Executive Director of the Oregon Historical Society, headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1898, OHS is the designated steward of Oregon's history. Kerry has been named by the Portland Business Journal as “The Most Admired Non-Profit Executive in Portland,” and in 2018 received the “Statesman of the Year Award” from Oregon Business Industry. 

Sponsored by Discover Klamath

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9:30 – 10:10 am Breakouts: 

Petite Ballroom (Downstairs below Front Lobby: Cascade Room, Jackson Room, Douglas Fir Room) & Grand Ballroom

  • What’s New on Visitor Tracking? – Steve Halasz, Travel Portland  Using Google Maps Search Data to Assess the Economic Impact of Tourism

10:10 - 10:30 am Exhibitor and Networking Break in Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by Travel Ashland


10:30 - 11:45 pm Grand Ballroom

Presentation: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Speaker: Michael Hulshof-Schmidt, MSW 

Executive Director, EqualityWorks NW

He, Him, and His

C:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Documents\SOMC\2019 Symposium\Michael Hulshof-Schmidt.jpgAligning intent with impact regarding issues of equality, inclusion, and diversity through transformational conversations. Understand how people with different identities may face different barriers and how to deeply understand and commit to equity for all. 


11:45 – 12:00 pm Exhibitor Break and Networking, Grand Ballroom


12:00 – 1:15 pm Grand Ballroom

Presentation: Working Lunch and TSO Update, Smoke Impact Update, Update on Crater Lake and Oregon Caves new concessioner, Aramark.  

Speakers: Brad Niva, Bob Hackett, and Alice Harten

Brad Niva

Travel Southern Oregon, Executive Director 

Bob Hackett    

Travel Southern Oregon, Associate Director


Alice Harten

Aramark, General Manager

Crater Lake and Oregon Caves Concessioner


1:30 – 2:10 pm Afternoon Breakouts: 

Petite Ballroom (Downstairs: Cascade Room, Jackson Room, Douglas Fir Room) & Grand Ballroom

  • Diversity and Inclusion Follow Up –Michael Hulshof-Schmidt, MSW, EqualityWorks NW, He, Him, and HisC:\Users\Owner\Documents\My Documents\SOMC\2019 Symposium\Michael Hulshof-Schmidt.jpg
  • What’s New on Visitor Tracking? – Steve Halasz, Travel Portland  Using Google Maps Search Data to Assess the Economic Impact of Tourism
  •  Instagram for Small Businesses-  –Lanessa Pierce, Whattodoinsouthernoregon.com How to maximize your impact on social media.
  • PR 101: How to work with Travel Southern Oregon Public Relations – Emele Hibdon, Travel Southern Oregon’s PR and Marketing Contractor.  Learn the basics of public relations and the process of working with Travel Southern Oregon to get your story out to the media. Create visibility to keep your brand top of mind to travel audiences in a positive way. 


2:10 – 2:30 pm Afternoon Exhibitor Break and Networking in Grand Ballroom

Sponsored by Travel Oregon


2:30 – 3:15 pm  Grand Ballroom

Presentation: Travel Oregon & Destination Development 

Speaker: Alexa Carey, Travel Oregon

Destination Development Specialist - Community-Based Services

Developing tourism in a manageable, sustainable way can stimulate the local economy, protect and enhance local resources and foster community pride—without compromising the qualities that make the place so special. To help communities across the state increase their economic vibrancy by improving their appeal as visitor destinations, Travel Oregon offers the Oregon Tourism Studios. Southern Oregon communities have organized around this program opportunity and taken the results to new levels. This session will highlight destination development projects molding the tourism landscape in Southern Oregon as well as feature several Travel Oregon programs that DMOs, businesses and organizations alike can plug into. Attendees will also hear from Oregon Tourism Studio DMO leaders who are transforming their regional destinations through catalytic development work after an Oregon Tourism Studio.

Sponsored by Travel Grants Pass

3:15 – 4:00 pm – Grand Ballroom

Presentation: Wrap Up, Presidents Award, What’s Next in TSO World 

Speakers: Brad Niva, Executive Director, TSO and Bob Hackett, Associate Director, TSO


4:00 Conclude

    Please email S[email protected] if you'd like to inquire about your current membership status or request information about becoming a TSO Member.

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    Symposium Speaker Bios and Contact Info

    Brad Niva 

    Executive Director

    Travel Southern Oregon (TSO)

    [email protected]

    Bob Hackett

    Associate Director

    Travel Southern Oregon

    [email protected]

    Kerry Tymchuk

    Oregon Historic Society

    Executive Director

    [email protected]

    503-880-1765

    Oregon History Show and Tell

    Kerry Tymchuk serves as the Executive Director of the Oregon Historical Society, headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1898, OHS is the designated steward of Oregon's history. Kerry has been named by the Portland Business Journal as “The Most Admired Non-Profit Executive in Portland,” and in 2018 received the “Statesman of the Year Award” from Oregon Business Industry.  

    A native of Reedsport, Kerry is a 1981 graduate of Willamette University and a 1984 graduate of Willamette University College of Law. Prior to assuming the helm at OHS in April 2011, Kerry earned a reputation as one of Oregon's most respected public servants. His career included service as a Marion County Deputy District Attorney, Director of Speechwriting to U.S. Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole, Director of Speechwriting and Legal Counsel to U.S. Senator Bob Dole, and Oregon Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Gordon Smith.

    Kerry co-authored with the Doles in the writing of four books; Unlimited Partners with Bob and Elizabeth Dole, Great Political Wit and Great Presidential Wit with Bob Dole, and Hearts Touched With Fire, with Elizabeth Dole.  He also worked with four Oregon business icons in the writing of their autobiographies; One Tough Mother with Columbia Sportswear Chairman Gert Boyle, Vintage Merlo with former Louisiana-Pacific CEO Harry Merlo, “No Small Potatoes” with Al Reser, the late chairman and CEO of Reser’s Fine Foods, and “American Dreamers,” with Ken Austin, the Founder of A-dec.  

    A four-time champion on the popular television game show "Jeopardy," Kerry is active in the community, serving on the boards of AAA-Oregon, Willamette University, the Oregon State Fair Council, the Oregon Community Board of Wells Fargo, and the Oregon Community Board of Regence/Blue Cross.  Kerry and his wife, Becky, reside in Beaverton, and are the parents of two children. 

    Steve Halasz

    Director of Research

    Travel Portland

    [email protected]

    503-548-0971

    What's New with Google Tourism Tracking 

    Steve Halasz serves as the Director of Research at Travel Portland in Portland, OR. Prior to founding the Research Department at Travel Portland, Steve was the Director of Consumer Research at Brand USA. He has conducted Market Research for more than 10 years and started his research career as a consultant in the manufacturing and industrials sector. As a consultant, he worked with many leading, global brands, such as John Deere, Ingersoll Rand, US Gypsum, Altec, and Rheem Manufacturing. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Wake Forest University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

    Michael Hulshof-Schmidt

    Executive Director

    EqualityWorksNW.com

    [email protected]

    503-572-6869

    Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

    Michael has extensive experience providing challenging and collaborative equity and inclusion consulting. He has a deep understanding of culturally responsive work, navigating power and privilege, and the impact of intersecting identities. Michael has worked in a wide variety of environments including non-profit social service agencies and government organizations, private and public K-12 education, colleges, and educational consortia. In addition to serving as the Executive Director of EqualityWorks, NW, Michael also teaches Social Justice and Anti-Oppressive Practice at the Portland State University School of Social Work.

    Alexa Carey

    Travel Oregon

    Destination Development Specialist - Community-Based Services

    319 SW Washington Street, Suite 700

    Portland, OR 97204

    [email protected]

    D: 971-717-6178 | O: 503-967-1560 

    Destination Development 

    Alexa Carey serves as the Community Based Services Director on the Destination Development team at Travel Oregon. Her role focuses on cultivating regional tourism networks and visions, implementing development strategies, and resourcing locally-led efforts. After earning degrees in Marketing, Management, Business Administration, and International Business from the University Honors College at Oregon State University, Alexa focused her efforts on creating thriving, rural Oregon communities through leadership, entrepreneurship, and economic development training and capacity building programs.

    Emele Hibdon

    TSO Public Relations Contractor

    [email protected]

    808-741-2895

    PR 101: How to work with Travel Southern Oregon Public Relations

    Emele’s career in travel and tourism Public Relations spans more than 17 years. She currently owns a boutique PR firm in Portland and has worked with Travel Southern Oregon, TreeCasa Resort Nicaragua, Visit Phoenix, Visit Huntington Beach and Sheraton Portland Hotel, among others.

    Prior to moving to Oregon, Emele managed the media programs for the Kauai Visitors Bureau, Hawaii Hotel and Lodging Association, Atlantis Submarines, Prince Resorts Hawaii and Hawaiian Airlines.

    Emele is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and has assisted thousands of journalists and influencers to generate stories to top media outlets. She draws inspiration for her work as an avid traveler and has visited more than 40 countries.

    Rich Rosenthal 2016

    Rich Rosenthal

    Director of Parks, Recreation and Facilities Management Department
    City of Medford (Ore.)

    [email protected]

    541-774-2400

    The Economic Impact of U.S. Cellular Community Park

    Rich became the Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department Director on an interim basis in September 2016 and became the permanent director in March 2017, replacing Brian Sjothun.

    During his time overseeing the City's Recreation Division, Rich has administered unprecedented expansion of community recreation programs and services.  Rosenthal’s management skills have helped produce nine consecutive years of record-setting participation and revenue totals. His duties also include facility management for U.S. Cellular Community Park (the largest synthetic-grass sports park in the U.S.) and the Santo Community Center complex.

    Rosenthal had a wide-ranging and innovative full-time role in the Southern Oregon University’s athletic department. As the school’s sports information director from 1994 until 2006, Raider sports publications won 24 national awards. In addition to tirelessly promoting SOU, its intercollegiate teams and student-athletes during an enormously successful era, he was also a key operative in record-setting athletics scholarship fund-raising campaigns.

    The Casper, Wyo. native earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with an emphasis in journalism from Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore., and he completed the Master in Management program at Southern Oregon University in 2006. His master’s capstone was a comprehensive market analysis and marketing plan for Oak Knoll Golf Course.

    Prior to his arrival at SOU in 1994, he served as an intern in the U.S. Senate for longtime Wyoming senator Alan K. Simpson. In keeping with a family tradition of civic service and volunteerism, he remains involved at SOU in a volunteer capacity.

    In Aug. 2013, Rosenthal helped set a Guinness World Record by participating in the longest Wiffle Ball game ever played. 

    Amber Jacobson

    President of Southern Oregon Runners Club

    541-292-9253

    [email protected]

    Hi my name is Amber Jacobson, President of Southern Oregon Runners Club. I have been directing races for Southern Oregon Runners since I was 18 years old but before becoming a race director I was a youth member of the running club. Growing up in the running club taught me about community, gave me life long friends  and showed me the importance of investing in our community's youth. Community, youth and friendship are the top priorities of Southern Oregon Runners and I consider it a great privilege to be the leader of this great club. 

    Lanessa Pierce

    What to do in Southern Oregon, Owner

    TSO Social Media Manager

    [email protected]

    I am the owner and social media manager of What to do in Southern Oregon a website and social media outlet that features local events, restaurants and businesses.  I pride myself on not only telling people what to do, but showing them why by experiencing them with my husband, 13 year old son and 6 year old daughter.  I have a blog, local events calendar and spotlight pages featuring .all the things to do.  You can find us camping and hiking as much as we can, while enjoying our vibrant local music scene as often as we can and getting out to local restaurants, breweries, and restaurants.  Southern Oregon has our heart.


    Dana Shinners

    Project Manager, Institute for Policy Research and Engagement

    School of Planning, Public Policy & Management

    University of Oregon

    [email protected]

    Dana M. Shinners is the Project Manager of a top-notch research team generating a Visitor Profile of Oregon wine tourists. She received her Bachelor of Science in Community and Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is four months away from graduating with a Masters in Community and Regional Planning at UO. Dana has worked for local government and various non-profits in the fields of planning, urban agriculture, food systems, and community development.

    Contact Information:

    Event & Sponsorship Contact | Sue Price, [email protected], 541-890-5472 Symposium Sponsor Sheet

    Exhibitor Contact | Gigi Ashley, [email protected], 541-660-3430  Exhibitor Participation Form

    Registration Contact | Shannon de Puglia, [email protected], 541-659-3616

    Inn at the Commons Lodging Reservations | Courtney Toll, [email protected], 541-774 4710, 541-951-2457 

    Travel Southern Oregon

    PO Box 1645, Medford, OR 97526

    541-708-1994

    SouthernOregon.org

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