Keynote Speakers:
Gifford Pinchot III
Bainbridge Graduate Institute
Gifford Pinchot is President and co-founder of the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, which offers an MBA that integrates sustainability and social responsibility with innovation and profit. BGI is one of the first graduate schools to weave sustainability throughout its entire curriculum, so that standard business subjects include ethics, cutting edge sustainability practices, and students’ spiritual perspectives. For the last three years BGI has come on top of Net Impact’s survey of business schools interested in socially responsible business. In August 2009 BGI was awarded the grant of accreditation by the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools.
Todd Davidson
Chief Executive Officer, Oregon Tourism Commission
Todd Davidson was appointed Executive Director of the Oregon Tourism Commission effective June 3, 1996. He was named Chief Executive Officer on September 9, 2004.
During this time, tourism in Oregon has become a $8.7 billion industry in Oregon, employing over 90,000 Oregonians. Achievements of the Oregon Tourism Commission during Davidson’s tenure include: the establishment of a dedicated, stable funding source for the Commission, the strategic launch of niche-oriented websites, publications and advertising, leadership in establishing sustainable tourism initiatives and strengthening the base of international markets, air service and partnerships.
Davidson is a member of numerous boards and commissions including the U.S Travel Association, the National Council of State Tourism Directors (NCSTD) and the Western States Tourism Policy Council (WSTPC). In December 2010, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke appointed Davidson to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board which is charged with advising the Secretary on government policies and programs that affect the U.S. travel and tourism industry, offers counsel on emerging issues and provide a forum for proposing solutions to industry-related problems. He is currently a member of U.S. Travel’s Executive Committee, Chair of the DiscoverAmerica.com Committee and Co-chair of the newly formed Leisure Advisory Council. Davidson is Past Chair of the National Council of State Tourism Directors.
In August 2006 he was named the State Tourism Director of the Year by the U.S. Travel Association, a non-profit organization representing the U.S. travel industry. Todd received the 1992 Governor’s Tourism award from Governor Barbara Roberts for his leadership in Oregon’s tourism industry
As a member of WSTPC, he assisted with the development and implementation of the historic Memorandum of Understanding between five federal departments, eight federal agencies, and thirteen western states coordinating the management of tourism on public recreation lands in the West.
From 1994 until his appointment, he served as the International Program Manager for the Oregon Tourism Commission. Prior to his statewide international marketing responsibilities Davidson was the Executive Director of the Albany Visitors Association from 1988-1994. He is a graduate of Iowa State University.
Session Speakers:
Mark Campbell
Solaia Consulting
Mark Campbell helps companies create indestructible bonds with their customers and employees. It starts with assisting clients to discover their unique brand story and then tell it and authentically live it to create an enduring emotional bond that transcends the product or service.
Mark’s focus is companies who sell transformational and intensely personal experiences (think travel, hospitality, food & wine) to upscale customers. He works with clients to infuse their unique brand story into their marketing, operations, personnel, facilities, and customer service functions in order to attract new buyers who move from being merely loyal customers or employees to becoming fiercely passionate advocates. They are thus inspired to share their story with others resulting in new customers being acquired at a much lower cost versus traditional old school methods.
Mark has over 25 years of marketing, communications and general management experience. His background includes consumer packaged goods, specialty retail, travel and hospitality and most recently, his own marketing and branding consultancy, Solaia Consulting.
Founded in 2009, Solaia Consulting works with companies improve their branding, marketing planning and communications, operations and staffing. Solaia’s primary industry focus is operators in upscale adventure travel, specialty travel and boutique hospitality sector. Recent clients include Discover France, Wildland Adventures, MIR Corp., and the Adventure Travel Trade Association. Mark is also an associate consultant with Travel Marketing Worldwide, a team of senior consultants providing proprietary travel industry representation services.
Mark joined Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants as Senior Vice president of Branding & Communications in late 2007. He spearheaded a major branding research project involving both guests and employees that uncovered and defined the company’s brand “DNA” and core themes. He also researched and retained a marketing agency to help him redefine Kimpton’s brand architecture and identify key brand touch points to better differentiate each of Kimpton’s branded collections.
Allen Cox
Editor and Travel Writer
As a media professional, Allen Cox works both sides of the editorial desk. He is a working freelance writer with a focus on travel, food and wine, the outdoors, the arts, business, and profiles of people who make a difference. His articles have appeared in several regional and national magazines, including AAA Journey, Northwest Travel, 425, South Sound, Native Peoples, Coast Explorer, WA Magazine, Seattle Times and many other print and online publications. He is also Editor of HARBORS, the Kenmore Air Destination Magazine. Allen serves on the Board of Directors of International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association and chairs that organization’s Excellence Awards Committee. He is also a member of Society of Professional Journalists. He has authored guidebooks, conducts writing workshops and speaks at media and tourism conferences. Allen hails from a 30-year career in marketing management. Besides writing and editing, he assists organizations as a destination and tourism marketing consultant, communications consultant and commercial copywriter/editor. Learn more about Allen and his work at www.allencox.org.
Jeff Ericson
President, Camano Island Coffee Roasters
Jeff Ericson is also the President of Frozen X-Plosion and Microretail International as well as an owner of Newbarista.com - He has over 30 years as a fast growth / multi-unit systems builder.
Jeff combines his systems background with a social business agenda to build companies that level the playing field for disadvantaged groups.
Camano Island Coffee Roasters partners with Agros.org to fund agricultural training and land ownership opportunity as they teach former “migrant” workers to work in a co-operative environment as “owners” – they then facilitate education and health care initiatives to break the chain of generational poverty. Agros has recently launched their 42 village.
Camano Island Coffee Roasters is a “social business” that believes coffee (the 2nd largest commodity on earth next to oil) can single handedly be used to alleviate much of the worlds rural poverty.
As consumers are educated that there is actually power in the dollars they use for their grocery purchases – they become “prosumers” and realize that their previous purchases could have done more harm then good.
With a 98% retention rate – these subscription based “Coffee Lovers Club” members begin telling the true coffee story to friends and family and become actively involved in changing the world “one cup of coffee at a time”
The profits from Camano Island Coffee Roasters are then used by Agros.org to facilitate real and measured change in agricultural workers lives.
Andy Hayes
Travel Writer
Known internationally for his expertise in social media, Andy Hayes, a travel industry writer based in Seattle, is a busy guy. When he’s not travelling to support content for his popular travel lifestyle magazine, Sharing Travel Experiences (www.sharingtravelexperiences.com), he is out giving workshops under the guise of his travel marketing organization, Travel Online Partners (www.travelonlinepartners.com). He’s been featured in publications like CNN, Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, and National Geographic Traveler.
Described as “young Internet star,” Andy has spoke a number of tourism workshops in both the US and the UK, as well as noteworthy conferences such as TBEX, Eye For Travel, and Blogworld. His down to earth and real-world view of social media marketing, as well as website usability and other web technologies, have proved to be a massive hit with the tourism industry, both online and offline.
That Travel Guy may have created for himself the greatest job in the world—connecting travelers with destinations, small travel businesses with their customers, and small business owners with big ideas—but he’s still looking to help you make your own work the greatest in the world.
Annika Hipple
Travel Writer
Annika Hipple is a freelance writer and editor specializing in travel, environmental issues, and sustainability. She is particularly interested in topics such as sustainable and responsible travel, ecotourism, adventure travel, conservation, and green living. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including Sierra Magazine, AAA Journey, Earth Island Journal, the Seattle Times’ Trip Magazine, Northwest Meetings + Events, and Conscious Choice. She is also a contributor to the forthcoming Berlitz Handbook to the USA as well as various online media outlets. In addition, Annika is the news editor for Ethical Traveler, a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower travelers to change the world by using the economic clout of tourism to protect human rights and the environment. Alongside her journalistic work, she provides editorial services to clients in the travel, hospitality, and sustainability fields.
Molly Phillips
Manager of Global Responsibility, Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle
Molly joined Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle in 2010 as Global Responsibility Manager. She created the PanEarth program to explore and improve upon environmental and social sustainability. Since inception, the program has had success in areas of cost savings as well as building community and environmental impact. In addition, programs and practices that help guests decrease their environmental impact while traveling been implemented. The program is now poised to expand to the North American region of the company and Molly will be working with properties in this region to create symmetry for the PanEarth program.
Molly was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and graduated with a B.A. in Communications/Media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 2008, she graduated from Bainbridge Graduate Institute with a degree in Sustainable Business. She has a 14 year old son, Andrew and is married to Jason Phillips. They reside in downtown Seattle.
Colleen Wright
Principal, Response Interactive LLC / Search Engine Academy Northwest
Colleen Wright is an Internet marketing strategist and trainer with over 20 years of general marketing experience and 14 years of experience working on the web. As one who teaches Internet marketing, Ms. Wright stays current on the ever-changing landscape that is Internet marketing. Consulting clients stay long-term with her company, Response Interactive because they get excellent results.
Colleen’s career has spanned a variety of industries from banking and finance to seminar marketing, sports marketing (Nike), high tech, non-profit, commercial real estate and horticulture. As an Internet marketing consultant and owner of Response Interactive LLC, she enjoys helping her diverse client base and students capture their target market through the power of the Internet and the strength of compelling content.
Areas of Expertise include:
- Search Engine Optimization
- Social Media Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Competitive Intelligence
- Pay-per-click advertising
- Website Analytics
Sherrye Wyatt
Whidbey & Camano Island Tourism
Sherrye Wyatt is a public relations professional with over 20 years of experience working with food, wine, and travel media. At one time she served as director of marketing for Cave B Estate Winery and Cave B Inn at SageCliffe. Earlier this year she was recognized by the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association as a recipient of the Destination Marketing Excellence Award for her current work promoting Whidbey and Camano Islands.
I grew up on a farm just north of the Tri Cities and graduated from Washington State University’s Edward R School of Communications. I’ve spent most of my career in eastern Washington but also spent several years in Washington, D.C.
