Join fellow producers and agritourism professionals for a dynamic day of learning and networking. This event features engaging sessions on effective marketing strategies, firsthand stories from agritourism operators, opportunities to build valuable social connections, and updates on the latest research. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow your agritourism venture, this conference offers practical insights and inspiration to help you thrive. Hosted by the OSU Extension Agricultural Tourism Program and open to any farmer or rancher in Oregon.
Registration is $40 and includes a full lunch. Scholarships available. Contact Audrey Comerford at Audrey.comerford@oregonstate.edu or Melissa Fery at melissa.fery@oregonstate.edu with questions.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made by Jan 29, 2026 to Audrey Comerford: audrey.comerford@oregonstate.edu or 503-689-8241
Agenda:
9:30-10 a.m. – Arrival/Check in
10-11:15 a.m. – Opening remarks, Legacy in Motion: Young Farmers Leveraging Agritourism and Market Access
11:15-11:30 a.m. – Break
11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. – Breakout Session 1
- Websites That Work: SEO & Design Basics – Having a website that shows up on internet searches is still important, even in these days of social media. Topics that will be discussed are different website platforms, the importance of search engine optimization, and basic layout and design. Marissa Brown, Travel Salem Digital Marketing Specialist
- Newsletter Essentials and Strategies – The session will cover how newsletters engage customers, platforms options, frequency and timing for sending, and content strategies. Audrey Comerford, OSU Extension Agritourism Coordinator and Wee Woollies Fiber Arts
12:30 -1:15 p.m. – Lunch and networking
1:15 – 2:15 p.m. – Breakout Session 2
- Turning Likes into Visits – Farmer panel about experiences, different platforms, what type of content gets the most engagement, and how it’s used to drive visits/sales.
- Boost Your Visibility with Google Business Profile – An overview of why Google Business Profile is an important tool, how to claim your profile if you haven’t already, how to update it, and methods for improving your visibility. We will also take a look at a few individual business profiles as examples.
2:15 -3 p.m. – Closing session and raffle
Learn more and register here: Agritourism Connections Conference | OSU Extension Service
This in-person event will take place on Sunday, March 8 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.
The project has been funded in part by a grant from Travel Oregon and the Institute for Applied Sustainability at Southern Oregon University, so there is no cost to attend.
What attendees will gain:
● Practical accessibility strategies to implement right away
● Insights from real-world success stories across the travel industry, including innovative products and tech improvements to support inclusive service delivery
● Networking opportunities with peers, experts, and advocacy leaders
● Receive the Guidebook for Improving Accessibility for Oregon Tourism Providers
● Accessibility Ambassador Certificate of Completion to showcase your leadership in inclusive tourism
Registration is required. Register at: https://tinyurl.com/ATA-RSVP. Spaces are limited and the number of meals and drinks is reserved per confirmed participant. Please register early to secure your spot. If your plans change, please release your seat so others may attend.
Questions? Contact Dr. Pavlina McGrady at mcgradyp1@sou.edu.
This meeting will have a topical focus on local food directories, food/farm trails, passport programs and other efforts to showcase local food offerings in a format relevant to visitors. Organizations engaged in these ‘products’ or getting ready to embark on a directory or culinary trail project are highly encouraged to join! Attendees will have the opportunity to share their experience and learn from peers across the state and across sectors. Learn more about the community here.
Register to attend.
Resources
Meeting Presentations
The meeting will be in-person and live-streamed on Travel Oregon’s Industry YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/oregontourism/.
Accessibility and Accommodation Requests
For questions about accessibility or accommodations for persons with disabilities, or to request a translator, interpreter, or other communication aids, please contact Matthew Finn at matthew@traveloregon.com.
Accessibility and Accommodation Requests
For questions about accessibility or accommodations for persons with disabilities, or to request a translator, interpreter, or other communication aids, please contact Matthew Finn at matthew@traveloregon.com.
The next Oregon Dark Sky Tourism Learning Community meeting will take place on November 20 from 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Attendees will learn about the latest developments and opportunities for dark sky tourism in Oregon. The goal of this learning community is to facilitate education and foster alignment across the tourism industry and key stakeholders in order to elevate Oregon as a premier destination for dark sky experiences.
This virtual meeting is open to anyone interested in preserving Oregon’s dark skies, developing and promoting dark sky visitor experiences, and staying connected with dark sky initiatives and stakeholders across the state.
Advance registration is required.
View the webinar. | Download the presentation.
Monitoring and managing your Google Business Profile (GBP) is one of the best ways to improve your visibility and conversion. Responding to reviews and other activities like uploading photos and posting updates can drive more exposure and customers to your business.
To help make managing your GBP easier, Travel Oregon partnered with Portland-based company Locl to provide you (free!) access to a suite of GBP optimization tools. Locl helps businesses manage profile updates, create events and offers, engage with customer reviews, monitor business performance and act on insights – all in one place and for every location.
Join Cat Sherry Director of Customer Success at Locl, and learn how to use Locl’s optimization suite and their new AutoPilot tool to optimize your Google Business Profile.
Session Outcomes:
• Understand what a Google Business Profile (GBP) is and why it is important.
• Understand what Locl is and why it is important.
• Learn how to use your GBP profile to access to Locl for free.
• Learn how to take advantage of Locl’s optimization suite to improve GBP listings, monitor business performance and act on insights.
• Learn what features Locl offers that GBP doesn’t have.
Register here.
Southern Oregon University is hosting an Accessible Tourism Ambassador Training workshop.
What attendees will gain:
- Practical accessibility strategies to implement right away
- Insights from real-world success stories across the travel industry, including innovative products and tech improvements to support inclusive service delivery
- Networking opportunities peers, experts and advocacy leaders
- Receive the guidebook for improving accessibility for Oregon Tourism Providers
- Accessibility Ambassador Certificate of Completion to showcase your leadership inclusive tourism
Spaces are limited and the number of meals and drinks is reserved per confirmed participant. Please register early to secure your spot. If you’re unable to attend, please release your spot so others are able to join.
This project has been funded in part by a grant from Travel Oregon and the Institute for Applied Sustainability at Southern Oregon University. There is no cost to attend.
Register here.
Southern Oregon University is hosting an Accessible Tourism Ambassador Training workshop.
What attendees will gain:
- Practical accessibility strategies to implement right away
- Insights from real-world success stories across the travel industry, including innovative products and tech improvements to support inclusive service delivery
- Networking opportunities peers, experts and advocacy leaders
- Receive the guidebook for improving accessibility for Oregon Tourism Providers
- Accessibility Ambassador Certificate of Completion to showcase your leadership inclusive tourism
Spaces are limited and the number of meals and drinks is reserved per confirmed participant. Please register early to secure your spot. If you’re unable to attend, please release your spot so others are able to join.
This project has been funded in part by a grant from Travel Oregon and the Institute for Applied Sustainability at Southern Oregon University. There is no cost to attend.
Register here.
See you in Portland, March 9-11, 2026!
Submit your nominations for the Tourism Industry Achievement Awards
On March 9, the 2026 Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism will kick-off with the Tourism Industry Achievement Awards, celebrating work done across the industry in 2025. But we need your help in nominating those most deserving of recognition.
Please nominate an organization, individual, or yourself for outstanding work in the following categories: Rising Star, Equity, Prosperity, Marketing and Stewardship. Award nominations will be open until November 14.
Sponsors and Exhibitors
We are welcoming sponsors and exhibitors for the 2026 Governor’s Conference. As a sponsor of Gov Con, you have the unique opportunity to gain visibility among 600+ decision-makers, industry leaders and attendees shaping the future of travel in Oregon.
View the 2026 Sponsor and Exhibitor Guide to get started.
The Commission will open a public meeting at 9 a.m. and immediately go into an Executive Session, returning to a public meeting at 11:15 a.m. to move into Commission Action. Only individuals authorized and invited by the Commission are permitted to attend the Executive Session.
The meeting will be recorded and posted on Travel Oregon’s Industry YouTube Channel following the meeting.
Accessibility and Accommodation Requests
For questions about accessibility or accommodations for persons with disabilities, or to request a translator, interpreter, or other communication aids, please contact Matthew Finn at matthew@traveloregon.com.
The 2025 Summit will take place Thursday-Saturday, November 6-8, in Pendleton, Oregon and surrounding areas. The summit combines fun and high impact in-person networking opportunities with conference programming on the important issues of the day, educational content, trails stewardship work parties, and in-field tours and workshops.
The summit will bring together Oregon’s outdoor community to learn, build relationships, and find solutions to the challenges we face in developing and elevating outdoor recreation opportunities to best serve Oregon communities and celebrate and protect our natural, cultural, and historic wonders.
The Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) is hosting its annual economic forum and rail summit in Portland this October 14-17. The event will bring together government and industry leaders from the U.S. and Canada to discuss transportation, energy, trade, tourism and economic development in the region. Sessions will cover topics relevant to Oregon’s tourism industry, including passenger rail and multimodal tourism.
PNWER is a statutory, public-private partnership chartered by the states of Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Washington; and the western Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan; and Yukon and Northwest Territories. PNWER is recognized in both the United States and Canada as the model for regional and bi-national cooperation.
Find the draft agenda here.
This year, the Oregon Main Street Conference will be held in Albany, October 8-10, in collaboration with the Albany Downtown Association, the Albany Visitor’s Association, and the City of Albany.
Attendees at this Fall’s conference can look forward to:
- Engaging panels and speakers
- Walking tours featuring inspiring projects throughout downtown
- Two pre-conference workshops, featuring an old favorite Main Street 101
- Our annual Excellence on Main Awards celebration
- Networking opportunities with peers and partners
Take advantage of the early bird discounted rate of $115 through August 15, 2025. Student rates always available. Visit our conference homepage to register today and find additional information about the conference, including our schedule-at-a-glance, and lodging information. To register directly, visit the OMS Conference Registration.
Tourism and hospitality professionals from across Oregon are invited to Seaside this September 13-15 for the 2025 ORLA Hospitality Conference—a must-attend event offering fresh ideas, practical workshops and inspiring keynotes to help you grow your business and strengthen your team.
Be sure to join Saturday’s Women in Tourism & Hospitality Symposium (separate registration), designed to spark meaningful connections and deliver insights you can put into action.