Register for Travel Oregon’s Dark Sky Tourism Learning Community meeting to 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 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.
Register here.
The 2024 Trail Skills College will be hosted at the Cascade Locks Marine Park; 427 Portage Road, Cascade Locks, Oregon. Field sessions will take place in the greater Columbia River Gorge area.
Trail Skills College is offered free of charge in an effort to inspire stewardship of trails. In exchange for attending a training session, participants are encouraged to volunteer at least 8 hours of work on trail projects in the coming year.
Don’t forget, you can learn new trail maintenance skills by volunteering on a PCTA trail crew any time. Most crews don’t require any previous trail maintenance experience. Knowledgeable and experienced crew leaders are on site to teach you the necessary skills. Visit PCTA’s online schedule to find trail projects near you.
Join Portland Parks & Recreation at East Portland Community Center to get connected with over 20 local organizations and learn more about adaptive recreation opportunities in your area. This event is offered at no cost and registration is not required.
The State of Oregon’s Workforce and Talent Development Board (WTDB) and Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) are hosting the 2024 Oregon Talent Summit (Summit) on May 14-15, 2024.
Convened every two years, the Summit brings key partners together to better understand and address workforce, talent, and skill needs in Oregon.
Join leaders from business, workforce, community-based organizations, education, labor, and economic development for an extraordinary opportunity to learn about and discuss the implications of critical trends, challenges, and opportunities in workforce and talent development. Explore how these dynamics will shape and transform education and training initiatives that advance Oregon’s economic competitiveness and provide equitable opportunities for prosperity to Oregon’s diverse workforce.
Los Angeles is proud to be the host city of IPW 2024 on May 3-7, 2024. LA is home to culturally rich neighborhoods. 75 miles of idyllic shoreline, 200+ MICHELIN-recognized restaurants. 11 professional sports teams, and incredible theme parks and attractions. The City of Angels presents limitless possibilities for visitors from around the world and will be rolling out the red carpet for IPW 2024.
IPW showcases U.S. suppliers of USA travel products and destinations, and attracts international and domestic travel buyers and journalists representing more than 60 countries.
Grant makers offering more than $5 million in funding for FY2025 will participate in the Oregon Cultural Trust’s 2024 “Conversations with Funders” events from March 25 through April 4. The five-stop series of open houses and information sessions will inform grant seekers about funding programs, available cultural resources and opportunities to discuss their projects and programming.
Open houses from noon to 1 p.m. will allow grant seekers and organizational staff to visit with cultural resource providers. Participating providers will include the Nonprofit Association of Oregon, Rural Development Initiatives, Business Oregon Regional Development Officers and the Oregon Museums Association.
From 1:30 to 4 p.m., grant seekers will “speed date for funding” with the Cultural Trust and four of its Statewide Partners – the Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage, Oregon Humanities and the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office – in addition to counterparts from the State Library of Oregon, The Oregon Community Foundation, The Autzen Foundation, Spirit Mountain Community Fund, The Roundhouse Foundation, The Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation and the Wildhorse Foundation, among others. Participants are encouraged, but not required, to sign up for their location of choice.
Organizations encouraged to attend “Conversations with Funders” include community development organizations, libraries, arts organizations, museums, cultural centers, parks and trails groups, historical societies, arts alliances, literary groups and heritage organizations. All cultural nonprofit organizations are welcome.
The full schedule is:
- Portland: Noon to 4 p.m., Tuesday, March 26, Miller Hall, World Forestry Center, 4033 SW Canyon Road, Portland
- Eugene: Noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday, March 27, WOW Hall, 291 West 8Th, Eugene
- Bend: Noon to 4 p.m., Friday, March 29, Open Space Studios, 220 NE Lafayette Ave., Bend
- Pendleton: Noon to 4 p.m., Tuesday, April 2, Pendleton Center for the Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendleton
- Medford: Noon to 4 p.m., Thursday, April 4, Large Conference Room, Medford Public Library, 205 S. Central Ave., Medford
For more information contact Schreiner at aili.schreiner@biz.oregon.gov or 503-428-0963.
Read the Strategic Plan Progress Report here.
Oregon Tourism Commission Briefing
September 24 | 12 – 2 p.m.
Inn at Cross Keys Station
66 NW Cedar Street
Madras, OR 97741
View the agenda.
Briefing Presentations:
Oregon Tourism Commission Meeting
September 25 | 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Inn at Cross Keys Station
66 NW Cedar Street
Madras, OR 97741
View the agenda.
Meeting Presentations:
Oregon Tourism Commission Briefing
View the recording.
June 3 | 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Rogue X – Court 8
901 Rossanley Drive
Medford, OR 97501
Oregon Tourism Commission Meeting
View the recording.
June 4| 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Rogue X – Court 8
901 Rossanley Drive
Medford, OR 97501
This event, in partnership with Oregon State Marine Board, Willamette Valley, Visit McMinnville and Travel Oregon, is opportunity for the community to come together to discuss improving recreation access to the Yamhill rivers.
Please register in advance for the community meeting here.
Questions? Contact info@visitmcminnville.com.
This event, in partnership with Oregon State Marine Board, Willamette Valley, Visit McMinnville and Travel Oregon, is opportunity for the community to come together to discuss improving recreation access to the Yamhill rivers.
Please register in advance for the community meeting here.
Questions? Contact info@visitmcminnville.com.
Join recreation staff from the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Regional Offices to learn about the different colors of federal funds that can be utilized for trails and related amenities. Learn more about how to work with local district staff to get trails projects on priority lists and how to pursue Cost Share Agreements for stewardship partners to participate in the work.
Presenters:
- Zach Jarrett, Trails and Dispersed Recreation Program Manager, USFS Pacific Northwest Region Office
- David Moore, Non-motorized Trails, VRM, Recreation Based NEPA Lead, Bureau of Land Management OR/WA Office
- Steph Noll, Oregon Trails Coalition Director
This webinar is being offered free of charge with support from Travel Oregon.
This event, in partnership with Oregon State Marine Board, Willamette Valley, Visit McMinnville and Travel Oregon, is opportunity for the community to come together to discuss improving recreation access to the Yamhill rivers.
To learn more or register for a community meeting, email info@visitmcminnville.com.
The goal when the TravelAbility Summit was first developed was to educate travel organizations about the emerging market of baby boomers–40 percent of whom, according to Health Today, self-identify as having a disability after they turn 65. In order to broaden the potential audience, the summit has expanded to embrace Sustainability and DE&I, two emerging markets that will drive tourism growth over the next decade. This not only means you get to learn about all three super-relevant market segments at one event, but since we will be co-located with ESTO in Savannah, GA on August 18-20th, you can combine 2 important industry conferences all in one trip.
Join for 2.5 days of panel discussions, workshops and presentations featuring industry thought leaders,and travel influencers.
View the agenda, speakers and more here.
Oregon Heritage, part of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, provides technical services and funding to organizations and people doing heritage and history work throughout the state. The Oregon Heritage Conference is one of the ways this service is provided. The conference is offered every other year and brings people from all heritage fields together to learn, explore, reflect, build relationships, and engage. It serves staff and volunteers of nonprofit organizations, state, local and Tribal governments and individuals do work related to Oregon’s heritage including research, designation, access to Oregon’s history, archaeology, downtown vitality, genealogy and preservation of historic buildings, cemeteries, and sites.
More information to come.
ESTO is the leading annual learning and knowledge-sharing forum for destination marketing professionals. This dynamic and acclaimed conference features three nonstop days of relevant, engaging content.
What you can expect to get from ESTO:
- Attendees network with the best and brightest in the travel industry. ESTO attracts the nation’s top industry CEOs and marketing leaders at the city, regional and state levels.
- Through a combination of large-scale keynote presentations and more intimate breakout sessions, ESTO features dynamic speakers, who present content that informs and inspires.
- ESTO provides a one-of-a-kind forum for large and small destinations to learn about current trends, hear the latest research and discover implications for the future of their brand.
- The Destiny and Mercury Awards celebrate the year’s best campaigns, promotions and creative. Collectively, these award programs are made up of 25+ categories and receive more than 300 entries.
- At ESTO, you’ll gain access to exclusive research, network with colleagues, learn about the latest marketing trends and debate pressing issues affecting destinations—all in a non-sales environment.
Join your industry peers at the ORLA Hospitality Conference this fall! Hundreds of industry professionals will come together for thought leadership, networking, workshops and celebration! You and your team will share best practices, learn something new, and have a lot of fun.
The conference begins Saturday, Sept. 30 at 5:45 p.m. with a welcome reception and concludes Monday, Oct. 2 with an evening Dine Around Ashland and 7:30 p.m. dessert reception.
Review the detailed agenda here.