![](https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Willamette-Valley-Tourism-Summit-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=13c09dcc8ec2be018d3501ebc05318fd 320w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Willamette-Valley-Tourism-Summit-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=880abda809f9ccd1960b71f9bfca3266 540w, https://travel-salem.imgix.net/images/Willamette-Valley-Tourism-Summit-3.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=3e11a0322b2e914f2f8786d183eacb3e 650w)
Join Us!
The Mid-Willamette Valley Tourism Summit brings-together marketing and tourism stakeholders for valuable conversation, education, networking and resources focused on driving economic impact into the region. We hope you will join us on November 9, 2023 from 11:00am to 4:30pm to be a part of this exciting event returning to downtown Salem!
Time & Location:
November 9, 2023
11:00 am - 4:30 pm (Lunch provided)
Salem Convention Center – Santiam Ballroom
Agenda
10:00am | Regional Chamber Coffee Hour in West Gallery |
10:15am | Summit Check-in Opens in Santiam Ballroom Foyer |
11:00am | Lunch Opens in Santiam Ballroom Foyer |
11:30am | Welcome & Introduction in Santiam Ballroom 1-3 |
11:35am | State of the Industry in Santiam Ballroom 1-3 |
12:20pm | Networking Break in Santiam Ballroom Foyer |
12:40pm | Breakout Session One Breakout A: "Placer.ai & Events" in Santiam 4,5 |
Breakout B: "Handling Change in Your Business & Life" in Santiam 6 | |
1:40pm | Networking Break & PM Snack in Santiam Ballroom Foyer |
2:00pm | Breakout Session Two
Breakout A: "Increasing Visitation for Destinations and Local Businesses" in Santiam 4,5 |
Breakout B: "Culinary Community Panel Discussion" in Santiam 6 | |
3:10pm | Keynote Presentation: "Artificial Intelligence: Introduction and Workforce Implications" in Santiam Ballroom 1-3 |
4:10pm | Conclusion in Santiam Ballroom 1-3 |
4:30pm | Raffle in Santiam Ballroom 1-3 |
Keynote Topic
Artificial Intelligence: Introduction and Workforce Implications by K S Venkatraman [Venkat]
It may feel like Artificial Intelligence came out of nowhere and is now top-of-mind for businesses and employees throughout seemingly every industry. Tourism, Marketing, Hospitality and Destination Leadership are no exception. As Co-Chair of the Oregon Workforce and Talent Development Board’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force, Venkat has been a leader in the conversation around where A.I. has progressed, where it is heading and what that looks like for employers and workforce throughout our state.
Join us for this cutting-edge Keynote Presentation about the future of A.I. in our industry, our workforce, and our lives.
We invite you to submit questions to be reviewed and answered by Venkat during his Keynote Presentation.
Examples:
- How will A.I. affect my travel?
- What is the outlook for youth workers?
- Is there a way to adapt my small business to A.I. conscientiously?
Breakout Sessions
Placer.ai & Events: Understanding Impact and Gaining Insights
Speaker: Kendahl Palmer
Director of Customer Success
Placer.ai
Handling Change in Your Business & Life
Speaker: Jennifer Hlad
Change Management Specialist
State of Oregon
Increasing Visitation for Destinations and Local Businesses
Speaker: Corey Hanson
Regional Vice President & GM
KPTV-KPDX Broadcasting Corporation
Culinary Community Panel Discussion
Dynamic Discussion with Leaders in the Salem-Area Restaurant Community
Speakers: Christopher Holland, TAPROOT / Cecelia Ritter James, Wild Pear Restaurant & Catering / Dino Venti, Venti’s Restaurants
Questions?
Anton Cobb
Community Relations Specialist
anton@travelsalem.com
Meet the Speakers
K S Venkatraman
Sr. Director for A.I. Computing at NVIDIA Corporation &
Executive Member at Oregon’s Workforce and Talent Development Board
Venkat moved to Oregon in 1997 and has since hired, mentored, and trained hundreds of students in STEM, high-performance computing, and AI. Prior to NVIDIA and a brief stint at a startup company building systems-on-a-chip for digital televisions, he was a computer architect at Intel Corporation in Hillsboro, responsible for developing innovative technologies for Pentium®4 and Core™ processors. Since then his teams have developed products that enable technologies like self-driving cars, natural language processing, and recommendation systems.
Corey Hanson
Regional Vice President & General Manager | KPTV-KPDX Broadcasting Corporation
Since 2021 Corey Hanson has been serving as the Vice President and General Manager of KPTV. Under her leadership, KPTV/KPDX saw ratings growth in all day parts and achieved the number one audience position for morning and late news. The duopoly has held that number one position for over a decade. Hanson also helped launch nine newscasts, producing nearly 70 hours of weekly news content. Corey began her career as a news producer at KOIN (CBS) before moving to KGW (NBC), both in Portland.
Jennifer Hlad
Change Management Specialist | State of Oregon
Jennifer has been a dynamic presence in the State of Oregon for over 15 years and is currently the conference and training coordinator for the Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division. In this role, she coordinates outreach and education to customers and stakeholders, and manages special projects for the division. Jennifer received her PROSCI change management certification in January of 2020 and her Lean Six Sigma green belt, advanced analysis and process improvement, certification in 2023. From 2019 through 2023, Jennifer worked as the modernization change lead for the Oregon Workers’ Compensation Division modernization program.
Kendahl Palmer
Director of Customer Success | Placer.ai
A Pacific Northwest native passionate about data, Kendahl Palmer has spent the last 13 years immersed in the dynamic world of data. As the Director of Customer Success at Placer.ai, Kendahl is dedicated to uncovering and delivering invaluable insights into our physical world.
Christopher Holland
Owner | TAPROOT
Dino Venti
Owner | Venti’s Restaurants
Cecelia Ritter James
Owner | Wild Pear Restaurant & Catering