The 2022 People’s Coast Summit presents keynotes on accessibility, stewardship and connection – The Oregon Coast Visitors Association will host the sixth annual People’s Coast Summit in Yachats, Oregon on October 10 through 12. This end-of-season industry gathering welcomes participants to decompress from the busy summer tourism season, share experiences and connect with colleagues old and new. Programming this year has a focus on ‘travelability’ or the accessibility in travel on the Coast. Keynote speaker Kelcie Miller-Anderson will take the stage Tuesday evening to address topics of accessibility and disability advocacy in the tourism space. Miller-Anderson, of Calgary, Canada, has received many awards for her work as an environmentalist, innovator and scientist. She is one of Canada’s Top 20 Under 20, Next 36, and a Manning Youth Innovation award winner. Her website states, “As a young person diagnosed with several progressive illnesses at a young age, Kelcie has met challenge in more ways than one, but she’s fiercely committed to not letting her illnesses hold her back.” Additional keynotes will be delivered by Zachary Stocks of the Oregon Black Pioneers, speaking about undercovering seldom-told stories, and Dr. Sara Hamilton of University of California Davis, speaking about Oregon’s kelp forests and opportunities for ocean-based ecotourism. “We are thrilled to have such knowledgeable speakers this year to facilitate big picture thinking about progressive initiatives in tourism,” said OCVA Deputy Director and Summit organizer Arica Sears. More experts will deliver workshops over the course of the conference, offering nuts and bolts skills for attendees to take home and put immediately to use. This year’s workshop topics include improving beach mobility on the Oregon Coast, organizing familiarization tours and accessible itineraries, and developing ADA compliant websites. Tourism professionals, small business owners and anyone interested in tourism on the Oregon Coast are invited to register for the summit. Summit registration fee includes meals, workshops and entertainment, and attendees should expect ample social and networking time between sessions. Register for the People’s Coast Summit at https://coast-summit-2022.heysummit.com/checkout/select-tickets/
