KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Adam Sacks
Founder and President, Tourism Economics

Adam Sacks is the founder and President of Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company dedicated to understanding the relationship between travel and the economy. For more than 25 years, Adam has worked with destinations, industry associations, and companies around the world to deliver market assessments, forecast scenarios, policy evaluations, and economic impact studies.

Adam is a member of the US Department of Commerce Travel & Tourism Advisory board and his work regularly informs national and local government advocacy efforts. Adam sincerely enjoys speaking at industry conferences but prefers singing and playing guitar.

Brandon Gill
Business Development Account Executive, STR

As a Business Development Executive, Brandon Gill is part of the STR’s Northeast Sales Team. He works closely with hotel owners and operators, as well as community leaders in Chambers, CVBs, and other DMOs as a resource to help them better understand performance in their markets and make informed, data backed decisions for their stakeholders. Brandon previously worked with STR’s industry partner clients which included developers, investors, bankers, consultants, and suppliers.
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Prior to STR, Brandon worked in the hotel industry where he managed multiple properties both branded and independent. He has also served on the board of industry associations. Brandon is originally from South Bend, IN and graduated from Indiana University. He currently lives just outside of Nashville, TN.

 Lisa Chase, Ph.D.
Director, Vermont Tourism Research Center; Natural Resources Specialist, University of Vermont

Lisa Chase is the Natural Resources Specialist for University of Vermont Extension and the Director of the Vermont Tourism Research Center. Her research and outreach focus on the intersection of tourism, food systems, community vitality, and working landscapes. During the past 20 years, she has worked with farmers, food entrepreneurs, and tourism businesses throughout Vermont and around the world. She co-authored the book Food, Farms and Community: Exploring Food Systems and is the conference chair of the International Workshop on Agritourism, which will be held in Burlington, Vermont in August 2022. 
 
Before moving to Vermont, Lisa conducted research and outreach in New York, Colorado, Costa Rica and Ecuador, among other places. She received her B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan, her M.S. in Resources Economics from Cornell University, and her Ph.D. in Natural Resource Management and Policy from Cornell University.

 Edward Hall
Project Manager, Bureau of Trust Fund Administration

Ed Hall is the former Bureau of Indian Affairs’ coordinator for tourism and has helped establish the BIA’s outreach and support to tribal capacity building for tribal tourism and trade. He represents the BIA as the point of contact on Interagency Memorandums of Understanding. Mr. Hall was appointed to the Transportation Research Board (TRB) in 1993 and helped establish the Inter-Tribal Transportation Association and the TRB committee on Native American Transportation Issues ABE80. He also helped to form and develop the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) as the professional American Indian tourism organization representing Indian Country to the tourism industry in 2002.

ROUNDTABLE MODERATORS

NEAR Human Movement Data Analytics
Evan Saunders, Vice President, Global Tourism & Hospitality, NEAR
Evan Saunders is Vice President of Global Tourism & Hospitality at Near (formerly UberMedia), a leading mobile data analytics and business intelligence company focused on location analysis. Near works with destinations and companies small and large around-the-world, providing them data and insights on their visitors. Over 250 destinations use Near data for visitation insights. Prior to Near and UberMedia, Evan founded Attract China, a tourism marketing company focused on Chinese travelers coming to America, and ran it as CEO over a four-year period, servicing 250 clients, speaking at over 30 conferences worldwide, and winning multiple industry-leading awards, including HSMAI’s Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds. An avid traveler and club sandwich enthusiast, Evan documents his adventures on his blog, ClubSandwichReviews.com.
Applying Research Findings: Connecting with Communities
Lisa Chase, Ph.D., Natural Resources Specialist, University of Vermont Extension / Director, Vermont Tourism Research Center
Lisa Chase is the Natural Resources Specialist for University of Vermont Extension and the Director of the Vermont Tourism Research Center. Her research and outreach focus on the intersection of tourism, food systems, community vitality, and working landscapes. During the past 20 years, she has worked with farmers, food entrepreneurs, and tourism businesses throughout Vermont and around the world. She co-authored the book Food, Farms and Community: Exploring Food Systems and is the conference chair of the International Workshop on Agritourism, which will be held in Burlington, Vermont in August 2022. 
 
Before moving to Vermont, Lisa conducted research and outreach in New York, Colorado, Costa Rica and Ecuador, among other places. She received her B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan, her M.S. in Resources Economics from Cornell University, and her Ph.D. in Natural Resource Management and Policy from Cornell University.
Jada Lindblom, Ph.D., Community & Economic Development Field Specialist, University of New Hampshire Extension
Jada Lindblom is a Community and Economic Development Field Specialist with the UNH Cooperative Extension. In this role, she aims to facilitate strategic partnerships and collaborations among stakeholders to strengthen communities’ economic potential and enhance quality of life. Jada’s focus areas include sustainable tourism, downtown revitalization, business retention and expansion, and the nature economy, including outdoor recreation and trails development.

​Prior to joining the UNH Cooperative Extension, Jada was a research assistant with Arizona State University’s Center for Sustainable Tourism and an instructor in the Tourism Development and Management program. Previously, she worked as a historic sites manager for a historic preservation organization and as a director of a law-related nonprofit in Utah. She also has a multi-state background in environmental education, outdoor guiding, and hospitality. She holds a Ph.D. in Community Resources and Development from Arizona State University, an M.S. in Parks, Recreation and Tourism from the University of Utah, and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Scripps College. Happy to be back in her home state, Jada enjoys spending time in New Hampshire's forests, fields and lakes whenever she can, and is always seeking out the best homemade ice cream and clam rolls.
Our industry by the numbers: STR and Tourism Economics​
Stephen Hood, SVP, Research and Director, SHARE Center, STR
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Erik Evjen, Director of Data Analytics and Insights, Tourism Economics

​Erik Evjen is a Director of Data Analytics & Insights at Tourism Economics, a global tourism forecasting and quantitative analysis firm. At Tourism Economics, Erik is responsible for managing Symphony, a customized market intelligence platform that helps industry partners see and understand their data better. Prior to joining Tourism Economics, Erik developed Philadelphia Convention & Visitor Bureau’s research department, and currently serve on several tourism related boards and committees, including the TTRA International Board of Directors.
Diversity and Inclusion in Tourism 
Jess Je, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel Management, Griffith University
Christa Mahlobo, Doctoral Candidate, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University
Jess Je is interested in gender issues, intersectionality framework and human resource management. She has examined gender and race representation of tourism knowledge; and is currently a doctoral researcher at Griffith University, Australia. For her PhD thesis, she is investigating the effectiveness of diversity and equality initiatives in tourism organisations under the supervision of Associate Prof. Catheryn Khoo and Dr Elaine Yang.
Christa Mahlobo, M.S., is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at The Pennsylvania State University. Her research examines the developmental processes and mechanisms that foster positive mental health and flourishing in Black Americans. This includes investigating health disparities and other barriers to health, as well as factors during development that contribute to flourishing. Additionally, her research is focused on developing and evaluating culturally adapted health and mindfulness interventions to improve mental, social, and emotional health outcomes within communities of color.
Prachi Thakur, Diversity Strategist & Trainer, World Women Tourism
Mona Ji Hyun Yang, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Tourism, Sport and Hotel ManagementGriffith University
​Prachi Thakur is a TEDx speaker and diversity trainer who focuses on building inclusive workspaces for women in the tourism and hospitality industry. Using training as her tool, Prachi has been actively working with tourism and hospitality staff in equipping them with inclusive skills and competencies. She frequently engages with a global audience via different mediums, including lectures at international universities, podcasts, and articles. She is a sought-after speaker and has been invited at multiple international conferences to share her views on women in the tourism industry. An avid solo traveler who uses her multitude of experiences in her role as Diversity Strategist at World Women Tourism, Prachi aims to develop actionable strategies that help women advance in tourism and hospitality.
Mona Ji Hyun Yang is a researcher empowering marginalised people and protecting their rights. She uses interactive qualitative research to inform policy formation and evaluation for marginalised people. Currently, Mona is actively searching for ways to redevelop and refurbish tourism to benefit and protect children in developing countries. With her work, she aims to help build a resilient social structure for marginalised people such as children in developing countries, which includes fair and safe environments for engagement in the tourism industry. She ignites conversations among global groups to bring a spotlight to the socially isolated groups through keynote addresses, workshops and lectures. With her vast experience working in intercultural environments from developing and underdeveloped countries, Mona aims to remodel the tourism industry for the benefit of traditionally marginalised groups.

​Three-Minute Research Presenters

  • Oluwatoyin Adebisi, Department of Human and Community Development, West Virginia University
  • Ayse Akyildiz, Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, The Pennsylvania State University
  • Joseph C. Barr, University of Georgia Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Program
  • Tara J. Denley, University of Georgia Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Program
  • Seungji Lee, Department of Tourism, Hospitality & Event Management, University of Florida
  • Yun Liang, Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, The Pennsylvania State University
  • Alba Viana-Lora, Department of Geography, Rovira i Virgili University, Vila-seca
  • Kennedy Weaver, Department of Tourism, Event, and Sport Management, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis   
  • Yasmin Yusuff, Department of Travel and Tourism Management, New York University
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