Speaker Bios
Spotlight on: KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Bill Siegel
Founder
Longwoods Group of Companies
Bill received his PhD from the University of Michigan in 1970, and taught psychology, research methods and statistics at the University of Western Ontario and the University of Western Australia, where he was Distinguished Visiting Lecturer. He switched to market research in 1976, when he was invited to design and to manage a multi-million dollar advertising ROI study for the CEOs of the telephone companies across Canada.
Since founding the Longwoods Group of Companies in 1978, Bill has been a consultant leading Fortune 500 companies and governments around the world. His work has been cited in broadcast and print media, including USA Today, Newsweek, the New York Times, and The Times of London. He is a regular speaker at governors’ conferences and meetings, such as the Advertising Research Foundation, the American Marketing Association, the Brookings Institution, the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement, the Economic Development Administration, the European Society of Marketing Research and the Public Relations Society of America.
Bill has served on boards for a number of organizations, including Georgia Tech, Waterloo University, Ryerson University, and the Travel and Tourism Research Association.
Kenneth Adams
President & CEO/Commissioner
Empire State Development
Kenneth Adams was confirmed by the Legislature as Empire State Development (ESD) President & CEO and Commissioner of the New York State Department of Economic Development on April 5, 2011. In these positions, Mr. Adams works to promote economic practices that attract business and create jobs throughout New York State. He also works closely with Lieutenant Governor Robert J. Duffy to implement the Regional Economic Development Councils across the state.
Mr. Adams came to ESD from The Business Council of New York State, the state’s leading business association, where he served as President and CEO since 2006. He led the organization in its mission of creating “economic growth, good jobs and strong communities across New York State.” The Business Council represents nearly 2,500 member businesses, chambers of commerce and professional and trade associations, employing a total of more than one million New Yorkers.
Prior to leading the Business Council, Mr. Adams was President of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and Director of the MetroTech Business Improvement District in Downtown Brooklyn. He was also the founding Executive Director of New York Cares, New York City’s leading volunteer organization, from 1988 to 1994.
Mr. Adams is a resident of Brooklyn, New York, where he lives with his wife and two children.
Gary DeYoung
Director
1000 Islands International Tourism Council
Gary DeYoung is Director of the 1000 Islands International Tourism Council, a bi-national tourism development organization. The Tourism Council markets a tourism region that stretches along the St. Lawrence from Kingston to the Quebec Border in Ontario and all of Jefferson County, New York. He joined the organization in 1997 and has general management responsibilities for the Council. Gary has 30 years of experience in destination marketing. He held several management positions with Promotion Management, Inc. in Green Bay, Wisconsin where he directed marketing programs for the Green Bay Area Visitor and Convention Bureau, Brown County Arena and the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame. In addition to his Green Bay experience, he spent five years as the Director of the Wausau Area Visitors Council in Wausau, Wisconsin and two years as the Director of the East Wisconsin Waters Regional Tourism Development Association in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Sharon Rossi
Vice President of Tourism Advertising
Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
As vice president of tourism advertising at the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), Sharon Rossi oversees regional and national advertising campaigns; joint marketing programs; the AAA market; and regional, state and national tourism relationships.
GPTMC implements integrated marketing strategies to build image and visitation, using research, advertising, public relations and a strong online presence. Successful campaigns include: the fun and well-loved With Love, Philadelphia XOXO®; Philly’s More Fun When You Sleep Over®, the most successful post 9/11 hospitality recovery campaign in the country; and the groundbreaking Philadelphia – Get Your History Straight And Your Nightlife Gay®.
Rossi began her career in tourism at Peddler’s Village in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where she worked as the vice president of marketing and sales. Rossi was responsible for the marketing of 75 shops, restaurants, meeting facilities, inns and events at Peddler’s, which draws more than 2.3 million visitors annually. She held this position for 13 years prior to joining GPTMC.
Before focusing on tourism, Rossi was a social caseworker in Rochester, New York; a marketing sales consultant and brand manager for Mohawk Liquor Corporation; and executive vice president of the Private Industry Council of Philadelphia. She graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with a liberal arts degree focusing on social psychology and fine arts.
Rossi serves on the U.S. Travel Association’s Discover America Advisory Council, the Communications Committee and the Education Committee. She is also on the planning committee for the Educational Seminar for Tourism Organizations (ESTO). Rossi is the immediate past chairperson of the board of directors for U.S. Travels’ National Council of Destination Organizations, a former board member and a former member of their executive committee. In addition, she sits on the board of the Philadelphia Ad Club and the Pennsylvania Tourism and Lodging Association, where she serves as director.
Debbie Gioguindo
Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW)
Emerging Media Marketing Consultant
Debbie Gioquindo is a Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) and a Emerging Media Marketing Consultant who helps people learn about wine and marketing their business by incorporating social media into their traditional marketing mix. All it takes is one post or tweet. Debbie found that out when she answered a tweet on April 26, 2011 about making a wine, and now she is partners in and has successfully launched Happy Bitch Wines. Debbie’s blog “Hudson Valley Wine Goddess” is where you can find her daily posts about wine, local, regional and word vintages, wine and food pairings, wine events and more. Debbie is available to speak to your group or organization about social media/emerging media as well as wine education and tasting classes and seminars. To learn more about Debbie visit www.hudsonvalleywinegoddess.com or email hvwinegoddess@gmail.com
Caylin Sanders
Founder
Escapemaker.com
In September 2000, Caylin Sanders launched www.EscapeMaker.com - a site focusing on local getaway destinations within a day’s drive, train or bus ride of New York City. In 2010 the site won an Emmy Award for its Agri-Tourism Webisode “Tastes of New York State” which featured U-pick farms, bed & breakfasts, wineries and culinary getaway ideas. EscapeMaker.com has established itself as a leading online guide to local getaways and day trips and is recognized by Fox, ABC, The New York Times, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, Edible Magazines and the Huffington Post. Ms. Sanders speaks on E-Marketing practices and packaging to various tourism associations across the Northeast. Most recently she partnered with Strategic Sustainability on a “Green Tourism 101” webinar geared towards hotels, innkeepers and TPAs. EscapeMaker also hosts the "Green Getaways, Local Food & Travel Expo" sponsored by ILOVENY, Amtrak, GrowNYC, Appalachian Mountain Club and ZipCar. This year’s expo will be held April 14, 2012 in Brooklyn, NY.
Jan Marie Chesterton
President
New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association
Jan Marie Chesterton presides over the New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association (NYSH&TA), the oldest lodging Association in the country. NYSH&TA is a not-for-profit trade organization representing nearly 1,300 member businesses and individuals in the lodging and attractions industry.
Founded in Saratoga Springs in 1887, NYSH&TA's mission is to provide a strong voice for the New York State hospitality and tourism industry, and to protect and enhance the financial welfare of the industry. NYSH&TA's membership consists of hotels, motels, resorts, amusement parks, attractions, and bed and breakfasts among others.
As President of the Association, Ms. Chesterton is responsible for Association policy, member development and retention, member services, public relations, and communications. She also directs all of the Association’s governmental affairs activities at the New York State and National level.
In addition to her role as NYSH&TA President, she oversees the growth and development of the Association’s Education Foundation and serves as the Administrator of the New York State Tourism Industry Coalition, which was formed in 1987 and whose mission is to represent the state’s tourism industry on key legislative and regulatory issues.
Doug Motel
Marketing Guru
Site Optimized
Doug Motel, author of 101 Marketing Tips for Tourism, is an online marketing wiz skilled in the art of identifying and sharing the latest opportunities in tourism promotion.
Doug Motel has helped large corporations such as ABC Television, Comedy Central, Playboy Enterprises, and small businesses alike profit from the web for more than 14 years. His clients have appeared on CNN, Oprah, The View, and in The Wall Street Journal, to name just a few media placements. He is generous with his insider information and entertaining in his delivery, and leaves audiences energized, informed, and inspired to take action.
Edward Maitino
Managing Director
Division of Tourism at Empire State Development
The mission of Empire State Development (ESD) is to promote business investment and growth that leads to job creation and prosperous communities across New York State.
ESD works in partnership with the public and private sectors to create an environment that spurs innovation and economic development while enhancing New York State’s competitive advantage as the world capital for many industries, ranging from finance and media to technology and agriculture.
Nan Marchand Beauvois
Senior Director, National Council Relations
U.S. Travel Association
Nan Marchand Beauvois is the Senior Director, National Council Relations, overseeing the National Council of State Tourism Directors, the National Council of Attractions, Destination Council, Meeting & Incentive Travel Council and is also the general manager of ESTO. Nan is a strategic leader with more than 20 years of travel industry experience. As the recent executive director of the Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau she branded the city as a year-round business and leisure destination, beyond the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl, in the competitive Los Angeles market. Concurrently, she led an aggressive sales program for its expanding convention center.
She has lent her skills to industry associations and has served as a member of U.S. Travel’s International Pow Wow Planning Committee, California Tourism’s International Marketing Advisory Committee, the National Tour Association Marketing Committee and the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau Marketing Committee and as an active board member of CalTIA, where she served as their chair in 2000-01. Her successful career has been built on the personal tenets of creativity and entrepreneurial thinking within traditional, structured environments. Her innovation and strategic leadership were responsible for creating branded products and promotions that were engaging, imaginative and effective, increasing the bottom-line of both top destinations and Fortune 500 travel companies.
Prior to founding NM & Associates in 2001, Nan was with Universal Studios Hollywood (USH) as Vice President of Sales. In that capacity, she oversaw the domestic and international sales effort to market USH and Universal City Walk to all segments of the travel industry as well as, the corporate, and meeting/convention/ incentive markets. In 1992, Marchand was named Santa Monica Industry Partner of the Year for her contributions to the community’s travel industry. She was featured as a ‘Rising Star” in Travel Agent Magazine in 1997, and twice named one of the 200 most powerful women in the travel industry in subsequent issues of the magazine. Marchand attended University of California at Los Angeles studying Political Science, International Relations. She is fluent in French, conversational Spanish. Marchand lives in Arlington, VA with her son and husband.
