VRLTA’s Blue Ridge Regional Seminar on Wednesday, May 20 at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center will bring together hospitality and tourism professionals from across the region for a focused day of practical education, industry insights, and meaningful collaboration. The program features a dynamic general session addressing current trends and issues impacting the Blue Ridge market, followed by targeted breakout tracks for restaurants, hotels, attractions, DMOs, and tourism-aligned businesses.
Attendees will enjoy lunch and access to the on-site Resource Fair, where VRLTA partners, suppliers, and service providers can connect directly with operators from throughout the Blue Ridge region. Sponsors and exhibitors gain valuable face time with key decision-makers while demonstrating their commitment to strengthening hospitality and tourism in Southwest and Central Virginia.
Blue Ridge Regional Event Schedule
- 10:30 AM - Guest Registration & Resource Fair Open
- 11:30 AM - Lunch & Main Session
- Turning Influence Into Impact: How Tourism Businesses Can Work with Creators
- 1:00 PM - Coffee Break & Resource Fair
- 2:00 PM - Breakout Sessions
- Beyond the Help Wanted Sign: Panel Discussion
- Bites, Buzz & Bookings: Influencer Strategy for Restaurants
- Third Breakout Session Coming Soon!
Event Pricing:
- VRLTA Member Pricing: $45/pp
- VRLTA Non-Member Pricing: $60/pp
EVENT PROGRAMMING:
Turning Influence into Impact: How Tourism Businesses Can Work with Creators
Luncheon Presentation
Speakers: Zack Jackson | John Park
This featured keynote session explores how hospitality and tourism businesses can effectively partner with influencers and content creators to expand reach, build credibility, and inspire travel decisions. Hear directly from John Park and Zack Johnson, food and travel influencers from the JPG Agency, as they break down what successful partnerships look like from both the creator and destination perspective.
Attendees will learn how to identify the right influencer partners, structure collaborations, set realistic expectations, and turn content exposure into measurable business value. Whether you’re new to influencer engagement or looking to refine your current approach, you’ll leave with practical strategies you can apply right away in your market.
Beyond the Help Wanted Sign: Panel Discussion
Where Education, Industry, and Workforce Solutions Come Together
Speakers: Dr. Jai Girard | Brian MacNair | Renee Randolph
Beyond the Help Wanted Sign brings together leaders from education, nonprofit workforce programs, and industry to discuss how we collectively recruit, train, and retain the people who power hospitality. Grounded in collaboration, this conversation highlights innovative workforce models that expand opportunity while meeting the operational realities of today’s hospitality businesses.
From students exploring career pathways to adults entering or re-entering the workforce, panelists will discuss how inclusive training programs and cross-sector partnerships strengthen teams and broaden access to hospitality careers. By connecting classrooms, community programs, and employers, this session illustrates how aligned systems build stronger pipelines, improve retention, and create a more resilient hospitality workforce.
Jai Girard, PhD
Director of Education & Workforce Development, VRLTA
Jai joined VRLTA from James Madison University where she served as a Visiting Lecturer teaching classes in hospitality and tourism management. She also has over 15 years of hospitality experience. Prior to joining JMU, Jai worked for hospitality organizations in Texas and founded a nonprofit in Texas while completing her graduate education at Texas A&M University. Jai is a triple Aggie with a Bachelors in Sociology, Masters in Youth Development, and her PhD in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Sciences.
Brian Wells
General Manager, Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
Brian Wells brings 45 years of experience in food and beverage and property operations to his role as General Manager at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center Curio. Previously GM of Hilton Durham near Duke University, his tenure earned numerous accolades from Hilton, TripAdvisor, and Interstate Hotels. His career spans boutique hotels, large city properties, and executive conference centers, with a strong focus on community involvement and tourism development.
Regina Cook, MS, CPTM
Workforce Development Specialist, Virginia Western Community College
Regina Cook has more than 25 years of experience developing and revitalizing organizations. A proven leader in organizational performance, she leverages professional training and development to drive measurable results. Since entering higher education in 2015, she has served as a workforce development strategist and leads the corporate/professional training division at Virginia Western Community College. Known for her charismatic leadership style, Regina derives solutions for the constituency she serves to thrive.
Cora Gnegy
Tourism & Economic Development Director, Giles County
Cora Gnegy is the Tourism Director for Giles County, Virginia, where she leads strategic initiatives that strengthen the county’s visitor and recreation economy, and supports local workforce and business development. With a passion for outdoor recreation, agritourism, and community driven tourism, she builds partnerships that expand promotional reach, cultivate cooperative advertising opportunities, and elevates the Virginia’s Mountain Playground brand.
Catherine Fox
Director of Regional Destination Development, Friends of SWVA
Catherine brings a decades-long career at the intersection of tourism and economic development to her role at Friends of Southwest Virginia. A visionary leader and collaborator, Catherine is dedicated to strengthening communities across Southwest Virginia through destination development, placemaking, and regional branding. Her work spans workforce development, comprehensive tourism asset mapping, and amplifying the visibility of regional tourism partners—ensuring that both residents and visitors experience the best of what the region has to offer.
David Yanisko
Associate Professor of Practice, Virginia Tech HTM Program
David brings over 20 years combined experience in independent restaurant operations and post-secondary culinary arts & hospitality management instruction to his role as Professor of Practice. Prior to his time at Virginia Tech, Dave was an Associate Professor of Culinary Arts in the Business, Food Service and Agricultural Management Department at the State University of New York (SUNY) Agriculture and Technical College at Cobleskill. Serving as the department Chair from 2019 – 2021.
Bites, Buzz & Bookings: Influencer Strategy for Restaurants
Restaurant Experiences Worth Traveling For
Speakers: Zack Jackson | John Park
This restaurant-focused breakout session takes a deeper dive into how food and beverage operators can successfully work with influencers and culinary content creators to build buzz and attract food-driven travelers. Led by keynote presenters John Park and Kevin Clay, this session moves from theory to real-world execution.
Attendees will review successful restaurant partnership case studies, learn how to position their business as a “foodie destination,” and better understand what creators look for when evaluating brand collaborations. Speakers will share practical outreach tips, partnership do’s and don’ts, and ways restaurants of all sizes can create creator-friendly experiences that translate into authentic content and measurable exposure.
Participants will leave with actionable ideas they can implement immediately — from improving their creator pitch to designing experiences that inspire coverage.
Zack Jackson
Co-Founder, JPG Agency
After a 20 year career as a morning radio host, Zack decided to build on his passion for audience engagement, community growth and local business support to co-found the JPG Agency in 2019. The JPG Agency is a boutique agency located in Roanoke, VA that focuses on providing accessible digital marketing services for brands, small businesses and individuals. JPG focuses on creating compelling content and brand strategies that convey the voice of a brand and how that messaging speaks to an audience through words, pictures and video.
John Park
Co-Founder, JPG Agency
Former financial planner turned full-time content creator chasing stories through food, places, and people. Co-founder of JPG Agency, helping brands shine through thoughtful digital marketing. I create food and tourism-driven content that celebrates local experiences and the connections built around them.
LEVELS OF SUPPORT
There are a number of ways your organization can get involved with VRLTA's upcoming regional seminars! Click the links below to download a sponsorship flyer for each seminars, or contact Brittany Wojdyla, VRLTA's Vice President of Membership and Business Development, for more information.
Regional Sponsor - $1,500
- Company recognition on all promotional materials
- Complimentary resource fair booth
- Opportunity to present at event breakout sessions*
- Four (4) complimentary registrations to regional event
*Based on availability
