The 2024 keynote presentation is “The City and the Sea” by Dean Burke. You might know Dean though his Insta handle, “Tacoma And The Sea.” He has been documenting and sharing experiences about our local waters for more than a decade. Or you might also know him as the President & CEO of the Tacoma-Pierce County Tourism Authority. The line between his job and his life is blurred, as his love of this city and region is a full-time affair.
Dean has been a two-time TED speaker, featured on NPR’s THE WILD with Chris Morgan, is the co-founder of the SEVENTY48 race, and has paddled solo on a stand-up paddle board from Olympia to Victoria on Vancouver Island. He’s been featured in local news outlets and podcasts and is a well-known speaker at events like this one right here all throughout the Salish Sea. His photography has been celebrated globally through Ocean Culture Life at the UK’s Channel Islands and at local events like Ocean Fest and Port Townsends Art Walks. The Tacoma Rainiers even did a collab with him called “We R Tacoma and the Sea.” Next quarter his photography will adorn the cover of the UK’s “Daughters of the Sea” magazine.
Dean is a passionate storyteller about the connection between humanity and our shores.
Kathryn Anderson’s workshop “Discover Your Digital Path: Social Media Strategies for Travel Writers” offers a roadmap for maximizing your digital presence. Kathryn is a travel and wellness expert who runs the award-winning travel blog Coffee and Mascara. She also contributes to a variety of publications as a Freelance Journalist. This former Marketing Manager sits on the Board of Directors for the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) as the Social Media Chair. She loves sharing her knowledge of how to utilize social media to promote travel and tourism. Follow her adventures on Instagram.
PANEL DISCUSSION: “Publish Your Travel Book”
Lisa Maloney got her start as a newspaper columnist and reporter. Since leaving newspaper work, she has written three award-winning guidebooks, including the travel guidebook “Moon Alaska,” which received a Silver Award from the North American Travel Journalists Association; served as senior editor at Alaska magazine; been bylined in National Geographic, Condé Nast Traveler, the New Zealand Herald, Fodor’s, Frommer’s, and many more; and been featured on the “Travel With Rick Steves” and “Where to Go” podcasts.
Dan Shryock is a career journalist and Salem-based travel writer focusing on cycle tourism. His work has appeared on travel websites and in publications including Bend Magazine, Via Magazine, Cycle California! Magazine, and NW Travel & Life. Dan has explored back roads in Tuscany, New Zealand, California, and the Pacific Northwest in search of unique bicycle adventures. His book, “Cycling Across Oregon: Stories, Surprises & Revelations Along the State’s Scenic Bikeways,” is available in Oregon bookstores and on Amazon.com.
Matt Wastradowski loves the Pacific Northwest more than any rational human should—and has written extensively about the region’s best craft beer, fascinating history, dynamic culinary scene, and outdoor attractions for the likes of Outside, Portland Monthly, AAA’s Via magazine, and Northwest Travel & Life. Since 2018, he’s also authored three Oregon-centric guidebooks for Moon Travel Guides—one on scenic hikes, one on the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, and (most recently) a general guidebook to the Beaver State’s top sites.
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