[Heritage] Tourism opportunities focus of Heritage Conference keynote speaker

[Heritage Info]

Dan Shilling, an advocate of place-based tourism involving a community's
heritage and identity, will be the keynote luncheon speaker at the 2011
Oregon Heritage Conference. The conference, which has the theme of "A
Blockbuster Community: Heritage, Authenticity and Vision," will take
place April 7-9 in Astoria.

Shilling will introduce basic strategies for engaging the tourism
industry and the general public. He also will show how heritage
organizations and individuals can be more constructively involved with
the tourism industry and the community, as well as outline best
practices for producing success in those efforts.

Shilling directed a project on place-based tourism from 2004-07, which
resulted in the book, "Civic Tourism: The Poetry and Politics of Place."
A former director of the Arizona Humanities Council, Shilling has
received the Arizona Office of Tourism's "Person of the Year" award. He
is currently completing a book on the cultural dimensions of
sustainability. 

The Oregon Heritage Conference informs and inspires Oregonians involved
in the state’s cultural heritage efforts. Attendees include community
leaders, staff and volunteers from historical societies, museums, Main
Street projects, city and county landmark preservation commissions,
historic cemeteries, ethnic organizations, preservation organizations,
schools,  humanities groups, the tourism industry, economic development,
history buffs and professional historians, youth, and local, tribal,
state and federal governments.

More information about the programs at this year's conference is
available at 
http://www.oregon.gov/OPRD/HCD/OHC/Conference_program.shtml 
Registration information will be available at the end of January.  For
additional information, contact Kyle Jansson at 503-986-0673 or
heritage.info at state.or.us