Travel Southern Oregon Coast (TSOC) is excited to announce that our "Whiskey Run Discovery Weekend" campaign received the esteemed Oregon Partnership Award. Among 108 entries, our campaign was one of the five winners across five categories. Travel Oregon presented the award to TSOC at the awards banquet held on March 11, during the Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism.

The Oregon Partnership Award recognizes that creative partnerships can be an effective way to enhance the visitor experience and promote a region or destination. By leveraging traditional and non-traditional partnerships, organizations, and businesses can maximize budget, capacity, and skill sets to increase efficiency and achieve a higher-level aligned outcome.

In 2023, TSOC did exactly this during our year-long promotional campaign to raise awareness for Whiskey Run Trails. By bringing together mountain bike influencers, media, and passionate riders from across the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, the campaign was a collaborative effort between tourism, cycling, and private business partners who rallied around promoting Whiskey Run as the Oregon Coast’s most epic mountain bike (MTB) system.

The 2024 Travel Southern Oregon Coast Network Conference, held on February 26-28 at Salmon Run Golf Course in Brookings, was a great success. Widely anticipated by tourism professionals, the event offered networking, learning, and collaboration to support the region's travel sector. Attendees left with knowledge, connections, and inspiration to drive tourism forward on the Southern Oregon Coast. Here are some highlights.

The conference began with an entertaining Trolley Tasting Tour on Monday evening. Participants traveled from the host hotel to three venues in Brookings to network and exchange insights. Despite a major trolley malfunction, the group showed true coastal resilience by walking to the final stop and organizing alternative transportation back to the hotel.

Julie Miller and Barb Dunham kicked off the day with a presentation about TSOC's origins, accomplishments, and future directions. Their talk emphasized the importance of leveraging TSOC's resources for regional growth.

Updates from Travel Oregon presented by Ceclia Suvagian and Allison George highlighted collaborative efforts and destination development strategies crucial for the area's tourism.

Stacey Reynolds and Dave Lacey provided the latest and greatest from the Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) and highlighted ways for regions to get more involved.

A panel on the Oregon Tourism Information System (OTIS) featured Cecilia Suvagian, Allison Richards from Oregon's Adventure Coast, and Blume Bauer representing TSOC. The panel offered insights into how businesses can leverage OTIS and where to go for assistance.

A panel of business resource professionals shared resources available to small businesses on the South Coast. Panelists included Derek Tonn and Gayle Goldstone from SBDC, Natasha Garrison - SOWIB, Kem Todd - CCD, Andrew Bergmeier - WorkSource Oregon, and Christopher Frasier, Business Oregon.

Special guest, Joe Jamison, CEO & Founder of VisitAble, eloquently addressed the importance of accessibility in tourism, stressing the need for inclusive practices that benefit businesses, tourists, and local communities alike.

Mari Smith, a renowned social media thought leader, delivered the keynote speech on effective social media marketing strategies. Her session, loaded with actionable tips, addressed how to harness the power of social media for better leads and sales.

An interactive session prompted participants to brainstorm creatively on the challenges and opportunities of the tourism industry. Moderators positioned questions around the room and called on attendees to share their thoughts via sticky notes. The insights gathered will guide TSOC's direction in the years ahead.

Terry Hopkins and Rebecca Donley emphasized key training programs offered through the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLA) targeted at enhancing the skills and knowledge of hospitality industry professionals.

A panel discussion on the importance of tourism to the Southern Oregon Coast rounded out the day's sessions. Panelists, including Stephanie Wilson from North Bend Mainstreet, Miranda Plagge with Travel Curry Coast, and Dave Lacey, shared insights on the economic and cultural impact of tourism on the region.

Addressing a clear request from last year's conference, Mari Smith provided a social media workshop the morning after the conference to a packed room. Mari's topic, "How to Amplify Your Organic Facebook Marketing Results," provided attendees with a solid plan for implementing her three-part formula on driving successful social media marketing results.

To share even more enjoyable moments from the three-day conference, we compiled a slideshow displaying highlights from each day. If you attended, you won't want to miss it. If you weren't there, you'll want to catch up on what you missed.

We are incredibly grateful for the generous donations from our sponsors, without whom this event would not be possible. TSOC would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the following sponsors for their support.

Signature Industry Sponsorship: Bandon Dunes Charitable Foundation • Travel Curry Coast • Oregon Coast Hospitality Sector Partnership, LWP • OCVA • Curry County Chamber of Commerce • Oregon Coast VIP Marketing

Trolley Tasting Tour: Travel Curry Coast • Crook Point • TSOC

Beverage/Break: Bandon Chamber of Commerce • North Bend Lanes • City of Brookings • Southwest Regional Airport (OTH) • MediAmerica • Jerry's Rogue Jets

Breakfast/Lunch: ORLA • Beacon Broadband • Oregon's Adventure Coast • Ziply Fiber • The Mill Casino Hotel & RV Park

Friends of TSOC: OtterBee's Market • Sanct Architecture • Lookout • On The Run Notary Services

Collaborative Sponsors: Stephanie’s Restaurant & Events at Whaleshead • Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC) Curry Campus

Mark your calendars for the 3rd Annual Travel Southern Oregon Coast Network Conference, set for February 24-25, 2025. Join us at The Mill Casino Hotel and RV Park in North Bend for this highly informative event.

It's not too early to book your stay! Contact The Mill Casino Hotel Reservation Center by February 9, 2025, at 800-953-4800. Mention your attendance at the TSOC Network Conference to secure the special rate of $165.00. Or, for online reservations, visit www.themillcasino.com. Click on “Book Today,” then navigate to “Group Sign In” using Code 10093.

Conference registration details will be available Spring ‘24. Watch for it here in our Industry Newsletter. Early Bird Rates apply!

In November, Travel Curry Coast, Oregon's Adventure Coast, Lakeside, North Bend, and Reedsport participated in TSOC's festive Eat, Drink & Be Merry campaign. The aim was to inspire our local followers on Facebook and Instagram to support nearby businesses during the holidays and winter, boosting the success of our regional enterprises during the quieter months, and driving traffic to the new TSOC website and partner platforms.

The campaign exceeded expectations with 911,549 impressions and 12,526 engagements across 33 ads. Our cost-per-click remained below the industry average, a notable achievement given the focus on the local audience. This initiative underscored the value of TSOC in promoting small businesses, fostered a sense of community among its members, and made the included businesses feel acknowledged.

A warm thank-you to all the communities who participated. We look forward to future campaigns and sharing more of what there is to love about our Southern Oregon Coast!

Despite February being the shortest month, we collected 3,840 email sign-ups and welcomed more than 27,000 unique visitors to our website. Notably, the consumer e-news article "Unique Lodgings" garnered 226 views/clicks, becoming our most viewed story on the website so far!

Joe Benetti-Coos Bay Mayor • Amy Bailey-The Mill Casino • Forrest Neuerburg-City of Coquille • Margaret Pounder-Bandon Chamber of Commerce • Janice Langlinais-Coos Bay-North Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau • Rodger Craddock-Southwest Oregon Regional Airport • Miranda Plagge-Travel Curry Coast • Marie Simonds-Bandon Dunes Charitable Foundation • Michael Chupka-Bandon Dunes Golf Resort • Rod Taylor-Coos County Commissioner • Dave Lacey-Oregon Coast Visitors Association • Miles Phillips-Oregon State University