Your TMAC National Professional Development Committee is preparing a great line-up of sessions based on survey feedback and ongoing input. Please note that some sessions suggest they are for Media or Industry, however delegates are welcome to attend the session(s) of their preference, subject to space availability. Full descriptions and speaker information will be ready in January.
Note: These are subject to change.
TMAC Richmond Opening Keynote
“Winning Perspective: From the Podium to the Page”
Join World Champion and Olympic Medalist Evan Dunfee for an inspiring opening keynote that connects the mindset of elite sport with the art of storytelling in travel. Through the lens of a growth mindset, Evan explores how dreaming big and setting audacious goals has unlocked a world of success, confidence, and joy both on the track and in life.
In this keynote address, Evan shares how authenticity, vulnerability, and passion helped him build a community that walks every step of his journey with him, and how that same community continues to fuel his drive. Drawing connections to the travel media and destination marketing industry, Evan illustrates how human connection, purpose driven storytelling, and shared experience can transform the waywe engage audiences. Kicking off the conference, attendees will leave with fresh perspective on how to elevate their stories and deepen their impact.
EVAN DUNFEE BIO: Evan Dunfee is an Olympic medalist and World Champion race walker from Richmond, B.C. Evan has brought the niche track and field event more mainstream in Canada with how he has carried himself on and off the race track.
On top of his many medals, Evan has been recognized nationally for his sportsmanship and for his commitment to his community through many charitable efforts, most notably with KidSport BC. Fundamental changes in mindset, adapting to new race distances, and turning disappointment into motivation, Evan describes his 25 year journey chasing after big dreams as one of growth and transformation.
A fantastic storyteller, Evan loves to weaves his lessons learned into engaging presentations that resonates with athletes and non-athletes alike.
TMAC Richmond Professional Development Sessions
Sessions 1 & 2: ALL DELEGATES
TMAC Best Practices for Working Together: Building Stronger Media–Industry Partnerships
Travel media and industry share a common goal — to tell compelling stories that inspire travel and deliver results. Yet, misaligned expectations and unclear communication can turn great opportunities into missed connections.
In this 90-minute interactive session, we’ll share insights from TMAC’s national “Best Practices for Working Together” survey to help both sides collaborate more effectively — from first pitch to post-trip promotion. Learn how to design balanced itineraries, set clear deliverables and fair compensation, and build lasting professional relationships based on trust, respect, and shared success.
Goal: Strengthen understanding and create actionable best practices for mutually beneficial storytelling partnerships. Provide a take-away report to improve your working relationships.
Moderators: Taryn Eyton & Nadine Robinson
Taryn Eyton is the Squamish, BC-based adventure travel writer and content creator behind HappiestOutdoors.ca. She has been a contributor to Destination Vancouver’s blog since 2019 and has authored two best-selling hiking guidebooks: Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia (2021) and Backpacking on Vancouver Island (2024).
Dr. Nadine Robinson is an international award-winning freelance writer, travel writer, best-selling non-fiction author, keynote speaker, and Postmedia columnist. She has travelled to over 73 countries chasing hope, adventure, wildlife encounters, food, fitness, and sunsets that ignite the imagination. Holding a Doctorate in Business Administration, she loves learning new skills and new sports. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram @theinkran
Session 3: This session is aimed at Earned/Traditional MEDIA (INDUSTRY or Content Creators may attend)
From Freelance to Flourishing: A Framework for Building a Sustainable Travel Writing Career
Friday May 1, 2026 3:30-4:30 pm
Most travel writers start their careers chasing assignments, but staying in the game long-term requires more than great pitches and press trips. It takes systems, strategy, and a mindset shift from “gig to gig” to “brand to business.”
In this session, marketing strategist and freelance writer Robyn Roste shares her proven framework for turning a love of writing into a thriving, sustainable business. You’ll learn how to position yourself for consistent opportunities, attract ideal clients and editors, and confidently market your expertise…all without losing your creative spark or burning out.
Robyn’s framework includes the key pillars of a lasting freelance career:
- Mindset: Build the confidence and focus to treat your writing like a business, not a hustle
- Digital visibility: Create a brand and online presence that attracts the right editors, clients, and collaborators
- Outbound marketing: Develop a system for consistent, effective pitching and outreach
- Inbound marketing: Use storytelling, networking, and content strategy to let opportunities come to you
Takeaways:
- A clear roadmap for turning travel writing into a sustainable business
- Practical marketing tactics that fit your personality and capacity
- A repeatable system for balancing creativity with consistency
- The confidence to take your freelance career seriously and make it last
Speaker: Robyn Roste
Since 2007, Robyn Roste has worked as a freelance writer and marketing strategist, helping creative entrepreneurs
build businesses that last. She’s the author of Marketing for Freelance Writers (Pandamoon Publishing, 2024)
and has been to more than 30 countries.
Session 4: INDUSTRY & MEDIA (Content Creators)
Working With Content Creators: Budgets, Deliverables & Real ROI
Friday May 1, 2026 3:30-4:30 pm
Description:
Working with content creators can be a powerful way to tell a destination’s story…when done right. Yet questions often arise around when to engage creators versus traditional media, how to budget appropriately, what deliverables are fair and measurable, and what post-trip analytics and reports would be helpful.
This session dives into these topics head-on, featuring voices from across the spectrum: content creators, DMOs, and PR agencies. Backed up by national survey results, together, panellists will unpack real-world examples, including negotiation challenges, contract pitfalls, and success stories that highlight transparency, trust, and alignment as the foundations of effective partnerships.
Speakers: Lauren Yakiwchuk & Ashley Norman
Moderators: Gabi Sandler & Ashlyn George
Lauren Yakiwchuk is a full-time travel blogger and content creator at Justin Plus Lauren and Ontario Hiking. She loves outdoor adventures, sustainable travel, and exploring big cities and small towns alike. Lauren started her travel blog in 2013 and has substantially grown her community to a monthly audience of 100,000 readers, 170,000+ followers on social media, and 130,000 members in her Ontario Hiking group.
Ashley Norman, Vice President – Marketing Communications, leads the North American PR and digital marketing team for PTG Consulting’s tourism practice, bringing 20 years of experiences with tourism and hospitality clients across the globe, including many in Mexico and the Caribbean. She has worked extensively with tourism entities in Jalisco, Quintana Roo and Baja California — developing integrated communications strategies and overseeing media engagement across North America.
Session 5: This session is aimed at MEDIA (INDUSTRY may attend)
Understanding and Negotiating Contracts That Work for You
Saturday May 2, 2026 11:30am-12:30pm
Whether you’re writing for magazines, creating branded content, or partnering with destinations, contracts are the backbone of your professional relationships. Yet many travel writers and content creators sign agreements without fully understanding the terms—or miss opportunities to negotiate for better pay, clearer rights, and fairer conditions.
This session will demystify contracts and equip you with negotiation tools that protect your creative work and strengthen your business. Walk away with a list of red flags in contracts, a standard contract you can use as a template, and a new understanding of how to craft win-win agreements with editors, brands, and tourism boards.
Speaker: Don Genova
Moderators: Nadine Robinson & Ashlyn George
Don Genova is an award-winning journalist specializing in food and travel. His career began in 1983 at a small radio station in Terrace, B.C., and since then he has worked across print, radio, television, and digital media throughout Canada. Don’s stories have appeared on CBC Radio and Television, The Food Network, NPR, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, and Western Living. A graduate of Italy’s University of Gastronomic Sciences with a Master’s in Food Culture, Don also teaches freelance food and travel writing at the University of British Columbia. Based in Victoria, he is the author of Pacific Palate: Food Artisans of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.
Session 6: This session is aimed at INDUSTRY (Media may attend)
Speaking to bots: Winning Visibility in the AI Attention Economy
Saturday May 2, 2026 11:30am-12:30pm
Welcome to the Answer Economy, where the first audience for your destination is often an algorithm. Before a traveler discovers you, an AI system must understand you. And many still don’t know why places like Churchill, Manitoba matter. That gap is both a risk and a powerful opportunity.
This workshop shows you how to make AI work for you in a media environment where discoverability is currency. You will learn how to shape content and information so AI can understand it, surface it, and amplify it to the audiences who need to see it.
You will leave with clarity, confidence, and a practical toolkit for thriving in a travel media landscape shaped by automation, limited attention, and machine interpretation.
You will learn:
- How AI models interpret storytelling, context, credibility, and place-based information
- How to ensure your destination is understood correctly and surfaced more often by AI-driven systems
- Techniques for strengthening the value signals in your content, media materials, and online presence
- Ethical and efficient ways to use generative AI to elevate your creativity and productivity
- New ways of measuring success beyond website clicks
Speaker: Cody Chomiak, CDME, Vice President, Marketing, Travel Manitoba
Cody Chomiak is a seasoned leader with over 20 years experience in destination marketing, branding and strategy. As Vice-President of Marketing at Travel Manitoba, Cody and his team create inspired, award-winning campaigns showcasing Manitoba as a four-season destination that you will want to add to your bucket list. Overseeing advertising, digital marketing, travel trade and travel media, Cody embraces technology and its potential for the tourism industry.
Cody keeps his fingers on the pulse of emerging trends and is a sought-after speaker on topics like the transformative role of AI in tourism. His forward-thinking approach to technology drives data-driven marketing results like increased room nights and bookings with significant returns on investment.
Previously, Cody was Director of Marketing for Economic Development Winnipeg where he led initiatives to attract business and visitors. With expertise spanning branding, social media strategy and project management, he’s a passionate advocate for globally elevating Manitoba’s tourism brand.
A Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME), Cody serves on the board of Destinations International and has held key roles advancing tourism standards through their Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP). As a member of Destination Canada’s 10X group, he collaborates with AI thought leaders to explore cutting-edge advancements and ethical considerations within the industry.
Saturday, May 2, 2026 from 2pm-3pm | Closing Keynote
JESSE LIPSCOMBE
INTRODUCTION
Jesse Lipscombe is a powerful keynote speaker and expert on leadership, productivity and
belonging. Jesse has inspired organizations to make significant changes in workplace culture,
fostering collaborative and empowered teams. Educators turn to him to instill confidence in
youth and challenge them to be more inclusive and accepting. Major institutions and leading
speaker series’ trust Jesse to educate and energize their audiences. His clients have included
Shopify, Kraft, TD Bank, Canadian Tire, Loblaws, and Giants of Africa and many more.
Jesse first stepped into the spotlight at age 14, starring in Children of the Dust alongside
Hollywood icon Sidney Poitier. He later attended the prestigious Morehouse College in Atlanta,
Georgia, on a full athletic scholarship, emerging as a breakout track star.
After college, Jesse returned to the screen, producing and starring in critically acclaimed films
and TV series, including It’s Not My Fault and I Don’t Care Anyway, Tiny Plastic Men, Black
Summer, and most recently, Netflix’s hit series My Life With the Walter Boys, where he plays
Coach Walter.
In 2023, Jesse debuted as an author with Jars, a coming-of-age novel about identity,
acceptance, and self-discovery. He followed this with The Art of Doing (HarperCollins, 2025), a
motivational guidebook that shares his signature strategies for passion, pursuit, and productivity
– including how to win through losing, shift from macro to micro planning, and only do what you
love or learn to love what you do.
TOPICS
The Art of Doing
The most important aspect of achieving results starts with action. A simple concept, but a
difficult one to master when habits and self-doubt often infringe on the desired outcome.
Lipscombe uses lessons from his life as an actor, speaker, writer, entrepreneur, pro-athlete,
singer, etc., to craft a simple template that anyone can utilize to ensure they get out of the
blocks and continue the momentum towards their dreams and goals.
Lipscombe will discuss:
● How thoughts become things.
● The macro-to-micro-planning strategy
● Only do what you love, or find a way to love what you do
● Keeping it new
● Shooting for the stars.
These five steps will put anyone in the best position to achieve their goals, whether personal or
professional.