2026 GO Laurel Highlands Spring Summit
Your Flight to Smarter Tourism Marketing
Now in its 13th year, the GO Laurel Highlands Summit is the region’s must-attend professional development event for tourism and hospitality leaders. This one-day experience delivers nationally recognized marketing insight, hands-on learning, and meaningful networking—giving you a clear runway for what’s next in destination marketing.
🛫 What's on the Flight Plan?
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Start the day with a warm welcome as we outline the agenda and set the stage for a productive summit. Enjoy a continental breakfast and coffee as you get settled and ready for a day of learning and inspiration.
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Pilot: Sarah Benoit | Lead Instructor, Learn Tourism
You don’t need a studio to create videos people connect with. Learn how to plan and film simple, story-driven videos using the phone or camera you already have—plus practical tips for better sound, visuals, and narrative. This session explores why “raw and real” content is outperforming polished perfection and how emerging AI tools can speed up and simplify video creation. Walk away with clear next steps to promote products, events, and community stories that feel authentic and on-brand.
Takeaways:
- Understand current video trends and why relatability wins
- Capture valuable, reusable footage with a DIY video checklist
- Use AI tools to save time and reduce production costs
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Pilot: Cassandra Razzi | Senior Manager, Business Development | Orange 142
This session breaks down Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and what it means for marketers today. You’ll learn how generative search surfaces content, how AI decides which destinations to recommend, brands must do now to stay competitive.
Attendees will walk away with practical, actionable strategies to:
- Optimize destination content for AI-driven search experiences
- Align storytelling, inclusivity, and data to influence generative recommendations
- Future-proof digital marketing strategies as traveler planning behavior shifts
Whether you’re an event venue, hotel, amusement, attraction or DMO, this session will help you understand where search is headed — and how to make sure your destination shows up when it matters most.
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Pilot: Sarah Benoit | Lead Instructor, Learn Tourism
Build trust and results by investing in channels you own. Learn how podcasts, blogs, videos, webinars, and online classes position your brand as a helpful guide while naturally collecting permission-based audience insights. This practical, people-first session shows how to connect content to your systems, respect privacy, and turn interest into lasting relationships—lead first, invite second, nurture always.
15-minute breakout: Small-group show & tell of owned media (existing or planned), key audience info, and one committed next step.
Takeaways:
- Choose the owned channel that fits your voice, audience, and capacity
- Map a simple path from content to permission-based follow-up
- Identify one clear action to grow first-party relationships
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Enjoy your lunch — included with the purchase of your ticket — and stop by the GO Laurel Highlands and America's 250 information booths to explore your partnership benefits, discover new opportunities, and get the latest updates on all things America 250. Ask questions, gather helpful resources, and leave with fresh ideas to make the most of your involvement in the Laurel Highlands.
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Pilots: Lauren Tallyen, Occupational Therapist, Registered & Licensed & Nicole Vasas, Doctor of Physical Therapy
Learn essential American Sign Language (ASL) phrases to help you confidently welcome and assist Deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors. This interactive session will introduce key signs, simple communication tips, and best practices to create more inclusive, accessible experiences across the Laurel Highlands.
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Pilot: Nathan Reigner, Ph.D. | Director, PA Office of Outdoor Recreation
Outdoor recreation is no longer a niche—it is a powerful driver of Pennsylvania’s economy and one of the region’s strongest competitive advantages. This keynote will explore how trails, waterways, parks, events, and outdoor experiences fuel visitor demand, support local businesses, and strengthen communities across the Laurel Highlands and beyond. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of why outdoor recreation matters—not only at the statewide level, but to our destination and to the success of every partner represented in the room. The session will highlight how the DMO can actively support partner efforts while also outlining practical ways partners can support and strengthen one another.
Most importantly, this keynote will demonstrate how every business, regardless of whether outdoor recreation is its primary focus, can be part of the outdoor economy. Participants will discover how aligning with outdoor experiences can create new opportunities, extend stays, grow spending, and build deeper connections with today’s experience-driven travelers. This session will set the stage for a shared, partner-powered approach to growing the outdoor economy—and ensuring the Laurel Highlands continues to thrive as a four-season destination.
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Join a candid panel discussion with experienced content creators as they share what truly makes a partnership successful. From authentic storytelling and creative freedom to clear expectations and measurable results, learn how to build meaningful collaborations that elevate your brand and inspire travelers to visit the Laurel Highlands.
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Wrap up the day by connecting with each other (and a Pour Tour beverage) in a relaxed, collaborative setting. Share ideas, spark new partnerships, and raise a glass to the creativity and community that make the Laurel Highlands a standout destination.
Meet Our 2026 Summit Speakers
Nathan Reigner | Director, PA Office of Outdoor Recreation
Nathan Reigner, Ph.D., is Pennsylvania’s first Director of Outdoor Recreation and played a key role in establishing the Commonwealth’s Office of Outdoor Recreation. Before joining the state in 2021, he served on Penn State’s research faculty and led Recreation Tourism Science, an applied outdoor recreation consultancy.
Throughout his career, Nathan has helped communities, parks, trails, and destinations deliver exceptional visitor experiences while protecting their unique character. His work spans more than 100 national and state parks, forests, trails, historic sites, and heritage areas across the U.S. and internationally. A Pennsylvania native, he holds degrees from Gettysburg College and Virginia Tech.
Sarah Benoit | Lead Instructor, Learn Tourism
Sarah Benoit is part tech nerd, part communication junkie, part poet, and all extrovert. For more than two decades she has been a straight-talking digital strategist, educator, and speaker focused on helping people master online marketing, minus the fluff.
As Lead Instructor for Learn Tourism, she delivers practical, motivating keynotes and workshops for destinations, conferences, and communities nationwide. Sarah is known for her candor, creativity, and compassion. She’s passionate about inclusive education, ethical tech, and helping others speak up and level up.
Cassandra Razzi | Senior Manager, Business Development Orange 142
Cassandra Razzi is a marketing strategist with over a decade of experience across travel, tourism, higher education, and destination-adjacent industries. She specializes in digital advertising, audience targeting, and data-driven strategy, helping organizations — from attractions and transportation providers to universities and tourism brands — reach the right audiences at the right moment in their decision-making journey.
Currently working in ad tech, Cassandra focuses on how emerging technologies, evolving search behavior, and inclusive storytelling intersect to drive real-world results. She regularly speaks on topics including generative search, audience segmentation, attribution, and the business impact of inclusive and multicultural marketing strategies. Her work bridges strategy and execution, translating complex digital trends into practical insights organizations can actually use.
Nicole Vasas | DPT
Nicole Vasas is a licensed physical therapist currently working in an acute inpatient rehabilitation facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Prior to becoming a physical therapist, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Rehabilitation Science from the University of Pittsburgh, where she took her first course in American Sign Language (ASL).
Through this experience, she developed a strong passion for both the language and Deaf culture and went on to earn a certificate in ASL. As part of her education, Nicole had several opportunities to engage with members of the Pittsburgh Association of the Deaf and the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. She looks forward to helping others better communicate with and understand this community.
Brittany Brown | Britt Around Town
Britt Around Town is a Pennsylvania-based travel storyteller and content creator known for bringing small towns, agritourism, and travel experiences to life through compelling visual and written storytelling. Her work focuses on showing what makes a destination worth the drive and includes a variety of experience such as family-run farms, a walkable main street, a seasonal festival, or an outdoor experience woven naturally into a trip.
By blending photography, video, and narrative-driven content, Britt helps audiences connect with places in a way that feels personal, informed, and genuinely inviting. Her approach highlights the people and stories behind each destination while giving tourism professionals a clear example of how authentic content can inspire travel and support local economies.
Alex Goodstein | Alex Eats Too Much
Alex Goodstein manages Alex Eats Too Much, an online brand focusing on food, events and travel. Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Alex Eats Too Much started in 2017 as an Instagram and blog to share interesting food and drink in the city and beyond.
The brand has grown to feature restaurants, events and travel destinations through photos, videos and blog posts across multiple social media platforms and the blog. Alex Eats Too Much recently went from a part time passion project to a full time initiative to continue exploring and sharing my love of food.
Kim Debes | Kim Hiked It
Kim is a content creator and mom of five based in the Laurel Highlands, on a mission to hike in all 124 Pennsylvania State Parks. She started hiking in 2022 and created her Instagram page just for fun, but quickly discovered how much she loves creating content and connecting with others.
Kim has always enjoyed planning adventure-packed trips for her family, especially staying in PA State Parks. She focuses on sharing family-friendly and solo adventures, showing that there’s so much to see and do close to home and making the outdoors accessible without traveling far.
Christian Alexandersen | Hemlocks to Hellbenders Podcast
Christian Alexandersen is the host of the award-winning Hemlocks to Hellbenders podcast - which highlights Pennsylvania's parks, forests, and great outdoors. Christian’s love for the outdoors began in 2021 when he ran one mile in all-then 121 Pennsylvania state parks. Christian now volunteers on the Keystone Trails Association Board of Directors, PA Outdoor Writers Association Board of Directors and the PA Trails Advisory Committee. He also volunteers for the PA Parks and Forests Foundation's Communications Committee.
Christian enjoys a number of outdoor activities including hiking, biking, paddling, camping and trail running and plans to add hunting and fishing to his hobbies. He is also the organizer of the annual PA Outdoor Content Creators Meetup. This annual gathering is meant to bring together Pennsylvania-based creators to celebrate our public lands, learn and connect with one another and create relationships in the outdoor recreation industry. Christian an award-winning former journalist that’s written for publications in West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. He currently works for the Pennsylvania Senate. He lives in Cumberland County with his wife Abby and their cats Jack and Walt.
Trevor Hykes | Hiking With Hykes
Trevor Hykes is the founder of Hiking With Hykes, an Ohio based adventure travel brand built on the belief that extraordinary experiences don’t require a plane ticket across the world. Based in Northeast Ohio, Trevor and his wife Riley have grown their platform from a simple hiking journal into a multi-platform media brand reaching millions of outdoor enthusiasts. Their mission is to help working professionals and everyday travelers make the most of their limited time off through intentional weekend trips, scenic road trip adventures, and practical travel guides.
Trevor’s love for the outdoors began long before social media. He spent 11 years in the Boy Scouts and earned the rank of Eagle Scout, where he developed the discipline, preparedness, and stewardship mindset that still shapes the Hiking With Hykes brand today. His media expertise is entirely self-taught. Through years of studying photography, videography, platform strategy, and audience psychology, he transformed a passion for documenting hikes into cinematic, high-performing content that moves people from inspiration to action.
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