Register yourself and your management team today!
Register yourself and your management team today!
Full
Registration
Includes admission to all conference functions,
including educational sessions, meals and any events both days.
Full
Registration
Full
Registration
Includes admission to all conference functions,
including educational sessions, meals and any events both days.
Includes admission to all conference functions,
including educational sessions, meals and any events both days.
Single-Day
Registration
Includes admission to conference functions, including educational sessions, meals and any events for one day only.
Single-Day
Registration
Includes admission to conference functions, including educational sessions, meals and any events for one day only.
Women in
Tourism & Hospitality
Symposium
September 13, 2025
11:30 am - 4:00 pm
Seaside Civic & Convention Center
415 1st Ave.
Seaside, OR 97138
$55
Connect, lead & thrive!
Join us for ORLA’s second annual Women in Tourism & Hospitality Symposium, a day designed to inspire and connect women across Oregon’s restaurant, lodging, and tourism sectors. This event celebrates the voices and journeys of women in our industry while creating space to strengthen your leadership path, build your network, and explore how personal branding and mentorship can fuel your growth.
Hear real stories from Oregon’s women leaders about their challenges, triumphs, and the advice they wish they had known. Whether you’re looking to advance your career, expand your connections, or simply recharge alongside inspiring women, this symposium is your space to be seen, supported, and encouraged.
Let's celebrate, connect, and help advance women in Oregon’s hospitality industry - together.
Format
11:30 am
11:45 am
12:00 pm - 12:30 pm
12:30 pm - 1:20 pm
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
2:30 pm - 2:40 pm
2:40 pm - 3:40 pm
3:40 pm - 4:00 pm
Check-in
Networking Activity
Warm up with a conversational exercise to breakdown walls, learn about each other, and create space to have a motivated and impactful day.
Welcome and Lunch
Enjoy lunch and table conversations
Keynote Speaker: Kerry Lee Doehr, Engaging Inspiration
Check In. Level Up. Lead Boldly.
In this high energy session, attendees will be challenged to reframe how they see themselves as leaders and to embrace their role as the CEO of You, Inc. Drawing on her own 20+ years in hospitality and events—including work with White House staff, a Disney CEO, and global brands such as Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, Sheraton, and more—Kerry Lee shares candid stories, hard-won lessons, and immediately actionable takeaways.
This is not your typical leadership talk. You’ll hear real-time data about women in hospitality, learn from stories and successes of global executives, and interact in exercises—including The Imposter Interrupt—to help you shift your mindset and refocus your energy. You’ll explore your unique value through a guided You, Inc. mission and vision exercise, leaving with a personalized leadership statement you can use right away. Expect a blend of storytelling, laughter, and actionable strategies that will spark new ideas long after the session ends.
Breakout Sessions
Mentorship IRL: Building Your Path in Hospitality
Presenter: Liz Dahlager, COO of Mereté Hotel Management
A career in hospitality can feel both exciting and overwhelming. Let's explore how mentorship can shape your journey and open doors in unexpected ways. We’ll dive into what mentorship really looks like in practice, how to find and build authentic mentor relationships, and how to maximize those connections to accelerate professional and personal growth. Real stories, practical takeaways, and tools to equip you with confidence to chart your path forward.
You Are the Brand
Presenter: Kara Alicia, CEO, KCreative
Step into your power: this breakout session empowers women leaders to become their own best ambassadors by communicating with confidence and clarity. Participants will explore how to align their digital presence with their authentic personal brand, ensuring the way they show up—online and offline—reflects the leader they aspire to be.
Break & Dessert Served
Her Journey: Leading with Purpose in Hospitality
Hear about an industry leader's journey, challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned. Q&A segment included.
Closing Remarks & Takeaways
Continue discussions and networking.
Symposium Sponsors:
Cultivators:
Register Now:
Industry Advisors:
Liz Dahlager
Chief Operating Officer, Mereté Hotel Management
Kara Alicia
CEO, KCreative
Lisa Itel
Director of Industry Relations, Travel Oregon
Lori Little
Director of Communications, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association