2025 Tourism and Culture Forum
Join us for our FREE semi-annual Tourism and Culture Forum on Tuesday, June 3, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Steelworkers’ Hall.
This forum’s theme is Resilience by Design: Strengthening Tourism & Culture for Tomorrow with keynote speaker Rebecca Godfrey.
Join us for a transformative event focused on strengthening and future-proofing the tourism and cultural sectors. Resilience by Design: Strengthening Tourism & Culture for Tomorrow will bring together industry leaders, innovators, and changemakers to explore actionable strategies for creating sustainable, adaptable, and thriving businesses and organizations. Gain valuable insights on overcoming challenges, embracing change, and fostering long-term growth in an ever-changing landscape.
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, collaborate, and cultivate resilience for a stronger, more stable tomorrow.
Contact Briana Fram, Business Development Officer, for your link to register today!
Keynote Address: “Building Resilient Tourism and Culture Organizations: Navigating Challenges and Preparing for the Future”
Speaker: Rebecca Godfrey, Senior Vice President of practice lead, CBRE Tourism
In this keynote address, we will explore the current state of the tourism industry, focusing on emerging trends and innovations shaping its future. We will dive into strategies for ensuring resilience in the face of economic uncertainty and market disruptions. The session will emphasize the critical role of strong leadership and strategic planning in driving long-term sustainability, offering valuable insights for navigating today’s evolving tourism landscape.
Panel Discussion: “Succession Planning: Securing the Future of Tourism and Culture Organizations and Building Partnerships”
Facilitator: Rachel Godfrey
Panelists: To be announced
Industry leaders will explore the importance of succession planning in tourism businesses, offering strategies for developing future leaders. The session will highlight how stepping out of comfort zones and forming strategic partnerships can drive growth, while ensuring service continuity, strong client relationships, and a solid reputation.
Interactive Workshop: “Developing a Resilient Business Plan for Your Tourism and Culture Organization”
Participants will work through real-life scenarios to create business continuity and succession plans, while developing innovative solutions for collaborating with local businesses. The session will focus on actionable strategies for businesses to bounce back after disruptions, shift mental models, and ensure smooth leadership transitions.
About Rebecca Godfrey
Rebecca Godfrey, CMC, MBA, is a Senior Vice President and practice lead of CBRE Tourism Consulting. Although based in Toronto, Rebecca has responsibility for the group nationally. She has worked with CBRE since their acquisition of PKF Consulting Canada in 2015, where she had worked since 2005 after completing her MBA in Hospitality & Tourism Management. With over 17 years of direct consulting experience, and 30 years working with the tourism & hospitality industries, Rebecca’s expertise is far-reaching.
She specializes in strategic plans for tourism organizations, tourism master plans, market and financial feasibility studies and business plans, RFP processes, economic impact studies, and custom industry assessments. Rebecca has extensive experience working within both the public and private sectors, as well as 3P environments – with clients ranging from government agencies to international investors in tourism experience development. She believes in taking an integrated evidence-based and creative approach to her client work. Organizations need to attend to all areas of their triple bottom line: people, planet and profitability.
Rebecca is also a member of the Ontario Tourism Education Corporation’s (OTEC) Board of Directors.