LEVERAGING TOURISM TRENDS: Cultural Tourism & Destination Marketing
Presented by Trisha Kerkstra, General Manager of PostOak Lodge & Retreat
With the downturn in the oil and gas industry, POSTOAK Lodge & Retreat needed to look at new market segments. Given the strength and growth of cultural tourism it was determined to launch the POSTOAK Wine & Jazz Festival. This inaugural arts event will enhance Tulsa’s cultural landscape, support professional and student musicians, promote food and wine and boost economic development. Trisha Kerkstra, will discuss how POSTOAK is leveraging tourism as a means to market POSTOAK Lodge & Retreat.
Guiding principles or lessons learned:
- Engage stakeholders early
- Metric based decision making
- Stay true to your mission vision and values
Trisha is the General Manager of POSTOAK Lodge & Retreat. She moved there in March 2013 with over 25 years of hospitality experience. She has worked for the Doubletree Downtown, Marriott Southern Hills, and the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel & Convention Center. After leaving the Renaissance she owned and operated Kerkstra Hospitality, an association management and special event company.
She is a board member of the Oklahoma Hotel & Lodging Association, Tulsa Technology’s Lodging Management Program, Tulsa Community College’s Hospitality Management Program and serves on the Osage County Tourism Oversight Committee. In addition, Trisha is active in the Rotary Club of Tulsa and is the district Youth Exchange Officer.
LOCATION: The Summit Club: 15 W 6th St., 30th Floor, Tulsa, OK 74119