While attending Destinations International (DI) Annual Convention 2026 at Oregon Convention Center this week, attendees saw firsthand that the reality of a visit to the City of Roses is more heartwarming and culturally diverse than some of the headlines that popped up around the country over the last six years might imply.
Travel Portland Vice President of Communications Marcus Hibdon explained the city’s collective approach to sending out transparent messaging in the face of spiraling coverage.
When the city became the poster child for protests happening around the country in 2020 and event planners started sharing fears from attendees about the prospect of bringing a conference there safely, Travel Portland realized that it needed a proactive and coordinated campaign to tell the whole story about how community-based approaches to social services are preserving the warm, diverse nature of the city, while making it a pleasant place to visit and live.
After ongoing messaging of plans and statistics from public officials to local and national media and—strategically—rideshare drivers, the picture was much different when the spotlight returned in 2025.
Violent crime was down by 51%, leading the nation, according to the Major Cities Chiefs Association.
And the images of residents in blow-up frog costumes and naked bike parades greeting armed I.C.E. officers were less alarming than previous protest footage.
Read More: Notes from the Road: Portland
More Real Stories
From the first-ever major opening reception at the iconic Powell’s Books to the closing reception at Providence Park, attendees could be found drinking Stumptown coffee and eating Voodoo doughnuts.
The foodie city is opening a James Beard Public Market next year to pay homage to its local culinary legend and share the bounty of the rich agricultural and winery region.
DI President and CEO Don Welsh walked on stage to the beginning cords of a live indy version of the song “Brand New Day” and encouraged everyone to explore what is possible.
Content focused on solutions for today and strategies for tomorrow.
One of the guides on this journey of discovery was author Jeremy Gutsche, founder of trendhunter.com, who stressed the importance of pushing ourselves to get uncomfortable if we are going to recapture our childhood creativity and use AI to optimize our impact. Kathy Varol, former head of global purpose at adidas, stressed the importance of purpose-driven leadership.
An Even More Prepared Planner Resource
Destination marketers shared more real stories as they considered new ways to help planners access local resources and manage uncertainty.
Chieko Tanaka shared the core concept of “Touristship,” a Japan-based initiative promoting responsible and sustainable travel that encourages travelers to respect, engage with and contribute to local communities.
Meanwhile, on the Skills track, Todd Brook, founder and CEO of Unchained, taught participants to vibe code, the better to anticipate your needs.
And Sarah Lehman, CEO of the analytics company Zartico, outlines new ways to measure the impacts of events large and small.
