Speakers

Alan K. Bacon, Jr. is the Co-Founder and Chief Strategist of GANGGANG, where he works as a passionate thought leader to innovate and amplify culture, creating more equitable opportunities for artists and creative entrepreneurs. In addition to serving as co-founder for BUTTER Fine Art Fair and curator for We. The Culture at Newfields in Indianapolis, Bacon helped spearhead the curation of arts and culture initiatives that transformed Indianapolis during the NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee weekend-long celebration, working alongside local artists and community partners to showcase the city's vibrant creative community on a global stage. Bacon is also the co-founder behind the “I Made Rock N' Roll” festival, which has garnered national attention and been featured in prominent publications including People magazine and Essence. His impact on Indiana's creative economy through GANGGANG has led to unprecedented investment in local artists, earning him recognition as one of the Top 250 most influential Business Leaders in Indiana. Bacon's career journey began at Harrison College, where he built a 12-year network of relationships in business and education, eventually serving as president of their northwest campus. Following this, he worked for a Johannesburg-based technology company, where his exposure to global poverty led him to the United Way of Indianapolis, where he led a million-dollar social innovation fund focused on addressing poverty in central Indiana. A graduate of Indiana University, the 2024 Neal-Marshall Alumni Rising Star Award recipient, and member of the Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, Bacon has consistently demonstrated his ability to unify and transform communities, both in the American Midwest and in Johannesburg, SA. Beyond his professional achievements, he is an accomplished artist, writer, musician, and style icon. Known for his unique mind and disposition, Bacon approaches his work with a deep love for humankind and serves as a proud father and husband.

Amy Lynch is an Indianapolis-based freelance writer specializing in Midwestern food and travel content. An Active member of the Midwest Travel Journalists Association and the Bourbon Women’s Association, she enjoys road trips, books, live music and breakfast all day. (Find her on Instagram @mostlymidwestern23.)

Vice President, Chief Advancement Officer,  Conner Prairie 

Bethany Sutherland is the Group Services Manager at Visit Fort Wayne, a role she has held since 2019. With a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue Northwest (2013), Bethany has extensive experience in event and convention services, having previously worked as the Event and Convention Services Manager for the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority.

Bethany has become passionate about promoting the city's offerings and providing exceptional service to groups of all types. Her expertise spans a wide range of clients, from associations and faith-based organizations to hobby groups and both adult and youth sports teams.

Bethany is committed to delivering services that help drive Fort Wayne’s success as a leading destination for both leisure and business visitors. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys spending time with her husband, two children and two dogs and indulging in her love of coffee.

Carrie Lambert is the Executive Director of the Indiana Tourism Association. 

Dave Serino is the founder of TwoSix Digital and a 35-year veteran of the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry.  He has held marketing positions in hotels, resorts, and convention and visitors bureaus, along with launching two start-up ventures and a national social media educational conference.

Serino has presented educational sessions at more than 250  travel industry events and is one of the tourism industry’s leaders in the area of education and thought leadership.

Dave also serves on the West Michigan Tourist Association board of directors, the Michigan Craft Beverage Council’s Marketing Committee, and is a Destinations International’s Marketing Taskforce member.

David Pierce, PhD, is Professor and Chair in the Department of Tourism, Event, and Sport Management at IU Indianapolis, where he has also served as the Director of the Sports Innovation Institute. He currently serves as an applied research analyst for the Center for Sports Transformation, and he has been actively involved in sports tech start-ups in youth sports, including RefReps, a sports officiating education platform currently serving 30,000 high school and college students in the United States.

Erin Hedges, President of Hedges

Since founding Hedges in 2002, Erin has become a trusted thought leader within the nonprofit community. She excels at strategic visioning, developing dynamic partnerships, and helping organizations plan for the future. She has continued to grow the company’s deep knowledge of the interconnected roles of Indiana nonprofits, philanthropic institutions, corporations, and government entities in solving complex social and economic issues.

Internally, Erin leads the Hedges team by example. She creates an environment that fosters social innovation and professional growth, inspiring members of our team to do their best work, every time.

Erin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Butler University, and a Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University and is a BoardSource Certified Nonprofit Board Consultant.

Erin has served as President of the Board of Directors for Dove House, the Alumni Board for Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and Joy’s House, where she also serves as a Director’s Council member

Gabby Blauert is the Communications Manager at Hamilton County Tourism. She’s passionate about helping people tell their stories through a variety of mediums. After graduating from Butler University in Indianapolis, Gabby launched her career in the communications industry, gaining experience in social media content strategy, media relations, and campaign coordination. When she isn’t capturing content or meeting with local business owners, you can find Gabby at a local coffee shop or going on adventures with her family.

As Chief Advocacy Officer, Jack Johnson manages the overall public policy operations at Destinations International including member advocacy education and training, development of destination tools and best practices, coalition work with peer organizations, industry research and related public affairs activities. He also oversees the board governance, the Destination Management Accreditation Program (DMAP) and the DestinationNEXT (Assessments and Planning) Program. Johnson brings unrivaled experience developing innovative strategies, policy solutions and civic consensus for government, not-for-profits and small businesses.

Johnson has received numerous accolades including being named as one of Successful Meetings’ 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry in 2018 for his work on opposing travel boycotts and bans. Currently, his work around positioning destination organizations as a shared value in each of their communities and speaking with a new lexicon based on the emotion-driven by those values has made him one of the leading voices of the travel industry.

During his previous tenure with Choose Chicago, Johnson played a leading role in the extensive reforms of the McCormick Place Convention Center and the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, resulting in a new convention center operating model with both a travel industry and a citywide civic perspective. Johnson was integrally involved in the merger of the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau and the Chicago Office of Tourism, resulting in maximizing their resources, unifying the message and embedding the organization into the city’s economic development strategy

Jaime Bohler Smith is the Executive Director of Visit Hendricks County and the Past President of the Indiana Tourism Association. 

Janet Korn

Senior Vice President, Experience Grand Rapids

All of Janet’s career has been in the hospitality industry. She managed a restaurant in the Chicago suburbs and was an adjunct instructor at Grand Rapids Community College with the culinary arts program. Janet has spent three decades working with Experience Grand Rapids. Currently as Senior Vice President. Janet calls this “the career of a lifetime”. Her current role involves organizational strategy, advocacy, destination marketing, communications, and public relations. Janet is a Michigan State University graduate with a BA in Hospitality Business. Janet serves the community by volunteering with Downtown Grand Rapids Inc., parks planning, as a board member with Grand Rapids Whitewater and as a Board Member of the Michigan Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus. Janet is also a fan of craft beer, outdoor walking, and a mother of two grown children.

Jeff Mohler is the President & CEO for Special Olympics Indiana and has been in this role since January 2018. Before that, he served 11 years as Vice President of Programs & COO, providing leadership and oversight for a wide range of operations, including sports management, Summer Games director, and one of the founders of Champions Together, SOIN’s partnership with the Indiana High School Athletic Association. Jeff’s sports passion is track & field as a former competitor, former coach, and 23-year veteran official. Jeff has been married to Lisa for 25 years. Daughter Lydia is a nurse at an Indianapolis children's hospital. Son Owen is a senior at Westfield High School.