2026 Marketing Summit Speakers | Discover Lancaster

Morning Keynote

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Afternoon Keynote

Joshua Henry

Morning Keynote

Joshua Henry is a director and producer at LampHouse, a Lancaster-based film production company, where he has directed commercials for brands including Woodstream, West Shore Home, PSECU, and Discover Lancaster. He also created and hosted the viral show Marketing Conversations.

Breakout Sessions - Block 1

AUDIENCES, DISCOVERY & PARTNERSHIPS

Marketing to Meeting Planners
Hear directly from meeting planners about what influences their destination and venue decisions. This moderated conversation will explore what gets planners’ attention, what they value from local partners, and common marketing missteps. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for better positioning their businesses for meetings and group travel.
Moderator: Jeff Vasser, Discover Lancaster; Panelists: Vanessa Reisig, HelmsBriscoe; Caryn Taylor, The Caryn Taylor Network, Stephanie Krzywanski, JR Global Events

The Future of Search: How People Discover Businesses Today
The way consumers find and evaluate businesses is changing. This session will explore how search behavior is evolving across Google, social media, reviews, maps, video, AI tools, and other digital channels—and where marketers should focus to strengthen their visibility across paid, organic, social, and emerging search environments.
Speaker: Dan DeLozier, Harmelin Media

Creating Strategic Partnerships: An Interactive Roundtable Discussion
Strong partnerships can help businesses reach new audiences, expand their impact, and create new opportunities. This interactive roundtable will explore practical ways to collaborate through cross-promotion, referrals, packages, shared audiences, and local partnerships while giving attendees the opportunity to share ideas and learn from one another.
Facilitator: Molly Crouser, Lancaster Chamber

Breakout Sessions - Block 2

SMARTER TOOLS, STRONGER DIGITAL STRATEGIES

Beyond the Buzz: How Businesses Can Actually Use AI
Move beyond the AI hype and discover practical ways to put these tools to work in your business. This session will explore how AI can support marketing, content creation, customer communication, brainstorming, workflow efficiency, and everyday operations—with approachable ideas you can start using right away.
Speaker: Sandra Garcia Green, Encounter Your Potential

The Zero Visit Tourist: Creating a Dual Engine Website Strategy
As AI changes how people search and discover businesses, websites need to do more than look good. This session will explore how content, structure, navigation, and redesign planning can help search engines and AI platforms better understand, reference, and recommend your organization.
Speakers: Rebecca Allen & Denise Kovaleski, TARGETMEDIA

Where to Advertise Next: Emerging Paid Media Opportunities
A forward-looking session focused on paid advertising opportunities beyond traditional digital and social campaigns. Attendees will explore emerging and underused channels—including podcast advertising, sponsored newsletters, niche platforms, creator partnerships, and new content formats—and learn how to identify the right opportunities for their audiences, test campaigns strategically, and determine where advertising dollars can have the greatest impact.
Speaker: Dr. Nikkia McClain, Tene Nicole Creative Agency

Breakout Sessions - Block 3

GROWTH, PR & EXPERIENCE BUILDING

Getting Your Story Picked Up— Media Lists & New PR Tools
The PR landscape has never offered more opportunities to connect with the media—if you know where to look. Join Lou Hammond Group for a practical session on building and maintaining a high-value media list while exploring how to leverage emerging tools — including podcasts, newsletters, AI platforms like ChatGPT, and editorial brands' own social media channels — to uncover story opportunities, identify the right contacts, personalize pitches, and elevate your PR strategy.
Speakers: Terence Gallagher & Victoria Polansky, Lou Hammond Group

Data Reporting & Analytics Made Simple
A practical session on what data matters, how to understand trends, and how to connect marketing activity to business outcomes.
Speaker: Emmelie De La Cruz, Bubble

Events That Bring People Through the Door Year-Round
A panel conversation on how businesses can use events, seasonal moments, micro-trends, themed experiences, and partnerships to bring customers through the doors year-round. Panelists will share how they identify creative event opportunities, build programming around specific seasons or audience interests, and turn timely trends or “micro-moments” into experiences that drive attendance, repeat visitation, revenue, and community engagement.
Moderator: Olivia Novak, Discover Lancaster; Panelists: Tony Gorick, Decades; Lisa Horn, Kitchen Kettle Village; Courtney Burkarth, Dutch Wonderland

Todd Snovel

Afternoon Keynote

Our dynamic closing keynote, led by Todd Snovel of Work Wisdom, will explore Building Trust and Influence During Times of Uncertainty through the lens of trust, uncertainty, and connection. Attendees will learn practical ways to build and repair trust, better understand values, and strengthen the way they connect with their audiences.

Meet the Experts

Morning Keynote

Breakout Sessions - Block 1

Breakout Sessions - Block 2

Breakout Sessions - Block 3

Afternoon Keynote

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