Agenda

Welcome to the Gulf Coast & Setting the Stage​

10 a.m.–4 p.m.: Registration

3–5 p.m.: Sip & Shuck Oyster Cruise (optional add-on)

• Hop aboard the Scarlet Lady to experience the first oyster farm boat tour in Texas, in partnership with Texas Clear Water Oyster Gardens. Learn more about the trip here.
• Location: Scarlet Lady pickup point at Deep Sea Headquarters
• Price: FREE for conference attendees.

5:30-7 p.m.: “Igniting the Vision for a Regenerative Gulf Coast” Welcome Happy Hour & Networking Mixer

• An informal opportunity to connect with fellow leaders, experts, and community voices from across the Gulf Coast.
• Light appetizers and refreshments provided
• Location: Stout's at the Shore

Innovation Lab: Doing the Work of Regenerative Tourism

Unless otherwise noted, this day's activities will take place in the Patton Center at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute.

7–8 a.m.: Sunrise beach cleanup (optional)

• Run by: Join UTMSI's Marine Debris Specialist, Caitie Christina, for a morning of service and education.
• Location: Meet at the Patton Center at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (855 E. Cotter Ave.)

8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.: Registration

8–8:30 a.m.: Morning coffee, light breakfast, and networking

8:30-8:45 a.m.: Launching the Lab: Objectives & Our Collaborative Commitment

8:45–9:30 a.m.: Building Beachcombing Buzz

• Speaker: Jace Tunnell, Harte Research Institute
• About the Session: From messages in bottles to mysterious “creepy beach dolls,” Jace Tunnell turns a walk on the beach into a global story. As founder of the Beachcombing program, Jace shares fascinating finds, explains how the Gulf’s Loop Current delivers debris and treasures from around the world, and reveals what each discovery tells us about our oceans. Blending science, storytelling, and community outreach, this keynote will leave you inspired to protect the Gulf Coast and the waters that connect us all.

9:30–10:15 a.m.: From Good to Flourishing: Building a Regenerative Tourism Strategy

• Speaker: Cathy Ritter, Better Destinations 

• About the Session: Is your destination already engaged in regenerative tourism, and you just aren't thinking of it that way? Regenerative tourism often requires a different mindset. It's about taking intentional steps to ensure that tourism is creating conditions for your community to flourish and for your visitors to have genuine and meaningful experiences. This session will share shining examples of regenerative tourism and the basics of how to put together a regenerative tourism strategy.

10:15-10:30 a.m.: Networking break

10:30-11 a.m.: Issues Impacting Coastal Communities

• Speaker: Katie Swanson, Director of the Mission Aransas NERR (National Estuarine Research Reserve)

11–11:45 a.m.: Keynote Speaker

• Speaker: Aaron Salā, Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau
• About the Session: 

  Tourism, when practiced regeneratively, is not about selling a destination but about telling it—about living it. Every shoreline, every bird in flight, every ancestor’s name spoken into the wind is part of a story that is continually unfolding. To tell the island is to steward it, and to steward the land is to invite both residents and visitors into shared responsibility. 

  In this keynote, Dr. Aaron J. Salā, President and CEO of the Hawaiʻi Visitors and Convention Bureau, explores how storytelling serves as the continuum through which regenerative tourism takes root. Drawing on Hawaiʻi’s evolving approach and Port Aransas’ own journey, he will reflect on: 

  • Legacy as Narrative Arc, moving from extractive pasts to regenerative futures 

  • Ecology as Living Story, the daily chapters written by sea turtles, shorebirds, and estuaries 

  • Culture as Ancestral Voice, history and heritage as obligations carried forward

Together, these threads illuminate a simple truth: regenerative tourism requires not just management but moʻolelo (story) as methodology. When we let the island tell itself, we transform tourism into a practice of stewardship, ensuring that both community and visitor belong to the story, and to the future, of place. 

11:45 a.m.–1 p.m.: Lunch (included)

• Location: Grumbles Seafood Co.

1–1:45 p.m.: Marketing with Purpose

• Speaker: Nate Wyeth, Visit Bend
• About the Session: Regenerative tourism thrives on authentic connections, compelling stories, and genuine community impact. In this engaging session, Nate Wyeth, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Visit Bend, shares insights on harnessing purpose-driven marketing to foster positive visitor behaviors, inspire local pride, and position tourism as a lasting community benefit. Through practical examples and actionable strategies, attendees will learn how to leverage data-inspired storytelling to attract responsible visitors, strengthen community alignment, and communicate tourism's deeper value, striking a balance where everyone thrives because of tourism, not despite it.

1:45–2:45 p.m.: Funding the Future: Grants and Investment for Regenerative Projects

• Speakers:
  • Kiersten Stanzel, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries
  • Ashley Bennis, Texas General Land Office
  • Dennis McGrury, Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

2:45–3 p.m.: Networking break

3–4:15 p.m.: Sustainable Tourism Experiences Panel

• Hear about winning examples of involving visitors in regenerating a destination.

• Panelists:
  • Nate Wyeth, Visit Bend
  • Dr. Aaron Sala, Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau
  • Dr. Greg Stunz, Harte Research Institute
  • Dr. Joan Holt, University of Texas Marine Science Institute
• Moderator: Cathy Ritter

4:15–4:30 p.m.: Closing remarks

5:45 p.m.: The Last Light: Closing Party at Lydia Ann Lighthouse

• Board the Mustang for a ride over to the Lydia Ann Lighthouse, where you will have an exclusive opportunity to enjoy a candlelit, locally-sourced dinner on this private dock by one of Port A's most iconic landmarks. Chef Matt Axtell, 2025's Texas Chef of the Year, will cook for the event.
• Location: Lydia Ann Lighthouse

Closing

R/V Katy Tour: 8:30-10 a.m.

• Explore the next generation of regenerative Gulf Coast tourism aboard the Katy, a research vessel helmed by one of UTMSI's passionate scientists.