The Entertainment Tourism Alliance of Georgia (ETAG) and Georgia Entertainment have announced featured speakers and panelists for the Entertainment Tourism Summit on Nov. 12 at Brookhaven City Centre.
Erin Greer, principal and global technology practice area leader at Gensler, will deliver the keynote address, and the summit will feature two panel discussions exploring Georgia’s growing entertainment tourism sector and strategies for production-community collaboration.
Moderated by Lynda Smith, founder and chair of ETAG, the panel “The Untapped Potential for Georgia” will feature Todd Harris of Resurgens Gaming; Dave West of Gray Media; Hannah Thompson of Hawkins HQs & Stranger Tours; Anthony Shorter of Music & Media; and Ken Malcolm of the City of Covington.
The second panel, moderated by Jezlan Moyet, President of Georgia Entertainment, will bring together production professionals to discuss fostering partnerships between filming projects and host communities. Panelists include Jackson Giles, locations manager and travel coordinator; Jen Farris, location scout; Brad Smith, location manager; Elisa Logan, of DexMob VFX and Regenesis Pictures; and Valerie Alexander, indie filmmaker.
“Travel and tourism in Georgia generate more than $80 billion, with entertainment playing a key role in that growth,” Smith said. “Music, film, sports, fashion and gaming are fueling strong tourism expansion. The summit will highlight how the creative economy supports the state and how we can maintain that momentum.”
The summit will run from 11 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will include a luncheon, panel discussions, VIP experiences and networking opportunities designed for entertainment travel planners, production professionals, tourism leaders and service providers.
“Entertainment and tourism are deeply connected. Every film shoot, concert, game or art show generates economic activity before, during and long after the event,” Davidson said. “We’re proud to partner with ETAG to better measure and expand the economic impact of Georgia’s creative industries and their contribution to statewide tourism.”
“ETAG’s work to support and advocate for Georgia’s entertainment and creative industries is vital to sustaining the state’s impressive growth over the last several years,” said Jezlan Moyet, president of Georgia Entertainment.
The event is presented by Explore Brookhaven, the official destination marketing organization for the City of Brookhaven; and alongside partners Classic Tents; Double A Productions; Trilith Studios; Georgia Matters and Fulton Films.
