Tupelo, MS - Summer Seminar Series

Greg is the Director of Research with Chandlerthinks, a place marketing company located in Historic Franklin, TN. He oversees survey design, fieldwork, and analysis of all research; and has been a part of the for Chandlerthinks team since the beginning. Greg is a two time “Power of Research” award winner from the Travel and Tourism Research Association. Greg has managed studies for over 150 destinations across the US and Canada as well as conducting numerous economic impact studies for festivals and events from Suwanee Fest in Suwanee, GA to the Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Arts Festival in Franklin, TN to the Seven Peaks Music Festival in Colorado. Greg is actively involved in the Southeast Tourism Society and is a past board member and board chairman of the Southeast Festivals and Events Association. He also speaks on a regular basis on the topics of Place Branding and the Economic Impact of Festivals and Events. Needless to say, Greg understands data collection.

Amy has worked for the City of Suwanee for 17 years. She started as a part-time employee with 27 events and now oversees over 40 events a year. Unless there is a pandemic – then there were 3 events in person and 4 virtual events! Suwanee’s events have won many awards over the years and continue to grow and diversify. Amy is also responsible for creating community engagements by connecting residents with volunteer opportunities. When not at work, Amy and her husband Dan,who have lived in Suwanee 27 years enjoy spending time with their three children. In 2015, Amy earned one of her favorite titles, “survivor” as she battled and beat breast cancer! Amy has spoken at Southeast Festivals and Events Association one-day seminars and annual conferences for several years. She spoke at the Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference and has worked with the Georgia Department of Tourism, Georgia Alabama Rural Tourism Conference, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourism Association, and the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development as a speaker. She also speaks each year at the Southeastern Tourism Society’s Marketing College. Amy has spoken at one-day seminars in Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky. Amy has earned her Travel Marketing Professional certification in 2013 from the Southeast Tourism Society. Amy was also in the inaugural class of the Festival and Events Planner certification program with STS. Amy completed her Management Development Program Course with The University of Georgia in 2014. Amy loves to share her event and festival knowledge and experience. Amy also served on the Board of Directors of the Southeast Festivals and Events Association and even served as the board chair. Amy is also a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett Class of 2020 and was named the SFEA Event Director of the year in 2020. When not planning events or volunteering, she can be found reading, playing tennis, walking around Suwanee or eating all the tacos!

RCS Productions is the southeast leader in acquiring and providing National and Regional talent to festivals, concert series, radio shows, corporate & other special events.

Amelia has been with CTE for nearly six years now, growing her team and portfolio. Her teams’ focus is in the Regional and National Division, servicing the entire Southeast and beyond. Before renting the tents to clients, Amelia was one of those clients; she managed large scale festivals and events at Stone Mountain Park in Georgia, dealing with 400+ craft vendors and 200,000+ shoppers. Apart from work, Amelia enjoys spending time with her husband Matt and their miniature Shar Pei Yukon.

Courtney Holcomb serves as the Special Events Coordinator for the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau. In this role she handles all special event permitting for the City of Tupelo, while working with event organizers to host successful festivals and special events. She also works to bring new and exciting events to Tupelo for visitors and citizens of the city. Prior to her role at the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau, Courtney served as Events Coordinator at the Cadence Bank Arena & Conference Center where she managed 600 events annually held at the facility. She has more than 23 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, working in hotels and event centers. Courtney enjoys giving back to Tupelo through involvement in several community organizations. She currently serves as president of the P.E.O. Chapter AC and as president of the Early Childhood Education Center Parent Teacher Organization. A 2021 graduate of the Jim Ingram Leadership Institute, she is also a member of the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital Gumtree TWIGS group. A graduate of Millsaps College, Courtney lives in Tupelo with her husband Alan and three daughters Mackenzie (8), Savannah (4), and Alaina (2).