A native of Washington State, Roger Brooks grew up in the San Juan Islands, and he loves to mention his Friday Harbor roots – but he often gets the response “Wow! Do they speak English there?” Once he explains that the San Juan’s are near Victoria in British Columbia – not in Puerto Rico – people understand why he has no accent. Early in Roger’s career he provided tour management for Concerts West, the largest concert tour company in the world at the time. Managing tour logistics for international recording artists including Chicago, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and many others, his concert career culminated with the Bee Gees’ famous Saturday Night Fever tour (yes, he’s that old). In those days the challenges of managing security, the press, the band, the equipment, the venues ticket sales, lodging and transportation, rider agreements, all without cell phones, the Internet, or computers gave poor Roger ulcers! It sure wasn’t easy! It was about that time Roger was encouraged by a band member of Paul Revere and the Raiders to take his organizational and marketing skills to Canada where a dream ski resort was about to unfold north of Vancouver – Whistler Resort. Roger took his advice, and went to help Whistler get started, which went on to host much of the 2010 Winter Olympics. For the next ten years Roger worked in the resort development and marketing field at places including not only Whistler, but Sunriver Resort in Central Oregon, Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and in the Colorado Rockies. When the city manager of a seaside town approached Roger in 1991 about helping his town regain its “mojo” as a sought-after destination, Roger helped “re-develop” Ocean Shores, Washington. Working with them for four years the community now hosts nearly 3.5 million visitors annually. Since then Roger, and his Destination Development International (DDI) team, has assisted more than a thousand communities in North America and in Europe, with their business and tourism development, branding, and marketing efforts. Author of the book “Your Town: A Destination – The 25 Immutable Rules of Successful Tourism,” Roger provides communities with a summary of the wisdom of his experiences, where he has seen what works and what doesn’t. His book is now in its third printing. Today Roger spends most of his time on the speaking engagement circuit motivating people, businesses, and communities, helping them achieve their goals. He has been the top-rated keynote speaker at every conference at which he has spoken for the better part of the last decade. His dynamic, enthusiastic style leaves audiences excited and energized, ready to take what they’ve learned and implement it immediately. A great storyteller, Roger uses a combination of humorous stories and video clips, photography, and steps, rules and ingredients in his presentations. Attendees come away motivated, with real “meat and potatoes” content they can implement right away. No wonder Roger has become one of the most sought after keynote speakers in the world for business and trade associations, non-profit and government agencies, and community development organizations. Roger Brooks delivers.

A native of Washington State, Roger Brooks grew up in the San Juan Islands, and he loves to mention his Friday Harbor roots – but he often gets the response “Wow! Do they speak English there?” Once he explains that the San Juan’s are near Victoria in British Columbia – not in Puerto Rico – people understand why he has no accent. Early in Roger’s career he provided tour management for Concerts West, the largest concert tour company in the world at the time. Managing tour logistics for international recording artists including Chicago, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac and many others, his concert career culminated with the Bee Gees’ famous Saturday Night Fever tour (yes, he’s that old). In those days the challenges of managing security, the press, the band, the equipment, the venues ticket sales, lodging and transportation, rider agreements, all without cell phones, the Internet, or computers gave poor Roger ulcers! It sure wasn’t easy! It was about that time Roger was encouraged by a band member of Paul Revere and the Raiders to take his organizational and marketing skills to Canada where a dream ski resort was about to unfold north of Vancouver – Whistler Resort. Roger took his advice, and went to help Whistler get started, which went on to host much of the 2010 Winter Olympics. For the next ten years Roger worked in the resort development and marketing field at places including not only Whistler, but Sunriver Resort in Central Oregon, Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and in the Colorado Rockies. When the city manager of a seaside town approached Roger in 1991 about helping his town regain its “mojo” as a sought-after destination, Roger helped “re-develop” Ocean Shores, Washington. Working with them for four years the community now hosts nearly 3.5 million visitors annually. Since then Roger, and his Destination Development International (DDI) team, has assisted more than a thousand communities in North America and in Europe, with their business and tourism development, branding, and marketing efforts. Author of the book “Your Town: A Destination – The 25 Immutable Rules of Successful Tourism,” Roger provides communities with a summary of the wisdom of his experiences, where he has seen what works and what doesn’t. His book is now in its third printing. Today Roger spends most of his time on the speaking engagement circuit motivating people, businesses, and communities, helping them achieve their goals. He has been the top-rated keynote speaker at every conference at which he has spoken for the better part of the last decade. His dynamic, enthusiastic style leaves audiences excited and energized, ready to take what they’ve learned and implement it immediately. A great storyteller, Roger uses a combination of humorous stories and video clips, photography, and steps, rules and ingredients in his presentations. Attendees come away motivated, with real “meat and potatoes” content they can implement right away. No wonder Roger has become one of the most sought after keynote speakers in the world for business and trade associations, non-profit and government agencies, and community development organizations. Roger Brooks delivers.