Erik has been a culinary tourist his entire life. A command of 10 languages has helped him navigate through 47 countries on 5 continents. He has also enjoyed numerous tasty dishes while residing in Australia, Denmark, Singapore, South Africa and the U.S. For Erik, food is a way to communicate and connect intimately with locals. The more Erik traveled, the more he realized that many destinations offer travelers compelling value propositions in the form of truly unique food and beverage experiences, hence his passion for culinary tourism.
Erik studied languages at the University of Virginia and Travel Marketing and International Communication at The American University in Washington, D.C. His career has included a wide variety of tourism and hospitality posts, including work as a meeting planner at Meridian International Center in Washington, D.C., an internship at the former U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration in Sydney, Australia; Director of Sales and Marketing for the former Domenico Tours, based in New York City; as lecturer in travel marketing at New York University; and as Travel Industry Account Director for the Hong Kong-based Ion Global management consulting firm, where he managed clients that included MCI WorldCom, Travelocity and Walt Disney World. In 2001, Erik settled down in beautiful Portland, Oregon, where he now calls home.
Erik has spoken to thousands of professionals around the world about culinary tourism and other travel marketing topics. He has also consulted to a wide variety of organizations and businesses. Erik strongly believes that education is an investment in our future, which is why education and professional development are profound elements of the Association's work.
In his free time, Erik has been known to judge various food competitions. Erik enjoys recommending to his friends strange but tasty and affordable wines from obscure lands. Don't ever let him loose in a grocery store in another country - you won't see him for hours.
MEMBERSHIPS
National Speakers Association (NSA)
American Society of Association Executives (ASAE)
International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP)
Slow Food
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