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Last week, I attended back-to-back economic development conferences in Lake County. The first day was attending the Redwood Region RISE convening, where I played a minor role. The second and third days were purely as a participant at North Edge’s Redwood Coast Region Economic Development Summit.

It had been a while since I’ve taken in an out-of-town, in-person conference, probably since before COVID. I appreciated the efforts of the two sets of conference organizers to put these events close together in space and sequential in time. My feeling of being in attendance was the same as before, with a little more appreciation, kind of a thank the heavens I’m out with my tribe in person overlay. I did the conference things: sat in on sessions, handed out a few business cards, and joined in hallway talk. I brought some takeaways, and a pretty nice swag bag, back to Humboldt. I’d like to share some of the insights. I’m keeping the swag.

My most important takeaway: Regional cooperation represents a big win. In California, the small counties that met at these conferences individually have almost no voice at the state level. Susan Seaman, who hosted on behalf of North Edge, referred to “Horton Hears A Who,” the Dr. Seuss book where an elephant just barely hears a tiny being. Together, Susan said, our voice is better heard.

RISE represents a strong commitment to regional work, among the four counties and 33 tribes, whether recognized by the federal government or not, who live together here. A few months ago, a group was putting the final touches on Humboldt County’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS, in econ dev speak). Our top, no-brainer, priority: Keep the regional work of Redwood Region RISE going.

I have to say, Lake County is truly beautiful. Like many of us, I had driven through to get to Interstate 5 from the 101. My wife and I picnicked once on the lakeshore for maybe 90 minutes, but that was the extent of my experience. It is a nice way to spend a few days.

We didn’t have bad food once at either conference. The highlight: a simply spectacular farm-to-table dinner at an outdoor agrotourism venue, That Ranch. The meal was great, the company was great, and it was heartening to see a dozen youth from 4-H and FFA working the venue. I collected a personal first, being buzzed by a drone.

Agrotourism was the focus for much of days 2 and 3. Some of my most important learnings are the following. Target your tourism marketing to the visitor’s next trip … not personas (marketing profiles of types of humans). Things that most motivate travelers, according to focus groups, are YOLO (you only live once), immersion in place or culture, etc. and to recharge. Road trips are a North Coast strength. Keys for 2026 include promoting live events, revealing “hidden gems” (cliche, but that’s what we are) and value, which is not exactly coupon cheapness but some sense of a good deal.

I’ll close with the opening. Connie Stewart, of Cal Poly Humboldt, opened the RISE conference by telling us that we are engaged “in generational work.” The uncertainties caused by events in Washington, DC, and the change of administration in Sacramento are real, but good economic development work gets funded over time regardless of who is in charge. The key is to find and tell the stories that exemplify the work.

Michael Kraft lives just south of Eureka. On weekdays, you will find him working part-time in his independent consulting practice and volunteering. You can reach him at michael@kraftconsultants.com.