Jenn Houtby-Ferguson

Jenn Houtby-Ferguson is a seasoned marketing and communications professional passionate about tourism management. Houtby-Ferguson was born and raised in Niagara, Ontario and moved to Whitehorse to manage the Yukon Convention Bureau. As managing director, she positioned the Yukon as a premier tourism destination in advance of the 2007 Canada Winter Games and built relationships across the north. After four years in Whitehorse, Houtby-Ferguson relocated to Vancouver Island where she spent five years as director of sales and marketing at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort. In 2014, she began consulting full time and enjoys a broad client base including organizations such as Tourism Tofino, Tourism Ucluelet, PacificSport Vancouver Island and the Real Estate Energy Efficiency Program. Houtby-Ferguson holds a Master of Arts in Tourism Management from Royal Roads University (2016) and three meeting and event industry designations: Certificate in Meeting Management (2008), Certified Meeting Professional (2002) and a Global Certification in Meeting and Business Events (2009). She was recently appointed to the Security and Risk Management Committee of Meeting Professionals International (MPI.) A part-time instructor at Vancouver Island University, Houtby-Ferguson speaks regularly to organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest about crisis communications, destination reputation and emergency readiness.