OWENSBORO, Kentucky — The international faith-based travel industry convened in Owensboro, Kentucky, for three days when 186 delegates joined dozens of hosts and local officials at the 2026 Going On Faith Conference, held August 11-13. The city’s impressive riverfront was on full display as attendees filled the Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Owensboro/Waterfront and the Holiday Inn Owensboro Riverfront, two properties that bookend the award-winning Owensboro Convention Center.

“Visit Owensboro outdid themselves for all our guests and certainly made quite an impression on the travel planners and tour companies that joined us,” said conference general manager Jennifer Ferguson. “They treated us to two splendid evening events, some great sightseeing tours and a keynote speaker who was as inspiring as any we’ve enjoyed. We commend Mark Calitri and Teresa Jones for all they did to shine a spotlight on Owensboro, Kentucky.”

Delegates were enthralled by the life story of one of Owensboro’s favorite sons, Jason Koger, during his keynote address. Koger’s effortless delivery and unshakeable optimism held his audience spellbound as he shared his story of losing both hands in an ATV accident in 2008 after hitting a downed utility line. His determination to continue his life and help raise his children led him to become a pioneer in the use of multi-articulating bionic hands. Koger is an inspirational figure as he works with companies across the globe to further the development of prosthetic devices.

Visit Owensboro treated delegates to a luau-themed opening reception and meal held in the spacious lobby of the convention center and an artfully inspiring dinner the following night at the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art. This venue is perhaps Kentucky’s finest regional fine art museum and features the work of Emil Frei, a German stained-glass artist; Pablo Picasso, the Spanish master painter and sculptor; Jim Cantrell, a noted Bardstown, Kentucky-based painter and ceramic artist; and numerous other celebrated artists.

Buyers and sellers from dozens of states and global destinations including Kenya, Ireland, Italy and the Holy Land shared six-minute appointments during two marketplace sessions held in the convention center’s expansive exhibit hall overlooking the Ohio River.

Delegates were treated to several sightseeing tours that showcased Owensboro venues, including Saint Stephen Cathedral and the Western Kentucky Botanical Garden. Major sponsors for the conference included Visit Owensboro, the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum, Collette, The Great Passion Play, Southwest Adventure Tours, Armstrong Collective and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.