In this episode, you’ll learn about the idea of competition being a great thing for everyone involved because visitors stay longer when there’s more for them to do from Elissa Leuer.
As Livingston County’s Director of Tourism and Marketing, Elissa is responsible for the promotion of the county’s accommodations, attractions, restaurants, and events to those outside the area to encourage tourism. Prior to joining the Livingston County Chamber in 2015, she worked in tourism sales & marketing at the Genesee County Chamber & Tourism. A native of Western NY and a graduate of SUNY Geneseo and the Rochester Institute of Technology, Elissa has a passion for the Finger Lakes region and the travel & tourism industry.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/elissa-leuer/
In this episode, you will learn how Greek Peak Mountain Resort prioritizes providing a great experience for families from Jessica Sloma.
Jessica Sloma is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Greek Peak Mountain Resort and she has been involved with the resort since 2008. When Jessica first came to Greek Peak, she was a partner in an advertising agency in New York and was brought onboard to rebrand Greek Peak for the grand opening of the Hope Lake Lodge and Cascades Indoor Waterpark. She eventually transitioned from the advertising world to work directly for the resort.
In 2015, the owners of Greek Peak purchased Toggenburg Mountain, a seasonal ski resort located outside of Syracuse, New York. This season Jessica, along with the Greek Peak executive team, have taken on the oversight of that property.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/jessica-sloma/
In this episode, you will learn about how listening to your customers can open up many doors from Mark Hoffmann.
Mark Hoffmann is president and founder of Sports Leisure Vacations, Sacramento’s largest and oldest packaged tour and travel company. There he orchestrates the company’s many facets of operation from escorted tours and travel agencies services to receptive, meeting, planning, and incentive travel programs.
Sports Leisure Vacations was founded in 1979 and has an active client base of 8,500 plus members. Mark was a sports talk show host on KSAC 1240 AM from 1991 to 1994. He has co-hosted the Travel Guys with Tom Romano since February 2009 on KFBK 1530 AM and now 92.5 FM. He enjoys radio announcing and confesses it has always been a dream of his, a dream that has come true twice now.
Mark proudly served as president of the National Tour Association in 2000 and 2013, the country’s most prestigious tour operator association. His mission is to be a strong and vocal advocate for all aspects of the tourism industry.
He feels the industry should be proactive in increasing positive public awareness about the value of tourism, especially among elected officials. Mark holds the designation of Certified Tour Professional as given by NTA along with a host of other honors and awards. A two-time president of the Mather Sacramento Chapter of Toastmasters International, Mark’s numerous speaking engagements have focused on such topics as marketing to tour operators, how to make marketing more effective, the nuts and bolts of group tour marketing, looking through the crystal ball: the future of the hospitality industry in America, and off the beaten track: America’s backroads.
An avid traveler, Mark’s favorite destinations are New York City, the length of Route 66, and the Main Street of America.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/mark-hoffmann/
In this episode, you’ll learn about focusing your limited marketing dollars on the visitors who are closest to your destination from Devon Perry.
Devon Perry joined Visit South Jersey as marketing director in 2015. In this role, she closely shadowed the executive director, and when the opportunity presented itself, she was well acquainted with the position and truly the best choice to lead Visit South Jersey into the future.
Devon has an unstoppable passion for entrepreneurship, social enterprise development, fine art, and positioning. While skilled at crisis management, Devon also is exceptional at telling beautiful stories to public and private stakeholders, engaging customers, and improving community affinity. Devon has created several non-profits and for-profits with strategic partners across industries.
Devon’s background in nonprofit marketing speaks to her interest and expertise; she’s managed marketing efforts on staff at both The United Way and The American Red Cross. Her decade of experience includes many startups, including the thriving co-working space Kings Hall in Haddonfield, NJ. Devon holds an MBA from Drexel University, grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ, and currently resides in Haddonfield, NJ. She is currently the artist in residence at the Historic Hopkins House along the Cooper River in Haddon, NJ.
Devon is committed to service above self as seen in her involvement in multiple organizations: Rotary of Haddonfield, Board of Governors of the Haddonfield Civic Association, Young Friends Council of the Ronald McDonald House of South Jersey, Charity Chair of South Jersey Mothers of Multiples and member of the Board of Trustees of Visit South Jersey.
Other notable efforts include: Drexel Women in Business (Co-Founder), ShareURmeal (Founder), GoBYO.com (Founder/CEO), Women’s MBA Network (Founder). Board member for NJ Tourism Industry Association (NJTIA), and in the Destination Management Association International’s Leadership program, training C-level executives around the globe.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/devon-perry/
In this episode, you will learn about how everyone can chip in to drive visitors to a region and the economic impact that provides from Rachel Laber Pulvino.
Rachel Laber Pulvino is a Rochester native who has the privilege of promoting her hometown on a daily basis as the Director of Public Relations and Communications for Visit Rochester.
In this role Rachel is regularly reaching out to regional, national and international media to share Rochester’s story and help media and visitors alike discover the activities and attractions that make Rochester an ideal destination. One recent accomplishment was seeing the Rochester Lilac Festival be included in The Weather Channel’s list of 10 Places You Have to See in May” as well as helping Rochester be named America’s 10th Favorite City by Travel + Leisure.
Raised in Rochester, Rachel attended SUNY Geneseo, where she earned a B.A. in Communication and continued on to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Syracuse University for graduate school, where she earned an M.S. in Public Relations.
Rachel is an active member of the Public Relations Society of America, Rochester Chapter, serving on the organization’s board of directors, along with volunteering with the Women’s Foundation of Genesee Valley and the SUNY Geneseo Regional Alumni committee.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/rachel-pulvino/
In this episode, you will learn about social enterprises in the travel and tourism industry and how they can really drive social change and positively benefit communities from Mike Rea.
Mike Rea is a social entrepreneur who has been committed to creating philanthropic value and impact for more than 15 years.
Mike has been President & CEO of Tourism Cares since July 2013, building on its momentum to unite the industry around critical philanthropic needs and opportunities that are best tackled together. Tourism Cares leverages charitable investments and expertise to build sustainable travel destinations for future travelers, the tourism industry, and local communities.
Mike’s career in philanthropy is diverse, entrepreneurial, and focused on outcomes. He co-founded Give2Asia in 2000, an affiliate of The Asia Foundation which to-date has facilitated more than $300M in personalized philanthropy. One area of specialty is disaster relief, and Mike’s personal research project, www.TsunamiPlus10.org, revisited the long-term impact of Give2Asia’s 2004 tsunami investments.
In 2008, Mike served as Regional Philanthropic Executive for the Philanthropic Management division of Bank of America, leading client relations with nonprofits and foundations in the West and Central regions. In 2010, he joined the College Ready team at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he supported the strategy, management, and execution of the foundation’s US K-12 education strategy.
Mike earned a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College and a Master of Arts in Asian studies and anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. He is also on the Board of Directors of the US Travel Association.
When not traveling, he Seattle life with his daughter, Elsie, and other passions include flyfishing and the MLS soccer team Seattle Sounders F.C.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/mike-rea/
In this episode, you will learn about ways to grow economic development and give a destination a sense of place that thrills residents and visitors alike.
Kal Wysokowski is president of the Canal Society of New York State, Commissioner for the New York State Canal Corporation, and Commissioner for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
With all of those volunteer roles, Kal still has time for her day job as Director of Grants Development at the Finger Lakes Community College. Kal was previously the Executive Director of the Fairport IDA and Office of Community and Economic Development, and prior to that, she was the director of the Fairport Village Partnership and Economic Development Program she helped to launch, which is modeled after the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s highly successful Main Street Program.
Before moving to the Rochester area, Kal was Vice President for Marketing and Development for Tompkins County Area Development in the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency in Ithaca, New York. She also worked as director of community relations and development for Family and Children’s Service of Ithaca and the Ithaca College Office of Admissions.
Kal graduated from Ithaca College’s School of Communication with a Bachelor’s Degree in Corporate Communication and earned a Master’s Degree from Binghamton University. She has been a guest lecturer at the Roy Park School of Communications at Ithaca College and a guest speaker and facilitator for the Excellence, a nonprofit leadership and management series for the Learning Institute for Nonprofit Organizations and PBS.
In addition, she has been a presenter at the World Canals Conference, the New York State Canal Conference, the Western New York Landmarks Societies, Preservation Workshop, Design Matters, strengthening city and village centers for the Reshaping Rochester series, served as the chairman for the New York State Canal Conference in addition to numerous business and community lectures on downtown revitalization and business development.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/kal-wysokowski/
In this episode, you will learn about the importance of having a strategy for everything you do and not just trying whatever you think of to see what sticks.
For Morgan Painvin, it’s all about hitting the bullseye of results. Her quiver of arrows is vast and varied from strategic partnerships and micro-niche placements to national features and creative ideas. The award-winning campaigns that define her career speak directly to her clients brand and goals. While a big hit is thrilling, says Morgan, she’s more passionate about spiking traffic to the client’s website that drives revenue. This is why Morgan has revamped the firm’s measurements and reporting system.
While we could easily forgive one so driven for being grumpy at times, Morgan is famous for her cheerful disposition and ability to mentor. Staffers bloom into PR stars under her wing.
Style and grace follow Morgan to the South of France, where she goes every summer. Her fluency in French can be traced to her driven personality and the day she moved to Paris.
Morgan, her French husband Arthur, and their three daughters live in Williamsburg.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/morgan-painvin/
In this episode, you will learn about five of the biggest travel trends to pay attention to in 2018.
Nicole Mahoney started Break the Ice Media in 2009 in response to the evolving needs of small to medium-sized businesses, in particular, the rise of social media. Break the Ice Media is a boutique marketing and communications firm with a focus on travel, tourism, food, wine, and hospitality. As CEO, Nicole is responsible for working with clients to understand their marketing needs, develop strategic marketing plans and execute those plans. She is also responsible for building a team that can deliver.
Break the Ice Media specializes in collaborations that leverage resources of multiple partners for the creation of successful marketing programs within the travel and hospitality industry. Break the Ice Media views these programs as “coop-etition” where partners cooperate with their competition to create a program that is larger than one they can execute alone. Building these programs requires a leader who is level-headed, an effective listener, with an ability to move a group towards consensus in order to move forward.
Nicole received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Rochester Institute of Technology and a Master of Arts in Communications from The College at Brockport, SUNY.
Nicole loves the Finger Lakes region of New York State where she was born and raised. She is raising 4 daughters with her husband, John.
In this episode, you will learn about making the most of your resources and entering into collaborations to create a lasting impression on visitors from Hillarie Logan-Dechene.
Hillarie Logan-Dechene’s career has been about building the capacity of not-for-profit organizations. As the Wild Center’s Director of Philanthropy, she is responsible for all membership and development activities and works closely with leadership on strategy, governance, and external affairs. She recently led the center through a successful 23 million dollar fundraising campaign.
Hillarie is Chair of Governor Cuomo’s New York State Commission on National and Community Service, which administers the Americorp Program in New York State. She is a board member for the Museum Association of New York.
She is a past board member of the Adirondack Health Foundation. Hillarie is an adjunct professor at Skidmore College, guest lecturer at Syracuse University, SUNY Adirondack, and NYU. She has an MA in nonprofit leadership and community sustainability from Skidmore College and a BA from SUNY Albany. Prior to the Wild Center, she was VP for Institutional Advancement at Paul Smith’s College. Before that, she was Director of Institutional Advancement for the Adirondack Museum where she worked for more than 16 years.
Hillarie lives in Long Lake with her Husband and daughters.
In this episode, you will learn about how to use Pinterest to drive visitors to your content from Louise Cottrell.
Originally from the Bay Area, Louise Cottrell is a Pinterest marketing strategist working with travel content creators and business owners to generate traffic, grow their audience and increase sales. She does Pinterest account management as well as consulting and training for bloggers and social media teams through her Pinterest Marketing Mastery Program. Shes also a world traveler and dog enthusiast.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/louise-cottrell/
In this episode, you will learn about why differentiation is the name of the game and why you need to provide unique, niched experiences to attract visitors to your destination from Ed Healy.
Ed Healy is Vice President of Marketing for Visit Buffalo Niagara where he is responsible for VBN’s destination marketing strategy. His responsibilities include overseeing all sales and marketing communications, including the production of an annual visitors guide, websites, e-newsletters, social media, videos, podcasts and consumer advertising, as well as media and public relations.
During his tenure at VBN, Buffalo has been named one of the National Trusts Dozen Distinctive Destinations, the No. 1 Mid-Size Arts Destination in the United States by American Style Magazine, one of 44 Places to Go by The New York Times and, most recently, one of CNN’s 16 Intriguing Things to See and Do in the U.S. in 2016.
He was the executive producer of Buffalo: America’s Best Designed City and has produced and scripted numerous promotional videos that have been viewed more than one million times on YouTube. He serves on the board of Gardens Buffalo Niagara and the marketing committee of the Darwin Martin House.
He was named the David I. Levy Communicator of the Year in 2016 by the Advertising Club of Buffalo.
Healy began his career at the National Hockey League as an editorial assistant and eventually served as editor of Goal Magazine, the NHL’s official publication. He then joined the Gannett Newspapers in White Plains, New York where he served as a staff writer for the paper’s Sunday magazine and the Arts and Entertainment editor for its southern Connecticut edition. After moving to Buffalo in the early 90s, he joined the Marketing Department of Blue Cross & Blue Shield where he served in a variety of capacities before joining Visit Buffalo Niagara in 2001.
He is an avid photographer whose work has been exhibited at galleries ranging from Buffalo’s Studio Hart to Rochester’s Visual Studies Workshop to Soho Photo in Manhattan. He had his first solo show at CEPA Gallery in 2005. He is a proud graduate of the English Department at the University at Buffalo and the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
Healy grew up in West Seneca and now lives in North Buffalo with his wife, Karen. He has two adult children, Meg and Dan.
In this episode, you will learn how regions don't influence a travelers decision on where to go, and how to get them to come to your destination from Josiah Brown.
Josiah Brown is best known the New York Sherpa and has logged over 600,000 miles throughout New York State over the last 13 years. He is the brain and the passion behind New York’s Best Experiences. The Sherpa lives for recommending the best-kept secrets New York has to offer. He coined the tagline “because we’ve been there,” well, because he has. Josiah is President and CEO of New York Welcome’s You. He is a public speaker and trainer offering workshops to the tourism industry on topics including: winning first-time visitors to a destination, branding first, and the future of the group travel market.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/josiah-brown/
In this episode, you will learn about providing a great customer experience and building partnerships that help you do that from Tom Mulliez.
Tom is a father, husband, entrepreneur, and the visionary behind iTREKKERS. Tom founded the company in 2014 after realizing that bringing together vetted professional captains and guides on one platform would help guarantee everyone a better experience in the outdoors. iTREKKERS is a combination of Tom’s desires to share his love of nature and to simplify the process of booking guided outdoor activities. His mission is threefold: to get people to experience the outdoors through iTREKKERS; to help people get outdoors, period, by providing useful tips and referrals; and to educate people about the outdoors and ways to be mindful.
Tom, who earned a Bachelor in Commerce from Canada’s McGill University and an MBA in marketing at Virginia Commonwealth University, was raised between his hometown of Roubaix, France, and a small town near Atlanta. His love of nature is derived from early memories of camping in the Georgia mountains with his father. For Tom, the only passion greater than a love of the outdoors is his love of family. Tom and his wife often spend time outdoors camping, at the beach, or on their boat with their three young children.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/tom-mulliez/
In this episode, you will learn about how restaurants featuring local wine makes such a huge impact from Michael Warren Thomas.
Michael Warren Thomas owns Savor Life and products and hosts four radio shows focusing on gardening, wine, food, and travel. He started his first show, Naturally Green, in April 1994. He’s added several shows since then including For the Love of Food, a show all about food, wine, and restaurants; The Grapevine, a fine wine show; and Discover the Finger Lakes, about Finger Lakes destinations, events, and regional treasures. Michael oversees all aspects of the shows from production to advertising sales and promotion. The shows air on Saturday and Sunday mornings on WYSL1040 AM and 92.1 FM in Rochester, New York.
Michael and I partnered on a project in 2013 called New York Wine Spotting with the goal of getting more New York state wines into local restaurants. New York Wine Spotting is a bi-local movement encouraging Rochester restaurants to support the Finger Lakes wine region by adding more local wines to their menus. Restaurants are challenged to make Finger Lakes and New York State wines at least one-third of their wine list. The local wine loving public is encouraged to participate by becoming wine spotters. Checking restaurants wine lists for Finger Lakes wines, recognizing the restaurants that have them and asking restaurants that don’t to carry them. The local wine industry is encouraged to participate in much the same way consumers are, along with reaching out to the restaurants to introduce their wines through education and tastings.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/michael-warren-thomas/
In this episode, you will learn about why you will be able to better promote your destination when you join organizations that can help you out from Becky Wehle & Sara Piccini.
Becky Wehle is President & CEO of Genesee Country Village & Museum, the largest living history museum in New York State, located 25 miles southwest of Rochester. The Museum features 68 historic structures from the 19th century, moved from locations throughout Western New York, a gallery of sporting art, and a nature center and attracts more than 90,000 visitors each year. She manages 45 year-round staff and over 150 seasonal staff and a budget of over $3.5 million. Prior to joining GCV&M in July 2016, Becky worked in the University of Rochester’s advancement office for over 15 years, most recently as the Executive Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of Allendale Columbia School and the Museum Association of New York and was a Board member at GCV&M for 18 years before joining the staff.
Sara Piccini spent about 4 years working with Genesee Country Village & Museum prior to her current role, recently returning this past January as Tourism Sales Manager and Volunteer Coordinator. Since coming back onboard, Sara has driven numerous tourism initiatives for the museum. She has helped lead tourism and marketing efforts, attends Sales Missions regularly throughout the year, and is continuously working through a number of partnerships to create more awareness of our region, both domestically and internationally. Through these efforts the museum has already seen significant growth in Motorcoach Group business. In addition, Sara serves on several different committees including I Love New York’s China Marketing Committee, Livingston County Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Workgroup as well as both Visit Rochester’s Travel Trade and Meeting Committees. She believes that GCV&M plays a unique and vital role in the industry, and is thrilled to be a part of the momentum.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/becky-wehle-sara-picini/
In this episode, you will learn about how DMOs can band together to come up with great ideas to serve their partners from Greg Evans.
Greg Evans has been with Simpleview since 2008 and currently serves as their Vice President of Sales & Account Services. In his role, he provides strategic insight and recommendations for his teams when providing knowledge and best practices to current and prospective clients. He has nearly twenty years of corporate sales and account management experience, having worked for technology-forward corporations such as MCI Worldcom and Iron Mountain.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/greg-evans/
In this episode, you will learn about the important idea of Cathedral Thinking from Rick Antonson.
Rick Antonson is the former president & CEO of the international award-winning destination marketing organization, Tourism Vancouver. Among his volunteer leadership roles, Rick was president of Pacific Coast Public Television, chair of Destination Marketing Association International (based in Washington, DC), and deputy chair of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (based in Bangkok, Thailand).
Rick collaborated with leaders of other organizations to initiate the Vancouver Convention Centre Expansion Task Force. He was at the helm of Tourism Vancouver when the organization launched the bid to bring the 2010 Winter Olympic Games to Vancouver and Whistler.
Today Rick is a full-time author and scriptwriter. The New York Times noted his Route 66 Still Kicks; Driving America’s Main Street as “One of the best books of the bunch” in their Christmas travel book roundup. The Chicago Tribune called his To Timbuktu for a Haircut; A Journey Through West Africa a “travel classic.” When his most recent book, Full Moon Over Noah’s Ark; An Odyssey to Mount Ararat was released last year, the American Library Journal saw it as this tasty, spicy feast of a book”
Rick speaks frequently around the world about Cathedral Thinking and is a strong believer that tourism is a vital force for peace.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/rick-antonson/
In this episode, you will learn about having that real, authentic experience when you travel from Joe Baur.
Joe Baur is an American travel author, writer, filmmaker and podcaster whose work has appeared in a variety of domestic and international outlets, including Matador Network, BBC Travel, Viator, and CraftBeer.com to name a few. He’s also the author of various Falcon Guides titles and 2016’s Talking Tico: (Mis)adventures of a Gringo in and Around Costa Rica.
Following a year of living in Costa Rica, where he joined The Tico Times staff and contributed travel content, Joe returned to the United States and launched the Without A Path travel podcast, featuring conversations with fellow travelers on the experiences that have most shaped their lives. In August 2016 he relocated to Düsseldorf where he co-hosts the trivago Podcast and continues to pursue unique travel stories with a preference for getting off the tourist trek.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/joe-baur/
In this episode, you will learn about using creativity to solve difficult challenges from Lisa Burns.
Lisa Burns has been in the travel industry for over 35 years with a wide range of experience including group tour planning and product development, event and meeting planning, marketing and public relations, and both a domestic and international tour director. With a proven track record of diligence and reliability, Lisa is goal-oriented, a natural and articulate communicator focused on the nuance and value of detail management and always a willing, eager and motivated champion of the task of the moment. She is able to juggle multiple projects and thrives in a fast-paced environment. With a passion for the tourism industry, destination marketing and being the consummate hostess, Lisa is a passionate advocate for the product she represents and is always willing to put in the time and energy needed to reach a goal.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/lisa-burns/
In this episode, you will learn about making sure your destination has a successful tomorrow by building lasting partnerships today from Drew Alberti.
Drew Alberti has been the Program Manager for Lakes to Locks Passage since 2008. He is responsible for community outreach, product development, and brand awareness. Some of his accomplishments include authoring From Forest to Fields: A History of Agriculture in Champlain Valley, producing the Waterways of War guidebook series and serving as editor for the Lakes to Locks Passage and National Geographic co-branded geo-tourism website. Previous work experience includes Collections Manager at the New York State Museum in Albany and Park Ranger at the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site in Kinderhook. He holds an MA in Public History from the University at Albany.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/drew-alberti/
In this episode, you will learn strategies for collaborating with a large region like the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor from Jean Mackay.
Jean Mackay has served as a director of communications and outreach for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor since 2007. She manages all aspects of web based and print media and works collaboratively with organizations throughout the 500-mile long National Heritage Corridor to preserve Canal Heritage, promote tourism and foster vibrant communities along the waterway. Jean formerly worked as director of education for Autobahn International. She holds a MS in environmental education from Lesley University.
A full transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/jean-mackay/
In this episode, you will learn about using great design to drive people to your destination from Cindy Harris.
Cindy Harris is a graphic designer, painter, and lover of all things art. She began Harris Studios over 15 years ago with the purpose of helping established businesses create an authentic identity through design. Cindy believes in the importance of good design in this world and asserts that design should be a reflection of both who your business is, as well as where your business is headed. Cindy has created unique brand identities and meaningful design work in a host of different industries, including travel and tourism, food and beverage, retail and spas, and events and promotions.
In 2013, she was honored with a tourism legacy award for tourism branding and creativity. Cindy is both a designer and an artist, painting is her passion. She is a proud member artist at the Pat Rini Rohrer Gallery in Canadaigua, New York. She has been a juried artist in the internationally acclaimed Finger Lakes Plein Air Competition. When Cindy is not designing or painting, you can find her knitting, reading a book, or taking a stroll around her beautiful neighborhood in the Bristol Hills.
A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/cindy-harris/
In this episode, you will learn about what your destination can do to attract international travelers.
Nicole Mahoney started Break The Ice Media in 2009 in response to the evolving needs of small to medium-sized businesses, in particular, the rise of social media. Break The Ice Media is a boutique marketing and communications firm with a focus on travel, tourism, food, wine, and hospitality. As CEO, Nicole is responsible for working with clients to understand their marketing needs, develop strategic marketing plans and execute those plans. She is also responsible for building a team that can deliver.
Break The Ice Media specializes in collaborations that leverage resources of multiple partners for the creation of successful marketing programs within the travel and hospitality industry. Break The Ice Media views these programs as “coop-etition” where partners cooperate with their competition to create a program that is larger than one they can execute alone. Building these programs requires a leader who is level-headed, an effective listener, with an ability to move a group towards consensus in order to move forward.
Nicole received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Rochester Institute of Technology and a Master of Arts in Communications from The College at Brockport, SUNY.
Nicole loves the Finger Lakes region of New York State where she was born and raised. She is raising 4 daughters with her husband, John.
A transcript of this episode is available here: destinationontheleft.com/nicole-mahoney-solocast-episode-3
In this episode, you will learn about collaboration across county lines with a FAM tour from Rhonda Vaccaro, Vice President and Senior Consultant at Break The Ice Media.
Today Rhonda brings more than 20 years of sales and new business development to the table. She's a master at creating relationships and has a deep understanding of sales strategies, creating win-win opportunities for BTI's tourism clients. Rhonda and her staff are able to act as a much-needed sales arm for Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs), providing management, tracking and reporting, and of course-- closing those sales successfully.
With her easy-going personality and high attention to detail, Rhonda is able to put her management skills to work as BTI's HR person, and Office and Operations manager.
A transcript of this episode is available here: destinationontheleft.com/rhonda-vaccaro-fam-tour