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Destination On The Left

Destination On The Left is a travel and tourism industry podcast hosted by Travel Alliance Partnership. Each episode explores successful collaborations, creative marketing ideas and best practices for both consumer and travel trade marketing programs. Interviews are a mix of Destination Marketers, Industry Leaders, Consultants and businesses in the industry.
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Now displaying: Page 15
Oct 4, 2017

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/

Sep 27, 2017

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/

Sep 20, 2017

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/

Sep 13, 2017

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/

Sep 6, 2017

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/

Aug 30, 2017

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

Aug 23, 2017

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

Aug 16, 2017

In this episode, you will learn everything you need to know to get started working with a travel influencer from Colleen Knopeck, Associate Consultant at Break The Ice Media.

Imagine being a Kindergartener and winning a writing award from a national PBS Kids show. Or by fifth grade, regularly writing for the Buffalo News’ Kids Page — and having the chance to interview Buffalo Sabres hockey players. And yet, that’s exactly what Colleen Knopeck did. It’s like she came fully hatched as a writer. As the Communications Specialist for Perry’s, a New York State maker of ice cream, Colleen handled Perry’s sponsorships, public relations, and media relations. She wrote everything from customer and consumer e-newsletters, the blog, social media, annual reports, to writing and directing an in-house video. If you were a blogger or members of media that were lucky enough to have ice cream dropped off to you — you could thank Colleen for coordinating it.

Her gift for writing articles and short stories translated into Colleen’s ability at Break the Ice to find the essential story in each client’s industry, and develop targeted messages. Because clients are often so close to their technical side or information, they can have a hard time sorting it all out. Clients may feel it’s hard to explain or put into words. With great listening skills, Colleen helps each client save time by doing that required distilling. She’s able to get that information to the consumer, or the media, that works best for a particular audience. Her innate ease with and understanding of social media allows her to see opportunities for effective advertising.

A transcript of this episode is available here: destinationontheleft.com/colleen-knopeck-travel-influencers

Aug 9, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about the best social media tips from Jessica Reilly, Associate Consultant, at Break The Ice Media.

Jessica is a graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Political Science. She started at Break The Ice Media in 2016 and brings with her a duality of knowledge, combining her classical PR training with marketing skills. She has a passion for social media and analytics. Her personal strengths include a love of research, and a strong sense of curiosity. She brings a fresh perspective and attention to detail to all the client projects she works on.

A transcript of this episode is available here: destinationontheleft.com/jessica-reilly-social-media-marketing-tips

Jul 26, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about how to create a fiercely loyal team from Larry Broughton.

Larry Broughton is an award-winning hotelier and entrepreneur, CEO, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and former US Army Green Beret. As Founder and CEO of Orange County, California-based broughtonHOTELS, CBS News has called Larry the nation’s foremost expert on leadership and entrepreneurship, while the host of Travel Channels hit show, Hotel Impossible, says he is, among the top hospitality experts in the country. His upbeat, creative approach to business and life has been featured in newspaper and magazine articles across the country and he has been a recurring guest expert on news and TV programs on every major television and cable network, including MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, CBS, and Travel Channel. Larry’s awards include: Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year®; the National Veteran-Owned Business Associations Vetrepreneur® of the Year; Coastline Foundations Visionary of the Year; and Passkeys Foundations National Business Leader of Integrity.

A transcript of this episode is available here: destinationontheleft.com/larry-broughton

Jul 19, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about family travel and the options families have beyond Disney World, from Rainer Jenss.

Rainer Jenss brings a wealth of experience and expertise as President and Founder of the Family Travel Association. Before putting his professional expertise and personal passion to the ultimate test by traveling around the world for a year with his wife and two young children in 2009, Rainer was a Vice President and thirteen-year veteran of the National Geographic Society. As Publisher of National Geographic Kids from 2002-2008, Rainer helped transform the publication into the most widely read consumer magazine for children throughout the world. Prior to National Geographic, Rainer worked for CNN International and Business Traveler International.

A transcript of this episode is available here: destinationontheleft.com/rainer-jenss

Jul 12, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about America’s first wine trail from Cassandra Harrington, Executive Director of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail.

Cassandra has been director of the CLWT since December of 2014. In her time with the Trail, she and her coworker Kathy have completely rebranded the organization, have increased event attendance and have generated a solid social media presence. Cassandra has years of experience working in the tourism industry, having held positions at various wineries as well as the local Chamber of Commerce. When not working, she like likes to remain active by working out and traveling whenever and wherever possible.

A transcript of this episode is available here: destinationontheleft.com/cassandra-harrington

Jun 14, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about how social media helped Casa Larga Vineyards have a great 2016 from Camille Zess, consultant at Break the Ice Media.

By the time Camille left college she was already an accomplished writer. As a writing minor, she took many classes in different types of writing including memoir, which involves real storytelling. And storytelling is key in marketing communications, advertising and public relations. She also trained intensively in grammar and in teaching the subject of writing where she learned to strengthen others' writing while preserving their style. An early adopter in social media, she has long experienced using Facebook, Facebook advertising, Linkedin, and Twitter. As someone particular adept at working in the digital media space, Camille focused on social media when she first joined Break the Ice. She's able to sense changes in social media as they begin and to view its future. This ability gives our clients the help and advantage they need in social media marketing. Now Camille uses her creative magic with words to write content for social media, websites, blogs, and advertising that Break the Ice provides for our clients. That isn't all. She's also able to act as a journalist or write a case study or capture the voice of brands we work with, and she produces high quality, creative online and email marketing campaigns for our clients.

A transcript of this episode is available here: destinationontheleft.com/camille-zess-social-media-case-studies

Jun 7, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about generating return visits from customers who stop at a stopover destination from Rose Hapanowich.

Rose Hapanowich is director of travel and tourism for Destiny USA.

Rose has an extensive background in retail as a result of working in department store, specialty shop and outlet shopping venues prior to joining the management team of Carousel Center, initially as Assistant Marketing Director and later as Director of Marketing, where she successfully assisted in the transformation of the property into Destiny USA. She initiated tourism outreach efforts to expand Destiny USA’s presence internationally, resulting in her promotion to Director of Travel and Tourism for Destiny USA. Rose continually attends travel trade and consumer-focused shows all over the world resulting in high visibility for Destiny USA as a tourist destination. The property has received a great response from both the group and FIT markets as a result of her efforts.

She holds a degree in Economics from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Her professional affiliations include: member of the I Love New York International Marketing Committee, member of the Shop America Alliance Advisory Board, a member of SKAL, and a member of WITTI (Women in Tourism and Travel International). Well-versed in both tourism and retail, she has spoken at a number of shopping tourism conferences, shows, and functions.

A transcript of this episode is available here: destinationontheleft.com/rose-hapanowich

May 31, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about managing a destination through all four season from Drew Broderick.

No day is ever the same for Drew Broderick, director of sales and marketing for Bristol Mountain and Roseland Adventure Attractions, which is comprised of Bristol Mountain Ski Area and Fall Sky Rides, Bristol Mountain Aerial Adventures and Zip Line Canopy Tours, Roseland Waterpark, and Roseland Wake Park.

Her enthusiasm for tourism and attractions began with a summer college internship at Walt Disney World. She spent ten years in upper management in the hotel industry and later as the owner of a successful meeting planning and consulting firm, On-Site Meeting Solutions in Dallas, Texas, before relocating to Upstate New York. One of Drew’s most memorable events was supervising the VIP hospitality venues for Anheuser-Busch during the 1994 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. She also traveled the globe as a consultant for an international training company. Some of those places included: Dubai, Singapore, Brazil, Australia, Chile, Bermuda, Spain, and Poland to name a few. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management with a Minor in Marketing from Northeastern State University in Oklahoma.

Drew has been with Bristol Mountain and Roseland Adventure Attractions for eight years and serves as the media liaison as well as handles all advertising, marketing initiatives, photography and video assets, social media for multiple attractions, and oversees the group sales efforts. Currently, Bristol Mountain has six former Freestyle athletes competing on the US Ski Team and with the next winter Olympics taking place in February of 2018, Bristol Mountain hopes to see one or more of these athletes competing for Team USA.

One of Drew’s passions is getting people involved in outdoor activities such as skiing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, zip lining, and climbing the courses in the aerial adventure park. Drew says, “There is so much to do right here that we’ve adopted the tagline of Adventure Capital of the Finger Lakes.”

A transcript of this episode is available here: destinationontheleft.com/drew-broderick

May 24, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about programs that bring together counties, hotels, amusement parks, and more from Sarah Blackwell.

Sarah Blackwell joined BTI in 2013, bringing a fresh perspective, creativity and attention to detail to every client project she works on. A highly talented writer, she becomes the “voice” of many diverse clients for their stories and blogs — no easy trick. It takes tremendous imagination to write about winter attractions when it’s eighty degrees and summer outside. Or to write as the “voice” of a season. There’s also the constant need to come up with new angles and pitch stories for clients, and Sarah hits the mark each time. She also finds, researches and implements new media. All this to help get our clients great exposure and effectively connect with their target audiences.

There’s nothing like working with travel and tourism giants Southwest Airlines and Disney to put real-world, “icing on the cake” experience on top of an education in journalism and public relations. Sarah had — and continues to have — a passion for PR, writing and storytelling. And because she worked with the best in the business in media relations, she knows just how to cultivate relationships with journalists full of mutual respect and benefit.

Sarah sums it up: “Pitching story ideas is about knowing who you’re talking to — knowing your client’s audience and finding compelling subjects.”

A transcript of this episode is available here: destinationontheleft.com/sarah-blackwell-program-case-studies

May 17, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about how regions can collaborate together and pool resources to do things together that they could not do alone from Laury Poland.

As president of Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association (FLWCTMA), Laury Poland is responsible for creation, coordination, administration and implementation of all FLWCTMA programs and initiatives to promote economic development in the Finger Lakes region of the state of New York. A native of Rockville, Maryland, Laury began her employment at the Corning, New York-based tourism marketing association on September 30, 2013.

Before coming to the Finger Lakes, Laury was responsible for all advertising and promotions initiatives of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s (PLCB) Bureau of Marketing Communications, Branding & Design. During this time, Laury developed a keen interest in the wine and spirits industry, completing significant coursework in wine education. In her professional role with the PLCB, Laury constructed full-scale traditional and new media campaigns, including website development, digital advertising, and a social media presence through Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, as part of a $6M annual advertising budget. Laury also determined new areas of media to include in marketing and public relations efforts based on trends and technology. Laury wrote, produced and edited video projects for the PLCB’s 608 retail stores, Fine Wine & Good Spirits, and oversaw all print, web, radio, television and digital material, ensuring consistency of corporate brand image and messaging.

Prior to her time at the PLCB, Laury represented New York-based Church Pension Group Services Corporation (CPG) as vice president of Church Publishing Incorporated, from 2006-2011. Laury joined Continuum International Publishing Group in 2004, as director of Morehouse Church Supplies – a position she held until late 2005 when CPG acquired the book publishing, curriculum and church resource divisions of Morehouse Publishing. Laury was also a business owner, managing her own public relations, marketing and advertising firm, In-House Agency, from 1998-2004, serving as the communications specialist for numerous successful media initiatives. Laury holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism/Public Relations from the Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism at West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • Laury’s personal story of visiting the Finger Lakes as a tourist and how it challenged her conceptions of the region and allowed her to bring an outside perspective once she joined the Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association
  • How to tell the story of the entire region and the success Laury has seen from doing this for the Finger Lakes Region
  • Giving your visitors an organic experience and letting them live like locals
  • Offering education opportunities for visitors in a way that doesn’t feel like the classroom
  • Why travelers are taking shorter vacations but packing more in
  • The study that shows that 81% of visitors who went to the Finger Lakes came back 5 times
  • Giving visitors the opportunity to find their own escape (and why you can’t find it for them)
  • Why the sum of the FLWCTMA’s parts is much greater than what the counties would have alone (ex: together they have the largest Facebook following for any wine region in America with 72,000 followers)
  • The FLWCTMA’s unique structure, why they act like a marketing agency and how funding flows throughout the whole system
  • The FLWCTMA’s integrated marketing plan, beginning with its website that sees a half a million unique visitors a year
  • Why word of mouth is the #1 referral and how it has evolved much in recent years with social media
  • The challenges Laury’s faced by collaborating with so many different organizations and how she overcame them by giving people the resources to do what they do best

Ways to contact Laury:

May 10, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about how to get 50% of all your customers from referrals.

Driven by a conviction that the business of selling creates freedom, David brings an exceptional 40-year career as a salesperson, speaker, coach, and author of “Are you for real?!” (Aviva, 2015), an inspiring sales-career survival guide. He empowers all types of individuals to new heights thanks to his time-tested methodologies, an ability to motivate others beyond their expectations, and his genuine joy in seeing others succeed.

David’s entrepreneurial spirit was ignited early in life from parents who owned an Oriental rug company. At 15, he launched a business brokering the sale of used appliances, earning the princely sum of $200 per month in the 1970s. Upon graduating high school, he secured an entry-level job at a bank and quickly rose to managerial roles, becoming vice president six years later. David’s warmth, sincerity, and passion for person-to-person business would become an asset throughout his sales career, spanning many industries.

The roots of his coaching career go back 30 years when he overcame his wall in sales through an intensive personal growth process that led to exponential increases in his revenues. Today, David shares his secrets with others, using a coaching methodology based on the value of work and self. He imparts in his clients the belief that a willingness to change and become a better person will drive sales and business success.

According to David, success comes down to awareness, self-acceptance, self-development, communication, change, belief in yourself and the service you provide, and, most importantly, being honest and caring.

He resides in his hometown of Brooklyn, New York with his wife.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • Understanding the tourist’s desires by thinking like them
  • Success in business through building and maintaining relationships with the people that will bring customers in your door (tour operators, travel agents, hotel concierges, taxi drivers, etc.)
  • How to get 50% of all customers from referrals (a number David saw during his time as Director of Tourism Marketing at B&H Photo Video) by delivering QSSP: Quality of Service, Selection, and Price
  • Making sure that you have team members that speak tourist’s language to make tourists feel comfortable
  • Training salespeople on products they sell so they help customers with their specific needs
  • Teaming up with non-competing businesses to provide customers with fantastic deals
  • How to get a tour operator in a foreign country to put your voucher in their itinerary packets
  • Building out a strategy for strategic follow up
  • Solving the time management problem
  • David’s book: “Are You For Real?!: Going From Excuses to Authentic Selling and Living Your Dreams” about authenticity as the key to personal growth
  • Focusing on the experience, not the sale
  • The importance of proactivity in the travel and tourism industry
  • The danger of making promises you can’t deliver on
  • Collaborating by referring customers to who can help them (if that person is not you) and how that will come back tenfold

Ways to contact David:

Resources:

May 3, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about how the Museum Association of New York (MANY) is consistently growing their tourism efforts from Erika Sanger.

Erika Sanger joined MANY (Museum Assoc. Of New York) after serving twelve years as the Director of Education at the Albany Institute of History and Art. There she provided vision for the development of programs for adults, children, schools, and families, focusing on object-based learning and digital initiatives. She had led the institute’s digital renaissance, most notably with the launch of a new website and creation of interpretative strategies around hand-held digital devices and interactive media.

Erika has gained her extensive arts experience through positions held at renowned institutions including the International Center of Photography, the Jewish Museum, the New York Historical Society, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the Asheville Art Museum in Asheville, NC. She served as Director of Development at Penland School of Crafts in Western North Carolina, where she was actively engaged in the region’s artists community, and participated in the design and implementation of campaigns for capital and endowment funds. She has also developed program assessments with Harvard University’s Project Zero, the NC Center for the Advancement of Teaching, and with the education department at the University at Albany. Programs produced under her direction have received funding from major organizations, including the Institute for Museum and Library Services and the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities.

Erika holds a B.F.A. from Clark University, in Worcester, MA, and an M.A. from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

The Annual Conference of the Museum Association of New York will be in April 2018 in Rochester, NY, details to follow.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • How the Museum Association of New York encourages its members to stand out and appeal to visitors around the globe
  • Collaborating with the strong cultural institutions throughout the state to attract visitors not just into New York City, but to all of New York state
  • How legislators and local governments make a HUGE difference in our cultural institutions, and how to get them on your side
  • Current challenges facing museums and cultural institutions today and how they are affecting visitors
  • How the Museum Association is changing up their programs this fall to push tourism to new heights
  • The interplay between different cultural institutions on a local level and what that means for a community
  • Museum’s crucial role in New York tourism and economic development
  • Leveraging partnerships to attract international travelers
  • The importance of attracting visitors to other areas of the state and the usefulness of the I LOVE NEW YORK app

Ways to contact Erika:

Apr 26, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about why collaboration at the regional level makes a huge difference from Valerie Knoblauch.

Valerie is President and CEO of the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection where she has worked since 1984 when she was hired as the organization’s first employee. In her role, she is responsible for guiding a team of tourism marketing professionals who are charged with promoting all of the fun experiences offered in Ontario County and the Finger Lakes region. Valerie thrives on the challenge of figuring out people’s motivations to travel and translating that into marketing programs that inspire travel to the destination where she lives, works and plays. Prior to beginning with the Finger Lakes Visitors connection, Valerie worked as a Tour Guide and Public Relations Manager for Gold Seal Vineyards in Hammondsport, NY after a career as a High School English teacher at Red Jacket Central High School.

Valerie loves to travel – imagine that. She also enjoys bicycling, wine, gardening, photography, and cooking. She loves the theatre, especially live theatre and musicals, and likes history – especially as it is interpreted to put into place “where we are today …”

Valerie is blessed with a very large family, many of whom have settled in the area. She has been married to her husband Kurt since 1982. They have three sons and three wonderfully diverse daughters-in-law and three grandsons. Valerie has friends across the world, because of her career in travel and tourism and because of her multicultural family. She loves learning every day from all of the characters in her life.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • The importance of analyzing your strengths and weaknesses, and surrounding yourself with people who complement your skill set.
  • How the regional Hike & Bike collateral piece and her ‘Slice, Dice & Spice’ event were ahead of the curve in showcasing local assets.
  • Using creative ways to meet the challenges of stretched resources.
  • The importance of communicating ROI to stakeholders and knowing which metrics to report.
  • The importance of agreeing, up front, what the desired outcome is when collaborating
  • The indirect impact of a thriving tourism industry.
  • Using research and a strategic marketing plan to identify opportunities for extended stay and return visitation.
  • Reaching visitors while they are in the destination to encourage extended stay and return visitation.
  • How Ontario County engaged their Board of Supervisors with National Tourism Week.

Ways to contact Valerie:

Apr 19, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about how leveraging your social media in the tourism industry can help you to bring in more visitors from Brittany Gibson.

In her capacity at the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, Brittany is responsible for promoting Schuyler County’s tourism industry by creating and implementing tourism marketing and public relations programs. She is also responsible for developing and implementing programs to increase the visibility and credibility of the Chamber. Brittany serves on the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council Board of Directors, the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance Marketing Committee, the Schuyler County Planning Board, and the Community Development Corporation Board of Directors. She volunteers her time serving as the coordinator of her family’s charity organization, Team Charlie.

Brittany’s areas of expertise include marketing, advertising, public relations, social media, and event planning. She is passionate about the Finger Lakes and is eager to see Schuyler County continue to grow – both in business and tourism.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • What sets the tourism industry in New York state apart from everywhere else
  • How Brittany seeks out creativity through collaborating with surrounding counties
  • Using social media & consumer email marketing to express creativity
  • Why you need to assess which social media channels will work best for you & your business
  • How Watkins Glen Chamber’s Instagram following recently exploded from around 400 to over a thousand in a matter of 1.5 months
  • Why getting engagement from the locals is important when it comes to tourism
  • Why Brittany loves helping small businesses leverage their partnership with the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Why you need to go out of your way to build relationships with people
  • TALES – Tourism & Leadership Exchange Summit: the first ever tourism conference being hosted in Schuyler County
  • Why it’s important that frontline staff & the community view tourism as a leadership role
  • Three big events/things that the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce are excited about this year
  • Why Brittany loves to host travel bloggers/writers in Schuyler County (which she did with almost 50 bloggers/writers between May 1st – September 15th last year!)

Ways to contact Brittany:

Apr 12, 2017

In this episode, you will learn from Ramjee Chandran about the evolution of tourism publishing, and why creative content is as important now as it was in 1989.

Ramjee Chandran is an entrepreneur, writer, publisher, and musician with 27 years of publishing experience. As a journalist, his articles have been published in India and other countries. Most of Chandran’s publishing career involved magazines related to the tourism industry including city guides and business travel magazines – both print and online.

The first city guide he launched was on March 31, 1989, for his hometown of Bangalore, India. In the years following, he launched the “Explocity Guide” series of city guide magazines in several destinations including New York City, Dubai and several major metros in India. Other magazines included Executive Traveller and other city-based lifestyle magazines.

Ramjee Chandran received investment from a US-based venture capital fund in 2000, and a few years later, a meeting with publishing mogul Rupert Murdoch led to Murdoch picking up a 25% stake in Chandran’s publishing enterprise, Explocity.

Chandran was awarded the prestigious “Chanakya Award” for Innovative Leadership by the Indian Council for Public Relations and was named one of 10 best entrepreneurs from the state of Karnataka, India by online giant, Rediff.com (REDF – NASDAQ).

Recently, Ramjee launched a website for New York State: www.DestinationsOfNewYorkState.com and runs this in an exclusive strategic alliance with the experienced tourism company, Destinations Of NYS, based in Saugerties, NY.

Chandran is also a jazz guitarist and has performed on stage with internationally acclaimed jazz musicians and at international jazz festivals. He believes that the one thing he does with more mediocrity than playing jazz is his other distraction, playing chess.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • The story behind Ramjee’s first destination magazine, and his shoestring budget
  • How Ramjee learned to scale his enterprise up from 1 magazine out to 3 countries
  • How Ramjee sought creativity from his content
  • Why you need to listen to what people want and find a creative way to present it to them
  • Ramjee’s biggest challenge, scaling, and how he made it work
  • How Ramjee evolved his business from a single print publication to what it is today
  • Why digital scaling is much easier than print scaling
  • The story behind Ramjee’s new website DestinationsOfNewYorkState.com
  • Why collaborations between publishers is rare- but how Ramjee makes it work
  • What makes tourism communication so exciting
  • How Dubai has developed a phenomenal tourism enterprise in such a short time

Ways to contact Ramjee:

Apr 5, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about the importance of creating opportunities for both guests and other small businesses from Debbie Meritsky.

Debbie is a graduate of New England Culinary Institute and has worked in the food industry for over 30 years with an emphasis on local, organic, and seasonal ingredients. Debbie is co-owner of the Black Sheep Inn & Spa located in Hammondsport in the Finger Lakes region of NYS. As the Inn chef, she is an avid proponent of sourcing local organic foods and the clean food movement in the Finger Lakes region. Debbie prepares delicious farm-to-table breakfasts for her guests, sourced from within 50 miles of the Black Sheep Inn & Spa. She also enjoys sharing with her guests those techniques on how to create this lifestyle at home, wherever they may live. Debbie’s other passion is art, and, specifically, creating art from recycled and repurposed “ingredients”. Debbie and her husband Marc created the Arts in Bloom Art Trail to showcase the fantastic art being created in their area. In its 5th year Arts in Bloom is a family-friendly, free community event that features live demonstrations at artist studios and galleries on the trail.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • Debbie’s background
  • Why Debbie loves doing farm-to-table & how that helped form her business
  • How Debbie likes to give her guests experiential opportunities when staying with them at the Inn
  • Debbie’s philosophy of, if you’re not having fun doing something then your guests aren’t going to have fun
  • Why you should source what is available now to bring the best to your guests
  • Why it’s not about money – it’s about opportunity
  • Why forming partnerships with other small businesses is one of the biggest but most important challenges you will face
  • The story behind the family-friendly, free community event, Arts in Bloom & the F.L.A.V.O.R. Studio at the Inn
  • The many opportunities for partnerships with the over 100 distinct breweries, cider houses & distilleries in the Finger Lakes region
  • How knowing how to cross-sell can help you create more opportunities
  • The importance of finding local small businesses that understand and want to excel at forming partnerships
  • Why, as tourism partners, you need to build your story to tell the outside world

Ways to contact Debbie:

Mar 29, 2017

In this episode, you will learn about non-profits in the travel and tourism industry from Jacob Taddy.

Jacob Taddy is the founder and Executive Director of Onwards, a non-profit organization connecting people through unique travel experiences that empower local entrepreneurs. After working on service projects in the Navajo Nation, Skid Row in Los Angeles, and construction sites throughout the US and the Caribbean, Onwards was born when founder Jacob Taddy recognized a need to shift how he, and others, were talking about and providing domestic and international aid. Onwards seeks to shift from short-term solutions and volunteer projects to long-term, sustainable economic development. By providing microloans and business training to local tourism based business owners, Onwards empowers local entrepreneurs to tap into the largest industry on the planet, tourism, to create jobs and direct tourism dollars into communities that need it.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • What the next generation of travelers is looking for
  • How the idea for Jacob’s non-profit organization, Onwards, was born and how it finds ways to direct travelers to communities that need it
  • How Onwards creates authentic experiences
  • Onwards level of integrity behind what they do
  • How Onwards top priority is providing the biggest benefit to the community
  • Jacob’s biggest challenge: convincing people to go places that they’ve never heard of, and how he overcomes it
  • Why Onwards puts the faces of entrepreneurs at the forefront of their organization
  • How Onwards is showcasing models of community development in Haiti & the DR
  • The benefit of non-profits not treating each other as competitors
  • The importance of focuses on strengths in a partnership

Ways to contact Jacob:

Mar 15, 2017

You have heard our guests talk about co-opetition- that really cool thing that happens when competitors come together to collaborate on a project or program in order to create something bigger than they could have done on their own. This podcast recaps ten strategies for successful collaborative partnerships that we have learned from our guests.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • Strategy #1: Communication — why clear communication requires talking on the phone or in person — not just through email (David Holder)
  • Strategy #2: Bring the right resources to bear — why you must know when to bring in outside help when you don’t have the necessary expertise needed for a project (Ralph Thompson)
  • Strategy #3: Set realistic expectations — why it’s so crucial to make sure that all project collaborators understand what realistic project success looks like — especially in the short term (Meg Vanek)
  • Strategy #4: Form relationships that lead to partnerships — why networking is the way that successful collaborative partnerships get off the ground (Kelly Rapone)
  • Strategy #5: Have a shared vision — why it’s so important that all collaborators envision the same outcome for a project (Jennifer Ackerson)
  • Strategy #6: Find commonality — why successful partnerships have to come from a place where partners share something in common (Leah Mueller)
  • Strategy #7: Set deadlines — why you need doers (not talkers) in your partnerships (Leah Mueller)
  • Strategy #8: Ask for solutions — why you shouldn’t present solutions to your partners or stakeholders and should instead bring them into the discussion (Dan Fenton)
  • Strategy #9: Have a can-do attitude — why you need to approach every project with the attitude that it will succeed (Kelly Blazosky)
  • Strategy #10: Be Genuine — why you should underpromise and overdeliver in your partnerships (Kristy Kennedy)
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