Destination On The Left

Cheryl Kilday, President & CEO, Destination North Myrtle Beach, CDME, has contributed to the communities where she has lived through destination development, tourism promotion, and economic development initiatives. And she has an extensive background working with not-for-profit membership-based organizations that affect a positive impact on the local economy and quality of life. Cheryl joined the North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau in October 2018. She previously led Visit Spokane from 2010 until October 2018 after living in the Washington DC region in Northern Virginia for several years. She launched Visit Loudoun in 1996 and was the President and CEO for nearly 15 years. She began her tourism adventure in the Willamette Valley in Oregon after graduating from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Cheryl also earned the prestigious Certified Destination Marketing Executive (CDME) designation through Destinations International in 2011 and has achieved Destination Management Accreditation in both Spokane, Washington, Loudoun, Virginia, and North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Cheryl is a Trustee for Destinations International Travel Foundation and serves on committees for Destinations International Foundation and Association boards. Her career honors include recognition for leadership in the meetings industry by Smart Meetings Magazine, and awards for marketing and public relations programs from US Travel, HSMAI, and an Emmy®. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Cheryl Kilday, who shares why she believes that working for a tourism office that is part of a Chamber of Commerce gives her office a considerable advantage. We discuss how Cheryl sees the future of tourism evolving and why the curation of destinations' stories is likely to focus more on creating a connection between places and their visitors by positioning them where potential guests are searching. Cheryl also dives into what she loves about working in the travel industry and why a huge part of the joy she finds in her job lies in the connections she builds with the local community. What You Will Learn: Different funding models that tourist organizations can leverage and why working with the Chamber gives Cheryl a better budget How Cheryl helps the North Myrtle Beach residents understand and appreciate that their restaurants, retail, and entertainment options improve because they're outnumbered by visitors on any given day Cheryl's advice for having a successful relationship with your team Creative projects that Cheryl and her team have been working on to make their destination stand out Why accountability and transparency feature highly in how North Myrtle Beach put together their messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic and how they differentiated the messaging for residents, workers, and visitors, to the destination Why Cheryl and her team did a series of commercials for social media, local television, and radio to personify how their businesses missed their customers and what they were doing to make it safer for visitors to return Some examples of how coopetition has worked for Cheryl and her team The co-op program and how it world to differentiate their positioning for North Myrtle Beach compared to the larger Myrtle Beach area as a destination How Cheryl has seen destination marketing organizations role evolve over her career Creative Ways to Connect with Your Community Over the last couple of years, times have been challenging in the travel and tourism industry, and DMOs have had to get clever and creative. COVID-19 has required them to try new approaches and behave differently while we figured out how our world would evolve. This week, my guest on the Destination on the Left podcast is Cheryl Kilday, President & CEO of Destination North Myrtle Beach. She joins me to share what she and her team did to let their residents and visitors know how they were going to keep them safe. We discuss the creative ways that North Mrytle Beach developed media campaigns that kept them accountable and transparent with their community to demonstrate that they were being sensitive to the needs of both the workforce and the visitors. We dive into the fun ways that Cheryl and her team brought North Myrtle Beach to their visitors when the visitors couldn't come to them — including putting together a Spotify radio channel of beach music, sending videos of dance lessons to learn how to do the South Carolina shag dance, and setting up cooking classes. They also developed a road trip toolkit so that people would have a fun way to connect with them on their way to North Myrtle Beach when they were ready to return. Collaboration with Regional DMOs We dig into Cheryl's experience of North Myrtle Beach's collaboration with the regional DMO and how the spirit of partnership helped them move forward. I often talk about 'coopetition,' the idea of competitors coming together to cooperate and create bigger wins together than they can achieve independently. Cheryl shares some examples of how her small community works to differentiate itself from its larger neighbor to the south — including setting up a co-op. The co-op is a voluntary organization that contributes money to help guide the destination marketing that differentiates its brand positioning. They also have a collaborative program called Momentum that helps them raise funds for specific projects or initiatives that go beyond what the co-op dues would support. Cheryl and I also dive into the details of her destination master plan, when the destination plans to launch it and how they have been able to fund the project through creative coopetition. She describes the ultimate goals of North Myrtle Beach to brand itself as somewhere that partners with residents to go through an inclusive community-based planning process on how they want their destination to be in the long term. I loved Cheryl's take on how opportunities for cooperation advance the common good by allowing everyone to buy into a common goal and work together to achieve spectacular results. Resources: Website: www.ExploreNorthMyrtleBeach.com Learn about South Carolina Shag Dance here: https://discoversouthcarolina.com/articles/celebrating-the-shag-south-carolinas-state-dance LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylykilday/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cyktourism

With a talent for creating special events that blossomed while working for my dad's car stereo shop, I got my start in marketing at Frontier Field in Rochester and began serving as the executive director of the internationally known Lilac Festival. Later on, I headed the Canandaigua, New York Business Improvement District while also performing projects for the tourism promotion agency Visit Rochester. In 2009, I founded Break the Ice Media, with more than 20 years of experience in tourism marketing. I now host "Destination on the Left," a highly successful tourism marketing podcast. As a business owner, I know what it takes to be successful. I founded BTI to help businesses tell their brand story through public relations, digital and traditional channels. I have the ability to uncover unique marketing opportunities and develop marketing and public relations initiatives that help clients build long-term success. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I discuss why I'm starting 2022 with a sense of reflection, renewal, and anticipation for what is ahead. Since 2020 I have been on a journey to understand the world in a broader sense, which has led to a search for greater meaning and a focus on intentionality in my actions. This week I want to share what I have done to understand differences, identify opportunities for personal growth, and take action to help make my world more equitable, diverse, and inclusive. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How the Break the Ice Media team explored the topic of what diversity, equity, and inclusion meant to them and defined the actions they could take to make a difference How Nicole became the Chair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the New York State Tourism Industry Association How the 2021 Travel Unity Summit helped the industry focus on the importance of increasing diversity The difference between equity and equality and why it is important How to take your own incremental action by taking the Travel Unity Individual Pledge, which is for all who believe the world of travel should be welcoming to people of all backgrounds and abilities What the Break the Ice Media team identified when they dug into their core value of equity and how they sought more diverse perspectives How rounding out the team led to an invitation for Break the Ice Media to pitch to Cayuga County and Auburn, New York, for their Harriet Tubman Equal Rights Heritage Campaign to commemorate the 200th Birthday of Harriet Tubman in 2022 Reflecting on Our Journey in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Over the last two years, my small company has been grappling with how we fit within the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion conversation, and we have really committed to educating ourselves around the topic. I was very candid in Solocast 16 about the team's journey to live out the 'equitable' core value within our company, and we have recently reflected on our most recent client work to see how it is significantly impacting our collective worldview. When examining how we aligned with our values, we found that we needed to work on developing more diverse partner, freelance, and subcontractor relationships to ensure we represent a wide range of viewpoints. Being Intentional Big things will happen when you set your intentions and start to take action. You may feel as if you are taking baby steps at first, but time will pass, and you will realize that all those incremental moves have led to a monumental shift and change in your organization. I'm grateful that we took this journey and for the lessons we learned along the way, particularly the importance of humility and vulnerability when addressing biases and issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Resources: Websites: https://travelunity.org/ https://www.nystia.org/ https://www.tourcayuga.com/ https://plimoth.org/ https://breaktheicemedia.com/podcasts/solocast-16/ Additional Resources: Email: nicole@breaktheicemedia.com Website: www.destinationontheleft.com/ Website: https://breaktheicemedia.com/ Twitter: @Break_TheIce Facebook: @BreakTheIceMedia

For this second episode in a special two-part series of Destination on the Left episodes, my team visited the Vermont Tourism Summit (without me!) to interview attendees about their experiences working in the travel and tourism industry, especially during the outbreak of and our gradual emergence from the global pandemic. The Vermont Tourism Summit draws one of the largest gatherings of tourism professionals in the state including owners, managers, and employees of the many businesses connected to this important segment of the economy. This year's Summit was the 37th annual event and was held from November 17-18 at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel in Killington, VT. I'm delighted to share the insights and experiences that the Vermont Tourism Summit attendees my team spoke with were willing to offer during their interviews. In this second episode of a special two-part Destination On The Left series, you'll hear from these eight extraordinary travel and tourism leaders and experts: Julie Basol, Coordinator of Marketing & Development at Vergennes Partnership Kim Jackson, PR & Communications Strategist at Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports Lisa Chase, Natural Resources Specialist at University of Vermont Extension Parker Riehle, President of Get On Snow Peter MacLaren, Co-Owner of West Hill House Bed & Breakfast Rick Sokoloff and Marina Meerburg, Owners of 4 Points VT Sarah Howe, Director of Business Development at Lake Morey Resort Sarah Morris, Fifth-Generation Host at Basin Harbor Discussing Challenges and Opportunities at the Vermont Tourism Summit The Vermont Tourism Summit is an annual event that brings together area travel and tourism professionals, businesses, and destinations. This year's event offered a one-of-a-kind opportunity to discuss the many challenges and opportunities Vermont area destinations are navigating in this uniquely challenging time. My team traveled to the Vermont Tourism Summit for this year's gathering and were able to speak with eight incredible experts and business leader attendees, and here are the inspiring insights they had to share. Julie Basol from Vergennes Partnership Julie shares how Vergennes is the ideal destination for anyone who loves the outdoors, and she shares how her goal for 2022 is keeping the small city, its residents, and visitors safe as life begins to move back toward normal. She highlights some of the charming, family-friendly area destinations and attractions that make Vergennes an ideal place for people to visit or relocate to, and she explains why staying positive in this transition period is critical. Kim Jackson from Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports Kim shares why inclusion is foremost in her mind as we close out the year and enter 2022. In her role at Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, inclusion is critical to their mission. Kim explains why serving people with all sorts of physical and cognitive disabilities. She discusses how the programs Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports offers are designed to make it possible for anyone to enjoy the beautiful mountains and winter activities. She describes the kind of marketing her organization does to get the word out. Lisa Chase from University of Vermont Extension Lisa explains why she is so excited to be hosting the upcoming 2022 International Workshop on Agritourism being held in Burlington, VT from August 30-September 1, 2022. She shares how she got started at UVM twenty years ago, and she shares how she first became aware of the term "agritourism". She discusses how Vermont is one of the true agritourism capitols of the world. She shares how she saw a call for proposals to present at the first World Congress on Agritourism in Italy in 2018, and what she learned from the concert. She describes how Vermont won the right to host the 2020 conference but had to postpone when the pandemic started, and she discusses how the 2022 International Workshop on Agritourism is the culmination of all the hard work and false starts. Parker Riehle from Get On Snow Parker shares how is organization was founded two years ago to promote outdoor winter recreation. He describes how Get On Snow isn't just focused on bringing skiers and snowboarders to slopes but how the organization also highlights any winter sport people enjoy, including "gateway sports" such as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. He describes how the outbreak of the global pandemic increased people's desire to get out and enjoy nature even more than before. He shares how optimism and excitement are the prevailing feelings as people begin to become more comfortable with travel again. Peter MacLaren from West Hill Bed & Breakfast Peter shares how Vermont has led the way in vaccinations, and he shares how that commitment to public health has made it easier for destinations such as his West hill Bed & Breakfast to offer safer environments for travelers. He also describes how Vermont's reputation for being one of the safest destinations has brought new people to Vermont who might never have discovered its wonders otherwise. He shares how he believes these newcomers will help offset visitor loss as long-distance travel begins to become more prevalent. He shares how the new presence of big name organizations from the ski industry is creating even more opportunities for the state and for local businesses like his. Rick Sokoloff and Marina Meerburg from 4 Points VT Rick and Marina share how 4 Points VT started as a mountain biking school before integrating brewery tours, and Rick talks about how a key collaborative partnership with the Trapp Family Lodge has become core to the mountain biking experience 4 Points VT offers. The pair discuss adding a third arm to their business, adding customized artisan tours for corporate groups and others. Marina explains how they've even begun requesting family reunions and foliage tours, and she describes how easing pandemic restrictions have helped their business grow dramatically in recent months. Rick and Marina share plans for keeping the pace of their growth while maintaining the high quality they're known for, and they discuss their strategy for continuing to grow to the point that they can be ready to take on full-time employees. Marina describes the personnel challenges the organization has faced in filling roles to keep up with the work, and Rick shares how great training leads to happy return workers season after season. Sarah Howe from Lake Morey Resort Sarah describes her excitement for 2022 and the many new opportunities it is presenting for her resort. She talks about resuming paused programs and starting new ones to attract visitors. Sarah talks about expanding the outdoor activities her resort can offer for visitors and the local community, throughout the year. She explains how collaborating with local businesses and organizations has helped make both her business and the entire area stronger, and she shares how Lake Morey Resort reaches out to area businesses for partnership opportunities. Sarah Morris from Basin Harbor Sarah talks about how Basin Harbor, established in 1886, will be celebrating its 136th birthday in 2022. She discusses some of the challenges her organization has faced through the pandemic, including staffing shortages, and she talks about some of the exciting opportunities she is looking forward to in the coming year. She shares how Basin Harbor has experienced robust demand throughout 2021 that the organization is using to expand their offerings and renovate their facilities. She shares how her property's staff swells from just 25 employees in the winter to over 200+ through the summer season, and she shares how bringing in international workers will be instrumental in Basin Harbor's continued recovery as we emerge from the pandemic. Enthusiasm for a New Beginning As each of these Vermont area travel and tourism leaders discussed, there's an abiding sense of optimism for 2022 as life continues to move beyond the pandemic. Through key collaborations with area partners and through developing a better understanding of travelers' safety needs and entertainment expectations, these organizations are each positioning themselves for a stellar new year! I hope you enjoyed this second episode of our special two-part series from the Vermont Tourism Summit. I hope the positivity and optimism these leaders have shared with us inspire you as we wrap up 2021 and turn the page for a bright new year! The pandemic has been hard for anyone in the travel and tourism industry, but the lessons we've learned and strategies we have developed will help us roar into the coming year! We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes! https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

For this first episode in a special two-part series of Destination on the Left episodes, my team visited the Vermont Tourism Summit (without me!) to interview attendees about their experiences working in the travel and tourism industry, especially during the outbreak of and our gradual emergence from the global pandemic. The Vermont Tourism Summit draws one of the largest gatherings of tourism professionals in the state including owners, managers, and employees of the many businesses connected to this important segment of the economy. This year's Summit was the 37th annual event and was held from November 17-18 at the Killington Grand Resort Hotel in Killington, VT. I'm delighted to share the insights and experiences that the Vermont Tourism Summit attendees my team spoke with were willing to offer during their interviews. In this first episode of a special two-part Destination On The Left series, you'll hear from these seven extraordinary travel and tourism leaders and experts: Ana Dan, Owner and General Manager of the Hyde Away Inn & Restaurant Bob Schwartz, Director of Marketing & Sales at the Trapp Family Lodge Carrie Simmons, Executive Director of the Stowe Area Association Diane Stockton-Breese, Director of Member Services at Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce Fred Cercena, CEO and Founder of GetAway Vacations Jenny Dewar, Owner of Karin's Place Josh Palace, Sales Manager at Spirit of Ethan Allen Discussing Challenges and Opportunities at the Vermont Tourism Summit The Vermont Tourism Summit is an annual event that brings together area travel and tourism professionals, businesses and destinations. This year's event offered a one-of-a-kind opportunity to discuss the many challenges and opportunities Vermont area destinations are navigating in this uniquely challenging time. My team travelled to the Vermont Tourism Summit for this year's gathering and were able to speak with seven brilliant leaders, and here are the inspiring insights they had to share. Ana Dan from Hyde Away Inn & Restaurant Ana discusses the properties she owns and shares how her properties are navigating the challenge of the global pandemic by investing in technologies such as air filtration to restore traveler confidence as we emerge from the crisis. She shares how the flux of people entering and leaving travel and tourism work has created hiring challenges that her businesses are navigating by hiring foreign workers to fill vital positions. She talks about creating a welcoming community for these incoming workers, and she discusses the critical need for affordable housing for these incoming workers. She discusses allocating a few of the rooms in her inn for workers as a stopgap measure until housing accommodations are made available on a permanent basis. Bob Schwartz from the Trapp Family Lodge Bob shares what excites him most about the coming year and the opportunities it presents. He discusses how people's increasing comfort with international travel is building toward a potentially great year for his organization. He explains why creating the best experience possible for visitors is an important key to attracting international travelers. Carrie Simmons from Stowe Area Association Carrie shares why Stowe, Vermont is excited about the coming ski season and the events her town will be able to offer in 2022 as we continue to move out of the pandemic over the course of the coming year. She also discusses how her team is ramping up for this expected coming increase in area travel. Diane Stockton-Breese from Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce Diane shares some of the highlights the Okemo Valley area offers across the twelve towns and villages her organization represents. She discusses a unique, pandemic-safe event her organization offered over the summer of 2021, and she shares how the event showcased many of the area's visitor offerings. She talks about some of the key lessons her organization was able to draw from the festival that they will be able to take forward as the pandemic eases, and she shares her optimism for how the event will continue to grow in the future. Fred Cercena from GetAway Vacations Fred discusses why his main focus going into 2022 is the increasing amount of reservations that have been coming in from online travel agents rather than through direct reservations on their website. He shares how relying on sites like Airbnb and Expedia has created new challenges that need to be navigated. He highlights some of the programs and campaigns his organization has developed to increase the number of direct bookings. He also discusses how visitor loyalty to the area is a key concern he will be focusing on throughout the coming year. Jenny Dewar from Karin's Place Jenny shares what excites her about her position as a short-term rental destination owner going into 2022, and she describes how government programs such as the PPP loan helped her businesses stay afloat through the challenges of 2020, and she shares how 2021 became a watershed year for her businesses. She describes why she is excited about her new position as the Executive Director of the Better Bennington Corporation and the opportunity the position presents for her to help in revitalizing downtown Bennington and in bringing new and returning events to the area. Jenny explains how hiring a "social media genius" has helped get the word out about the exciting things the Better Bennington Corporation is doing in the area. Josh Palace from Spirit of Ethan Allen Josh discusses how business boomed for his organization in 2021, even without access to travellers from Canada and other international locations, thanks to the outstanding job the state of Vermont has done in navigating the pandemic. He shares why he expects 2022 to be even bigger once international borders are fully reopened. He shares how digital partnerships have become cornerstones of his organization's success, and he shares how the area's more than 200 attractions have worked collaboratively to support each other through the pandemic crisis. He describes feeling like an ambassador for Vermont when encouraging travelers to take a closer look at the area's other offerings. He explains why a strong sense of collaboration has been instrumental to his own success in his position. Great Excitement for the Coming New Year As each of these Vermont area travel and tourism leaders discussed, there's an abiding sense of optimism for 2022 as life continues to move beyond the pandemic. Through key collaborations with area partners and through developing a better understanding of traveller's safety needs and entertainment expectations, these organizations are each positioning themselves for a stellar new year! I hope you enjoyed this first episode of our special two-part series from the Vermont Tourism Summit. I hope the positivity and optimism these leaders have shared with us inspire you as we wrap up 2021 and turn the page for a bright new year. Next week, we'll hear from eight more remarkable Vermont travel and tourism experts, so I hope you'll join the conversation! We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes! https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Nasya Kamrat is the Co-founder and CEO of FACULTY, a certified women-owned spatial storytelling agency that creates human-centric experiences for global brands. Passionate about innovative storytelling, Nasya constantly searches for unique opportunities to create an authentic experience that people can connect with, whether in real life or online. As an award-winning creative strategist, she has been creating content that spans traditional, interactive, experiential, and digital media for nearly 20 years. Nasya is also dedicated to empowering women and people of color in business. Before starting FACULTY, Nasya had the pleasure of working at some of New York's leading global ad agencies as a creative producer and strategist. She holds a B.A. in Theatre and English from Florida State University. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Nasya Kamrat about how storytelling can connect people to places in a more meaningful way. Nastya shares her inspirational story of collaboration amid adversity and challenge and how it inspired her to start FACULTY, which she designed as a co-op for underrepresented agencies. She shares some creative ways for your destination to stand out from the crowd by helping potential visitors experience a holistic journey. Nasya also discusses her favorite case studies that exemplify how creating a brand experience can elevate destination marketing. What You Will Learn: How to use spatial storytelling in your destination marketing Finding the right story for your destination to tell How to create a connection between a place and a guest through narrative How the COVID-19 pandemic allowed Nasya to prompt a little bit of wanderlust in people in preparation for when we could travel again Moments over the last 18 months when Nasya was faced with a challenge and how she moved through it creatively How Nasya took the big agency model of gathering several boutique agencies under one umbrella but put a whole new spin on it to serve a more diverse range of people Nasya's advice for listeners about finding those right-fit partners with the same interests as you Finding Your Story Brand storytelling is something that everyone talks about. But how do you create a world in which people can immerse themselves and experience stories that follow them wherever they go? Whether you're marketing a town, a local event, or a visitor experience, you have to keep your brand story at the forefront of your mind and reference it at every single touchpoint when the guests walk in the door. Nasya Kamrat explains the importance of defining and identifying the narrative and how to uncover the real human story behind a place — then delivering it uniquely. Collaborating with Like-Minded Founders As destination marketers, we're all trying to figure out what travel looks like in the post-pandemic world. The idea of collaborating and finding like-minded founders and figuring out how to work together is more attractive than ever before. This week, my guest on the podcast, Nasya Kamrat, describes why she was inspired to band together and build a co-op of other women-owned, Black-owned, and Latinx-owned businesses. We explore why, by teaming up as destinations, we can create value and efficiencies for our clients and better support independent agencies who are underrepresented. To learn more about Nasya and her company, FACULTY, please check out the contact links below: Website: https://komuna.agency/ https://www.wearefaculty.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nasyakamrat/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/faculty/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FacultyNY/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/facultyny

Greg was previously the CMO at LifeLock. He is a seasoned executive with a unique knowledge of start-ups and how to create an innovative strategy and align it with practical execution to achieve exceptional results. Greg possesses a progressive and diverse background in Marketing (brand management, digital and traditional marketing, business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing), Finance (budgeting, planning, debt & equity raise, IPO), and Operations (process improvement, risk management, call centers, and reporting & analytics). He has over 17 years of experience, ranging from Chief Marketing Officer of a $1B+ public company to the financial lead of a start-up that went public. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Greg Lim, who gives his actionable tips on ways you can create meaningful connections with prospective customers through personalization and data. He demystifies how to incorporate personalization into your marketing by sharing his crawl, walk, run approach to implementing new marketing tactics. Greg also highlights the importance of collaboration between destination marketing organizations and how personalization can boost the success of co-op programs. What You Will Learn: How to deliver different personalized experiences to help a wide range of audiences and potential visitors in their trip planning Why differentiate landing pages according to interest then extend the customer experience to your core website How we've normalized bad communication and bad behavior in marketing through the historical limitations of technology Using touchpoints to personalize a consumer experience to engage and delight virtual visitors Approaching marketing personalization from a crawl, walk, run perspective with regards to technology Technical solutions that allow marketers to take control of their campaigns and integrate their social media channels Prioritize Your Website Marketing Invest in your website — because that's where all of your social channels and your marketing are sending everyone. So, if you invest in your website, your website performs better, and you'll get a better conversion rate and return on your investment. You can also build new partnerships and add value to your existing partners with your destination marketing site. Personalization can empower your team to go out and find collaboration opportunities. With your destination marketing site, you can create an exciting way to expand your partnership inventory and serve the different audiences coming to your website. Personalization Shouldn't Be Overwhelming Gregory shares the common-sense middle ground in marketing personalization. He gives his insights on how to deliver meaningful experiences to your consumers that delight them and do it in a way that is not invasive. You want to create a powerful experience for them that will ultimately drive your business results. The most significant opportunity for the travel and tourism industry is to take all the micro conversations and engagements that we already have with our visitors then carry that same conversation through to the website. To learn more about Gregory and his company, Persosa, please check out the contact links below: Website: https://www.persosa.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorylim/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/persosa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teampersosa/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/teampersosa

With a talent for creating special events that blossomed while working for my dad's car stereo shop, I got my start in marketing at Frontier Field in Rochester and began serving as the executive director of the internationally known Lilac Festival. Later on, I headed the Canandaigua, New York Business Improvement District while also performing projects for the tourism promotion agency Visit Rochester. In 2009, I founded Break the Ice Media, with more than 20 years of experience in tourism marketing. I now host "Destination on the Left," a highly successful tourism marketing podcast. As a business owner, I know what it takes to be successful. I founded BTI to help businesses tell their brand story through public relations, digital and traditional channels. I have the ability to uncover unique marketing opportunities and develop marketing and public relations initiatives that help clients build long-term success. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I reflect on whether 2021 has been an easier year than 2020 and why the travel industry hasn't been able to make up the lost ground that we had hoped. I share the key elements that make up our culture at Break the Ice Media and explore our seven essential core values and how we promote and live those values. One of the changes to our work environment that COVID-19 brought was the move from sharing an office to working 100% remotely — so I also want to take some time to discuss how we collaborate and stay connected as a team. What You Will Learn in This Episode: The seven core values at the heart of Break the Ice Media Why the travel industry is still having to make adjustments to welcome guests safely How employers in the industry have the power to change the culture of our organizations and create places of work that value and respect their employees Why we are so intentional about the culture at Break the Ice Media Communication tools we use to stay connected now that we are all working from home Ways that your employees can give you feedback and insight into what they enjoy and would change about the company Our Values and Mission In my opinion, one of the key reasons that Break the Ice Media has not only survived but thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic is that we have leaned on our values. Transparency was an essential feature of navigating the challenges of recent unprecedented events as a business owner. It was so important to me to be very transparent with our team members about where we were in the moment, what the choices were, and why those choices and decisions could change on a dime. As we head towards the end of 2021, we continue to weave our seven core values into our day-to-day practices to keep what it means to work at Break the Ice Media at the forefront of our minds. Collaboration and Respect Our core values give us a clear understanding of who we are as a company, and understanding what we value makes it easier to make decisions and navigate the challenges of the road ahead. As a team, we devoted a lot of time to thinking about our core values and ensuring that what we chose really embodied the company's ethos. Collaboration is one of the values that resonates deeply with me (as you won't be surprised to learn). We are collaborative — it is the bedrock of Break the Ice Media. In our team, everyone's ideas, input, and talents are valued, and as a result, we all feel heard, valued, and respected. To learn more about Break the Ice Media, please head over to the contact links below: Email: nicole@breaktheicemedia.com Website: www.destinationontheleft.com/summit Website: https://breaktheicemedia.com/ Twitter: @Break_TheIce Facebook: @BreakTheIceMedia

President and CEO of Synthesis Management Group (SMG) Roberta "Bobbie" Goheen is a resourceful and committed leadership expert and Fortune 100 executive coach who promotes positive growth and development environments for individuals, executives, and organizational teams. With more than 25 years of world-class experience, Bobbie is a motivational force who inspires her clients to steer their personal and professional lives in the direction of excellence. She has worked with companies worldwide and organizations ranging in size from five employees to 80,000. Clients include international, national, and local C-suite executives, managers, entrepreneurs, and professionals looking for curated, practical tools to match their desire to lead others with greater ease and agility. Bobbie offers a multi-dimensional approach for successful business leaders and their workforce to achieve results through experimental learning and development. She utilizes researched and proven methodology combined with a style that is fresh, dynamic, and inspirational. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Bobbie Goheen about why following your dreams and passions leads to enjoying a more fulfilling life. She shares her insights and strategies on how leaders can enhance their skills using a build, measure, learn framework and how using this model can also help you stay motivated during challenging times. Bobbie also gives us the benefit of her leadership experience on how to prepare your team members to be future leaders and the importance of trusting your instincts and prioritizing your wellbeing so you can move forward with a positive mindset. What You Will Learn: Bobbie's advice for leaders keen to maintain focus and keep motivation levels high moving through this challenging and disruptive period of time When you're committed to finding a way forward, it doesn't mean that you can't change course once you start down your path — you can measure it and then learn, then adjust if necessary Why leaders need to stay focused on the possibilities, the opportunities and cultivate a willingness to go into the unknown, be uncomfortable, and learn something new How we can prepare our team to be future leaders, and why we need to reframe the process from delegation to development Bobbie's wisdom on what we should be doing to maintain a better work-life balance Key takeaways that professionals should be taking forward with them from the disruption of the last 18 months Why the most straightforward way companies can grow leaders is to have very clear goals and be specific on the 'what' of the goal, but be less specific on how they're going to get there The Call for Leadership Bobbie Goheen is a resourceful and committed leadership expert and Fortune 100 executive coach whose company Synthesis Management Group promotes positive growth and inspires her clients to steer their personal and professional lives in the direction of excellence. In this episode of Destination On The Left, Bobbie shares why she believes that leaders right now need courage, passion, and the drive to step up to the consistent atmosphere of change and challenge that we live in today. Bobbie notes that before the COVID-19 pandemic, if you were willing to put in the hard work and effort, then you had a good chance of achieving your dreams. But now, we know that we aren't always in control of the changes in life, which is why we need to step up as leaders and trust that even when we're not in control of external factors, we are in control of our choices. Leaders should follow a path of build, measure, and learn, testing the terrain as they go to ensure they are on the right track, and making adjustments to continue to move forward. Trust Yourself and Your Team As Bobbie says, having the confidence to trust yourself, block out the external chatter, and measure what is happening in your environment is crucial when navigating uncertainty. It's also essential to build a trusted group around you, gain their insight and input, and use the ideas that resonate with you. Leadership is all about recognizing the possibilities and opportunities and being willing to go into the unknown, be uncomfortable, and learn something new. To learn more about Bobbie and her company, Synthesis Management Group, please check out the contact links below: Website: www.getsynthesis.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbiegoheen/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getSynthesis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/synthesismanagementgroup/

For this second episode in a special two part series of Destination on the Left episodes, I visited the 2021 eTourism Summit held in Las Vegas, Nevada from September 20-22. At the summit, I was privileged to speak with fourteen attendees who are experts in the field of digital marketing for travel and tourism. In my conversations with today's guest experts, I asked them to each answer one question: "Looking into the future, what innovations are happening now that you think will impact digital marketing for your organization or destination?" I'm so delighted to share their insightful and sometimes surprising answers with you in this week's special podcast episode. In this episode of Destination On The Left, you'll hear from these fourteen extraordinary digital marketing experts: Chris Lukenbill – Co-Founder, Shrpa Ed Harris – CEO, Discover Lancaster Emilie Harris – Director of Marketing Operations, Bandwango Jake Brown – Content Manager, Visit South Bend Jason Holic – Vice President of Business Applications & Insights, Experience Kissimmee Kyle Johnson – Digital Strategy Manager, Indiana Destination Development Corporation Leena Riggs – Director of Marketing & Partnerships, Visit Rancho Cordova Marc Garcia – President & CEO, Visit Mesa Maria Skrzynski – Marketing Coordinator/Office Manager, Destination Ann Arbor Mark Romig – Chief Marketing Officer & Senior Vice President, New Orleans & Co. Nicole Stacey – Director of Marketing Communications, Visit Pensacola Ralph Thompson – Executive Director Travel & Tourism, Streetsense Tim Ash – Marketing Keynote, Trainer & Advisor Victoria Simmons – Senior Vice President of Travel, BVK Innovative Digital Marketing Experts at the 2021 eTourism Summit The eTourism Summit is a one-of-a-kind conference that exists at the intersection of destination travel and tourism with cutting edge digital marketing. It's a unique opportunity for industry leaders, marketers, and destinations to come together and exchange ideas, collaborate, and brainstorm new solutions together. This year's eTourism Summit was held in Las Vegas from September 20-22 and offered insights into digital marketing trends, advertising innovations and new ways to connect travelers with incredible experiences. I asked each of these experts the same question: "Looking into the future, what innovations are happening now that you think will impact digital marketing for your organization or destination?" Here are the insightful answers they gave me: Chris Lukenbill from Shrpa Chris discusses how the many disruptions our industry is facing create new opportunities for Shrpa's clients to tell their stories within their own communities. He discusses why an increased focus on local communities has moved from "nice to have" to necessary to navigate the pandemic. He talks about why stronger communication is going to be an increasingly critical component of travel and tourism marketing going forward. Ed Harris from Discover Lancaster Ed talks about the juxtaposition of digitally marketing the simple life of the local Amish communities through modern technology and social media, and he discusses why innovations in technology like AI and machine learning are transformative tools that will reshape digital marketing in the future. He talks about the power of data in informing what content destinations and marketers share, and he discusses the importance of adapting to and embracing these emerging technologies to help meet travelers where they are. Emilie Harris from Bandwango Emilie talks about how the industry's broad focus on innovation is creating new opportunities to integrate various products, experiences and locations into full experience packages. She discusses how important it is for marketers to understand how the process of booking travel is changing as consumer expectations are shifting. She shares how the "niche" audiences of the past are dissolving and how authentic, unique experiences are becoming the cornerstone of travel and tourism marketing. Jake Brown from Visit South Bend Jake talks about the role of data in travel and tourism digital marketing, and he shares why being able to track the success of campaigns by how much revenue they have generated for the area is going to be a sea change for digital marketers going forward. Jason Holic from Experience Kissimmee Jason explains a calculator tool his organization developed to help track key data metrics that they have made available to other DMOs, and he shares how it helps track media impact of your messaging through transparency and the dynamic narratives it can create. He explains how the tool uses 30 different data points to fine tune visibility over your metrics and help you communicate with four key stakeholder groups using language they themselves use to help you demonstrate the value you're driving to them. Kyle Johnson from Indiana Destination Development Corporation Kyle shares how his organization's transition from the Indiana Office of Tourism Development to the Indiana Destination Development Corporation has allowed the organization to expand their goals and cast a wider net. He shares why their goal isn't just to attract visitors but to also attract talent to the state. He discusses the important role location tracking serves for the organization, allowing for targeted messaging. He talks about how Indiana has seen big success bringing corporations to the state, and he shares how the next goal is to bring more workers to the state as well. Leena Riggs from Visit Rancho Cordova Leena shares how her organization is focused on more and stronger data collection, and she shares how Visit Rancho Cordova is exploring options for engaging with and messaging in-market. She shares how the data is powerfully informing how Rancho Cordova plans their future growth. Marc Garcia from Visit Mesa Marc shares how his organization is focused on accessibility in travel as part of Visit Mesa's larger Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts. He shares how Mesa, Arizona has worked hard to become the nation's first Autism-certified City and is now seeking to become a city known for its accessibility programs and initiatives. He shares how Visit Mesa has recently established the Mesa Regional Foundation for Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion, which will be used to purchase accessibility technologies. He also talks about how his city is building what will be the largest youth and amateur sports complex in the country. Maria Skrzynski from Destination Ann Arbor Maria shares how her organization is working to strengthen its local partnerships and collaboration with other organizations and sectors to elevate the energy of the community. She also discusses the importance of unity within Ann Arbor. Mark Romig from New Orleans & Company Mark discusses how people are using handheld devices far more than tablets, desktops and other large devices, and he shares how his organization is focused on developing their integration with phones and other handhelds. He talks about the importance of focusing on the consumer's needs and obstacles and staying ahead of the curve by meeting them where they are. Nicole Stacey from Visit Pensacola Nicole talks about how Visit Pensacola is reallocating their budget to use connected TVs to better reach people. She talks about the importance of transparency and honesty in messaging, and she shares how Visit Pensacola is utilizing targeted marketing strategies and messages to reach niche traveler groups. Ralph Thompson from Streetsense Ralph talks about how Streetsense is creatively using podcasts to build relationships with travelers in a more casual way than traditional messaging. He explains how even smaller, resource-challenged DMOs can take advantage of established podcasts to amplify their message. Tim Ash, Marketing Keynote Speaker, Trainer and Advisor Tim discusses how travel planning can take advantage of Alexa, Siri and other voice assistants and the casual, conversational way they work. He shares why it is important to understand the psychology behind how people make decisions, and he explains how evolutionary psychology can be the key to anticipating and guiding people's decision-making processes. Victoria Simmons from BVK Victoria talks about how DMOs and destinations are becoming better at having in-market conversations with travelers and connecting them directly to travel partners. She shares how geolocation data is becoming a powerful resource for enhancing this connection with travelers. Technological Innovations and the Role of Data As you can see, many of the leaders I spoke with hit upon recurring themes around emerging technologies and new ways of collecting, collating and analyzing data. The outbreak of the global pandemic has created major strains and challenges on travel and tourism, but it has also given us a unique opportunity to reevaluate how we market destinations to travelers and how we can share our messages in more targeted ways and with larger, more diverse audiences. I hope you've enjoyed hearing insights from the 2021 eTourism Summit and from these extraordinary travel and tourism marketing experts and leaders. As our world slowly begins to turn the tide against the pandemic, one thing is certain: by embracing new innovations and outside-the-box ideas, the future of travel and tourism looks bright! We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes! https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

For this first episode in a special two part series of Destination on the Left episodes, I visited the 2021 eTourism Summit held in Las Vegas, Nevada from September 20-22. At the summit, I was privileged to have the chance to interview fourteen attendees who are experts in the field of digital marketing for travel and tourism. In my conversations with today's guest experts, I asked them to each answer one question: "What has been the biggest change in your digital strategy that has resulted in big wins for your organization or destination?" I'm so delighted to share their insightful and sometimes surprising answers with you in this week's special podcast episode. In this episode of Destination On The Left, you'll hear from these fourteen extraordinary digital marketing experts: Chris Lukenbill – Co-Founder, Shrpa Ed Harris – CEO, Discover Lancaster Emilie Harris – Director of Marketing Operations, Bandwango Jake Brown – Content Manager, Visit South Bend Jason Holic – Vice President of Business Applications & Insights, Experience Kissimmee Kyle Johnson – Digital Strategy Manager, Indiana Destination Development Corporation Leena Riggs – Director of Marketing & Partnerships, Visit Rancho Cordova Marc Garcia – President & CEO, Visit Mesa Maria Skrzynski – Marketing Coordinator/Office Manager, Destination Ann Arbor Mark Romig – Chief Marketing Officer & Senior Vice President, New Orleans & Co. Nicole Stacey – Director of Marketing Communications, Visit Pensacola Ralph Thompson – Executive Director Travel & Tourism, Streetsense Tim Ash – Marketing Keynote, Trainer & Advisor Victoria Simmons – Senior Vice President of Travel, BVK Innovative Digital Marketing Experts at the 2021 eTourism Summit The eTourism Summit is a one-of-a-kind conference that exists at the intersection of destination travel and tourism with cutting edge digital marketing. It's a unique opportunity for industry leaders, marketers, and destinations to come together and exchange ideas, collaborate, and brainstorm new solutions together. This year's eTourism Summit was held in Las Vegas from September 20-22 and offered insights into digital marketing trends, advertising innovations and new ways to connect travelers with incredible experiences. I asked each of these experts the same question: "What has been the biggest change in your digital strategy that has resulted in big wins for your organization or destination?" Here are the insightful answers they gave me: Chris Lukenbill from Shrpa Chris shares how the industry-wide disruption of the global pandemic has created a unique opportunity to share experiences and user-generated content. He discusses the challenge of creating and sharing great itineraries that go beyond a single viewpoint and that are available "where the visitors are", whether that's Shrpa's website or elsewhere. He explains why it's easy to find directories of information but it is often difficult to get a good understanding of the full experience a destination offers, and he shares how Shrpa is working to bridge that gap for travelers. Ed Harris from Discover Lancaster Ed shares how Discover Lancaster has focused on making greater, more meaningful investments in social media over the pandemic, and he shares how experimenting with alternative information vehicles like video has helped significantly increase Discover Lancaster's social media engagement and following. He discusses why content centered on the local Amish community has been a big driver in this stronger engagement as people learn more about the Amish lifestyle. He discusses how the pandemic has highlighted a new level of desire from travelers to find unique escapes from our modern lives and challenges. He discusses how his team created five video ads highlighting activities that can be done in a pandemic-safe way in the area, and he shares the big results these videos have generated. Emilie Harris from Bandwango Emilie discusses how the biggest shift she has experienced working with clients has been greater focus on tracking bottom-of-funnel conversions rather than top-of-funnel inspiration-focused marketing. She explains how this information has helped many clients transition their websites into e-commerce engines, and she talks about how the integration of new website strategies and new tools has created exciting opportunities for clients. She discusses Bandwango's work connecting communities with local businesses and crafting engaging experiences, through web-based free and paid "passports" that highlight client offerings while allowing Bandwango to collect invaluable data and traveler insights. Jake Brown from Visit South Bend Jake describes how Visit South Bend has been experimenting with and collecting data on a variety of ideas, such as advertising through Expedia. He discusses why Visit South Bend's focus has shifted from inspirational top-of-funnel campaigns to the actual booking process, and he explains why the global pandemic has created new opportunities farther down the sales funnel. He discusses how the content his organization is creating integrates with their paid campaign efforts, and he explains why Visit South Bend is layering content to help guide traveler choices at all levels of the funnel. Jason Holic from Experience Kissimmee Jason discusses how he and his team have shifted their focus to in-state marketing targeting Florida residents and drawing them to the many experiences available in the Kissimmee, Florida area. He talks about using data to help the team reprioritize which markets they are advertising in. He explains why the goal has been to drive knowledge of the impact of the global pandemic on travelers, and he shares how leveraging the area's unique ability to handle high volumes of traveler traffic has been an invaluable asset. Kyle Johnson from Indiana Destination Development Corporation Kyle shares how he was introduced to the concept of "bricks and feathers", including heavy pieces of major content called "bricks" that can be sliced into smaller pieces of "feather" content. He shares how his team put together a scavenger hunt list of "stranger things" travelers can find in Indiana that connect to the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana featured in the Netflix series "Stranger Things". He describes how that list became 12 separate social posts over 14 days that generated more than 250,000 organic social channel impressions. He shares how the pandemic put all of the team's initiatives on pause, and he talks about how the team navigated the challenges of the pandemic using their "bricks and feathers" content to empower their social media efforts and drive traffic to exciting, pandemic-safe outdoor destinations in every county in the state. Leena Riggs from Visit Rancho Cordova Leena shares how the pandemic has created a unique opportunity for her organization to shift to user-generated content, and she shares how this has allowed Visit Rancho Cordova an opportunity to partner with local residents in a unique way. She shares how residents are creating unique hashtags and amplifying the organization's message. Marc Garcia from Visit Mesa Marc shares how the pandemic pushed Visit Mesa to turn inward and form a steering committee made up of Mesa residents that has advanced his organization's digital strategies and social media outreach. He explains why the pandemic has given Visit Mesa an opportunity to inform locals of what their organization does to support the area. He shares how the steering committee came about and immediately assisted Visit Mesa in formulating a strategy to deal with the challenges of the pandemic by marrying songs with photos of the region. Maria Skrzynski from Destination Ann Arbor Maria discusses how one of the big changes Destination Ann Arbor has made has been collaborating with residents and supporting local business through stronger connections. She explains how user-generated content has become a backbone of her organization's marketing efforts and social media outreach. She shares how Destination Ann Arbor has been exploring new ways and channels to connect with local residents, and she explains why these collaborations are a win-win-win for everyone involved. She shares how her organization reaches out to highlight how they can be of assistance to local businesses and destinations. Mark Romig from New Orleans & Company Mark discusses how his organization worked to shift the perception of New Orleans as an "adult playground" and highlight how it's an extremely family-friendly destination, by partnering with a group of "mommy bloggers" to share their travel experiences. He shares how leveraging influencers and social media can be an extraordinary way to connect with niche markets and get the message out. He also shares how Instagram has been a key platform to share the exciting sights in New Orleans, and he discusses how merging two competing websites into a single "one stop shop" internet address has helped travelers find information more easily. Nicole Stacey from Visit Pensacola Nicole talks about how "pivot" has been the key word through the pandemic for so many organizations in travel and tourism, and she shares how Visit Pensacola has used a multi-channel strategy throughout the full funnel to dig deeper into the "why" of the destination. She shares how sharing an authentic experience that goes beyond Pensacola's famous beaches has been transformative for the organization. She describes how connecting with audiences and the things that inspire them has gotten easier through the use of real-time data. She discusses how the agility of digital marketing has been crucial for navigating the challenges of the pandemic. Ralph Thompson from Streetsense Ralph talks about how Streetsense leverages its experience in digital marketing to reach audiences and deliver measurable results. He discusses how the evolution of data collection has been an extraordinary asset for his organization. He talks about the importance of building relationships and engaging consumers both logically and emotionally, and he talks about how video is becoming a crucial component of digital travel and tourism marketing. Tim Ash, Marketing Keynote Speaker, Trainer, and Advisor Tim explains why too many destinations are "in love with themselves" and are focusing too much on polished visuals and not enough on the process of planning for travel. He talks about why it's crucial to focus on how you can be helpful to your audience, and he shares how our brains interpret text, graphics and motion to determine what we're paying attention to. He shares why it's important to be conscious about the elements of your digital marketing to ensure that a viewer's attention is being drawn to the right elements. Victoria Simmons from BVK Victoria talks about how the pandemic has given BVK a new opportunity to help clients make better sense of data without feeling overloaded through creating a data dashboard and investing in analysts to help interpret the data and translate it into strategy. She shares how the greater access to data and the ability to target consumers individually has transformed interactions and empowered destination organizations to better reach their audiences. She talks about why personalized content isn't necessarily about having something new to say all the time but is about delivering content that speaks to the listener. Collaboration and a Renewed Focus on Local Residents As these extraordinary leaders shared, a key recurring theme is that so many of their organizations found new life and new purpose through the pandemic by collaborating with local residents and "turning inward" to highlight why sometimes the most exciting and unique experiences happen in our own communities. Another common theme has been looking beyond the top of the funnel and exploring multi-channel initiatives that target people throughout the sales funnel across a diverse range of communications mediums. I hope you enjoy this first episode of this two-part 2021 eTourism Summit series. Next week, we'll hear from even more remarkable digital travel and tourism marketing experts from the eTourism Summit to share their insights and experiences. We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes! https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/