Destination On The Left

Celebrities and influencers post their amazing travel and adventure on social media all the time. Often, that is not by accident. Product placement and influencer marketing can bring attention and interest to your hotel or travel destination. In today's episode, we talk with Stacy Jones, who has been doing product placement and influencer campaigns for over 20 years. We talk about the creative process of working with celebrities and influencers (pro tip: get everything in writing!) It's a fascinating conversation about a marketing tactic you may not have thought of – but which has such potential! Stacy is the CEO of Hollywood Branded. She has over 20 years of leadership experience building global entertainment branding campaigns for top Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of brands. Her career started after receiving her BFA in theater production and scenic design from the University of Arizona. Stacy is an adventurer at her core. From skydiving, to hang gliding, trekking Mayan ruins in Belize, Stacy has explored the ocean as an avid scuba diver. She lives out loud, that's for sure. Full show notes available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/stacy-jones/

Americans work hard, which is great. But the data shows that many of us think that means we should leave vacation time unused which is a loss for you and your family. It is also means lost productivity and less job satisfaction, which is bad news for employers. Today on Destination on the left, Katie Denis and Nicole talk about what gets left on the table and what to do about it. People are losing out on travel and enriching their lives – and the travel industry is losing real dollars. Katie is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day management of Project: Time Off. She is also responsible for taking all of her vacation time and encouraging her team to do the same. It is her favorite duty. She spends her time off with her toes in the sand of Grayton Beach, Florida, hiking the Colorado Mountains, or returning home to Cincinnati, Ohio. Katie lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband and their two daughters. A full transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/katie-denis/

We recently attended the 2018 Museum Association of New York annual conference and spoke with attendees from all over New York State representing all types of museums and cultural institutions. I found the conversations enlightening and inspiring. Through this series, I hope you will find a new perspective on this important segment of the tourism industry and how museums and cultural institutions are working to build community, reach audiences beyond their local markets and creating new programming and events that enhance the visitor experience. In this episode, I share my conversations with: Scarlett Rebman, Grants Officer with Humanities New York David Gerber, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Museum of Disability History Cordell Reaves, Historic Preservation Programs Analyst for New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation A full transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/museum-series-episode-5/

In an area known for its scenic mountains and lakes that can keep you exploring outdoors indefinitely – how do you draw people indoors to explore the history and present of this beautiful region? That's the challenge for The Adirondack Experience – the museum on Blue Mountain Lake. Today in this episode, Nicole is joined by Jennifer Bine, Director of Interpretation at the Adirondack Experience. Together they discuss challenges and opportunity in reshaping established institutions. They explore the history and vibrancy of New York's Adirondack wilderness and the joy of sharing that experience with visitors to the region. Jennifer holds a master in historical administration and museum studies from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Arts in history from Iowa State University. Her experience includes work with the Smithsonian Institute. A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/jennifer-bine/

In this episode, you'll learn different ways that you can diversify your audience from Billye Chabot, Kara Gaffken, Ed Varno, and David Hutchings. We recently attended the 2018 Museum Association of New York annual conference and spoke with attendees from all over New York State representing all types of museums and cultural institutions. I found the conversations enlightening and inspiring. Through this series, I hope you will find a new perspective on this important segment of the tourism industry and how museums and cultural institutions are working to build community, reach audiences beyond their local markets and creating new programming and events that enhance the visitor experience. In this episode, I share my conversations with: Billye Chabot, Executive Director of The Seward House Museum Kara Gaffken, Director of Public Programming at Historic Huguenot Street Ed Varno, Executive Director of the Ontario County Historical Society David Hutchings, Executive Director of Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/museum-series-episode-4/

Keeping the engine of New York State tourism humming along doesn't just happen – it takes the hard work of local tourism boards, big campaigns like "I Love New York," all of the businesses that cater to visitors, and coordination and cooperation among all of those entities. Keeping a finger on the pulse of all of that is more than a full-time job. Mark Dorr is president of the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, an industry trade group based in Albany. Mark previously served as vice president and communications manager for the group. The association advocates on behalf of the industry before state lawmakers and regulatory agencies and provides educational programs and online marketing exposure. Mark graduated from the College of Saint Rose with a degree in Public Communications and received his master's degree in Journalism Public Communications from Murray State University in Kentucky. He previously worked as an editor and feature writer for a publishing company and was the editor of an award-winning weekly newspaper in the Catskills. He also spent three years as an editor-of-record in Troy, New York. A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/mark-dorr/

In this episode, we will learn about how to create programs and special events that attract new visitors from Starlyn D'Angelo, Kevin Walsh, and Katherine Jennings. We recently attended the 2018 Museum Association of New York annual conference and spoke with attendees from all over New York State representing all types of museums and cultural institutions. I found the conversations enlightening and inspiring. Through this series, I hope you will find a new perspective on this important segment of the tourism industry and how museums and cultural institutions are working to build community, reach audiences beyond their local markets and creating new programming and events that enhance the visitor experience. In this episode, I share my conversations with: Starlyn D'Angelo, Executive Director from The Shaker Heritage Society Kevin Walsh, President of Central NY Living History Center Katherine Jennings, Development & Major Gifts from The Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/museum-series-episode-3/

On this episode, you'll learn how the Motorcoach travel industry is changing and catering to individual needs – not just one-size-fits-all group packages, with Peter Pantuso. Peter Pantuso is the President, and CEO of the American Bus Association. ABA is the largest transportation, travel, and tour organization in the United States with nearly 4,000 members. It represents 65 percent of the nation's private motorcoach fleet. The industry provides 600 million passenger trips annually. Peter oversees ABA's government and regulatory affairs, membership, communications and marketing, meetings and conventions, finance, and publishing. He also serves as President of the National Bus Traffic Association and the ABA Foundation. The association also manages nine councils and affiliates. Peter has testified before US Senate and House committees and has appeared in a number of media outlets include the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, PBS, The Hill, and Politico. He serves on the US Chamber of Commerce's committee of 100 leading association executives, and is on the boards of the American Highway Users Association, the Roadway Safety Foundation, the Motorcoach Marketing Council, and the Boy Scouts of America National Capitol Area Council. He is also an appointee to the US Department of Transportation's Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Council and to the National Advisory Committee on Travel and Tourism Infrastructure. A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/peter-pantuso/

In this episode, you'll learn how to build strong community partnerships, with Eliza Kozlowski, Rachel Unger, and Hannah Barry. We recently attended the 2018 Museum Association of New York annual conference and spoke with attendees from all over New York State representing all types of museums and cultural institutions. I found the conversations enlightening and inspiring. Through this series, I hope you will find a new perspective on this important segment of the tourism industry and how museums and cultural institutions are working to build community, reach audiences beyond their local markets and creating new programming and events that enhance the visitor experience. In this episode, I share my conversations with: Eliza Kozlowski, Director of Marketing and Engagement at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester NY: https://www.eastman.org/ Rachel Unger, Director of Marketing and Engagement at the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester: https://mag.rochester.edu/ Hannah Barry, Digital Engagement, and Communication Specialist, Rochester Museum and Science Center: http://www.rmsc.org/ A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/museum-series-episode-2/

Today's episode is all about destination marketing, and we're learning from a master craftsman. Matt Stiker spent the first part of his career in advertising agencies running a wide range of accounts for highly creative and highly successful brands including ESPN, Coca Cola, Microsoft Windows, and X-Box. He also ran advertising and marketing for a diverse set of companies including Adidas and HP. Matt stepped into destination marketing ten years ago as the first-ever chief marketing officer for San Francisco Travel, formerly San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. And then, the same role for attractions and marketing company, City Pass. Now Matt runs his own marketing consultancy focused primarily on DMO's and travel-related businesses. A full transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/matt-stiker/