You gotta be in it to win it…closes March 25
Recovery: Busiest Air Corridors, Best Airports, Cheapest Gas, Florida Funding, California Cities, Cool Chicago, and National Parks
A few facts and figures at your fingertips and a green river, too.
OAG reports that significant capacity has been added this month by all the US major airlines. These top 10 airport and city pairs are currently the busiest air corridors in the nation.
| New York (JFK) – Los Angeles (LAX) | Honolulu (HNL) – Kahului (OGG) |
| New York (LGA) – Chicago (ORD) | Las Vegas (LAS) – Los Angeles (LAX) |
| Atlanta (ATL) – Orlando (MCO) | New York (LGA) – Miami (MIA) |
| Atlanta (ATL) – Fort Lauderdale (FLL) | New York (JFK) – Miami (MIA) |
| Denver (DEN) – Phoenix (PHX) | Honolulu (HNL) – Los Angeles (LAX) |
Airports Council International revealed the findings from its annual ASQ Awards to recognize excellence in customer experience worldwide based on data from ASQ’s Departures and Arrivals Surveys of over 370,000 passengers in 2021. The nine airport winners in North America are:
As of Monday, “The most expensive state to buy gas is California, where a gallon costs an average of $5.74. That’s almost $2 more expensive than what you’d pay in Kansas, the cheapest state to buy gas.” — Make It, CNBC.com
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has created the first-ever Tourism Cabinet. The “initiative brings together a wide range of City departments to address the most critical issues impacting the visitor experience,” said Adam Burke, President & CEO Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. “From infrastructure to mobility to public safety and a host of other areas – and as part of the City’s Tourism Master Plan – this unprecedented level of focused collaboration across City agencies will help ensure the long-term sustainability of this vital driver of our local economy.” The One of the main focuses of the cabinet will be to support the growth of tourism and the hospitality sector in Los Angeles. Doane Liu is the new Executive Director of LA City Tourism Department.
San Francisco Travel Association President & CEO Joe D’Alessandro has penned an opinion piece for CalMatters, a nonprofit nonpartisan news platform. Calling for continued tourism investment for recovery — “particularly in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego,” he writes, “Recovery in urban centers, where the largest percentage of tourism jobs exist, still lags. Cities disproportionately depend on large meetings and events to generate tourism spending and drive employment. California’s meeting market was unable to operate for most of 2020 and into 2021 and has been slow to return.”
More from Joe: “Hotel data from STR Inc. further illustrate the divide: Room revenue in California’s rural and outdoor recreation areas exceeded that of 2019’s record year. The four gateway cities, however, fell significantly short. In San Francisco, room revenue reached just 45% of 2019 levels.”
@mundomacrook via Unsplash
Visit Florida has a funding extension that cleared its final hurdle with the legislature and is headed to Gov. DeSantis for signature. In an agreement reached between the state’s house and senate, the extension will be for five years. Initially, there was support for an extension until Oct. 1, 2031. However, that was adjusted to Oct. 1, 2028. Lawmakers also reached an agreement on funding at $50 million as a one-time budget, rather than on a recurring annual basis. Meanwhile, in other Florida matters…
Visit Florida has long had an inclusive focus, reaching out to the LGBTQ community in its marketing efforts. A web page reads, “There’s a sense of freedom to Florida’s beaches, the warm weather and the myriad activities–a draw for people of all orientations, but especially appealing to a gay community looking for a sense of belonging and acceptance.”
Visit Florida President and CEO Dana Young commented in a statement reported by The Washington Post, “We like to say at VISIT FLORIDA that Florida’s sunshine is for everyone—no matter where you are from, what you believe, whom you love, or what your abilities. We want all travelers within the LGBTQ community to know that Florida is a place for everyone. We pride ourselves on welcoming every visitor with the same hospitality and friendliness.”
Visit Florida market research shows 3.4 percent of the 117.2 million domestic visitors to the state in 2019—or nearly 4 million people—identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or another orientation that was not heterosexual. Those visitors represented billions of dollars in spending.
Connect THRIVE Summit takes place June 4-5, 2022 in Orlando, co-located with IPW and eTourism Summit. Registration is open now.
In Downtown Chicago last Saturday, it was in the single digits with the wind chill, but that didn’t stop the annual dyeing of the Chicago River, a tradition since 1962. Thousands braved the chill to celebrate the Chicago St. Patricks’s Day Parade after two years of pandemic cancellations. In this city with deep Irish roots, “Everybody is Irish today in Chicago,” said Mary Linehanfoley, visiting from the Emerald Isle. “It’s just amazing here. You have a great country and everybody is so welcoming and every year. Nice good people.” Cathal Rasmussen, also visiting from Ireland, told local TV reporters, “It’s unbelievable. Super city and we’re so happy and so proud to be here. We’ve had a great week and we’re hoping to come back again next year.”
Hurray, tourism! (FAQs: How long does the Chicago River stay green? Answer: 24-48 hours…long enough for overnight visitors!)
The National Park Service has published its official annual visitation statistics for 2021 indicating that 25 of the most popular parks accounted for 50 percent of all visits throughout the system of 423 parks. Twenty-five percent of all visits occurred in the top eight most-visited parks. Blue Ridge Parkway remained the most-visited, a linear national park that runs 469 miles through Virginia and North Carolina, connecting Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
For an in-depth look at visitation statistics, visit the NPS Social Science website. For national summaries and individual park figures, please visit the NPS Visitor Use Statistics website.
| Blue Ridge Parkway – 15.9 million |
| Great Smoky Mountains National Park – 14.1 million |
| Golden Gate National Recreation Area – 13.7 million |
| Gateway National Recreation Area – 9.1 million |
| Lake Mead National Recreation Area – 7.6 million |
| George Washington Memorial Parkway – 6.8 million |
| Natchez Trace Parkway – 6.4 million |
| Lincoln Memorial – 5.8 million |
| Gulf Islands National Seashore – 5.5 million |
| Zion National Park – 5 million |
| Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park – 5 million |
| Yellowstone National Park – 4.9 million |
| Grand Canyon National Park – 4.5 million |
| Rocky Mountain National Park – 4.4 million |
| Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area – 4.3 million |
| Acadia National Park – 4 million |
| Cape Cod National Seashore – 4 million |
| Grand Teton National Park – 3.9 million |
| World War II Memorial – 3.7 million |
| Vietnam Veterans Memorial – 3.6 million |
| Yosemite National Park – 3.3 million |
| Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area – 3.3 million |
| Cape Hatteras National Seashore – 3.2 million |
| Indiana Dunes National Park – 3.2 million |
| Glen Canyon National Recreation Area – 3.1 million |
Excellence Everywhere & ‘Straight to the Point’ Takeaways From 2/22/22
Yes, we know … “there’s never been a better time” is such a cliché. But after two years of hellishness, we think it’s OK to use just one little trite phrase (as long as we stay away from “unprecendented” and “pivot.”) The point is, there are opportunities to support and praise one another. We can all use some of that. So, let’s keep our eTourism Community strong and growing, finding and applauding excellence and new talent wherever it’s found. And let’s keep learning.
eTSY Awards
Reminder: The Fifth Annual eTourism Summit eTSY Awards for excellence in digital marketing are accepting submissions through March 25, 2022. In partnership with Expedia Group Media Solutions and Zartico, the community will recognize and celebrate the best of 2021-2022 campaigns and programs with awards in eight categories.
All entries will be judged by a jury of your peers on a scale of 1-10 (1=bleh to 10=heavenly) based on the following:
- Strategy and objective
- Creativity
- Impact/Measurability
Seeking innovation in:
- Brand Refresh
- Campaign That Went Viral
- Influencer Marketing
- Podcast
- Social Media
- Video
- Website
- “Best of the Best” (a new award that eTourism Summit attendees will vote for at the live eTourism Summit event in Orlando, June 6-8, 2022)
Last year’s winners? See them here. More details and entry form? Click here.
Emerging Tourism Stars
Remember the high school yearbook tag, “most likely to succeed”? That’s who we’re looking for and we need you to tap them, please.
Are you impressed by an up-and-coming colleague? Do you know someone who is new to the industry and deserves a shout-out for their enthusiasm and creativity? Perhaps there’s a social media manager who kills it day-in and day-out. Or maybe it’s a tourism partner who always has a fresh, new idea…
In partnership with MMGY Global, eTourism Summit launched the Emerging Tourism Stars program in 2021 to recognize astute individuals in the eTourism Community of digital travel and tourism professionals.
BENEFITS FOR EMERGING TOURISM STARS
– Winners will be directly connected with a travel and tourism leader as a mentor
– Winners receive a scholarship to attend eTourism Summit on June 6-8, 2022 in Orlando, FL ($1495 value)
– Winners are recognized at eTourism Summit 2022 where they share personal stories during a panel conversation moderated by presenting sponsor MMGY Global
– Each winner is featured in a personal profile article in The Travel Vertical and in a conversation on The Travel Vertical Podcast
– Opportunity to fill the eTS Emerging Tourism Star Advisory Board Seat (annual appointment)
See the 2021 inaugural class of winners here. Note: Nominations close March 1, 2022. Those selected will be notified by March 22.
Hey, all the wonderful marketing and data nerds turned up for Straight to the Point eSessions on 2/22/22 via the eTS 365 platform and we’ve got some takeaways to share from five presentations with their DMO partners.
And thanks for playing along during the eSessions. We’ve also got a trivia winner getting a free registration at the 2022 eTourism Summit to be announced in The Travel Vertical next week.
BOUND:
- Take time to identify your current site traffic through different lenses like geo-location, on-site engagement, paid media and social campaigns.
- Analyze potential content gaps starting with entry points and overall site engagement. Dig deeper into these audiences using Google Analytics’s segmentation tool.
- Review your current content strategies for email, advertising and your website to ensure there is content tailored for each audience.
- Remember that Bound is here to help with customer success.
BVK:
No-cost things that anyone could start to do as they assess their destination and begin a process of gauging whether a rebrand is necessary:
- Do you know what your organization’s cultural values are? Have a discussion with staff, do a quick survey, and maybe a workshop to uncover what values your own employees hold. Start to coalesce as a team around these values.
- Dig deeper into your existing visitor audience research. Do you have any data points that may begin to uncover your visitors’ own personal values? Start discussing how these align or not, which your organizational values. If not, plan for the future, budget for that in your next fiscal.
- Analyze how the destination brand is perceived in the media. How do regional and national travel publications/websites speak of the destination as a place to visit? Is it safe, quirky, cool? How do your local media and local residents feel about tourism in general? Are they supportive or do they hang “Tourists go home” signs in their windows. Getting an honest and complete assessment of how you’re portrayed in the press will be an indicator of where you are, and may hint towards how much work may be required.
- Calling BVK costs nothing, and we’ll gladly walk you through our process and approach so you can determine its value to your organization, industry and brand.
ROVE:
- Ask how is your destination monitoring consumer confidence to accelerate your recovery?
- Look for ways to support your local partners in improving the visitor experience? Using data keeps the conversation objective and straight to the point!
- Develop a plan to efficiently manage your data so it’s easy to access, leverages automation to optimize workflow, can be shared with stakeholders, and you have full control over it!
- Reach out to Rove if you want to learn more about using Rating and Review data to monitor consumer confidence.
ZARTICO:
- Limit your focus. Don’t attempt too much too quickly.
- Focus on the five fundamentals of a contemporary DMO, described in more depth here.
- These are: Generating Demand, Accountability, Opportunity, Distribution, and Stability.
LONGWOODS INTERNATIONAL:
- The last two years has shown us that the desire for travel is indeed pandemic proof. Now it’s a question of destinations understanding evolved consumer demands and changing travel patterns.
- The resident is central to travel recovery: they are our ongoing visitor, generator of valuable VFR travel, and key to travel industry employment rebounds.
Straight to the Point on 2/22/22 | ‘Jeopardy!’ Champ Champions Oakland | Chicago Not In Chicago | More Dynamic Destination Content
There’s a lot going on (well, that’s good!) and so we’ll get ‘Straight to the Point’ on 2/22/22. Register & turn up! Plus, what’s new in dynamic destinations we all know and love: Oakland, LA, Chicago, Dallas, San Diego, and Daytona Beach.
Register now. Useful. Tangible. Free. Let’s get “Straight to the Point” with DMO marketers presenting dynamic case studies with their partners. Turn up on 2/22/22 at 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (ET) because we know that nobody has time to waste. Here’s your event link with content details.
Hurray for Amy!
Oakland, California gained a new local hero when Amy Schneider absolutely killed it in a record-breaking run on “Jeopardy!” Wearing her signature strand of pearls and a quick smile, the cool-as-cucumber contestant earned $1,382,800 in a 40-game winning streak, second-longest in show history. With that, Amy became the first woman to top $1 million and the first openly transgender player to qualify for “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions.
Amy says, “I will always and forever be proud to say that I’ve done my little part to ease the path for future generations of trans people to live free, open, and happy lives, and that feeling is worth more to me than any financial gain could ever be.”
Next up, a book. But for now, @Jeopardamy is championing Oakland, California in interviews, on national talk shows, in magazine articles, via social media. Peter Gamez, President & CEO at Visit Oakland writes, “…looking forward to working with Amy and share all her love for The Town.”
Note: There’s another way to get on “Jeopardy!” Limited tickets to Jeopardy! are free. If you are in the Los Angeles area, check for upcoming taping dates.
And speaking of LA…
Who Wants a Hoodie?
Adam Burke, President & CEO of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board writes, “Since we launched our new logo and branding last year, we’ve been overwhelmed with how both visitors and locals have responded! The most common reaction? Where do I get my LA merch?!
Wish granted! Thanks to our friends at House Industries and Amanda and Shepard Fairey‘s LA-based OBEY, we’re thrilled to announce a collection of apparel featuring our new logo and iconic LA neighborhoods Griffith Park, Venice, and Echo Park.
Most important, all proceeds from this project will be donated to The Midnight Mission and their incredible work providing a wide range of services and shelter for those experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/gbra2uBk. You can view the full apparel collection at: https://lnkd.in/g7mtiQ43.”
What Does It Mean?
Here’s the copy: “Since its founding, Chicago has influenced the most prominent cities across the Globe. From NY to Berlin, from São Paulo to London. However, not many people know that. Until now. Watch the video and find out more. Or just come to Chicago and see for yourself.”
CHICAGO NOT IN CHICAGO is all about other cities’ famous things that actually have Chicago roots, connections or were invented in Chicago. That’s it. The zipper, spray paint, the electric laundry machine, the mobile phone. Mind you: This is a full fledged campaign, not a blog post.
The destination branding comes not from Choose Chicago, but from World Business Chicago, the city’s economic development arm. Axios Chicago points out that the city’s chief marketing officer defended the campaign in a Chicago Tribune Op-Ed, saying the intent was misunderstood. Michael Fassnacht stressed that this isn’t a new tourism slogan, but instead “a smart and cheeky guerilla marketing campaign.”
Meantime, the website and on-location videos feature other cities (“Next Stop: London”), while a Manhattan sightseeing guide pinpoints New York places with Windy City connections while shouting “Chicago!” to confused passengers riding a branded open top tour bus through NYC streets.
A press release from the Mayor’s Office indicates the campaign will receive national media placement.
Bigger and Better in Dallas
Dallas takes the first step with plans to tear down Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center while building a bigger and better facility at a cost of $2.1 billion.
“It’s a game-changing decision by the city council to allow us to go forward with a new convention center,” Craig Davis, President & CEO of VisitDallas told USAE News. “We’ve been working on this for a year. We were expecting it to pass, and we’re grateful that it passed.”
The city council voted 14-1 on February 9 to begin design and engineering work on the 2.5 million-square-foot project. In November, a referendum is needed to approve an extra hotel tax that would benefit the project. If passed, groundbreaking is expected in 2024, with completion of the new convention center slated for 2028.
Let’s Buy Tickets
San Diego Tourism Authority, Tourism Marketing District, and SDCCU Holiday Bowl officials partnered together to announce the launch of Sports San Diego, a newly formed entity “singularly focused” on recruiting, supporting and hosting world-class sporting events. Run by the nonprofit San Diego Bowl Game Association, the organization is funded by a portion of the hotel fees collected by the San Diego Tourism Marketing District, also using the remainder of funds allocated to the tourism authority for sports marketing during the current fiscal year ending June 30, amounting to $150,016.
Daytona is Famous For…
Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is considering concepts for a $790,000 marketing campaign aimed at attracting more affluent, high-income visitors with annual incomes of $150,000 or more. The destination is replacing the NASCAR-oriented “Start Your Engines” campaign.
“Famous For More Than You Think,” was one of two potential marketing plans presented to the Halifax Area Advertising Authority board of directors that oversees and funds the CVB, by the Myrtle Beach-based marketing firm, The Brandon Agency. Potential taglines included “Famous for so many amazing ways to do nothing,” “Famous for seven-day weekends,” and “Famous for that Friday feeling any day of the week.”
A second potential campaign, “You Need a Beach Vacation,” references lifestyle changes in the wake of the pandemic. This is built around beach imagery accompanied by messages such as “It’s time to Zoom out,” and “You can’t get this from any streaming device.”
MMGY NextFactor is consulting with the destination on the formation of a three-year strategic plan including a new, streamlined mission statement and a new vision statement. — Source: The Daytona Beach News-Journal
26 People, 160 Great Jobs, 8 RFPs, 1 Podcast and a Super-Friendly Super Bowl Bet
P E O P L E
Stan Smith has been promoted to Senior Director Marketing at Visit Detroit, stepping into the role following the recent retirement of Renee Monforton, who was with the organization for 26 years. Smith has been “Telling Detroit’s Story” since joining the DMO in 2017.
Susan Klein has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Visit Pittsburgh. She joins from Doublespace Inc., a NYC-based marketing and branding agency. Klein also previously served in leadership positions at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Morrison & Foerster LLP, Citibank, Morgan Stanley and MasterCard.
Joshua Albrecht has joined Visit Milwaukee as Vice President of Marketing & Communications. His DMO experience includes roles as CMO at Discover Peoria, Executive Director at Saugatuck Douglas Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Director of Marketing & Public Affairs at Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau has named Robert Lopez as Vice President following a nationwide search. He is a Texas native with a background in journalism, hospitality, management and sales, plus a previous role as Vice President at Visit McAllen where Alexandra Arevalo will assume that role for the interim.
North of Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced Nancy Gardella as its new Executive Director. For the past 15 years, Gardella has served as Executive Director for the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, which also functions as the island’s destination marketing organization.
In New York, Discover Long Island has added two executives to the team: Justine DiGiglio, Vice President of Communications and Partner Relations and Susan Lienau, Vice President of Community Engagement.
Most recently, Justine served as Senior Communications Advisor to a Nassau County Executive and Susan previously worked on behalf of the 2nd Assembly District, the Suffolk County Department of Environment and Energy.
In Southern California, Visit Oceanside & Oceanside Sports Commission, Dana Higgins has been promoted to Vice President of Business Development. She joined the DMO in 2011.
Karl Schmitt announced his retirement in in February 2023 as President & CEO of the Louisville Sports Commission, a nonprofit founded in 1999. (“After 147 Kentucky Derbys, Louisville Knows Sports.”) Cleo Battle, President & CEO of Louisville Tourism serves on the Board of Directors’ Executive Committee.
In South Carolina, Billy Dunlap departs as President / CEO of Visit York County to start a new position as Director of Sports Tourism at Visit Greenville. The Visit York County board will soon announce and interim director and process for bringing on a new leader.
In Louisiana, Shalisa Roland joins Visit Lake Charles as Director of Public Relations. Most recently, she served as Public Relations/Digital Content Manager at Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau.
Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau announced the hiring of Brian Staggers as its new Senior Director of Information Technology. He brings 20 years’ experience, previously as IT manager for the North Little Rock School District and IT manager for the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
Rachel Semik joined Visit Phoenix on February 14 (Valentine’s Day is also Arizona’s Statehood Day) 
as Media Relations Manager. She departs her role as Media Relations Manager at Tempe Tourism Office, which she joined in 2019. (She’s keeping the cactus emoji.)
In Alabama, Robyn Bridges is the new President & CEO of Auburn-Opelika Tourism, effective May 1, following the retirement of the current president, John Wild.
In the Kansas City metro, Brooke Chonko has joined Visit Overland Park as Vice President Marketing. She comes to destination marketing as an experienced professional in integrated marketing, digital/social channel and content strategy and data storytelling.
Danielle Appley-Epstein has joined Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau as National Sales Manager. She has a hotel sales background with Hyatt and Omni Hotels.
North of Atlanta, Explore Gwinnett makes three people announcements: Bruce Johnson moves from Director of Sales to the newly created role of Director of Community Relations, Victoria Hawkins has been promoted to Senior Director of Marketing + Destination Development, and Race Roberts joins the team as Sales Manager.
A.J. Ruiz is the new Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator at Sonoma County Tourism in California. He’s a videographer and photographer with a degree in Business Marketing and Cinema from San Francisco State University.
Sophia Hyder Hock is joining Destinations International as Chief Diversity Officer. She is the founder and CEO of Papilia, an organization dedicated to developing tailored equity, diversity, and inclusion strategies for the travel industry.
Kathryn Millard has been hired by Searchwide Global as Executive Recruiter. With a background in hotels and resorts, she will focus on that sector of the travel industry as well as business development. Kathryn is based in Amelia Island, Florida.
Southeast Tourism Society welcomes Sami Baudry as the new Marketing & Membership Specialist.
Brent Curry has joined Development Counsellors International as Paid Media Performance Manager. Previously, he had been Deputy Chief of Advertising and Public Affairs for the U.S. Army in Chicago.
Tia Daniels joins the BestCities Global Alliance executive team as Director, Business Development & Community. Copenhagen-based, she is a veteran of the events and meetings industry with over 25 years of experience.
Sydney Farthing is the new Social Media Manager at Herrmann Global. Based in Greenville, South Carolina, she had been with Visit Clemson as Tourism Coordinator.
In Memoriam: Tributes are pouring in for W. “Bill” Williams, 82, retired from Choose Chicago in 2012 following 37 years of service to McCormack Place and the City of Chicago. He served as Vice President Diversity Sales and was recognized nationally as a leader in developing racial equality and opportunity in the convention and tourism business. Bill is also fondly remembered as a mentor to many seeking careers in the industry.
Adam Burke and Julie Calvert had a Super Bowl bet. A friendly wager, actually. Tourism Diversity Matters explains, “Thank you to Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO Julie Calvert and Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board CEO Adam Burke for your friendly wager in support of TDM. The winner makes a $1,000 donation and the loser donates $2,500 to Tourism Diversity Matters.”
Following the game on Sunday evening, Adam incorporated this surprise into his hometown message of congrats, “To Julie Calvert and our friends at Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, we’ll match your $2,500 donation to Tourism Diversity Matters! These two clubs were so evenly matched today that it’s only right!!” As Julie writes, “Tourism Diversity Matters is the big winner here, the win for all of our destinations.”
The Travel Vertical Podcast :: Latest episode is out :: Listen to our guest Kristen Jarnagin Reynolds, President & CEO of Discover Long Island, talk about the destination’s first long haul campaign, targeting Arizonans.
Click here for the conversation.
R F P s
Destination Augusta seeks a consultant with a proven track record of leading organizations through the strategic planning process.
Objective: directional documents for the effective leadership and marketing communications efforts, providing clear focus and a consistent direction for the next three years. The selected company will lead Destination Augusta through a strategic planning process and must be capable of delivering the following:
- Review and evaluation of existing plans, including the city’s new strategic plan
- A situational analysis
- A comprehensive strategic plan
- An annual business plan
- Strategic priorities and related objectives must include performance metrics
- Deadline for draft deliverables: July and
- Final deliverables: August
- Responses are due by 5 p.m. ET on Friday, March 4, 2022. More details: https://bit.ly/36npzXJ
- Contact: Trent Snyder, VP Finance & Administration – Trent@VisitAugusta.com
“Visit Indian River has just rebranded and is looking for a new website to match our new image. Our current website, VisitIndianRiverCounty.com is out of date and is time for a facelift.” — Lisa Konupka, Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator, Visit Indian River County, FL (details are found on Lisa’s LinkedIn page).
McCurtain County Tourism Authority in Oklahoma is searching for a full service advertising agency. The DMO is currently accepting proposals; the deadline to submit is March 7, 2022. Contact Executive Director Charity O’Donnell (bchamber@pine-net.com) to request a bid packet.
Visit SLO CAL, the destination marketing & management organization for San Luis Obispo, California, has issued a request for proposals for a qualified full-service public relations agency with tourism experience. The scope of work will be for a three year period beginning on or about July 1, 2022. Proposals are due by March 4, 2022. Visit-SLO-CAL-Request-for-Proposal-PR-final-1.22Download
Wyoming Office of Tourism (closing March 1, 2022) — Seeking proposals for advertising agency of record for the Wyoming state marketing program. RFP is available on Public Purchase where the WY Advertising account is RFP #0148-G – Advertising (Public Purchase requires a free log-in/registration to access the RFP.)
Public Purchase link: Public Purchase: Bid Notification, Government bids, Reverse Auctions and Procurement Tools for Government Agencies
Alaska Travel Industry Association (closing 2/25/22)— Seeking proposals for three elements (two remain open) — Advertising, PR & Media Relations, Visitor Research — supporting the Alaska Tourism Marketing Program.
Hawaii Tourism Authority — Hawaii Tourism Brand Marketing & Management Services in the US Major Market Area (hawaiitourismauthority.org/rfps)
State of Hawaii — Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism — A Research Project Related to Visitor and Resident Geolocation Tracking for July 2022 – June 2024. Deadline to apply: Feb. 25, 2022 at 4 p.m. HST
RFP DETAILS: The objective of this RFP is to seek a contractor for collecting and reporting monthly data on the use of identified points of interest by Hawai‘i residents and visitors. The points of interest include: 1) selected sites such as visitor attractions, beaches, parks, trails; 2) locations identified as “hotspots” by the Hawaii Tourism Authority in its Destination Management Action Plans and other sources; and 3) areas
defined by Hawai‘i zip code boundaries. More info: https://bit.ly/3gESRD0.
J O B S
President & CEO — U.S. Travel Association
The committee tasked with identifying the organization’s next leader is working with Heidrick & Struggles on the process as of 2/11/2022. Roger Dow will conclude his 17-year tenure at the helm in July.
Senior Director Government Relations AND Director Member Engagement AND Manager Member Engagement AND Manager Digital Communications AND Manager Grassroots & PAC AND Senior Designer — U.S. Travel Association
President & CEO — Visit Seattle, WA
Executive Director — Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau, CA
Executive Director — Corpus Christi Sports Commission, TX
Executive Director — Visit Chelan County, WA (new position, new DMO)
President — Visit Overland Park, KS
President & CEO — South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, Hammond, IN
Executive Director — Visit Dana Point, CA
Director — South Padre Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, TX
Chief Financial Officer — Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, OH
Senior Vice President of People and Culture AND Senior Director of Marketing Analytics AND Social Media Content Creator (new) — Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, NV
Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion AND National Account Executive (Chicago) AND Sales Account Executive — Meet Minneapolis, MN (new)
Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion — Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB, SC
Vice President of Meeting Sales & Services — Visit Fort Worth, TX
Vice President of Sales and Experiences — Visit Tulsa, OK (new)
Vice President of Sales — Visit Greater Palm Springs, CA
Vice President Global Marketing — Destination Vancouver, BC, Canada
Director of Conventions & Entertainment Facilities — City of Kansas City, MO (new)
Director of Sales & Marketing — Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, TX (new)
General Manager — Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN
Director AND Manager Sports Tourism AND Manager Tourism Marketing — Lake County Board of Commissioners, FL
Deputy Director — Space Coast Office of Tourism, FL
Senior Director of Convention Services — Destination Cleveland, OH
Director of National Accounts (mid-Atlantic) AND Visitor Services Specialist — Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, TN
Convention Sales Manager AND Senior Manager Research AND International Media Relations Manager — Destination DC, Wash., DC
Director of National Accounts — Visit Spokane, WA
Global Marketing & Trade Account Executive AND Senior Manager Social Media — Visit Florida
Director of Public Relations — Visit Tampa Bay, FL
Director, Tourism Market Development-Canada & US AND Integrated Marketing Project Manager AND Technical Project Manager AND Coordinator Member Programs & Services AND Senior Copy Director AND UX Design Lead — NYC & Company
Director of Digital Marketing & Media Relations AND Visitor Information Specialist — Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau, OH
Director of Marketing — Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, AK
Director of Marketing AND Director of Sales — Visit SLO CAL, San Luis Obispo, CA
Director of Marketing & Communications — Visit El Paso, TX
Director of Marketing AND Human Resources Manager AND Manager Visitor Center at Boston Common — Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, MA
Director Event Management AND Site Experience Manager AND National Sales Director (DC area) AND Brand Marketing Coordinator AND Network & Systems Engineer — San Diego Tourism Authority, CA
Manager Global Tourism Development AND Manager Social Media AND Manager Global Communications AND Manager European Communications AND Coordinator Marketing AND Full-Stack Drupal Developer AND Payroll Manager — Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, CA
Brand Marketing Manager AND Content & Social Media Manager AND Marketing Coordinator — Visit Napa Valley, CA
Manager of International Marketing — Visit California
Content Producer (new) AND Marketing Project Planner (new) AND Sales Coordinator AND Services Assistant — Visit Detroit, MI
Marketing Manager AND Marketing Project Manager AND Sales Coordinator — Visit Dallas, TX
Marketing Manager — Experience Columbus, OH
Communications Senior Manager — Colorado Tourism Office
Communications Manager Meetings & Conventions — Visit Orlando, FL
Public Relations Manager — Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, CA
Public Relations Manager — Sonoma County Tourism, CA
Communications Coordinator — Experience Scottsdale, AZ
Communications & Travel Trade Manager — Yakima Valley Tourism, WA
Marketing & Social Media Specialist — Visit Buffalo Niagara, NY
Communications & Marketing Manager — Town of Culpeper, VA
Tourism Data Specialist — Visit North Carolina
Tourism Director — Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism, VA (new)
Tourism Manager — City of College Station, TX
Tourism Manager — Snowmass Tourism, CO
Public Relations/Digital Content Manager AND Website Manager — Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau, LA (new)
Business Insights Specialist — Destination Vancouver, BC, Canada
Business Development Manager — Visit Carlsbad, CA
Manager Travel Trade — Ottawa Tourism, Canada
Market Intelligence Analyst — Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau, FL
Tourism Data Specialist — Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, Raleigh
Social Media & Content Manager — Explore Asheville, NC
Destination Content Coordinator — Rowan County Tourism Development Authority, NC
Sports/Group Sales Manager AND Senior Sales Manager — Visit Williamsburg, VA (new)
Sports Tourism Sales — Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, State College, PA (new)
Sales Manager AND Sales Specialist — Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center, FL
CRM & Research Analyst — Visit Loudoun, VA (new)
Data Analyst — Visit Grand Junction, CO
Sales & CRM Support Coordinator — Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, RI (new)
Sports Sales Manager AND Event Services Specialist — Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB, MO
Sports Marketing Coordinator — Savannah Sports Council, GA
Social Media & Content Associate — Visit Pensacola, FL
Digital Marketing Coordinator — Mammoth Lakes Tourism, CA
Marketing Coordinator — Visit Oceanside, CA
Digital Media Manager — Dutchess Tourism, Inc., NY (new)
Destinations Service Specialist — Discover Kalamazoo, MI
Integrated Marketing Manager — Brown County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Nashville, IN
Marketing Assistant — Experience Scottsdale, AZ (new)
Vice President of Global Sales — ConferenceDirect
Director of Research — Longwoods International
Product Manager AND Senior Data Advisor AND Data Scientist AND Product Support Specialist AND Data Scientist…and more — Zartico
Account Manager — Madden Media, Tucson, AZ
Account Coordinator (German-speaking) — MMGY Global, Los Angeles
Account Coordinator, Account Executive (LA), AND Account Coordinator (Austin), AND Account Coordinator, Account Executive, Senior Account Executive, Account Supervisor (NYC) — MMGY NJF
Marketing Manager AND Media Coordinator AND Senior UI Web Designer AND Account Manager AND Coordinator AND PR/Content Coordinator AND PR/Content Specialist AND Social Media Coordinator — Relic Advertising + EKR, Provo UT
Interactive Producer AND Account Coordinator AND Account Manager AND Advertising & Data Manager AND Business Analyst (Lakewood, CO) AND Human Resources Generalist (new) AND Project Manager Studio Operations (Sarasota, new) AND Content Coordinator (new) AND Web Developer (new) — Miles Partnership
Advertising Project Coordinator — Datafy, remote
Tourism Public Relations Account Director AND Marketing Specialist Creative Services — Development Counsellors International
VP Experiences — Modern Adventure, Portland OR, or remote
Digital Marketing Manager — Rezdy, remote
Content Marketing Manager AND Client Success Manager — Sojern, remote
Director of Organizational Development & Communications — Dollywood Parks & Resorts, TN
Marketing & Brand Manager AND Social Media Manager — Navy Pier, Chicago
Director of Marketing & Partnerships AND Creative Project Manager/Senior Production Manager AND Graphic Designer AND Executive Assistant & Customer Service AND General Manager AND Creative Content & Social Media Manager — Museum of Women, NYC (new, opening summer 20022)
Membership Marketing Manager — The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI
Event Coordinator — Northstar Travel Group, Secaucus, NJ
Senior Manager Destination Marketing — Delta Air Lines, Atlanta
Account Executive (x2) Restaurant Vertical — Google, Chicago
