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Emerging Tourism Stars & ‘See Tomorrow’ Conversation | People & 103 Jobs

March 2, 2021 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

PEOPLE

Gina Raimondo, immediate past governor of Rhode Island and the state’s first female governor, has been confirmed as U.S. Commerce Secretary. The position plays a key role in tourism-related matters.

Tori Emerson Barnes, EVP at U.S. Travel Association, has been recognized as one of the “Top 50 Women in Travel” by Global Business Travel Association (GBTA). A full list of honorees is found here.

Todd Bertka has abruptly resigned as director of the Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau after two years in the job. Before moving to Waco, Bertka held similar positions in Virginia, South Carolina, Hawaii and Indiana. A new director is being recruited by the Waco city manager, according to local news reports.

Mikila Lawless, formerly of Visit Oakland, has joined af&co., a restaurant and hospitality public relations firm in San Francisco.

Saluting Gladys Mae West, age 91, to whom we owe GPS. The American mathematician is known for her contributions to the mathematical modeling of the shape of the Earth, and her work on the development of the satellite geodesy models that were eventually incorporated into the Global Positioning System.

AWARDS

Do you know a rising star? Could it be you? Nominate someone today! Emerging Tourism Stars — in partnership with MMGY Global — is a new program to recognize astute individuals in the eTourism Community of digital travel and tourism professionals. * Learn more here *

SAVE THE DATE

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103 JOBS

President & CEO — Visit Phoenix

President & CEO — Explore Fairbanks

President & CEO — Visit Franklin, TN

President & CEO — Big Sky Chamber of Commerce & Visit Big Sky, MT

Executive Director — Central Wisconsin Convention and Visitor Bureau, Wausau, WI

President & CEO AND Communications/PR/Social Media Manager — Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority

President & CEO — Visit San Antonio

Chief Executive Officer — Bermuda Tourism Authority

President & CEO — Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA), Bangkok

President & CEO — VisitGreenvilleSC

Executive Director — Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau

Chief Executive Officer — Experience Olympia & Beyond, WA

President & CEO — Washington County Visitors Association, OR

Vice President Marketing — Visit Florida

Vice President Marketing & Communications — Experience Kissimmee

Director of Marketing & Communications — Discover Long Island, NY

SVP of Multicultural and Community Development — Broward County / Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Vice President of Sales — Explore Asheville

Chief Marketing Officer — Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce

Executive Director — Corpus Christi Sports Commission, TX

Executive Director — Explore Lawrenceville, KS

Executive Director-Tourism — Visit Frederick, MD

Executive Director — Visit St. Mary’s, Leonardtown, MD

Executive Director — River Parishes Tourist Commission, LA

Executive Director — Acadia Parish, LA

Executive Director — Park County Travel County, Cody, WY

Director — Emporia Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, KS

SVP, Multicultural and Community Development — Greater Fort Lauderdale, CVB, Broward County

VP-Marketing, Visit Halifax, Nova Scotia

Communications & PR Manager — Visit Durango, CO

Public Relations Manager — Visit California

Director of Communications — Colorado Tourism Office

Tourism Research Analyst — Wisconsin Department of Tourism

Digital Content Manager — Division of Marketing, Tourism, and the Arts/ State of Maryland

Digital Content Specialist — Visit Toronto

Director Content Strategy — Choose Chicago

Creative Director — Memphis Tourism

PR & Communications Manager AND Finance & HR Manager— Visit SLO CAL San Luis Obispo, CA

Director Marketing & Communications — Visit Stockton, CA

Director of Marketing & Communications — Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, CA

Research & Analytics Manager AND Leisure Sales Manager AND Leisure Experience Manager — Visit Corpus Christi, TX

Sr. Manager-SEO AND Influencer Marketing Coordinator — NYC & Company

Sales & Marketing Manager — Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, Lafourche Parish

Digital Marketing Coordinator/Social Media — Wild Horse Pass Development Authority, Chandler, AZ

Marketing Manager — Visit Placer Valley, Rocklin, CA

Business Development Coordinator — Visit Visalia, CA

Stakeholder Relations & Marketing Manager — Seneca Regional Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Services, Tiffin, OH

Business Analyst — Visit Grand Junction, CO

Tourism Director —Discover Front Royal, VA

Tourism Director — Visit Yankton, SD

Travel Specialist — Santa Monica Travel & Tourism

Marketing Manager (temp.) — City of Pearland, TX

Digital Campaign Manager — Tourism New Zealand, Santa Monica

Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist — Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, Wash., D.C.

Marketing Consultant — Grand Canyon Resort Corporation, Las Vegas

Account Executive, Sales & Marketing (NYC) AND Account Executive (Myrtle Beach) AND Senior Media Planner (Overland Park, KS) — MMGY Global

Business Development Executive AND Communications Specialist AND Product Manager — Simpleview, Tucson

Research Analyst — Longwoods International, Columbus, OH

Director of Marketing — Skift, NYC

SVP of Content, Executive Editor — Lonely Planet, Flexible or Remote

Content Strategist — San Francisco Chronicle

Marketing Manager — Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa

Sr. Director, Marketing – Tourism — Brookfield Properties, LA or Chicago

Director of Marketing — Santa Barbara Zoo, CA

Director of Marketing, Hamburg Gaming — Delaware North, Hamburg, NY

National Tourism Director (LA or Chicago) AND Marketing Automation Manager (NYC) — Hornblower Cruises & Events

Marketing Manager — Lindblad Expeditions, NYC

General Manager (Las Vegas) AND Marketing Manager (Seattle) AND Manager – Group & Tourism Sales (Atlanta) — Legends

Manager – Special Events & Booking — LA Clippers, Inglewood, CA

Director of PR — Peek.com, Remote

Market Manager — Trip.com, NYC

Managing Director, Business Leadership, Social — VMLY&R, Detroit

Associate Director, Digital Strategy — Ketchum Communications, NYC

Associate, Digital Paid Media — Development Counsellors International, NYC

SEO & Digital Marketing Specialist —Compass Media LLC, Orange Beach, AL

Account Executive — Aqua Marketing & Communications, St. Petersburg, FL

PPC Specialist — Mediagistic, Tampa, FL

Social Media Strategist/Content Creator — BlackDog Advertising, Miami

Digital Producer — Ciber Global, Orlando

Account Coordinator — Lou Hammond Group, Denver

Director Client Services — Workshop, Lake Placid / Saratoga Springs, NY

Content Marketing Manager — Atlanta History Center

Director of Business Development — Ohio History Center, Columbus

Speechwriter — Office of the Mayor, City of Atlanta

Sr. Director, Marketing & Brand Engagement — LA28 (The Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2028), Los Angeles

Content Marketing Manager — Taboola, NYC

Social Media Manager — Random Golf Club, Austin

Director, Diversity & Inclusion — Facebook

Director of Content — Snap Inc., Los Angeles

Consultants — Amtrak Vacations, Remote

Sr. Communications Consultant — Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation, (12-mo. role), Palo Alto, CA

Q&A with the Founders of KKD Tourism Advisors

February 23, 2021 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

~ A Black History Month Feature ~

Left to right: David Jackson, Kris Smith (and family), Karin Aaron

What sparked the idea for KKD Tourism Advisors and brought the three of you together as managing partners?

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic took a professional yet very personal toll on us. In a matter of days, we watched our industry deteriorate, affecting thousands of our colleagues, industry partners, local small businesses, and friends to a virus that we could not control. This was personal and we were affected, too. Our desire to be a part of the solution contributed to creating KKD tourism advisors that would serve as the outlet to our partners and ourselves while we navigate this recovery together.

As advisors to DMOs and attractions in particular, what is your key point of differentiation?

Our diverse, professional background. The tourism industry is a mixing bowl of destinations, hotels, attractions, sports, events and more. The three of us spent decades in various destinations, market segments and in leadership roles. This combined expertise allows us to work with any partner of any size.

How does your depth and breadth and years of experience, including DMO leadership, benefit your clients?

Our combined 100 years of experience is a long time! The travel industry has survived this setback before and fortunately, we have the solutions to apply. Our connection to advocacy groups, travel data and trends offers solutions for quick fix problems. We know the questions to ask and have been successful in using our experience and personal brand to benefit our clients.

Tell us more about SMERF — social, medical (military), educational, religious, fraternal — plus sports and why this is an important prospecting area for tourism recovery.

The SMERF market, traditionally used for weekends and social groups, is a great option for visitors who are more comfortable traveling with family and friends. Targeting this market is ideal as leisure group and staycations fill the void until groups, meetings and convention related travel return. Sports, in particular outdoor sports is perfect because it allows for social distancing with limited interruption for competitive play. This is important as people start to gather again and will be the dominate market segment thru the spring /summer season.

Is KKD Tourism Advisors all about small-to-medium sized DMOs?

No. KKD is a multi-lateral tourism firm that will work with any organization regardless of type and size. We recognize that everyone needs help. Our experience and thought leadership is available for any organization seeking a partner to help them recover quickly. This is why we were formed. This is why we are here.

What can you do for larger destinations that are short on resources but still need to ramp up for recovery?

KKD can immediately jump in with sales and marketing support. This includes managing your social media channels and convention sales prospecting. Other support include, tradeshow representation (in-person and virtually) as well as sports RFP/Bid response, tourism (community) readiness training and development of sustainable tourism projects for the road ahead. Simply put, there is no ramp up time in working with us. You do not have to train us and we can jump right in.

What’s your favorite inspirational quote for 2021?

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” —African Proverb

Scarlet Lady Gives Her Virginity Away — Plus Tourism News From Places

February 16, 2021 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Things didn’t go at all according to plan. Virgin Voyages took delivery on its brand new cruise ship, Scarlet Lady, about five minutes before the world changed.

To mark the first anniversary of her delivery date of Valentine’s Day 2020, Virgin Voyages launched “Shiploads of Love” to celebrate pandemic heroes.

Sir Richard Branson‘s lifestyle cruise company announced a plan to give away 2,201 voyages over the next year, looking for people to nominate others who deserve a great getaway. Submit a short video by March 16 to explain why a nominee should sail away with Virgin.

“This initiative is meant to pay tribute to those who have impacted our lives in a meaningful way,” Virgin Voyages said in an announcement. “No good deed is too small, and no individual is to be overlooked. Love and beauty exist in the eye of the beholder, including our unsung heroes, who have shown us that their embrace makes the world a better place.”

The first of four Virgin ships, Scarlet Lady is set to debut on May 9, 2021 operating exclusively as an adults-only ship sailing mainly four-to-five-night Caribbean itineraries from Miami.

O Canada: Inbound travel by Canadians to the United States has been suffering from a long-term case of the blahs since 2015. There was no upward movement on arrivals for several years due to a lousy exchange rate coupled with negative sentiment regarding North American borders during the Trump Administration. This wasn’t good news since about half of all international visitors to the US originate in North America, including Mexico.

Then, pandemic mania.

Inbound Report, our sister publication asks, what hope is there for a rejuvenated source market from our neighbor? And when? We took a closer look.

Destination Canada is fielding a weekly online survey with approximately 1,800 responses for resident sentiment questions collected from Canadians. The study is fielded from Friday to Sunday preceding the report date, weighted by population excluding the northern territories given the small population size. The questions are being asked by Leger, a market research provider.

The findings on resident sentiment survey are presented by province, to determine how Canadians feel about traveling within their own province, to locations nearby, throughout Canada and/or to the USA and overseas.

P.S. Apparently, Canadians don’t want us visiting, either. Starting next week, air arrivals into Canada must head to a quarantine hotel as they await testing. Drivers and passengers need to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours.

In the meantime, social media reminds us that Canada does have some amazing sights.

Visit Orlando launched its first major campaign since the pandemic. “The Wonder Remains,” pegged at a $2.2M budget includes TV, YouTube, digital ads, social media ads, e-newsletters and website content aimed at drive markets: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee Texas, and Florida residents.

https://youtu.be/m-etTwUT9l0

“It’s critical that we connect with audiences that are currently making travel plans to ensure our share of the market and showcase the innovative safety measures implemented throughout Orlando,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO.

Also in Florida, the Space Coast Office of Tourism launched a new campaign from their new creative agency, &Barr. Executive Director Peter Cranis said the spring campaign will begin next week with digital ads and then TV starting a few weeks later. It will run through March and focus on the drive markets. The budget for the media buy is $650,000. Check out the imagery here:

https://youtu.be/rcmoWiqCcqo

Just revealed: “The Original, The One, The Only, The Palm Beaches” is the new campaign from Discover the Palm Beaches. Channeling “the golden age of travel” is the vibe at America’s First Resort Destination that’s been welcoming generations of travelers to sunny getaways for 125 years.

Virginia Tourism Corporation announced 10 communities for Round One of the DRIVE 2.0 Statewide Tourism Plan to focus on promotion, product development and advocacy. Implementation began in January 2021.

According to a release, the VTC will facilitate the process by equipping communities across the state with the tools they need to succeed in a competitive travel and tourism market.

Bristol
Charlottesville/Albemarle County
Hopewell/Prince George County
Nelson County
Norfolk
Pulaski County
Richmond Region
Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge
Scott County
Tazewell County

DRIVE 2.0 is a community conversation with the goal of coming to a consensus for future planning. It supports a five-year strategic blueprint for promotion and tourism development in a statewide tourism plan that began pre-pandemic.

The program will focus on what DMOs should be promoting and what they should be building. Participating communities will be challenged to create ways to increase visitation and sustain vibrant communities. During the implementation process, the communities will be gathering input and expertise from their own local and regional tourism partners through a community survey and a consensus meeting.

“The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on the tourism industry,” said Rita McClenny, president and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation. “Now more than ever, it is imperative that we provide strategic guidance and direction as we look ahead to brighter days. DRIVE 2.0 does just that, outlining key strategies for destinations to succeed, from understanding the competition to developing connected product to recognizing and harnessing the power of continued tourism advocacy.

Costa Rica Tourism Board asked North Americans to get personal with the question, “Who’s essential to you?” More than 5,800 responses came back with the names of those who made a difference during the first year of the pandemic, entered to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Costa Rica, the Tourism Board said.

The tourism board will announce 15 winners by the end of February, with each receiving a one-week vacation for two to Costa Rica.

“The fact that almost six thousand people participated in this initiative, inspired not only by expressing to a loved one what they feel for them, but also by knowing the beauties that Costa Rica offers, fills us with great joy,” said Marketing Director Carolina Trejos.

Marriott Loses a Leader, People On the Move, 101 Jobs, and ‘See Tomorrow’

February 16, 2021 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

P E O P L E

In Memoriam :: Marriott International President & CEO Arne Sorenson, 62, has died after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Widely respected, he became the third CEO in Marriott’s history in 2012, and the first without the Marriott surname.

Mr. Sorenson led the U.S.-based global hotel company through its growth trajectory as the world’s largest and steered Marriott policy on causes: diversity, equity and inclusion, environmental sustainability and human trafficking awareness. The Marriott Board is expected to appoint a new CEO within two weeks. Company news release here.

Jackie Saunders, AVP Marketing, National Harbor in Washington, D.C., has joined the eTourism Summit Advisory Board. Her previous industry roles include Visit Loudon and the Canadian Tourism Commission.

Mark Mezzapelli, VP Business & Partnerships at CrowdRiff, has joined the eTourism Summit Advisory Board. Based in Toronto, he was an early staffer at CrowdRiff, joining the team in 2014.

Michael Davidson, Executive Director of eXplore Lawrence, Kansas, has announced his upcoming retirement this spring. Davidson served in his current role since 2016 and previously led tourism bureaus from coast-to-coast including Long Island, NY and Walla Walla, WA. A nationwide search committee will work to fill the role.

Louisville Tourism has selected Dan Kyle as information technology manager, a new position in which he will be responsible for the support, maintenance and enhancement of the CVB’s technology infrastructure. He had previously been with Experience Grand Rapids.

Allison Reedy Wolfe has joined Chattanooga Tourism Co. as Partnership Director. She joins from theCO, an entrepreneur center serving 60 rural counties across Tennessee.

Gracelyn Woods has joined Bellweather Agency as COO. In addition to her work with the Apollo Theater and Sundance Festival, Woods had been a producer at NYC & Company. With offices in New York City, Philadelphia, and San Diego, Bellweather is a women- and minority-owned creative agency for travel, tourism, and government partners.

Suzanne Clark is named President & CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce where she currently serves as president. She succeeds Thomas J. Donohue, who led the organization for 24 years.

W E B I N A R

* REGISTER *

J O B S

President & CEO — Explore Fairbanks

President & CEO — Visit San Antonio

Chief Executive Officer — Bermuda Tourism Authority

President & CEO — Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA), Bangkok

President & CEO — VisitGreenvilleSC

Executive Director — Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau

Chief Executive Officer — Experience Olympia & Beyond, WA

President & CEO — Washington County Visitors Association, OR

Vice President Marketing — Visit Florida

Vice President Marketing & Communications — Experience Kissimmee

Director of Marketing & Communications — Discover Long Island, NY

SVP of Multicultural and Community Development — Broward County / Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau

Vice President of Sales — Explore Asheville

Chief Marketing Officer — Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce

Executive Director — Explore Lawrenceville, KS

Executive Director-Tourism — Visit Frederick, MD

Executive Director — Visit St. Mary’s, Leonardtown, MD

Executive Director — River Parishes Tourist Commission, LA

Executive Director — Acadia Parish, LA

Executive Director — Park County Travel County, Cody, WY

Director — Emporia Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, KS

Chief Marketing Officer AND Finance & HR Manager AND PR & Communications Manager AND PR & Communications Intern — Visit SLO CAL, San Luis Obispo, CA

Vice President Marketing — Discover Halifax, Nova Scotia

Director of Communications — Colorado Tourism Office

Director of Content Strategy — Choose Chicago

Director of Tourism and Business Development — Town of Ocean City, MD

Director of Marketing & Public Relations — Visit Stockton, CA

Public Relations Manager — Visit California

Digital Marketing Specialist — Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, CA

Digital Content Specialist — Destination Toronto

Marketing Manager — Experience Columbus, OH

Marketing Manager — Placer Valley Tourism, Rocklin, CA

Tourism Director — Discover Front Royal, VA

Creative Director — Memphis Tourism

Business Analyst — Visit Grand Junction, CO

Business Development Manager — Discover Kalamazoo, MI

Conference Sales Director — Valdosta-Lowndes Co. Conference Center & Tourism Authority, GA

Sales & Services Manager — Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, CA

Small Meetings & Events Sales Manager — St. John the Baptist Parish Economic Development Department, LA

Sales and Marketing Manager – Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou

Communications & PR Manager AND Marketing Assistant — Visit Durango, CO

Communications Manager – Alexandria/Pineville Area CVB, LA

Public Relations Coordinator — Virginia Tourism Corporation

Public Relations Manager — Heber Valley Tourism, Economic Development & Chamber of Commerce / Wasatch Valley, UT

Social Media Coordinator — San Diego Tourism Authority

Marketing Assistant — Visit Durango, CO

Diversity Apprenticeship — Visit Baltimore

Senior Director-Industry Marketing — Freeman, in Chi/SF/Wash.DC/NYC/Dallas

Director of Marketing — Skift, Remote in USA

Director of Marketing — Chicago Art Institute

Director of Marketing & Communications — Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

VP – Brand Digital & Social at Phoenix Suns — National Basketball Association, Phoenix

General Manager — Spectra, Terre Haute, IN

Director of Marketing — Sesame House/SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment — Philadelphia

Marketing Manager — Summit One Vanderbilt, NYC

Sales & Marketing Manager — Kings Dining & Entertainment, Boston

Marketing & Social Media Manager — The Howard Hughes Corporation, Las Vegas

Director of Content Strategy — Toptal, Santa Cruz, CA

Content Strategist — San Francisco Chronicle

Director of Communications — Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Director of Consumer Insights/Corporate — Hornblower, NYC

Sr. Manager Marketing/CBM Product Strategy — Universal Orlando Resorts

Manager, Marketing Analytics (Digital & Social) — HBO Max/WarnerMedia, Burbank, CA

VP – Operations — Kensington Tours, NYC or Chicago

Director — The Austin Film Festival Film Competition

Director of Audience Development — Mythical Entertainment, Los Angeles

Manager Group & Tourism Sales — Legends, Atlanta

Manager PR — Cirrus Aircraft, Nashville

Digital Marketing Manager — SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, Los Angeles

Program Manager — Off the Grid, San Francisco

Marketing Project Manager — Destination Think, Austin

Marketing Coordinator — Destination America (The Travel Corporation), Cypress, CA

Sales Reps — GetYourGuide, San Francisco and NYC

Sr. Marketing Manager/Travelocity — Expedia Group, Dallas

Account Manager, Sarasota AND Marketing Operations Coordinator — Miles Partnership, Remote

Research Analyst — Longwoods International, Columbus, OH

Software Engineer — Entrada Insights, Salt Lake City (or remote)

Content Manager — Miles Partnership, Remote

SEO Analyst — Simpleview, Remote

Global Brand Marketing & Social Media Director — Groupon, Chicago

Market Research Specialist/Project Leader — Delta Air Lines, Atlanta

Destination Marketing Manager — Wagstaff Media & Marketing, Los Angeles

Sr. Public Relations Account Manager — DVA Advertising & Public Relations, Bend, OR

Senior Account Executive, PR & Marketing — Development Counsellors International (DCI), Northeast

Senior Account Executive Lifestyle, Arts, Culture PR — BerlinRosen, NYC

Director-Social Media — VMLY&R, Chicago

Associate Digital Marketing Manager — The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill

Director of Marketing — Pacific Hospitality Group, Napa, CA

Director of Marketing — Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows, Santa Monica, CA

Travel Industry Sales Manager — Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Boston

Director, Corporate Communications — Sonder, Dallas

Head of Content Business Innovation & Market Intelligence — Spotify, NYC

VP – Global Customer Marketing, North America AND Web Strategist, Integrated Marketing (Small Business) — Facebook, San Francisco

Content Strategist — Google Ads, Boulder, CO

Senior Content Strategist/Help Center — TikTok, Los Angeles AND Platform Strategist, Global Business Marketing — TikTok, NYC

Director, Marketing Communications — Microsoft, Redmond, WA

Help! Research is a Monster and I’m Buried in Old Data

January 26, 2021 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Takeaways and tips from the first “See Tomorrow” conversation series…you won’t want to shove these to the back of the closet.

“Clutter is not just physical stuff. It’s also old ideas, toxic relationships, and bad habits. Clutter is anything that does not support your better self. ” — Eleanor Brownn

Supported by an expert panel of DMO tourism data geeks and marketers, Ted Sullivan and Esra Calvert from Entrada Insights fielded questions about decluttering the monster that is research and data. Responses are summarized; some are tagged.

Q: How many do you have coming into your DMO? How many do you think you really need?

Two dozen, perhaps? It’s difficult to determine what’s truly important, but quite a lot should be thrown out: vanity metrics, pixel tracking, duplicate data sets, summaries that are dated before you get them.

Importantly, make sure your data is answering your key questions, such as: Who are my top audiences? Where do they come from? What do they like to do? Did we reach them? How can we improve on their experience?

Q: Like cleaning out your closet…Name two data streams you’d like to get rid of and two you’d like to add.

No data is singular. Correlation doesn’t equal causation, so we benefit from triangulation of data points. It’s not really about having the “right number.” It’s about establishing what you need to plan your marketing strategy and what you need to share with stakeholders. (Zeek)

Within a DMO, data suits different departments, so it’s useful to layer these needs. Talking among ourselves about STR data, for example, can lead to better insights. What has changed? rid of old Covid numbers and data. Let’s add tools that help with spending. The surprise may be that email open rates still provide useful information when we communicate with locals. (Mitch)

Bookings are now more pertinent than brand awareness and website analytics. Top priority is to definitely keep data that supports economic impact. (Janette)

And, resident sentiment research is essential. Because people are evaluating destinations in different ways now, image research is very interesting. (Andria)

Q: What DMO’s data and marketing strategy do you admire most?

I like bouncing things off Lauren Phillips at Visit Fort Worth. But when I explore new ideas with vendors, I typically find out that Leroy Bridges at Clearwater St Pete CVB had already had that conversation, so he’s “a mystery to me.” (Zeek)

Destination Canada is a thought leader. (Mitch)

Visit Florida and other west coast Florida DMOs. (Janette)

At Longwoods International, we work with 150 DMOs, so it’s a broad viewpoint. Generally, having long-term and short-term goals in mind at the same time, all the time is a critical skill. We must not just see the year-end summary report like it’s a Christmas present. (Andria)

Q: With so much data available daily, how much time is too long to even be relevant to your destination? With so much, how do you balance timelines and relevance? Is there a mix that makes sense?

Time is precious and our resources are fewer than ever. Cleaning the data, inputting, referencing, juggling spreadsheets, managing the shelf-life is a time sink but it’s a “whole job”— a critical task.

Q: If marketing is now focusing on behaviors more than demographics, which data is now just clutter or irrelevant to your efforts?

Our post-Covid understandings now go beyond “the road trip.” Drive market is on the chopping block. We need to focus on the ‘why.’ What do they like; why are they coming here? (Mitch)

Data should serve goals, not the other way around. Bring your summary data to your meetings so it can inform strategy. (Mitch)

We look at separating short-term metrics from that which has legs. (Janette)

Q: Travel decisions are now emotional to our visitors. Is data that looks at the past still relevant or has it become clutter for your organization?

Metaphorically speaking, how do we get people to buy this box of cereal, not that one? (Andria)

Business, meetings, and events will come back; set long-term goals with that in mind. Look at PR (Cision Insights) and social media as a resource that’s timely and can fill in gaps on smaller trends between larger scale reporting. (Mitch)

Q: What is your data addiction? What can you not get rid of?

Anonymized location-based data is “creepy but sensational.” (Zeek)

In-market spending and out-of-state credit card spending.

Interactive crosstab tool in Longwoods International products.

Addicted to PR stats to help build and tell our stories, allow people to see themselves fitting into those stories that resonate with the community and with visitors.

Data that informs likelihood to travel at the top of the funnel.

Keep the statistics that support your KPIs to help prove your existence. (Janette)

Data should serve goals, not the other way around. Bring your summary data to your meetings so it can inform strategy. (Mitch)

Q: What do you recommend to DMO hoarding addicts?

Set a goal and let the data support the goal, not vice versa.

Build an internal team to clean, categorize the data.

Evolve. Use tech. Let the old stuff go.

Bring your stakeholders — including residents — into your communications.

Buy a whiteboard. Ideate. Erase. And ideate some more.

SAVE THE DATE & REGISTER for the next “See Tomorrow” Conversation — Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. ET — “See the Forest AND the Trees: Top Learnings From 2020 as Guideposts for 2021.”

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