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What’s New? CEO for San Diego Tourism; Las Vegas Tagline; People, Places & Jobs

January 20, 2020 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

PEOPLE & PLACES (including outer space)

San Diego Tourism Authority announced the appointment of Julie Coker as the new president and CEO effective in March. Currently serving as president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, Coker will succeed Joe Terzi, who announced his retirement following 10 years with the San Diego DMO. Coker has served as chair of the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Women in Lodging council and as a member of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality. She currently serves as an executive committee board member of Destinations International and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and is on the executive committee of U.S. Travel Association.

Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau welcomes Mike Sophia as Vice President of Sports Business Development. In his new role, Sophia will be leading the sports business development team’s efforts to attract professional, collegiate, amateur and recreational sporting events to Broward County. Sophia comes to Fort Lauderdale from his previous position as director of the Sacramento Sports Commission, prior to which he worked with the Atlanta Committee for the 1996 Olympic Summer Games, the Florida Sports Foundation and the Miami-Dade Sports Commission.

Jennifer West, a former television production manager for New Line Cinema, is the first manager of the new Sacramento Film Office. Previously housed within Visit Sacramento where film commissioner Lucy Steffens spent 36 years, the city made a decision to transition the department. The California capital, with its Everytown USA quality, has had success with major films such as “Lady Bird,” “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “American Beauty” and “Almost Famous.”

In Greater Los Angeles, Nevo Waintraub has joined Arrivalist as senior business development director. He had previously been at HomeAway, now Vrbo, for a decade and also at TripAdvisor.

NYC & Company has announced a two-year cooperative tourism marketing agreement with Marketing Manchester in the UK. The DMOs will exchange marketing assets worth $500,000 in each destination. Digital billboards on Manchester’s main roads and public transport will promote NYC and bus shelters and digital screens throughout NYC’s five boroughs will promote Manchester. The deal signed by Marketing Manchester’s Managing Director Sheona Southern and NYC & Company’s President & CEO Fred Dixon, also includes the sharing of best practices in tourism marketing and destination management, such as strategies around arts and culture, sports, and LGBTQ+ travel.

In related news, NYC & Company has teamed up with Singapore Airlines for an out-of-home campaign that depicts Lady Liberty telling Singaporeans that she ‘Welcomes You. Always’.

In case you missed the rumor, (The Travel Vertical, 1/7/2020), it’s confirmed. According to Fox News sources, Steve Hill, President/CEO of Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority, says the city’s award-winning slogan will be retired and replaced this month. A multi-million national ad buy is expected to align with the 62nd GRAMMY Awards airing Jan. 26, 2020 on CBS.

*Sensorio, a temporary illuminations installation in Paso Robles*

The New York Times, “52 Places to Go in 2020” list has Washington, D.C. ranked #1 in the position Puerto Rico held in 2019. Other U.S. destinations that rock the list include Paso Robles, Calif. (#6); Colorado Springs, Colo. (#13); Grand Isle, La. (#19); Austin, Texas (#27); Richmond, Va. (#29); Glacier National Park and Whitefish, Mont. (#52).

Fallingwater, in Pennsylvania, and seven other sites designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright have been named to UNESCO World Heritage List. In seven states, these eight buildings are Fallingwater, Unity Temple, Frederick C. Robie House, Taliesin West, Hollyhock House, Herbert and Katherine Jacobs House, Taliesin and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

This group is now among only 24 sites in the U.S. out of 1,000-plus worldwide.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced a $300 million proposal to upgrade the Erie Canal with recreational hotspots and environmental improvements to combat flooding, restore wetlands, and enhance agricultural irrigation. Revamping the 19th-century waterway spanning 363 miles from the Great Lakes to the Hudson River is expected to bring a wave of economic development to 225 nearby cities and towns.

Sixty miles out there at the very edge of the continent on Cape Cod, Provincetown, Mass. goes about things a bit differently. Right now, the tourism board is thinking about how more visitors impact the local scene and is asking everyone to contribute their two cents about what the new website should include.

The site is in a soft launch and expected to be done in late February. But first, @PtownTourism is asking every resident and visitor: “Contact us. We want to hear from you. The email address is tourism@provincetownma-gov.”

Sister Cities International, established in 1956, has appointed Leroy Allala as its new president and CEO. The announcement was made by San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Sister Cities International Board Chair. Allala has most recently been executive VP, World Business Chicago, a public-private partnership to drive inclusive economic growth and promote Chicago as a leading global business destination. He also served as executive director of Chicago Sister Cities International.

North Dakota Tourism unveiled its new 2020 marketing materials and destination marketing strategies inviting visitors to “Be Legendary.” The DMO will spend $2.9 million advertising the state this year, continuing with North Dakota native actor Josh Duhamel as the spokesperson, as it has done since 2013. Advertising efforts had more than 100 million impressions through TV, print, out-of-home and digital advertising last year. Reports indicate that verified arrivals in 2019, tracked through digital advertising, increased 2%. Arrivals from the Chicago market where marketing efforts were targeted increased 22%. Inquiries requesting visitor information and travel guides increased 44%. Behind-the-scenes shots with the actor and a video are found here.

Kentucky is highlighting 2020 as the “Year of Music” in its official visitor’s guide. The Kentucky Department of Tourism Visitor’s Guide features Kentucky native and Nashville performer J.D. Shelburne on the cover, and a news release says the issue includes many Kentucky artists.

“Curiouser and curiouser,” cried Alice in Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass.” Basically, that’s been the wide-reaching reaction to the newly unveiled camouflage (for hiding in orbit?) uniform design released by the U.S. Space Force, the newest division of the U.S. military.

Pointing out that there are neither green trees nor brown underbrush in space, the Twittersphere had a heyday with this announcement, posting comments such as this.

JOBS

Shelby, KY Tourism Commission & Visitors Bureau – President & CEO

Experience Scottsdale – Communications Coordinator

Visit Sonoma County – Media Relations Manager

Santa Monica Travel & Tourism – Marketing Coordinator

Visit York County (SC) – Communications Manager

Visit Santa Cruz County – Marketing Communications Coordinator

Visit Alexandria (VA) – Destination Sales Manager

Montana Office of Tourism – Administrative Assistant

Vermont Chamber of Commerce – Communications Specialist

Atlas Obscura (Brooklyn) – Account Executive

Simpleview (Tucson) – 1) SEO Analyst and 2) Communications Specialist

Travelzoo (NYC) – Brand Marketing Manager

Associated Luxury Hotels International (Dallas) – Marketing Coordinator

District Detroit (Detroit Red Wings) – Director of Marketing

Washington Nationals – Event Marketing & Administration

Boston Duck Tours – Director of Sales & Marketing

City of Plano (TX) – Tourism Consultant

Delaware North (NYS) – Director of Marketing

Alamo City Sports Complex (San Antonio) – Director Marketing & Communications

Sitka Tribe of Alaska – Tourism Manager

GetYourGuide – Senior Destination Manager NYC

Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum (Nashville) – Website Content Coordinator

NYC Ballet – Assistant Group Sales & Tourism

Miami City Ballet – Manager, Audience Development & Partnerships

Company X (Museum in Tulsa) – Director of Marketing & Communications

…plus more job listings in last week’s edition of The Travel Vertical.

Get Your People & Insider News Here (Plus a Pure Gold Toilet Heist)

September 17, 2019 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Following an extensive international search, Tourism Toronto announced the appointment of Scott Beck as president and CEO from Oct. 15. For the past 14 years, Beck has served as president and CEO of Visit Salt Lake. A proven leader in the destination sales and marketing industry, Beck served on the executive committee of Destinations International for six years and served as the organization’s International Board Chair from 2014-2015.

Q: Which quote from his school days inspires Ed Harris, CMO of Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board? “The cream rises to the top” or “Be real and take a chance.” A: Both. Did you know? Ed played basketball with Kobe Bryant but only one of them got drafted into the NBA. Read more about this tourism thought leader, member of the eTourism Summit Advisory Board, in this profile piece from MONTCO.TODAY.

ADARA has announced the latest update of Destination Marketing Cloud with predictive capabilities to power insights into market drivers and customer actions. The enhanced Impact Plus allows destination marketers to gain a comprehensive view of marketing efforts on flight bookings into a destination in addition to functionality for hotel bookings.

Wisconsin Department of Tourism has named three new agencies of record. They are Hiebing for marketing and advertising, Turner for public relations, and Simpleview for web development announced following a nationwide RFP round for integrated marketing that saw 27 bids from 17 agencies in nine states. Contracts with Hiebing, Turner, and Simpleview will span three years, with the option to add two, one-year extensions.

Atlas Obscura, the online travel magazine known for shining a light on little-known things, has attracted Airbnb Inc. as an investor. Positioned as a new partnership, Airbnb is leading a $20 million Series B funding round into the Brooklyn-based media and experiences company. Airbnb will offer the ability to book Atlas Obscura trips and local events through Airbnb’s site and app while taking a cut of the business. Atlas Obscura said it plans to use the money to vastly expand its trips and local experience offerings, which the company says make up more than half its business.

Vail Local Marketing District, funded by a lodging tax, is splitting from Vail Resorts for its online efforts starting in 2020. Vail Resorts’ customer data is focused primarily on winter guests and the marketing district is focused on the rest of the year. Vail Town Council has approved adding $310,000 to the district’s 2019 budget for developing a website, licensing and a third party contractor for data expected to be operational by March 2020.

Four months after Pinellas County decided against going forward with its initial Visit St. Pete/Clearwater CEO choices, a new trio of finalists is announced. Christopher Barrett, 57, the current president and CEO of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau; Jeffrey Seifried, 36, president and CEO of the Branson Lakes/Area Chamber of Commerce and county visitor bureau; and Steve Hayes, 56, the president and CEO of Visit Pensacola. On the evening of Sept. 30, the community can meet all three candidates.

Sojern is looking for a chief revenue officer based in San Francisco. Responsibilities include accountability for the performance of all global revenue operations functions within the organization: sales, marketing, and customer success.

London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s official promotional agency, seeks a Chief Representative to lead international trade and investment for North America based in NYC. The nonprofit public-private partnership is funded by the mayor’s office and a network of commercial partners. The role holder is responsible for winning new investment for London, forging strong relationships with key US clients with a London base, and creating a strong network to support London high-growth businesses. Target audiences are leisure and business tourists, the travel trade, event organizers, overseas businesses and investors, and prospective higher education students.

President & CEO of San Diego Tourism Authority, Joe Terzi, has been awarded with the top honor at the 37th Annual CalTravel Summit, the F. Norman Clark Tourism Champion of the Year. Terzi retires in January 2020 and a nationwide search is underway for a new chief executive.

Love San Diego? The American professional soccer team USL San Diego has announced several key additions to its leadership and executive team while continuing the search for a VP of marketing and a content manager. Launched on June 19, USL San Diego is the newest member of USL Championship, a USSF-sanctioned Division II league. The Club will play at Torero Stadium, under a three-year agreement with the University of San Diego.

Glenn Eden has been selected by Mayor Lori Lightfoot to lead the board of Choose Chicago. He has spent 20 years at PR firm Weber Shandwick, managing corporate, tech, financial services, manufacturing and government clients. Eden takes over leadership of the board of directors, replacing Desiree Rogers, appointed by the previous mayor and chair since 2013. Eden will work alongside CEO David Whitaker, in the job since 2016.

CrowdRiff needs a bigger trophy shelf. They’ve been named to Startup 50: Canada’s Top New Growth Companies 2019. The latest award will look good next to Canada’s Top 100 Small & Medium Employers 2019, 2018 Top Startups in Canada, and Best Workplaces in Technology awards. Meet CrowdRiff in person at #eTS19.

In Brevard County, Florida, the Space Coast Office of Tourism announced the selection of Charity Stewart as the new tourism marketing director beginning Sept. 16. Stewart is currently with Move Digital in Huntsville, Alabama, a digital marketing agency. Prior to that, she served six years as social media and advertising director for the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

Joe Taylor has resigned as executive director of the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau effective Sept. 27 after just over a year on the job. Taylor was previously president of the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau since 1998. A search is currently being conducted for a new tourism leader.

Tom Muldoon has been appointed interim president and CEO of Discover Lancaster (PA). Muldoon had served as president of the Philadelphia CVB for 26 years (1985-2011) and will help guide the DMO as it continues its search to find a permanent successor to Kathleen Frankford, who left the position last February to join MMGY/NextFactor as vice president of marketing. Frankford had held the job for nearly seven years.

Jim Werner has been appointed chief tourism officer at Visit Philadelphia. A 14-year veteran of the organization, Jim Werner manages the DMO’s tourism and hospitality industry relationships, working with city and regional hotels on marketing strategies. He also oversees development of the Visit Philly Overnight Hotel Package and other overnight leisure initiatives and guides policy and advocacy efforts.

In Hawaii, it’s called the Kuleana Campaign, which means responsibility. Aimed at sharing the do’s and don’ts with visitors, it’s been launched through a partnership between Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) and Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau (HVCB). Three videos of 15-, 30- and 60-seconds (also translated into Japanese, Korean, Chinese) feature 15 Hawaiians who focus on conservation, environment, ocean safety, coral reef protection and other preservation issues. Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest Airlines are showing these videos to passengers before arrival and some hotels show the “Kuleana” videos in guest rooms. When in-destination, visitors logging into Facebook and Instagram see the videos pop up, thanks to geo-targeting technology. See the video here.

American Airlines is not pursuing naming rights expiring this year for the Miami Heat’s home arena which has carried the $42M branding in a 200-year deal since its 1999 opening. NBA teams have secured large naming rights contracts recently: Golden State Warriors signed a 20-year, US$300 million naming rights partnership with JP Morgan Chase for the new venue in San Francisco in 2016. Last year, the Atlanta Hawks negotiated a US$175 million 20-year deal with State Farm despite having one of the lowest average attendances in the NBA. American Airlines Center, home to the Dallas Mavericks, is a deal that runs through 2031.

After 60 years, downtown Detroit’s convention venue, Cobo Hall and Cobo Center, has a new name. Larry Alexander, president and CEO, Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, said TCF Bank is the perfect partner for the 22-year partnership. Recently merged with Chemical Bank, the bank will soon build a landmark tower as its headquarters in downtown Detroit and helped spearhead the $35 million Strategic Neighborhood Fund to bolster Detroit neighborhoods.

Everybody’s talking about: Janelle Eliana. How did a brand new YouTube channel get over 18 million view and nearly two million subscribers in one month with just two starter videos? Living out of a converted van and traveling solo around California with her pet albino snake, this 21-year-old became an overnight YouTube sensation. Experts say she nailed it on the keywords.

Steal This Idea: Greater Newark Convention & Visitors Bureau is partnering with United Airlines on a contest giveaway trip for two for “Three Perfect Days: Newark.” It’s a spin-off following reader response to a popular article published by Hemispheres in-flight magazine, said Karin Aaron, president & CEO, GNCVB. The DMO is working with Advance Media to promote the contest in three markets: Dallas, San Francisco/Oakland, and Chicago. Contestants may enter via the splashy landing page at NewarkHappening.com/3PD through Sept. 30.

Steal This Idea: Manchester United and Visit Malta have created an unlikely multi-year partnership. The UK football club in Manchester, England will provide the DMO with exposure at Old Trafford football grounds and on the club’s digital marketing channels, social and printed media. The Maltese Tourism Authority will provide exclusive travel offers for fans of the club.

Steal This Toilet: At Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, birthplace of Winston Churchill—a major tourist attraction and UNESCO World Heritage Site—Thames Valley Police have arrested a 66-year-old man in connection with the theft of a solid 18-karat gold toilet. Visitors were able to queue up to use the loo since its installation last week as part of an art exhibition by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. Stolen in the pre-dawn hours, the toilet titled ‘America’ was widely reported to be worth $1.25 million, but Blenheim’s CEO has since said it is valued at $6 million.

We’ve Got News For You

September 3, 2019 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

John Groh, president/CEO of Illionois’ Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, adds on a new volunteer role of board chair of Destinations International Foundation, a 24-member group. The foundation is a nonprofit that provides education, research, advocacy and leadership development opportunities as a supporting entity to Destinations International, the world’s largest resource for official destination organizations, convention and visitors bureaus and tourism boards.

What’s a DSO? Sonoma County Tourism has embraced the transition from destination marketing organization to destination stewardship organization, announced in last week’s annual meeting. SCT has contracted with Coraggio Group of Portland, OR to help develop the master plan (reported in The Travel Vertical, 8/6/2019) described as “a roadmap for becoming a region that attracts travelers from around the world while at the same time safeguarding the needs of local residents and businesses,” according to the Sonoma Index-Tribune. About the initiative, President/CEO Claudia Vecchio said, “Becoming a DSO doesn’t shift dollars. Becoming a DSO shifts the messaging about the destination to both leisure and business audiences, and creates additional opportunities to appeal to potential domestic and international visitors.” See this week’s Visit California article here and read more here.

In Greater Atlanta, Jennifer Rosa was named director of the Madison-Morgan Convention & Visitors Bureau. She joins from Burson Cohn & Wolfe and was previously with Hemsworth Communications, a firm specializing in tourism and hospitality.

In Indiana, Noble County Convention and Visitors Bureau has promoted Emily Schneider to executive director. She joined the organization in January and had been serving as interim executive director since April.

Jane Zhang, known as “Dolphin Princess” for her high vocal register, will lead Brand USA‘s biggest-ever campaign on the Weibo next month. The campaign, “Feel the USA“, is being filmed in Las Vegas, New York and San Francisco. Zhang has 42 million Weibo followers. Brand USA declined to say how much it was investing in the campaign but marketing chief Tom Garzilli said in a statement that it is “the biggest consumer initiative we’ve had with Sina Weibo since we began working together five years ago.” To read more about the China marketing efforts of several DMOs, click here.

In related news, San Diego Tourism Authority and Brand USA have a first-of-its-kind U.S. partnership with Fliggy and Alipay, the digital payment platforms operated Alibaba Group’s travel services platform, Ant Financial.

Steal This Idea:

The City of Miami Beach has launched a new digital portal, “Filmed on the Beach” so people can get to know and love the city’s film history (“Godfather II,” “Scarface,” “Bad Boys,” and more) and locations, right from the comfort of home. The website also provides contacts for grants and funding support for filmmakers to help bring productions to the area.

Great minds think alike.

San Francisco Travel Association has produced a list of their movie great film locations. From the pretty Pacific Heights home of “Mrs. Doubtfire” to the Painted Ladies in “Full House” and from the crazy hills in “Bullitt” chase scenes to the Alcatraz Island prison fortress in “The Rock,” the classic film and TV location rundown is found here.

Iowa Nice Guy is a local actor starring in the Catch Des Moines campaign, “The S’s Are Silent.” “Every city says they have great food, great art, and unexpected attractions,” said Greg Edwards, President & CEO at Greater Des Moines CVB. “So we need to be creative and innovative to create a sense of place, especially when we don’t have mountains or oceans…” Ben Handfelt, VP Marketing, said, “Being a best-kept-secret is overrated. We want to shout about our community and this campaign can really make some noise.” See the campaign’s digital assets here and the press release and video here.

Discover Long Island is partnering with eight regional Industrial Development Agencies to apply for a National Grid Cooperative Marketing grant that, if approved, would seek to attract new business to the island. The collaborative effort uses the DMO’s new tourism branding, “BeLONG on Long Island” as an umbrella message. “Research confirms that Long Island is a brand with strong name recognition, and it has been proven that increasing visitation to a destination leads to a more favorable perception and, ultimately increased economic opportunities,” said Kristen Jarnagin, president & CEO of Discover Long Island.

@AndrewNelson, Dir., Editorial Partnerships -NGT

The Twitterverse is sad to hear that National Geographic Traveler, a magazine founded in 1984, is folding with the December/January issue. The publication is owned and being shuttered by Disney which acquired it from the former 21st Century Fox. National Geographic Society founded National Geographic Magazine in 1888.

Long live glossy magazines! Visit Oakland has published 75,000 copies of their shiny new 74-page “Inspiration Guide” featuring Oaklanders for distribution in the Bay Area. “We are hoping to open visitors’ eyes to the spirit of Oakland and ensure that they don’t miss out on anything—from our extraordinary attractions to our diverse culinary scene, annual events and outdoor adventures,” said Mark Everton, president & CEO. Also available as a digital magazine on the website, the publication was produced by Diablo Publications, an employee-owned local publisher with a custom media division.

Effective immediately, United Airlines makes MileagePlus frequent flyer miles into a forever thing. Previously, the loyalty program expired unused earned miles within 18 months. Meantime, can you really use them? United joins American and Delta in a global trend to hybrid dynamic pricing for loyalty rewards. U.S. airlines are struggling to balance loyalty with overall load factors that have reached historic highs.

Similarly, Marriott’s Bonvoy introduces a three-tier model as a function of demand starting Sept. 14, 2019. Marriott’s peak season hotel rooms will cost up to 33% more in points during high occupancy periods, as seen in this chart.

Some good news from the world’s largest hotel group, Marriott (7,000 hotels worldwide with 1.4 million rooms) pledges to do away with tiny single-use plastic for toiletries by 2020. The company estimates that when the transition is complete, it will prevent around 500 million small bottles, or 1.7 million pounds of plastic, from entering landfills every year. See the promotional video here.

Tempted.com is the first travel startup, a digital travel platform dedicated to providing worldwide adult-only, kid-free accommodations, restaurants and activities. The website shows partnerships with Booking.com, TripAdvisor, Get Your Guide, Klook and Orbitz. Launched in San Francisco by Mariam Bulin-Diarra, the Founder/CEO said, “…We have a special section, Pride, dedicated to LGBT travelers, and we are also planning to add cannabis tours in our travel catalogue.”

In seven countries, Instagram is already testing a move to hide the number of “likes” each post gets. (The Travel Vertical, 8/13/2019). Now, Facebook is also considering a test removing “like” counts on the Facebook platform, reports TechCrunch reports. While making people feel less concerned about the accumulation of post “like” counts, TechCrunch suggests such a move could also encourage moves away from Facebook by users.

Ugh. Apple apologized for privacy mishaps surrounding Siri. The company said it would no longer retain audio recordings of the voice app’s interactions. According to Bloomberg News, “The announcement follows criticism of the iPhone maker and other technology giants for employing humans to listen to recordings of user interactions with voice assistants in a bid to improve the product.”

Google settled with the FTC for more than $150 million last week to resolve a probe into whether YouTube collected and disclosed information on children under 13 without parental permission.

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Roundup: People and Places

August 13, 2019 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

After nearly a dozen years at the San Diego Tourism Authority, President and CEO Joe Terzi is retiring effective January 2020. A long-time veteran of the tour and travel industry, Terzi came to the DMO in 2008, after serving at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide where he was a senior VP.

Also in California, Tammy Blount-Canavan, president and CEO of the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau, is leaving to take over as principal and executive vice president, destination & travel practice for Fired Up! Culture, headquartered in Puyallup, Washington, about 10 miles southeast of Tacoma. Blount-Canavan had been with the CVB since the beginning of 2012. Previously, she was president and CEO of the Tacoma Regional CVB.

Melanie Napier Beauchamp has been promoted to assistant commissioner of rural tourism and outreach at the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. A public relations and communications professional, she joined the department in 2012, and has previously served the agency as public relations media manager and director of outreach and engagement.

Ryan Callison, Visit Frisco Director of Marketing & Communications

Visit Frisco has results from the second year of a three-year study with data analytics company Buxton to track where visitors spend their time in town. The study also has a resident focus and the results are expected to shape spending and development decisions for years to come. “The last 10 years has been about Frisco building up its sports presence,” Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said. “The next 10 years is going to be Frisco rounding out the arts and entertainment and becoming known for that.”

The DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau announced the launch of a new website by Simpleview that’s sleeker, faster and more intuitive. “Created for You by You,” allows a visitor to take a peek through the eyes of residents who shared their experiences through social media. The website optimizes UGC alongside branded assets to create personalized experiences at every touchpoint. “Dynamic content-rich galleries increase user engagement and overall time spent on the site,” said Tiffany Lutka, DCVB marketing coordinator. DCVB’s Executive Director Beth Marchetti added the new site will “create economic, cultural and personal opportunities for its nearly one million residents, visitors and hundreds of businesses.”

After conducting a nationwide search that generated hundreds of applications, Kent County Tourism Corp. discovered the right person for the job was already in place, reports Delaware State News. Pete Bradley, who had previously served on the board of directors and most recently as interim president, is the DMO’s new president. Former president Wendie Vestfall stepped down from her position in April for a tourism development opportunity in Charlotte County, Florida.

Coastal Mississippi has announced a new addition: Patrick Clay as Digital Content Manager. An award-winning communications professional with years of television experience, Clay brings his videography, photography, writing and editing skills to the DMO, where he will be managing and optimizing multiple platforms to maximize the digital promotion of the region.

Board appointments: Matt Clement, (left) VP Marketing and Business Development at Arrivalist, has been named to the Board of Directors at Destinations International. Chuck Davison (right), President & CEO of Visit SLO (San Luis Obispo) in sunny Central Coast California has joined the board as well.

Brian Ross, President & CEO of Experience Columbus also joins the board at DI.

Sylvia Weiler has joined Airbnb as Head of Americas Supply Sales. She was formerly VP Audience Strategy and Global Business Development at Sojern in San Francisco and a former member of the eTourism Summit Advisory Board.

Tedd Evers, Founder and CEO of TripTuner, has joined the eTourism Summit Advisory Board. TripTuner, the inspiration and discovery engine, is a patented technology delivering personalized travel recommendations. Inspired by a stereo graphic equalizer, the distinctive interface invites users to fine-tune their preferences and view engaging photos of matching results.

Bruce MacMillan has been named CMO of PCMA, the Professional Convention Management Association. He’s currently CEO of Visit DFW, a consumer content marketing venture for tourism stakeholders in Dallas-Fort Worth, will be responsible for PCMA’s global brand development and marketing strategies, marketing, events and print and digital teams. Past roles include CEO of Meeting Professionals International and of Tourism Toronto plus leading Vancouver’s successful bid for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. MacMillan also runs BANDWIDTH consultancy, advising destinations on event sales and marketing strategies and served as consortium consulting partner in the Destinations International DestinationNEXT global initiative.

Putnam County, NY has created a department of tourism and named a new director. The move comes in the wake of county officials’ recent repudiation of the visitors bureau, set up in 2017 to deal with the scandals of the previous tourism effort. Tracey Walsh will be the new Putnam County Director of Tourism, an appointment made a day after the county legislature officially established the department of tourism.

New CEO search: In Michigan, the Saugatuck/Douglas Convention & Visitors Bureau has retained SearchWide Global to conduct an executive search to find their next executive director. The beach town 2.5 hours from Chicago has 10 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline.

Colorado Tourism Office said the state took in more tourism money without increasing the overall number of visitors. Research released last week shows travelers spent $22.3 billion in 2018, nearly 7% more than in 2017. The result is part of a two-year plan to bring tourists to less-visited areas of the state, protecting the state’s natural resources and landscapes.

Brian Fanzo, Founder and CEO of iSocialFanz, will address the 20th Annual eTourism Summit general session on Day Two, Oct. 9, 2019. Brian is a millennial keynote speaker who inspires, motivates, and educates businesses on how to leverage emerging technologies and digital marketing—to stand out from the noise and engage with customers of all ages. Don’t miss his presentation: “Press the Damn Button: How to Create a Memorable Storytelling Strategy.” Register for #eTS19 here.

Hey, Big Spender: San Diego Unveils New $19M Ad Campaign

January 29, 2019 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

San Diego Tourism Authority has launched a $19 million international six-month advertising campaign. “More than we’ve ever spent,” said Joe Terzi, president & CEO. “We’re playing with the big boys.”

The new multi-platform “Something to Smile About” campaign includes television, digital and outdoor. Ads will target US consumers plus Canada, Mexico and the UK. Fifteen million dollars is allocated for domestic markets while the remainder will be spent internationally.

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