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 by Dallas Teague Snider

Indie Hoteliers Share Challenges for 2018

Independent hoteliers discuss what they learned in 2017, what challenges are ahead in 2018 and what’s on their to-do list, which includes accommodating more foreign travel and improving loyalty programs.

Pacifica Hotels is focused on unique guest experiences at all of its 30 boutique hotels, including the Inn at the Pier in Pismo Beach, California (pictured), which is the newest property in the Pacifica portfolio. (Photo: Pacifica Hotels)

REPORT FROM THE U.S.—This year’s top challenge for independent hotels is much the same as it has been in years past: Staying unique and true to their identity.

To stay viable and competitive, independents have to give guests what they don’t get from the hotel brands.

But that’s becoming increasingly challenging, especially with the addition of soft brands to the picture, said Matt Marquis, CEO and president of Aliso Viejo, California-based Pacifica Hotels, which operates a portfolio of 30 boutique hotels.

“If you look at our sphere, there is a lot of invasion from the brands in the independent hotel (market) through their soft brands,” Marquis said. “Their soft brands are extremely competitive because they are allowing operators and owners to come in with a unique product, which is resonating with guests today.”

Kerry Cooper, VP of operations and development at L.E. Hotels, said it’s more important now than ever for independent hotels to provide unique, special experiences that make the guests want to come back.

One way L.E. Hotels is doing that is by concentrating more on social media to learn about and cater to guests’ desires and expectations, he said.

“We’ve got a lot of things that we’ll be launching in the second quarter (of 2018),” he said.

Alternative accommodations and OTAs
In addition to new hotel supply in a market, independents also have to be on guard against alternative accommodation providers that are moving in, looking to claim guests, said John Richardson, GM of the 320 Ranch in Gallatin Gateway, Montana.

Richardson said his market is heavily dominated by second home owners who rent out the properties through alternative-accommodation sites, and he’s seen an influx of that in the last 18 months.

One of the ways he’s looking to combat that this year is by listing a small amount of rooms inventory on online-travel agency sites, he said.

“We recognize that there is a larger percentage of the population that’s not going to branded websites. … They’re looking for those shared-experience websites,” he said.

In addition to driving bookings through the OTAs, Richardson said he’s looking to boost advertising for the 320 Ranch.

Marquis said Pacifica Hotels’ properties are also taking a closer look at OTA relationships, which is an area that brands usually do better with.

Retaining employees
Staffing challenges also are top of mind for independent hoteliers going into 2018, sources said.

To overcome a high turnover rate for staff, independents need to invest in their employees, said Denny Fitzpatrick, GM of Willows Lodge in Woodinville, Washington, which is in Benchmark Hospitality’s Gemstone Collection.

Within Benchmark, Fitzpatrick said 2017 was focused on reemphasizing a “be-the-difference” culture of empowerment throughout all levels of staff, encouraging employees to have decision-making powers.

“We want to have one of the lowest turnover rates in the whole industry. We don’t restrain ourselves from telling our staff we love them, we care about them,” he said. “They need to hear that.”

Pacifica Hotels has seen some success in the last few years with the development and expansion of its in-house training development program, which Marquis said he wants to continue to make a priority in 2018.

“We continue to build and promote from within our organization, and that helps in a very tight labor market,” he said.

New year, new to-do list
Marquis said the safety and security of guests at Pacifica hotels will continue to be a primary focus in 2018, adding that “do not disturb” policies will be one thing the company looks at.

Another item on his to-do list is to continue driving Pacifica’s loyalty program, he said.

“If there’s not a solution out there that’s going to help with the independent brands, we need to do a really good job on our own, (making sure) guests needs are taken care of and they’re not giving up things by staying at our properties,” he said.

The 320 Ranch has seen an increase in group travel, including international guests, Richardson said, which will be a focus for 2018.

To better accommodate Chinese travelers, particularly, the hotel has installed electric tea kettles in each of the rooms and revamped its breakfast menus, he said. Going into 2018, Richardson said the hotel will continue to be nimble in responding to the needs of foreign travelers.

The Willows Lodge’s major to-do for the year is the renovation of its restaurant Barking Frog, expected to be done in February.

“Our food-and-beverage revenues are higher than our rooms revenue, and in the hotel industry that’s very unusual. We had a real tired kitchen … that’s why we’re renovating,” he said.

The hotel is also undergoing a remodel of its spa to keep up with local demand, about 65% of which is from locals, he said.

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 by Dallas Teague Snider

India’s ITC Hotel Defines Luxury

India’s ITC Hotels defines luxury in its own way

ITC’s “responsible luxury” ethos has evolved with time, moving with the changing needs of luxury consumers, according to a company executive.

The 271-room ITC Kohenur, part of the ITC Luxury Collection, is set to open this spring in Hyderabad, India. (Photo: ITC Hotels)

GURUGRAM, India—The idea of responsible luxury has been the foundation of the ITC Hotels brand.

ITC Limited, parent company of ITC Hotels, launched its first foray into the hotel industry in 1975 with the WelcomHotel Chennai (formerly Chola Sheraton, Chennai).

Now the India hotel chain is set to add a 12th property to its Luxury Collection with the ITC Kohenur.

With more than 100 hotels in 70 destinations spread across four brands, ITC Hotels has seen how the concept of luxury has changed, Nakul Anand, executive director of ITC Limited, said.

“Luxury as we know it has evolved in the past decade. Opulence and indulgence that once formed the cornerstone of luxury is fast being replaced with luxury that meaningfully contributes to all affection by its creation and consumption,” he said.

ITC’s definition of luxury
The idea of luxury has been molded into what the brand calls “responsible luxury,” which Anand describes as a triple-bottom-line approach.

The three tiers include economic, environmental and social, which focus on better profits, protection of the natural environment and benefit to society, he said.

“Today, the sense of responsibility and commitment towards the environment is a way of life for most of our guests, who at the same time do not wish to compromise on the exacting high standards of quality,” he said. He added that guests are realizing it’s unfair for hotels to charge them a premium for their experience and “burden them with the guilt of indulgence at the cost of the environment.”

Responsible luxury for the brand means ensuring guest experience is not bogged down with reminders to constantly check consumption of towels or water, Anand said.

And while ITC hosts 12 LEED Platinum hotels in India, there’s more to being responsible than being “green,” he said. It starts, he said, with a commitment to guests, associates, the community and the planet, through experiences that are “indigenous to the culture and ethos that our hotels are located in,” he said.

This idea is visible through each hotel’s architecture, interior design, services and cuisine, he said, bridging a gap that existed in hotels that echoed India’s diversity. Anand added that the hotels act as “windows into the region.”

“ITC began building hotels that were an archetype of the culture and ethos of the region they were located in,” he said. “The distinct identity and localization that we brought to our hotels, premised on the ethos of responsible luxury, has been the game changer for us in the last decade.”

Market segmentation and targeting consumers
While luxury is the main theme, ITC’s strategy is to span different segments of the market, Anand said, which is reflected in each of the four hotel brands: ITC Hotels—The Luxury Collection, WelcomHotels & Sheraton, Fortune and WelcomeHeritage.

Because the concept of luxury has advanced considerably over the past few decades, Anand said, the hospitality industry will be challenged to “curate bespoke experiences to match the ever-evolving tastes of the discerning luxury customer.”

He added that the luxury consumer of the future may not be easily wowed and will choose to invest in rare experiences, beyond a Champagne-paired private dinner or prime seats at a concert, for example, he said.

It’s become more of a must for hotels to weave the destination into the hotel experience, he said, and showcase it by creating indigenous encounters and introducing traditions from the surrounding community, such as private tours of local villages.

Continuing brand expansion
To continue brand growth, ITC’s Luxury Collection is planting its roots in Hyderabad, known as the HITEC City (Hyderabad Information Technology and Engineering Consultancy City), with the 271-room ITC Kohenur, which is expected to open this spring.

The ITC Kohenur will “offer the best of both worlds to business and leisure travelers alike,” Anand said, adding that the tech-focused feel of the city will draw guests in for business travel, but they also will likely stay to explore historical sites and other attractions.

Also in the pipeline for the Luxury Collection is the ITC Royal Bengal in Kolkata, ITC Narmada in Ahmedabad and the ITC One in Colombo.

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 by Dallas Teague Snider

California On Track for Another Record Year in Hotel Development

California exceeds supply expectations with record 2017

California set a record in 2017 for the number of hotel rooms opened, which sources believe illustrates the state’s ability to absorb new supply. California is on track to see another record year of development in 2018, but some are wondering how much more supply the state can take in without hurting performance.

At 889 guestrooms, the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown is the largest hotel to open in the state of California in 2017. (Photo: InterContinental Hotels Group)

REPORT FROM CALIFORNIA—All signs pointed to 2017 being a good year for hotel development in California. As it turns out, it was so good that the state saw the highest number of openings of new guestrooms ever.

“We haven’t seen hotel development in California like this since 2008,” said Alan Reay, president of the Atlas Hospitality Group, author of 2017 California Hotel Development Survey. “It was a very strong year for construction companies, developers, construction lenders, all of that.”

Atlas had predicted a strong 2017 for California hotel development, he said, but no one there expected the number of new room openings to hit 10,793 in 66 hotels, surpassing 2008’s record of 10,286 new rooms.

There were several contributing factors, Reay said, including a strong California economy, record revenue growth for the state’s hotel markets, low interest rates and an availability of construction financing, which had previously been tough to get. On top of those factors, older assets, even those older than 30 years, are selling above replacement cost.

“Those factors are in play for 2018,” he said. “It could be another record. It’s on track to beat 2017 handily, just looking at the number of rooms under construction.”

Betting on Los Angeles
Out of the entire state, Los Angeles County saw the most new rooms opened with 4,309, according to the survey. Riverside County came in second with 1,236.

Many of those numbers are in response to the expansion of Los Angeles’ convention centers and the new business they have attracted, Reay said. Officials at the local convention and visitors bureau said that to get larger conventions, the city would need more hotel rooms, he said. Most of the new rooms added into Los Angeles County were in downtown Los Angeles.

InterContinental Hotels Group opened the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown in 2017, which with its 889 guestrooms was the largest hotel to open in the state last year. It also opened the 350-room Hotel Indigo Los Angeles Downtown just a few blocks over, as well as the 216-room Kimpton Everly Hotel Los Angeles. The city overall had 23 new hotels open in 2017 for a total of 4,309 new guestrooms, a year-over-year increase of 292%.

Los Angeles was a market in which IHG believed it was under represented, said Elie Maalouf, CEO of the Americas at IHG.

“Los Angeles is really not one city; it’s many cities within a city with very distinct neighborhoods,” he said. “Each hotel is going after a different market segment in a different neighborhood.”

IHG takes a long-term view, he said, because these are assets with a presence that will cut across generations, not just two or three years. Cities like Los Angeles have strong continuing fundamentals as business centers for various industries, not just entertainment, he said, and these global gateway cities continually attract foreign capital and travel as economic hubs.

“That translates into pretty steady demand growth over the years—you see that in New York City, too—and then from time to time projects get planned that deliver multiple years later,” he said. “You never really know when your project’s going to deliver in these high-barrier-to-entry cities that will deliver supply in a lumpy manner. If you take a long-term view, you would continue to bet on industry first then hospitality in Los Angeles and hospitality in all the major cities in North America.”

Looking at the numbers
Supply growth for the state is only 1.2%, while the national average is 1.8%, said Jan Freitag, SVP of lodging insights at STR, parent company of HNN. He noted the percentage change number was relatively low even with high absolute numbers because the state, and it’s hotel inventory, are so vast.

Hotels in the state overall have been selling out three-quarters of their rooms, compared to the national average of two-thirds, he said, but rate growth has been anemic. Overall, supply growth appears to be in equilibrium with demand.

Looking at the specific markets tells a different story, he said. San Francisco was an outlier this year because of the ongoing expansion of the Moscone Center, which led to room demand falling 1.1% year over year. Occupancy is still strong at 84%, but the uncertainty pushed rates down 0.6%.

The number of hotel rooms in Los Angeles increased 2.2%, Freitag said, which is healthy given that room demand increased as well. Occupancy did decline somewhat, he said, but overall occupancy was at 81%.

“The impact of new supply is felt in L.A. today,” he said. “It’s going to be interesting to monitor how room rates fair through Q1 and Q2.”

San Diego has seen limited new supply (an increase of only 1.1%), while demand grew 1.7%, Freitag said. Room rates have grown at a healthy rate of 4%, he said.

“San Diego had a strong meeting year,” he said. “It’s also a smaller market, so you can have some pricing power.”

Development among new supply
Reay said his company raised concerns at the end of 2016 about developers starting new projects in light of new supply coming online in 2017, but the market has absorbed that handily.

“The big question is, how long can we continue to add this record number of new rooms without it affecting RevPAR?” he asked.

Developers with projects on track to open in California by 2020 should be alright, as many of the current positive factors will continue, he said. However, developers looking to start a new project now that won’t open for years need to consider all the future unknowns.

“Interest rates will be higher,” he said. “If there’s a slowdown in the economy at the time when they’re adding more and more rooms that will have a negative effect.”

The number of rooms currently under construction in California is about 18,000 in 123 projects, Freitag said, which is just a little less than New York City. That would amount to a 3% increase in supply if they all opened tomorrow, he said, but it averages to a moderate 2% increase over two years. There are another 25,000 rooms in final planning, some of which will move to under construction.

“Overall, these are moderate numbers for the state,” he said.

The major metro markets are more attractive, he said, which mirrors total U.S. developer sentiment.

Also, larger markets attract more developers, more development funds and more owner interest, he said.

STR has reported on the total U.S. pipeline declining, Freitag said, and part of that is financing not being as readily available. A reason for that might be that the lending community feels the industry is long into the current RevPAR upcycle, he said, with December marking the 94th month of growth.

“They might be asking, ‘Do we want to lend into this environment when the property is going to open two to three years from now, given we’re this far into the cycle and new supply is popping up pretty regularly in those three major metros?’” he said.

Outside of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, it’s a street-corner-by-street-corner story, he said. Developers will look to local lenders who want some of their portfolio to include local hotels, he said.

“I’m not saying there aren’t any good ideas out there,” he said. “In the major markets, it will be exceedingly hard to get a standard project done.”

Editorial director Jeff Higley contributed to this report.

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 by Dallas Teague Snider

 Must-Have Publications for Top Event Planners

 Must-Have Publications for Top Event Planners

Two female caterers with dishware
Tetra Images / Getty Images
Updated October 22, 2017

As an event planner, it’s important you stay on top of industry news. This list of seven event publications targeting those in the event management industry will help keep you in the loop.

In order to grow professionally, you need to know everything possible about the world of event planning. Event publications are an excellent way to stay on top of trends, developments and available resources needed to plan and execute your many special events.

 BizBash

BizBash is a quarterly magazine packed with event planning news and features, and it’s a fantastic source for anything and everything to do with the event planning industry. Subscriptions are free to qualified event professionals, and their annual National Venue and Supplier Guide is an amazing resource. The magazine also offers a calendar of exclusive fundraisers and major events around the country.

 Meetingsnet

Perfect for meeting organizers, Meetingsnet has a free monthly interactive magazine app that lets you keep up with the latest in meeting management while on-the-go. From news to useful resources, it includes lots of valuable information about medical meetings, and association and corporate meetings, as well as event design.

 Special Events

Special Events magazine is an amazing resource for all aspects of special event planning. It’s one of the best event publications for event planners who need information about weddings, venues, event rentals, and special event accessories like lighting, tents, and linens.

Meetings & Conventions

Meetings & Conventions is a monthly magazine aimed at meeting planners and event planners working with corporations and associations. This free magazine has a great destination tool for finding hotel venues around the globe and provides all the information you need about conference facilities and more.

 Catersource

If you’re looking for an up-to-date and forward-thinking publication, then you’ve found it in Catersource magazine, an indispensable free publication. You’ll love the way the magazine highlights trends and solutions, as well as food and beverage ideas.

 Smart Meetings

Smart Meetings magazine is not only one of the best publications for event planners but it has an excellent blog as well. You’ll love their videos on how to pack for a business trip or how to drip Absinthe. This is a free subscription for qualified event planning professionals and offers networking opportunities.

 Event Marketer

Event Marketer not only provides fantastic content on all aspects of event branding and event marketing, they’re a comprehensive publication for business-to-consumer and business-to-business events. They publish an annual ‘It List’ of the top 100 event marketing agencies worldwide.

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 by Dallas Teague Snider

Preparing for the Unthinkable When Planning Your Event

Preparing for the Unthinkable

BY RCMAWEB|CONFERENCES|SUPPLIERS|TIPS FOR PLANNERS|ADD A COMMENT

In light of the recent mass shootings at a Texas church that killed 26 and the Las Vegas concert attack that killed 58, event planners must reconsider their safety plans, and what they’re doing to tighten security amidst such horror.

“Event organizers have a responsibility to create safe havens for all of our attendees. In doing so, an appropriate safety and security overlay is important,” says Peter Ashwin, principal behind Event Risk Management Solutions—a company that provides security-consulting services. “While I appreciate that there are members of our communities who wish to exercise their rights, the open carry of firearms at an event is intimidating to other attendees and increases the potential risk of accidental or intentional use of firearms.”

Many security companies that provide support to events are starting to more heavily focus on protection against gunmen as it becomes more prevalent throughout the country and world.

“The major thing we deal with now is active shooters,” says Mike Mlady, president and co-owner of AF Services Inc., an Illinois-based security and ushering service provider. “It’s a hot topic. Some convention centers throughout the country do not have anyone armed in the facility, so, depending on what the event is, I’ve recommended they have at least one armed person.”

It’s a sad reality, but event planners need to be even more aware of the unthinkable. In today’s world, it’s critical to be prepared for everything—even those things you don’t think could happen.

So, how can you prepare yourself against the possibility of an active shooter? Create an Emergency Action Plan with the below components:

  • A preferred method for the reporting of fires and other emergencies
  • An evacuation policy and procedure
  • Detailed emergency escape methods and route assignments such as escape routes and safe areas
  • Contact information for individuals who need to be contacted in the event of an emergency and a list of their responsibilities
  • Information about local area hospitals
  • An emergency communication system that details how and when to notify individuals at remote locations of the event, local law enforcement and local hospitals.

Other preparedness ideas:

  • Make sure your venue has at least two evacuation routes
  • Post these routes in a number of locations around the facility
  • If you host training exercises (which is encouraged) include law enforcement and first responders
  • Encourage law enforcement, emergency responders and bomb squads to train for an active shooter scenario at your event
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 by Dallas Teague Snider

Top Tips for 2018 Shared by RCMA

A Peek Into the Future

BY RCMAWEB|CONFERENCES|SUPPLIERS|TIPS FOR PLANNERS|ADD A COMMENT

Recently, CWT Meetings & Events, a division of the global travel management company Carlson Wagonlit Travel, released its 2018 Meetings and Events Future Trends report, which describes regional differences and cost projections as well as industry trends and top destinations you need to plan throughout 2018.

Top Trends and Tips for 2018

  1. Focus on the ‘Why’
    Define specific objectives from the start and use them to set the budget. Place a major emphasis on attendee engagement and then figure out how to measure that early on.
  2. Attendee Experience
    It’s all about simplicity in 2018. You need to make the whole process as easy as possible both for yourself and the client.
  3. Technology
    Utilize technology to make conversations easier and deliver user-friendly, personalized experiences.
  4. Budget
    Always begin with the value the meeting or event can generate. A clearly defined ROI that everyone can see is critical for continued investment and successful meetings.
  5. Safety and Security
    Plan for the amount of risk for each situation, including physical harm and cybersecurity. Make sure these plans do not inconvenience attendees.

These trends, of course, are not comprehensive. There are so much more to come, and we can’t wait to see what the new year brings! Happy planning.

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 by Dallas Teague Snider

Tips On Eating Healthy While Traveling

By Kellie Henderson, VP, SearchWide

We’ve all done it. Our intentions were good when we planned on eating right and exercising while preparing for an upcoming meeting, convention or business trip. However, once the receptions, buffets and dinners show up, all of your plans are tossed out of the window!

Below are a few tips on eating healthy while traveling.

Start your day off right: Eat a healthy breakfast. Eating healthy will give you the energy needed to kick start your day.  While at the buffet, look for oatmeal, fruit and protein (eggs and lean meat).  Most coffee shops also offer oatmeal.  Skip the baked goods such as muffins and pastries!

Pack your snacks: Try this mixture to stave away cravings during the day. This snack packs easily in your bag and is high in protein:

1 Tablespoon each (6.5 grams protein):

  • Almonds
  • Pistachio nuts
  • Sunflower seeds,
  • Walnuts
  • Raisins
  • Chocolate chips

Other travel friendly non-perishable foods include: Almond butter packs, snack sized hummus & pretzels and snack sized tuna & cracker kits,.

Protein with every meal: According to Healthline.com, protein aids in reducing cravings and helps to maintain a healthy weight. See the link for more benefits that are backed by science.

Simply eat real food: While making food choices while traveling, try and stay away from refined foods such as chips, muffins, cakes, cookies and crackers. Opt for whole foods like salads, vegetable based dishes, baked potatoes, meat and fish. Choose foods that are not heavily processed.

According to Healthline, refined carbs may contribute to diabetes, heart disease and other health issues.

Monitor those drinks: Sugary drinks can pack on calories throughout the day.  Try unsweetened tea, seltzer water with lime and when it comes to alcohol, many cocktails can pack up to 500 calories.  Try a light beer or lower calorie low sugar drink such as vodka with club soda.

Move your body: Set a goal to exercise daily. Go for a walk, hit the gym or take time out to meditate and recharge your mind and body.  As little as 20 minutes can provide the needed energy boost and keep you charged. (Popsugar: 2 Important Reasons to Move 20 Minutes a Day)

Remember while traveling, eating properly does not mean you have to sacrifice taste or nutrition. With the right planning and mindset, you can enjoy your trip without packing on the pounds.

About Kellie Henderson:

kellie_hendersonKellie works in all sectors of the hospitality, travel and tourism industry at Searchwide, a full service executive recruitment firm primarily for companies in the travel, tourism, hospitality, convention, trade association, venue management and experiential marketing industries. She is an expert at recognizing clients’ needs and identifying best-in-class talent. She is also the leader of Searchwide’s industrywide diversity initiative and is very involved in several industry organizations.

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 by Dallas Teague Snider

WHAT A BAD FLU SEASON COULD MEAN FOR YOUR EVENTS

WHAT A BAD FLU SEASON COULD MEAN FOR YOUR EVENTS

BY SAMANTHA WHITEHORNE / JAN 19, 2018
(mheim3011/iStock/Getty Images Plus)
Medical experts are saying this could be the worst flu season in recent history, and one area where associations can see its effect is at their events. Here’s a look at how to mitigate any potential impact for staff and attendees.
This year’s flu season is particularly bad. But you probably know that already, because if you haven’t suffered from it yourself, it’s a sure bet that at least one of your friends, family members, or coworkers has.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent FluView Report shows that almost 6 percent of all Americans seeking medical care have flu symptoms, and 26 states have high flu activity. It can make you want to hold your breath and not touch a thing when you’re commuting, flying, or doing just about anything else that has you around a lot of people.

You know what also bring people together? Association events, which means you could soon see the impact of a strong flu season there as well.

Your onsite staffers, attendees, and speakers could get hit by the bug, leaving you in a lurch. So, what can you do now to mitigate any potential impact while also ensuring you’re as accommodating as possible to those under the weather?

For staff, you may need to create an emergency travel procedures plan and, when possible, ensure that staff don’t travel to events alone. The latter probably won’t be an issue at an annual meeting where a large percentage of staff is onsite, but it could be the case at a smaller, regional event.

In a conversation on ASAE’s Collaborate forum [member login required] last year, several association execs chimed in about their experience of having a staff member fall ill while on travel—both flu-related and not—and what changes they implemented as a result.

One group, which couldn’t track down a staffer who became ill, decided that for future meetings it would put together a comprehensive list with staff cellphone and emergency contact numbers. Another organization had a mandatory early-morning check-in that all staffers reported to.

But what can you do for your attendees and speakers who get sick onsite?

First, arm them with as much information as you can. In the meeting’s onsite guide or on your conference website, include the names, addresses, and phone number of nearby urgent care clinics and hospitals. That way, if they do need to see a doctor, they can easily find out where to go.

And, if your meeting is taking place in a city or state that is reporting a high level of flu activity, offer attendees some tips on what they can do to reduce their risk of getting sick or direct them to the CDC’s flu prevention page dedicated to event attendees. Even consider putting antibacterial hand gel in attendee swag bags. A more expensive idea is to have an onsite emergency medical clinic, which would give staff, attendees, exhibitors, and speakers access to medical care 24/7.

Another question that could pop up when speakers and attendees fall ill and can’t get to your meeting in the first place or are required to leave early: What happens to their registration fees?

That’s when a conference cancellation policy comes in handy. Share it with attendees when they initially register and post it on the conference website.

Now it’s your turn: Is your organization thinking any differently about its upcoming events because of the bad flu season? Please share in the comments.

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 by Dallas Teague Snider

Marketing Your Destination’s Uniqueness

Why is your location unique?

Nuances make all the difference when marketing your destination’s uniqueness. You know this when you’re immersed in a destination, but how do you convey these distinctions to someone who is considering visiting your city? Fortunately in today’s digital world there are a number of stages on which to tell your destination’s story, and when you pair these stages with targeted content marketing strategy, you ensure your story reaches the right audiences … the ones truly looking to connect with your city.

Your Website 
Think of your website as the digital gateway to your destination, opening the door to visitors to display all your location has to offer. Your website offers travel planners inspiration. So go beyond what they may already know from other travel guides or word of mouth. Most people know the Golden Gate Bridge is a sight to see in San Francisco, but do they know about the the Exploratorium?

The Experience Columbus team promotes the “Made in CBUS Trail”, a curated collection of local makers—from cold-pressed juicers to craft brewers, handcrafted candlemakers to jewelry designers—that can be found as one of several experiences on their destination site. While the trail is promoted through their blog and “Made in CBUS” landing page, throughout the site anything made in Columbus features a visual call-out, which is a “Made in CBUS” icon designed to quickly deliver truly destination-specific experiences.

Pull your site visitors into experiences in with an interactive itinerary builder based on personas, blogs from locals, and user-generated social media content. These content options personalize their travel planning experience and provide more focus to specific areas of interest.

Microsites 

Microsites offer you the option to give interested travel planners more targeted information about specific events or activities of interest. Go beyond a listing to detail all the events that make up the day-long or multi-day celebration with an easy-to-navigate, focused microsite linked from your main site. Lake Charles, Louisiana, for instance, celebrates Mardi Gras with parades, dancing, a gumbo cook-off and more, annually, and illustrates all the facets of the experience with a Mardi Gras microsite. The history, events, parade routes, and ways to get involved—from sponsorships to parade rules—are all gathered in one place, along with access to brochures, a Mardi Gras Guide, and an app.

User-Generated Content  

Social media has the power to inspire and influence. 92% of consumers trust recommendations from others, even people they don’t know, over branded content. So turn fans into brand ambassadors. Bring  positive posts into your content strategy and tell stories visually from varying perspectives. Collect, curate, tag, and filter social content like Instagram photos with the right tools, inspiring travelers with authentic, real-time visitor experiences, like Valley Forge & Montgomery County PA.

Don’t stop there, though. Develop a relationship with content creators on social networks. Work with influencers or micro influencers. You’ll not only add to your targeted content, you’ll potentially improve destination awareness.

Email Marketing/Marketing Automation  

As influential as social media is proving to be lately, a message is five times more likely to be seen through email than Facebook and you are six times more likely to get a click-through from an email campaign than from a tweet. Email marketing also goes beyond your website to personalize your message and keep travelers up to date with information relevant to them. If you make your targeted email messaging valuable, it will be sharable, too, in addition to being a measurable and economical piece of your marketing strategy. Know your audience before drafting your message. Include a clear subject line and call-to-action. Use analytics to target when to send and to whom.

Marketing automation uses data to help you further target and personalize email or social media campaigns to deliver the right messages at the optimum times, potentially increasing open rates, click-through-rates, conversions and revenue. While enewsletters and one-off email campaigns will always have a place in your email marketing strategy, automated email marketing tools and campaigns help you deliver relevant messages at the right times to encourage action.

Mobile Apps  

Adding Mobile Apps to your targeted content marketing strategy personalizes and focuses the destination experience, making it mobile, valuable in market, and encouraging visitors to turn inspiration into action. Think of your mobile travel app as narrowing your marketing focus to more directly address specific traveler needs after your website has opened the door to their interest. Don’t recreate your website. You don’t need to do this if you have a responsive site that’s accessible by mobile. Instead, use your app to address a traveler’s specific question or problem. Your website delivered inspiration, let your mobile app provide information. Better yet, include a content mix, with specifically focused informational and inspirational elements and push notifications. Help visitors navigate your destination, organize their activities, and experience every distinctive opportunity that fits their current travel persona. Take visitors on driving tours; help meeting/summit attendees organize their schedule, take notes, and get information on speakers; inspire users to dive into seasonal events; encourage fans, players, and coaches to make the most of sports tournament time in the area; organize fam trips; or guide foodies through food and drink experiences.

No matter which stages you use to present the story of your destination, make sure you inspire, inform, creatively storytell, and most of all, personalize your messages. Know your audience and speak to them in a way that demonstrates your destination has experiences—nuances—that will connect with them as equally unique visitors. As Ann Marinovich, SVP of Content Partnerships at Forbes Media recently said at the Innovation Enterprise Content Strategy Innovation Summit, “Ensure your stories, insights, and points of view consistently reach and resonate with the right audience.”

How do you do this? Pay attention to data. Mitchell Pavao, SVP Digital Media for Leaf Media, said at the same content summit, “Always pay attention to your user behaviors to remain relevant.”

Test content. Measure results. Listen to feedback, be it through social media outlets or other responses.

Takeaways:

  • Your website: The Digital Gateway to Your Destination (Inspiration)
  • Microsites: Beyond Listings (Focused, in-depth event information)
  • User-Generated Content: Turn Fans into Brand Ambassadors (Influence/storytelling)
  • Email: Relevant, Valuable, Shareable (Personalization)
  • Mobile Apps: Engagement Beyond Your Website (In-market focus/personalization)
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 by Dallas Teague Snider

Three Key Takeaways from the 2017 Futures Study

By: Jim McCaul

In early 2008, Destinations International (then DMAI) embarked on an effort to create a strategic roadmap for destination marketing. The outcome was a report published that same year entitled “The DMO Futures Study,” which was designed to establish a framework that destination organizations could use to plan the future. Six months after the report was published, two entrepreneurs in San Francisco, California started a company based on a concept they conceived while renting air mattresses in their apartment. That company of course was Airbnb.

Six months after publishing the original Futures Study, it was already missing one of the major trends that would shape the next several years of our industry. What this demonstrated was the rapid pace of change taking place, and the need to look outside of the industry to forecast upcoming disruptions on the horizon.

It was for this very reason that the Destinations International Foundation committed to updating the 2014 Futures Study that laid the groundwork for DestinationNEXT on a continual basis. In 2017 we did just that, and the new study is meant to continue the important dialogue about the future of our industry and how we can further the impact we make in our local communities.

Here are three key takeaways from the 2017 Futures Study:

The Only Certainty Is Uncertainty: In the 2017 update, we wanted to identify new trends and strategies impacting our industry and compare those against trends and strategies identified in the 2014 baseline survey. What we found is that the industry is undergoing unprecedented change. 12 of the top 25 trends identified in the 2017 study, and 10 of the top 25 strategies, were new. These were trends or strategies that weren’t even being talked about just three years ago when we launched the baseline study.

What this tells us is that now, more than ever, strategic plans need to be flexible. If you think that you are going to open your five-year strategic plan for review in year four and say, “Yep, we’re exactly where we thought we would be”, you’re kidding yourself. Organizations must continually assess trends, adapt to changing customer expectations, and discover and drive new opportunities. Yes, you need a long-term vision for your organization and destination, but that vision has to be adaptable to the new realities of today.

Same Same, But Different: One of the key findings in the 2014 Futures Study, and in DestinationNEXT workshops conducted around the globe, was that destination organizations around the world were all struggling with a common issue: how to convince governments and stakeholders that tourism promotion should be viewed as an investment in a destination’s economic growth and community well-being, versus an expense line item for “tourism promotion.” In other words, how do we demonstrate that our industry is more than “heads in beds.”

The 2017 study, on the other hand, highlighted some differences in the challenges and opportunities facing destinations around the world. For example, “Disruption, in the form of changing business models, terrorism, pandemics, or natural disasters” was seen as a much greater issue for destinations in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East/Africa. The same is true for “Safety & security at destinations becoming a brand differentiator.” However, “Hotel taxes being increasingly vulnerable to alternative politically based projects” was seen as a much bigger issue for destinations in the U.S. when compared to the rest of the world.

There were numerous major differences in views among tourism organizations across world regions on the level of importance and impact of various destination strategies. These key differences were found in the areas of: destination management; market development; business events; funding; and management.

The Time Has Come For Reengineering: Our research identified five key roles we believe destination organizations should focus on in the future. These roles are: Curators of destination content; Adopters of business intelligence and data science; Catalysts of economic development; Activists in community placemaking; and Collaborators within strategic networks. These roles, in some cases, will be a significant departure from the current reality and will require identifying and nurturing core competencies.

Destination organization leaders must not only have the courage and foresight to make crucial choices about the strategic priorities that impact marketplace performance. They also have to look internally at their governance and management competencies to ensure their organization has the structural alignment and skill sets to effectively implement their choices. Such an evaluation requires a rethinking and possible re-engineering of how they are designed to achieve success.

Download the DestinationNEXT Futures Study here. 

About Jim McCaul:

As Vice President of Destination Products Management, McCaul oversees the development and execution of growth strategies for the association’s destination products, including DestinationNEXT, DestinationFRIST, DMAP, empowerMINT and the Event Impact Calculator.

McCaul has over 10 years of experience in the tourism industry and has worked on projects for a multitude of destination marketing organizations around the world. He began his career as a market research analyst with YPartnership (now MMGY Global). In this capacity McCaul gathered insight into the evolving travel habits, preferences and intentions of North Americans, and implemented research projects for DMOs including the Mexico Tourism Board, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and the Papua New Guinea Tourism Authority.

Prior joining Destinations International, McCaul served as the Online Marketing Specialist for the Namibia Tourism Board, as part of a development project for the Millennium Challenge Corporation. McCaul has served a number of roles at Destinations International, beginning as Content Manager, before being promoted to Director of Communications and his current role as Vice President of Destination Products Management. He holds a Masters of Tourism Administration with a focus in Sustainable Destination Management from The George Washington University.

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