Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Without a Clue

According to his resume, he has supposedly been in the hotel sales and destination marketing industry for years. If true, the dude has absolutely no clue as to how we interact. Especially when it comes to blackballing bad apples. Oh, yeah...we do. We must.

A CEO of a major league Destination Marketing Organization just forwarded a response from a candidate for a sales position for which he was denied. Get a load of the response:

"I have let the meeting planners whom I have dealt with know of your decision and will advise them to avoid (your destination)."

LMFAO...and dude? This is why you'll likely stay an unemployed Hampton Inn Sales Manager.

For quite some time.

The Value of a Like

The latest study in the universal effort to prove Social Media ROI is that each Facebook Like is worth $10.

If that's true, given the Zeitgeist Facebook Page, we'll be in business, roughly...err, through Thursday.

But...we'll still post a Music Friday find.

Cause we love you all.

The Value of VICs

As the availability of tourism information increases exponentially through mobile devices, there are those that have questioned the relevance of Visitor Information Centers.

As my clients and audiences have heard me caution this year..."not so fast." Indeed, the information is available...but there is precious little interpretation of that data. In other words, today's consumer needs the human touch to itinerize their visit more than ever.

Our friends at the Richmond Metropolitan CVB recently commissioned a nine-month study in which they learned that 73% of those that availed themselves of VIC services were influenced in their selection of in-market experiences. A third reported spending more during their stay. And four out of five said their stop at a VIC enhanced the quality of their visit.

Thinking of shuttering your VIC? Think again.

Candy Golde

Once again, this might take a while to set-up...but that's just the randomness of my life.

In the apres-move process of going through boxes upon boxes of stuff that really needs to disappear, I came upon this picture. It's me, circa 1985, with Cheap Trick at an in-store appearance during my days as a rock radio programmer. To the left, it's Robin Zander, to the right, Bun E. Carlos (click to enlarge).

Here's the random. I went searching for Bun's status...as he was not drumming during Trick's killer set at Rock USA this past July in Oshkosh. Turns out he's playing with a new Chicago-based super group called Candy Golde that features another of my sadly unrecognized faves, Nicholas Tremulis.

On this last Music Friday before we turn all holiday on you, we present Bun, Nicholas and Candy Golde from SXSW. And, I can't wait to see them burn some club down live in the new year.

A Thanksgiving Warning from the Shat

If you're preparing to deep fry your Thanksgiving Turkey tomorrow, you need to watch this cautionary tale from William Shatner.

For me? It'll once again be Thanksgiving Gumbo at the Zeitgeist Compound.

Hope you enjoy your day...and thanks for being our friend.

The Future of Air Travel?

The extra fees that airlines charge passengers are bad enough. Now, a Comtel airliner stopped for fuel in Vienna, Austria last week...and demanded roughly $200 per passenger to continue on to Birmingham, England.

Some passengers were allowed to deplane to access cash on ATMs.

Sigh...

Andy Rooney

Say what you will about the man, he stomped on terra firma and told it like he saw it. Never mind that so much of what he said was painfully dated in a world that no longer existed...it was still Andy.

In the '80s, I actually made money doing an impression of Rooney on radio ads for a product that I'll never remember. What I do remember is crunching my voice up to that Andy whine and saying "y'ever notice?"

Nancy Miller has simply nailed the man and his impact in a recent piece for Fast Company. Andy...the original voice of the internet?

Just possibly.

The Random Find on Frenchman

As noted earlier this week, we were in Nawlins last week, soaking up one of this nation's true destination treasures while hanging with our friends at the Southeast Tourism Society.

And, while Bourbon Street is, well, Bourbon Street, the buzz on Frenchman Street continues to build. From funky cool eateries like the hidden Adolpho's to smokin' clubs like d.b.a. and Maison, it's one of our new faves.

On this Music Friday, we offer up a painfully young, white quintet that simply cooks on a Stevie Wonder groove. Great musicianship and soaring vocals make Magnitude a must-see on their Tuesday night throw downs at Maison.

If you're in town during the week...break the mold and head to Frenchman Street.

Not Pot for You, You Tourist You

I'm not sure it's the reason that MOST people go to Holland...but I'm sure it's a motovation for some.

But no longer...as the Netherlands will be restricting the sale of pot at cannabis cafes to locals.

The goal is to cut down on "nocturnal disturbances." Ahhh, yes.

The funnier part is the comment section of this story, in which one person opines that tourism spending will plummet while another challenges Holland for blocking tourist pot smoking since Americans saved their asses in WWII.

That, my friend, while funny as hell...is a reach.

SoMeT So Rocks It...Again

After a week on the road in New Orleans and Tunica, it's taken a little time to ketchup here at the Zeitgeist compound. And, Monday night (as the Packers-Vikings game got completely out of hand), I finally had the chance to reflect on the force of nature that is SoMeT (Social Media in Tourism Symposium).

As I was downloading video from SoMeT for DMOpro, I was reminded why I said that last year's edition was one of the best tourism conferences out there. Whip smart presentations by both practitioners and vendors (with nary a scent of the "selling" that has become so rampant at other conferences). Incredible networking. And, a culture in which many of the speakers said that they learned more than they believe they shared.

That's just too cool.

Be watching DMOpro.com for clips in December. Subscribe to get notified when they're posted in the A/V Room.

And, to Dave and the crew behind this amazing conference, thanks for inviting us...and thanks for another mind-blowing event.