Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Just a Little Backasswards?

Amazing that it has taken this long...but, apparently, these mailing kiosks are starting to pop up in airports around the country.

Designed to allow travelers that screw up and wander into TSA-land with shit that is verbotten on planes to mail it back to themselves rather than give it up, this is a very cool idea.

Except, the airport in which I saw my first one? It was placed AFTER the TSA check-point.

Ummm, once you get past these guys, you got nothing to mail. Wouldn't it be better to locate these kiosks before people get strip searched?

Just a thought.

A Sack of Sliders and...a Merlot to Go?

White Castle hamburgers are both an acquired taste and a cultural icon. If you've never experienced "the Crave," I'm not sure I can do the experience justice.

It's a Midwest thang. In the South, Krystal is the equivalent. For the rest of you...trust me. While it ain't gourmet...there are times when a bag of sliders is just simply perfection.

But, the Lafayette IN White Castle is experimenting with serving Beer and Wine. And, frankly, no matter how stoned one is as they shuffle up to place their 2am order...that just has to make the die hard say WTF.

As noted in yesterday's Wall Street Journal piece on the experiment, it costs more for a glass of wine than three sliders with cheese.

In that case, I think I'd opt for six sliders.

But...that's just me.

Magical Mystery Tours

While lots of entrepreneurs have created "Magical Mystery Tours" of Beatles sites, wouldn't you rather experience a tour of Liverpool designed BY a Beatle?

Paul McCartney has announced that he'll do just that...design a sightseeing tour of his favorite paths through the city.

What a wonderful lead in for other destinations to capitalize on their favorite sons and daughters' haunts. It's one thing to mimic the route...and quite another to know you're on THE route.

Another Step Toward World (Travel) Domination

It's no secret that Google has had its eye on the travel space for a some time. From City Tour to hotel pricing comparisons, they've been trying the doors of the castle, looking for a way in.

I think they just found it. Google Flight Search is so much more than an aggrigator like Kayak. Wanna go somewhere this weekend but not sure where (but want to stay under $300)? Yeah, it can do that. Flexible with departure dates, it does that better. Watch the video in the above link.

And, because it's Google, it responds to searches that sound like most of us talk and think...not a "fill in the blanks" querry as found in most OTA sites. As I said in my presentation at the just completed Upper Midwest CVB Fall Conference (video clips soon on DMOpro), most travel and destination sites don't answer the questions consumers are asking.

Google Flight Search does. And, while a Kayak spokesperson says their flight search technology is still better...that's not what matters.

What matters is what the consumer is asking for.

An Exciting Day for FLW Fans

I have had an interesting relationship with Frank Lloyd Wright. I grew up in a town in which he designed his first Prairie Style Home. Back in the 60's, it was the top restaurant in town...and the times my parents took my sisters and me for Sunday brunch were always a high treat.

Within weeks of moving to Madison in 1990, it was clear that I would be intimately involved in the effort to build one of his great (but yet unrealized) designs. Today, Monona Terrace is a key driver in my city's downtown renaissance.

And now, the only remaining FLW-designed hotel is reopening 101 years after its grand opening in Mason City IA. I remember working with the Mason City CVB five years ago when there was casual talk of renovating the structure.

Casual? Really? I remember telling just about everybody I talked to there that this could be huge for the community.

I'm not saying I had anything to do with the developers finally moving forward...but it's so exciting to see Mason City realize a huge asset in its Downtown. And I can't wait to spend the night there.

Fun and Fast

If you, like me, are continually frustrated by slow pokes, the self-absorbed and clueless rookies in public spaces that impede our movememnt through said public spaces...you're gonna love this.

Iconoculture reports that the Dutch Overvecht Subway Station has recently installed adult-sized slides to assist commuters in by-passing the congestion. Of course, "slide" is too common a term...so they've called it a "transfer accelerator" (like Madison calling its jail the "Public Safety Building).

How amazinigly cool.

Look Ma...No Staff!

The Hospitality Industry is a fairly people-intensive business...especially for hotels.

Except at the Comfort Xpress Hotel in Oslo, where they have just connected all the dots to make every part of a guest's interaction human-free. From registration to room selection to onsite purchasing to check-out, it can all be done with your smartphone, thanks to OpenWays, which allows your phone to double as your room key. Simply amazing...

I don't know, though. I like most of the humans I encounter in hotels...and I enjoy the interaction.

But, this certainly holds significant promise for anyone having an affair.

Visually Imposing

I remember when Mike Ditka took the reigns of the Chicago Bears and decreed that the faceguards on the helmets would no longer be the standard white. Black, he said, was more menacing. A couple years later, they were doing the Super Bowl Shuffle.

Since then, the art and science of uniforms has gotten way more sophisticated. Consider Nike's reworking of the Oregon Ducks' uniforms to make them look faster...and more menacing.

Among the many visual flairs created, Nike designed a jersey with a custom numeral font that made players look more physically imposing by making the numbers bigger on top, making the player's shoulders look larger.

While Oregon didn't ultimately win the National Title...they sure looked good doing it.

Wanna Little SoMe?

SoMeT (Social Media Tourism Symposium) was one of the biggest success stories of 2010.

When DMAI elected to forgo their fall marketing conference, an intrepid band of Social Media pros, led by Gammet's Dave Serino, moved into the space to create a kick ass convergence of cutting edge thought. Some called it the best tourism conference they had ever attended.

As much as we'd all love to go back to Loudoun County in 2011, Dave is putting the next SoMeT up for bid.

You want some of this? Cause I'm guessing attendance will double this year.

Just a thought.

A Teleprompter for the Rest of Us

Professional talking heads often make speaking for a living look pretty easy. Of course, that's often because they're not talking...they're reading.

Now, you can too. Telepromt+ is available for iPad and iPhone. Just think...no more fumbling with papers from the podium. No more forgetting important statistics or precise phrasing of key points.

If you need to look good from the stage, you should really check this one out.

And thanks to my friend Tim Cimbura (creator of the way powerful contact management system FMignite) for the catch.