Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

The End is Near

OK...I'll admit that there are moments when a corn dog on a stick speaks to me.

But Pancakes and Sausage on a Stick with Artificial Blueberries?

I do believe this is the second of the three signs of the impending apocalypse.

The Right to Know vs. What's Right

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for transparency. Just not when it comes to personnel matters.

And it's happened again. A small town newspaper reporter has filed a freedom of information act request to obtain the names of the applicants for the CEO gig at a Destination Marketing Organization in Ohio. And then, posted the names and short bios of the 23.

The story notes that one applicant pulled their name from consideration when notified that their name would go public. I'm stunned that it was only one...because most of the aspiring DMO pros are gainfully employed. And, in this internet world, word will clearly get back to their current employers that one of their employees is looking.

But, even with one...what if that was THE person that could have turned Union County around? What if this reporter had, in their zeal to prove their investigative chops or fill space, inhibited the County's ability to grow their economy, create jobs and new business start-ups?

The world doesn't care about applicants for a DMO gig. So why write a story that could limit the community's choices? Just because you can?

If this kinda stuff continues (and I'm seeing it more and more), the best and the brightest will stop applying for jobs.

When will anyone in the media understand the word consequence?

Stop the Boycotts

The U.S. Travel Association has been clear on its opposition to Travel Boycotts. Destination Marketing International has been clear on its opposition. So have we.

But the hospitality workforce of Arizona continues to reel from the misguided efforts of those people that want to grandstand on a political issue, not understanding the fall-out on working class families.

Stop AZ Boycotts is an online initiative launched by the Greater Phoenix Economic Council and the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce to bring real messages from real people to demonstrate that the boycotts are missing their mark. The videos from community and industry leadership are good...but the videos from Jacque, Susan and Jason say it all.

But, is anybody listening over the insane din of the agenda of a small few?

We'll Buy Almost Anything

By now, you've probably seen or heard about the "shields" that are being sold so that we can all cover our "privates" so the "pervs" at the TSA scanners can't see our nipples and penises.

The maker of Flying Pasties has conceded that the company hasn't actually TESTED the rubber stick-ons. And TSA has said that if they were to detect any object under a passenger's clothing, said passenger would be hauled out of line for a full-body search.

Even so, I'm sure they've sold thousands...

Dear Conference Planner...

Some people have called Zeitgeist the "conscience" of the Destination Marketing industry. And, we certainly try.

We think Jeff Hurt is the conscience of the Meetings Industry...and, last week, he said something that I think most of us have been thinking for a while now.

If you click on only one link today...this is the one.

The Parodies Begin

As the Old Spice campaign goes thermonuclear...it was just a matter of time before the parodies began.

Our favorite? This one from @OhDoctah...as channeled by AdRants.

"Who wants to smell like semen...uhhh...sailors anyway?"

The ROI of Welcome Centers

Some States have closed their Visitor Welcome Centers. South Carolina is putting theirs up for bid.

Guess they didn't see the study that Iowa recently did, showing that their Welcome Center staff influenced a third of the visitors they served to extend their stay.

And spend an additional $25 million dollars.

ROI? Hell yeah...

A Candidate that Gets It

Maybe he's just taking the position because it's polar opposite to the current administration. Or maybe he really understands how important tourism promotion is to a state's economy.

Either way, Connecticut gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy is calling for at least $15 million in state tourism promotion next year. That would be up from the current state tourism budget of $1.

Yeah...one dollar.

Now, let's see if the Connecticut tourism industry can mobilize its 110,000 hospitality workers to vote in the August primary.

And Another...

On the heels of our story about Savannah comes word that the Arizona Hospitality Industry is saying, "enough is enough" and urging its members to stand up and fight against the backlash stemming from its recently imposed immigration law.

At most State Tourism Conferences, the agenda is fairly tame when it comes to the endorsement of candidates. Not in Arizona. Not this time.

Last week, industry leaders encouraged attendees to vote out anyone they feel has contributed to the billions of dollars of damage that the new laws have created in canceled meetings and brand desecration.

About freakin' time.

Who else is in? Because, it is time to stand up for our destinations.

And here's hoping this becomes a serious topic of conversation among attendees at this week's annual meeting of Destination Marketing Association International. Because...if it isn't, we all lose.

Is This the Start?

One of the reasons that the tourism industry is so disrespected by elected officials is because we don't vote as a block. Thus, politicians risk very little (other than their region's economy and constituents' jobs) by cutting funding for tourism promotion and development.

It's fairly easy for special interest groups to get their members to vote as a block. Unions are especially proficient at mobilizing the vote. But Tourism? Our industry spans so many sectors that it's hard to coordinate the breadth of voters that depend on a vibrant visitor economy.

But, in Savannah, the hospitality industry has taken a bold first step in reversing our traditional lack of electoral muscle. The Savannah Area Tourism Leadership Council partnered with Old Town Trolley last week to provide transportation to the polls for hospitality workers.

Is this the start of an industry finally standing up for itself? We can only hope.