Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

And Room 729?

Seen recently at a brand new hotel.

If you were assigned Room 729 (as I was), which direction would you go?

Just askin....

 

Another Maura-ism

For those of us in the Destination Marketing world, the name Maura Gast is a familiar one. A past-Chair of Destination Marketing Association International and CEO of the Irving CVB, she is the progenitor of the oft-repeated "Circle of Life" mantra that explains why Destination Marketing is so crucial to the long-term sustainability of our communities:

If you build a place where people want to visit, you'll build a place where people want to live.

If you build a place where people want to live, you'll build a place where people have to work.

If you build a place where people want to work, you'll build a place where business has to be.

And, if you build a place where business wants to be, you'll be back to building a place where people want to visit.

It all starts with the visit...and that visit doesn't happen without us.

Brilliant...and heads nod everytime I share her genius with Boards and audiences around the country.

Well, she recently uncorked another jem...this time in her e-mail signature:

IRVING’S DESTINATION MARKETING DELIVERS: 
Cash-in-Hand Economic Development | Delivered Immediately By Visitor Spending

I know what you're thinking.

And, if you do, be kind and give her attribution.

The Power of Innuendo

The City Council in Manteca CA is about to pull the plug on its Destination Marketing Organization, saying they don't see a return on investment. Which very well may be the case, as they only invest $135,000 of the nearly $1 million of Room Tax generated each year. It's kinda hard to move the needle with that kind of budgetary resources.

But, in declaring that she would vote to end funding for the DMO, Councilwoman Debby Moorhead couldn't help but use a little sleight of hand innuendo to grind home her point. 

$1.1 million, she exclaimed. That's how much the City had invested in their DMO. Just shocking!

Yeah...since 2003.

Sigh.

J.D. Souther

We had the rare chance to catch one of America's truly great singer/songwriters last weekend in, of all places, Sheboygan WI.  And, it was a magical night.

You may not know the name...but you know the songs. "Best of My Love." "Heartache Tonight." "New Kid in Town." "How Long." "Faithless Love." "You're Only Lonely."

J.D. Souther will be closing out this tour with some dates in Texas next week...and, if you're near, go. The music is sublime. The stories he tells are classic.

On this Music Friday, we offer up this obscure gem, "Closing Time."

Enjoy.