Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Rusty Young

Completely missed this one last month, but the passing of Rusty Young stings a lot.

Poco was one of the first bands to successfully blend Country and Rock in the late 1960s. Rusty co-founded the band with Richie Furay and Jim Messina in the days after the disintegration of Buffalo Springfield...and he continued as the lone member of the band to continue touring up until the Plague shut live gigs down last Spring.

Not a singer / songwriter in the early years of the band, he was forced into that role when Richie, Timothy B. Schmit and Jim Messina departed the band...and ended up penning the band's biggest hit.

We say a fond farewell with "Crazy Love."

New on DMOU: Getting LGBTQ+ Right

Just up in the DMOU vault is an insightful conversation with our friends Billy Kolber and Kenny Porpora of HospitableMe into the world of LGBTQ+ travel. From ensuring that your community is ready...to hitting all the notes perfectly in your messaging, this podcast is for any DMO pro that recognizes the opportunity to welcome a vibrant and growing market to your community.

You'll also hear about their new Master Class...and score a DMOU / DMOproz discount code, just for listening. And, yeah...their Bonus Round questions are pretty fun, too.

Join us.

Air Law 22

It's been almost 5 years since we revisited our Air Laws series (if you want to relive the first 21 Laws, click HERE and move forward through the rerun).

For the uninitiated, Air Laws was our (tongue firmly in cheek) attempt to bring back civility to air travel. And events of this past weekend have encouraged us to jump back into the fray and issue our next edict. Our friend, Berkeley Young, picks up the story:

"Two women running (and I mean running) through the airport. They are lugging massive Gucci and Louis Vouitton shopping bags. They stop just shy of the gate area and unfold walking canes! And then, they hobble up to the gate and tell the agent they need to board early because they are in need of assistance (code for “we need to fill the overhead bins with our massive shipping bags”). And, they each brought on four huge bags."

 

Our friend Amir Eylon authored the following Air Law (with our extreme gratitude):

Air Law 22: Any passengers caught faking challenges or disabilities in order to score pre-board status will have their bags checked to the carousel and be re-seated next to the lavatory with the broken door that does not latch properly, thus airing that special aroma in their general direction for the duration of the (hopefully) multi-hour flight.

Yep...as we get back to traveling and are forced to endure narcissists and clueless rookies, it's time to revive Air Laws.

Like That Will Have a (Positive) Impact

Not to throw shade at the head of the Hotel Association of New York City, but his recent support of Mayor Bill de Blasio's summer-long waiver of Hotel Room Taxes is perplexing, at best, and reckless, at worst.

Don't get me wrong, there are some destinations where $18 a night might influence a potential visitor to choose another city. But, honestly? This is freakin' New York City. A destination that isn't up for debate on haggling over price. It's also a City with a pandemic-induced budget hole that could use those revenues to shore up other parts of the economy or infrastructure. To forfeit an estimated $30 million of tax revenue on a feel-good gimmick that's simply not needed to jump start the hotel sector is amazingly short-sighted.

The consumer tax savings on a $300/night room is roughly $18, it's $12 on a $200/night stay and $6 on a $100/night stay. So, don't call me elitist when I say people wouldn't let $18 blur their desire. That's a drink in the hotel bar for people willing to spend $300 a night...and a hot dog for those attempting to be frugal. 

If the powers at work here really want to help, don't waive the Room Tax. Use it to subsidize a portion of theatre tickets so the theaters and their crews and companies are made whole...but that tickets are more affordable to the tight-fisted (but culturally sophisticated) consumer this summer. That will capture people's attention. Broadway on Sale for one Summer only? That will cause theatre goers that might fear an unmasked city to take a chance and return. The same with admissions to sporting events and museums. And, let's find a way to help our restaurants come back.

The Mayor deserves huge props for dedicating $30 million in recovery funding for the work of NYC & Company. But, forgiving a fee that hardly anybody notices when there are so many ways to maximize this revenue? Unforgivable.

Marvin Gaye

I know we featured Marvin Gaye just last year on the 50th Anniversary of his recording of "What's Going On." But, it was 50 years ago today that one of the most important albums of a generation was actually released. And babies, there were a lot of groundbreaking albums in 1971...but nothing like this one. Indeed, last year, Rolling Stone named it to the top spot on its Top 500 Albums of all time.

Wikipedia describes it thus: "The narrative established by the songs is told from the point of view of a Vietnam veteran returning to his home country to witness hatred, suffering and injustice. Gaye's introspective lyrics explore themes of drug abuse, poverty and the Vietnam War. He has also been credited with promoting awareness of ecological issues before the public outcry over them had become prominent."

That the album ever happened is a miracle. Marvin was a singer of love songs. Signed to Motown a decade earlier, he had a string of hits under his belt like "Ain't That Peculiar," "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and the amazing "Heard it Through the Grapevine." When he presented "What's Goin' On" to the label brass, they rejected it. It was a departure from the gravy train of crooner hits for which Martin was known. But somebody at Motown secretly arranged to have the single pressed and 100,000 discs sent to record stores and radio stations. It became the fastest selling single in Motown history. 

Motown brass, humbled by their own hubris, told Marvin he could continue down this path if he could produce a full album within 30 days, knowing full well that such a deadline was an impossibility. And, Marvin proved them wrong again with what is now considered the Number One album of all time.

On this Music Friday...while "What's Goin' On" is sadly as relevant today as it was 50 years ago (even more so, in my eyes...but I already linked it above), we're going with another gem from the album. This is "Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology)."

No less relevant 50 years later. If Marvin were still here with us, he'd likely just shake his head in disgust. As we all should.

The Plight of Urban Destinations

In my years as a DMO pro, I've represented both urban and rural destinations. And, my heart breaks for my partners in urban.

As we emerge from the carnage of the pandemic, urban destinations aren't. A new study by the American Hotel & Lodging Association shows that only 29% of Americans feel comfortable traveling to an urban destination...and 71% say they won't. So pervasive is the fear that the Plague is waiting for you in the City.

According to Longwoods International, 50% of American travelers say that destinations with safety protocols in place will positively impact their destination choice this summer!

As much as we all want to drop masks...rural destinations must resist the urge. It's clear what the majority of travel consumers want from you.

Urban destinations? It's going to be about ignoring political grandstanding about dropping masks...and projecting a safe-is-the-new-black mantra.

Sigh...because it makes absolutely no rational sense. But, it is what it is.

Prime Visibility

On an episode of the DMOU podcast, Visit Nashville's Butch Spyridon quipped that he never thought he'd be a film producer. But, with last year's release of the sensational "It All Begins with a Song," he did.

I'm guessing Visit St. Pete/Clearwater's Steve Hayes could say the same thing after "Life's Rewards" premiered on Amazon Prime last week. A story of a guy who loses everything (except his billions of hotel points), the series is shot on location at the Don CeSar hotel on St. Pete Beach (TripAdvisor's 2001 Best American Beach).

The first DMO-produced TV series designed to stream on a major platform, "Life's Rewards" is a joint project by Visit St. Pete Clearwater, the St. Pete Clearwater Film Commission and Visit Florida and stars Sebastian Rocha. You can check out the trailer here.

Gotta love it!

The Post-Plague Song

It's certainly not their best work...but, is this the best encapsulation of the past year? Maybe.

On this Music Friday, we give you Mick Jagger and Dave Grohl with "Easy Sleazy."

We Are Back

The notion of gum commercials and exhilarating creativity rarely appear in the same sentence. With this new video from Extra...that ends right here, right now.

I know, I know...we are so not out of the woods yet. But, if this video doesn't move the unvaccinated to jump onboard, nothing will.

Enjoy...and thanks to TravelAbility's Jake Steinman for the catch.

The Future of Officing

In destinations as diverse as Kankakee County and Kansas City, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) have made the decision to ditch their physical offices after experiencing a degree of success working virtually during the pandemic. Other DMO CEOs have planted their feet firmly in the "back to the office" camp to preserve staff culture and creativity.

Visit Omaha has elected to do a hybrid approach, leaving its Downtown location in favor of virtual officing...but utilizing some of the $250,000 it would have sunk into lease payments into renting meeting space at destination hotels when it needs to meet face to face. Smartly, they'll keep their sensational Visitors Center open and use it as their administrative hub.

How is your DMO evolving when it comes to the future of its Office and Visitor Center?