Thanks so much to our friend Tammy Potts-O'Kelley (CEO of the Heart of Carolina Visitors Bureau) for deftly sliding my book, "Destination Leadership" into the shot when she was recently interviewed by Fox8.
That's got to be worth more than a few drinks next time our paths cross.
Thank you, Tammy...and congratulations for recently nabbing the Lifetime Achievement Award from Women in Travel and Tourism International. So deserved...
There's no need to identify the destination or link to the story. Where it was said isn't as important as that it was said by both a reporter in a major market publication and a resident he interviewed.
In the piece, the Destination Marketing Organization Board was called both "the most important" and "the most prestigious" Board in the city. Which is why some in the community are questioning the recent appointment of an individual to the Board; that this person somehow doesn't live up to his inclusion on such an influential Board.
But, here's the thing. That who sits on the DMO Board matters to Joe and Jill Public? Isn't that exactly what we've been talking about with the concept of DMOs becoming a Shared Community Value?
For at least one community, theirs already is.
The Ringgold WV City Council is considering changing its DMO's By-Laws to allow City appointments to hold successive terms on the DMO Board. And, I think I understand the premise. The sitting Board appointee believes that another term would allow him to be even more effective because he now knows the ropes. And, he's correct there.
But, here's the other side of the conversation. What is most important in City Council or other governmental appointments is that we cycle as many elected officials through DMO Board experience as we can. That way, we expose as many as possible to the importance and impact of the organization in which they invest each year.
And, that is how we build broader support with our elected officials. Because, once they experience the discussions at the Board level, they'll understand that DMOs are a Shared Community Value.
Excited to be presenting at The Destination on the Left Virtual Summit, a new kind of conference for the travel industry - one without registration costs or travel time. My friend and podcaster Nicole Mahoney has gathered 17 industry experts (and past guests on her show) that are ready to share their knowledge with you December 9th through the 11th.
The best part? You don't have to hop on a plane or book a hotel because you'll absorb hours of content, all from the comfort of your office or home. The second best part is it's free. Check out the lineup of speakers at the link above and reserve your free ticket.
And, you can get a sneak peek at some of the topics I'll be covering by checking out Nicole's interview with me earlier this year.
It's always dangerous to base an opinion regarding a destination news story on one source; nuance is everything.
But, the story coming out of Putnam County NY over the past few weeks is almost too weird not to believe it. I mean, you simply can't make some of this stuff up.
The Putnam County Legislature has been pressuring its CVB for more accountability over the past year. The CVB has, for whatever reason resisted. Frustrated, the County placed an ad for a new Executive Director in May, even though the CVB is an independent agency.
At some point, the CVB Board and its CEO decided to close up shop, shut down the website, close the office and returned State grant funds. And, sometime around July 1, they actually did it. Now, County Legislators are facing the rest of the summer season with no destination website and no Plan B.
Destination Marketing Organizations have often had to tread carefully with their funding partners for fear of retribution in the form of canceling a contract, regardless of the pain that shuttering a DMO would have on local businesses.
Now, government will have to weigh whether messing with a DMO could result in the same pain visited upon their constituents if the organization says, "screw it," and closes up shop.
Crazy...
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to guest on a travel industry podcast hosted by Nicole Mahoney called Destination on the Left. Beyond the honor of being asked to riff about the state of our industry, the conversation with Nicole was a blast.
But it's a great reminder about paying it forward. Not unlike the daisy chain that Tom Martin recounts in his book, "The Invisible Sale," that ultimately resulted in a great friendship (and inclusion in his book), this opportunity had a similar genesis.
A few months ago, Saint Paul's Adam Johnson was the featured guest and he mentioned me in one of his stories about how the DMO there is rockin' it. Nicole made a subtle note to add me to her list of future guests, which spans all facets of the travel sector (not just DMOs). And, I'm guessing some of the protagonists of some of the stories I told will be getting a call from Nicole down the line. Just paying it forward.
If you want to listen in to my thoughts on the evolution of Destination Marketing (or any of her amazing 100+ episodes online), click HERE.
And, thanks again, Nicole. It was an honor and a pleasure!
When Boomers shake their heads at all the things that Millennials and Gen Z don't understand or know, they should shoulder the blame for much of it. My generation has gone through its adult life simply assuming that those who follow us in the generational chain instinctively know what we know. They don't. We didn't. We were taught by our parents and mentors. So, why would we expect that some of the most basic tasks of life would magically be embued in our kids?
I thought of our collective guilt as I read an article the other day about customer service and onboarding (we called it orientation in the day). A staggering statistic confronted me:
91 percent of employees remain with a company for at least a year (and 69 percent remain for at least three years) if a company has a well-structured onboarding program.
It's not that young professionals are flighty that makes them flight risks. It's that we failed to prepare them for our expectations and the importance of the job at hand.
Taking this a step further, are our Boards of Directors being effectively onboarded? Can they be the influencers in our community (for that is their most important role) if they are not immersed in the organization's history, culture and mission? When we shake our heads at their misplaced interest in directing programming, is it because we haven't shown them a higher calling?
Intentionality is a concept we hear more and more. Effective onboarding sounds like something about which we should be much more intentional.
N'est-ce pas?
We talk of it often. How today's DMO Boards seem to struggle with their role.
Some seem to believe it's benign oversight. Others think they should be directing Sales & Marketing.
The best DMO Boards, as we contend in Destination Leadership, open doors, make things happen and advocate for destination development and organizational support.
Which is pretty much what Bill Hoffman says in this great post on GuideStar.
Just in a different way.
I had the distinct pleasure to hang with a DMO Board this morning in Chicago...the day after many of them walked the floor at ASAE, often called the Super Bowl of Meetings and Conventions oriented Trade Shows. As one could imagine, this was the first time many have ever experienced such an event...and I asked what their primary takeaway was.
With as much one-upmanship technology and swag that is on display at the show, one shouldn't be surprised if the glitz was what turned heads. But it wasn't.
The first-timers came away pointing to the booths in which the destination representatives actively engaged in conversation with them. Yeah...pure old-time salespersonship (which, as Jack Carroll once wrote "is the absence of salesmanship - characterized by a quiet, relaxed, well-prepared salesperson who forgets every aspect of technique and just listens and reacts in real time").
Just people who love their town encouraging those passing by to consider a visit. Even from a 10x10 booth.
As one Board member opined, "I was surprised at how competitive it was out there on the floor...because any size budget can compete if they have the right personnel out front."
Refreshing.
In those States where the subject of when School Start falls on the calendar is still a contentious one, the familiar combatants are typically the Tourism and Hospitality Industry on one side and School Boards and Administrators on the other. Teachers are rarely in the mix (but, in my experience, generally disagree with the School Administrators' push for an earlier start). And, in States where Tina Bruno is working, parents are a meaningful participant in fighting for a later start.
City Councils? They're typically content to hang on the sidelines and stay out of the fray. But, not the Village Council in Geneva-on-the-Lake OH. They recently passed a resolution urging the School Board there to return to a post-Labor Day start. And, passed it unanimously.
Mayor Dwayne Bennett said area residents need to understand that the county's tourism industry is growing...and manufacturing is not. He said starting school in mid-August puts the brakes on many families’ incomes...not just student workers. “We’ve met with the school board a few times to explain all of this but, so far, nothing has been done to change things. We’re hoping they can at least understand why businesses and student workers need a later school start date.”
The resolution holds that “businesses (that) earn their living from May to October incur serious losses from the exodus of student workers.” It also said that an August start date has shown “no educational benefit to students, discouraged local employers from hiring students and threatened to undermine and erode the health of businesses, which support and pay school levies.”
For a Village Council, this is a pretty sophisticated take. It also suggests to me that those of us in the fight may not have considered asking our local government to weigh in on a topic that is critical to the community they serve.
Can't hurt asking.
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