Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Best Sound Ever

Check me off as a guy that doesn't automatically jack the bass when I'm in the car or listening to my old school components in the living room. I've always been a treble guy. Quicksilver, GTR, Asia, Hooters etc., send my audiophile sensors into overdrive. I want to hear every note...I can imagine the bass.

Which is why I'm such a fan of Status Audio. Their Between 3ANC Wireless Earbuds are, hands down, the best buds I have ever experienced. The absolute crispest sound; amazing response. And, the Status customer service is beyond first rate.

You know those videos when people hear a song for the first time? Yeah...it's kinda like that when you pop these in.

Looking for that last minute gift? Or, want to treat yourself? I love these more than any headphone or bud I've ever heard.

Your call...but you know I love my music. And, I'd never steer you wrong.

New on DMOU: Sonya Nash

On this edition of DMOU, travel with us to Shipshewana, Indiana…where roughly half the population (and a big part of the destination’s allure) aren’t online. Sonya Nash shares insights into her community’s Amish Culture and how her DMO has developed a home-grown, customized customer service program that meets the unique needs of her community, from hospitality to pharmacies, that graduated their first class earlier this year. Plus, a Bonus Round Question that shines a light on Sonya’s record-breaking turn at a McDonald’s Drive-thru. Join us.

Next Up on DMOU > TourismIQ

On the newest edition of DMOU, we check in with Adam Stoker, author of Touchpoints and progenitor of the Destination Marketing Podcast Network to get under the hood of a new free online town square for Destination Leaders. It’s called TourismIQ…and Adam walks us through its genesis, its current build out and what users can expect in the near future. Join Us.

New on DMOU: PCMA's Sherrif Karamat on AI

PCMA CEO Sherrif Karamat is one of the deepest thinkers in the business events space on the planet. And, not unlike those old EF Hutton commercials, when Sherrif talks, I listen. So, when he said that DMOs were falling behind his members in the adoption of AI at Destinations International’s Annual Conference this summer, that was more than enough to earn an invitation to DMOU. Join us for a fascinating discussion of how he believes AI can reduce the mundane and better connect us to our clients…and where Sherrif believes the future of DMOs lies.

It's just one of over 120 powerful conversations you'll find in the DMOU Vault.

New on the DMOU Podcast: Cannabis Tourism

Almost half of American States have legalized the recreational use of cannabis...but many DMOs in those States struggle with ways to promote the advantage they possess against States that don't. On this episode of DMOU, we talk with Brian Applegarth, the foremost expert in the intersection of cannabis and tourism, about how to escape the stigma...and focus on the health, wellness and inclusionary aspects of this amazing community asset. A fascinating episode.

Rearden Metal?

When I read that a team of researchers from the University of Connecticut had developed a material that is five time lighter and four times stronger than steel, I couldn't help but think back to Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged," in which steel magnate Hank Rearden develops just such a compound. When the government demands he turn over the rights to the process for the good of the country, Hank refuses...setting up a storyline that pits inventors and entrepreneurs against politicians and bureaucrats.

I know a number of people believe liking this book (and the 3-part movie, which maddeningly swaps out actors for each episode) is akin to admitting that one is a Republican (though today's Republican Party looks nothing like what it used to when that "connection" was initially made). I see it as a story about a fiercely independent woman running a railroad in the face of overwhelming adversity. I really don't care what meaning others have ascribed to Dagney Taggert and Hank Rearden and the rest of those that walk away from a world gone awry.

Anyway, good on UConn to do what Hank did (fictionally) almost 70 years ago. Now, when will we get this beaming up thing figured out?

On Artificial Intelligence

Each year at the Annual Convention of Destinations International, we roam the halls asking a single question. This year, that question was how DMOs were beginning to utilize Artificial Intelligence (or AI). On this episode, you'll hear from a handful of DMO pros on how they are using AI to jump start ideation and save time in the composition of written communiques. And, as you'll hear, this is just the beginning for our sector.

A Brilliant Solution to a Northern Problem

Here in the geographic upper tier of the United States, it gets cold in the winter. Sometimes bone-chilling below-zero cold. So, the walk from the parking garage to the airport terminal can be a dilemma if one is traveling south for some warmth.

Let's be honest...an overcoat is only necessary in the two transits between terminal and parking. You don't need it during your excursion to tropical climes. And, stuffing your big-ass coat in your bag once in the terminal is a hassle and could needlessly put you over the weight limit for baggage.

Enter MKE...one of a handful of airports that offers a coat check for frigid passengers to doff their heavy coats before heading to warmer destinations. It's $2/day with a maximum charge of $10 regardless how long you're gone. And, they provide the service in their Summerfest Marketplace retail store...exposing those dropping off their cold weather gear to a plethora of cool local products.

Pretty brilliant, eh?

Phoenix Rising

As we breezed around a corner into the trade show area of last week's Upper Midwest CVB Fall Conference, what to our wondering eyes would appear but our friend Staci Wilken (the former CEO of Visit Kankakee County). 

As we talked about the tumultuous year that she's had, I thought back to a DMO CEO with whom I worked during my days in Madison. When I asked why she abruptly stepped away from what was (at least outwardly) one of the choicest gigs in the Midwest, she replied, "you can only be told "fuck you, you suck" so many times a day before it's really not worth it anymore." And, this was an individual that rarely swore in public.

That's pretty much what happened to Staci at the hand of a micro-group of community "leaders" who wanted her gone...despite the incredible work she had accomplished in her time there. So, she left behind the sickening bullying to recapture her life.

And, like a phoenix, there she was, launching her new venture called Experience Edit, an experience-based management agency. A what, you ask? Check out her Facebook page to get a more nuanced understanding of how Staci can assist you and your organization.

And, welcome to this side of our world, my friend. 

DEI is also Visual

As we noted yesterday, addressing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is so much bigger than ethnicity and gender. It also can extend to how Destination Leaders address ensuring that visitors with sight challenges are able to enjoy the experiences we offer. 

Travel Yukon has partnered with EnChroma to deploy special glasses designed to help the color-blind among us to see the Northern Lights in all their radiant glory. As the news release from EnChroma notes: "Ten tourism operators in Yukon, and the Yukon Visitors Information Centre, will loan EnChroma glasses to color blind visitors. This partnership will enhance accessibility and inclusion, help attract more tourists and make the visits of those who are color blind more colorful and memorable."

Wanna experience what one man saw? Click Here.

And, for the millions around the globe with colorblindness, this is so very cool.