Sometimes we get too close to the fire to realize the friends we have and how much we mean to them. I'm sure that's how so many of our peers in the hospitality field feel this week after losing not just hours or jobs...but their connection to their work family.
Sometimes, it's the littlest things that remind us that others care.
Like this video from the South Shore Conventions & Visitors Authority.
Thank you.
They say that crisis brings out the best in so many of us. And, the stories emerging from communities across the country about how Destination Marketing Organizations pivoted on a dime when they realized what was about to descend upon the hospitality community are as heartwarming as they are expected.
Most Americans are just now beginning to understand the importance and fragility of a sector of the economy they always took for granted. To be sure, airlines and hotels were impacted briefly after 9/11. But, most other facets of the hospitality industry felt no more than a speed bump...because residents were there to continue eating out in restaurants, meeting co-workers after work at the local watering hole and seeing music, theatre and comedy with friends. Indeed, after the initial shock of 9/11 that had us all glued to our televisions, we needed to go out and be with others.
And, in this crisis, we can't.
Never one to say "I told you so," there is the slightest satisfaction that the recent flirtation some communities have had with shopping their DMO contract out to ad agencies should likely now come to an end. In a recent interview, the Chairman of the Board of Visit Stillwater OK (which last year went through just such an RFP process) was asked what the DMO was doing during the pandemic:
"We have transitioned our focus from marketing to visitors to communicating to residents to better support our local business partners. Our staff has called almost 200 local businesses to promote their hours of operation, delivery, pick-up or curb-side services, online shopping options and the availability of gift cards. They continue to update the information on our website and social media throughout each day since things are continually changing. Staff has also recently added a coloring contest for kids and adults online, as well as incorporated virtual tours featuring many of our local museums, attractions and restaurants. These 360-degree images will give our residents something to look forward to and visitors' incentive to visit when traveling again."
I'm pretty sure no ad agency could ever do that.
Well done, Visit Stillwater...and all the other DMOs that know that we are the only agency in our communities prepared for days like these for our destination partners.
One of the best aspects of this sensational gig is getting to hang with amazingly creative and whip-smart people.
We met some of the crew from Klündt Hosmer a few years ago when I was invited to speak at Visit Spokane's Annual Luncheon. And, while being inundated by COVID-19 related e-mails from businesses with which I have only the most peripheral of interaction (that's called a "Third Tier" e-mail in this great article from Fast Company), their missive from last week was the proverbial breath of fresh air we all need.
Thanks for the reminder that not all of what's happening out there is bad news (like the dolphins' return to the canals in Venice...even if it's not true). And, thanks for being "Tier One" in everything you do.
Our friend Bryan Grimaldi (formerly with NYC & Company and now with GreenbergTraurig) is intimately engaged with the firm’s Health Emergency Preparedness Task Force, administering matters for the firm on behalf of their hospitality, trade association, not-for-profit and destination clients.
He reached out over the weekend to offer our readers a curated list of links to some of their Alerts, blog posts and articles from the past week, which may serve as a resource for navigating this rapidly changing crisis and its impact on the legal aspects of conducting business. These represent some of the key topics about which their clients are most concerned. In addition to the content, there are links via which you can subscribe to additional content from GT, including webinars on hot topics, such as Force Majeure, Employment Matters, and soon, Government Relief Programs.
Thanks for having our collective back, Bryan. And, stay safe during the NYC lockdown.
As we achieve a firmer understanding regarding what the next few months are likely to bring, I am reminded of a conversation I had with a guy I met while volunteering in a homeless shelter, years ago. He had lost his white-collar job a few weeks earlier and his wife tossed him out of the house. He looked at me with a pair of the most defeated eyes I've ever seen and asked if I had a savings account. When I nodded, he smirked at me and said, "no you don't...which means you're two weeks away from being me."
I thought of that evening when I saw a post over the weekend from Irving's Maura Gast. Being ever gracious, one of our industry's top thought leaders said her words were inspired by an earlier post from Rockford's John Groh (who, of course, said his message was also inspired by others he had read). Here's part of Maura's message:
I know it’s lives first and livelihoods after that, and I respect and appreciate the important and weighty decisions that had to be made. And I’m grateful that people were willing to make the tough calls and take these most judicious of steps.
That still doesn’t stop my heart for breaking for all our partners in the service economy who rely on hours and shifts. Like my housekeeping mija Tere who walked in with me this morning. And our Ops crew who were already here. Or the food & beverage crew that had been prepped and ready for another busy day. Grateful for what might have been “extra” hours to now help strike the show that was already up and running.
But now, it settles in that those will be the last hours some folks get for the near future. And my heart is crushed for the folks that truly are the heart of the house, here and everywhere. And our clients who put everything they have into the amazing events they produce. And our partners and the other venues around Irving, and everywhere, and the various events that were already in motion. And, especially for our own ICVB and ICC teams, who pour so much love and passion for this community into everything they do.. And all the others like them throughout our hospitality family, not just here in Irving, but everywhere.
Our local restaurant community will need extra love from you during this time – if you’re sick or vulnerable, absolutely stay home but think about Uber Eats or Grubhub, or good old fashioned i Fratelli Pizza delivery. And if you’re comfortable being out, I just encourage you to think hyper-local and support all those things that make Irving special, so that they’ll be able to be here to keep Irving special.
Of course, Maura's post was made before cities and States began calling for the closure of bars and restaurants. As we begin to close out the first day of the new week, let me join Maura and others to encourage us all who are still working to remember those that rely on hourly jobs that have been cut back or eliminated (as Maura said, order delivery or restaurant gift certificates for a happier day when they reopen). Remember those musicians and artists that have no place to play (download some performances from some of your favorite local acts to keep at least a little money flowing their way). And, for every other person you know who no longer has a job today, think of how you can help, no matter how small.
And, strive to stay healthy through this crisis.
When things go bad for your destination, nothing could be worse. Except when the media returns on the anniversary of your Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
Great piece on City/Nation/Place on how Discover Puerto Rico was ready for that anniversary and made it theirs.
As CEO Brad Dean said: “The first disaster was Maria coming. The second disaster was that the media was about to remind everyone that Maria had come.”
Check out how Discover Puerto Rico redefined the narrative (and click the image).
Cool and smart at the same time.
It happened again last week...and, unfortunately, it happened again to Bermuda.
A recent news report confused Bermuda with another island that starts with the same letter in a story about Caribbean crime, erroneously stating that Bermuda suffered through 131 murders last year.
The actual number? Zero, making Bermuda one of the safest island destinations in the world. And, by the way, Bermuda isn't even in the Caribbean.
Being mistaken for another island stung Bermuda over two years ago when people confused it with Barbuda, which was devastated by Hurricane Irma. Resorts on Bermuda reported over 3,000 cancelations by consumers that were absolutely sure that what they heard about Barbuda was, in fact, Bermuda. One resort manager reported that, when he tried to explain that Bermuda was 1,000 miles away, consumers would try to argue with him, saying "Don't lie to me. I know what I saw on TV."
Sigh...
On the road pretty non-stop over the past few weeks, I returned home over the weekend and began catching up on local news through my community's two weekly newspapers. Alas, I learned that a former collaborator and conspirator had departed terra firma during my absence.
Morris Andrews was, truly, the most amazing political mind with whom I've ever had the opportunity to work. This obit in the Capital Times outlines his amazing accomplishments...and the ability to artfully and deftly work both sides of the aisle (a skill that few today possess).
My eulogy for Morrie will take a much more targeted tack. It was his involvement in the referendum fight for Madison's Monona Terrace the caused our two paths to collide. I was the new kid in town. He was the veteran. His lower lip would often protrude when I'd suggest a tactic for the campaign...and I never knew if it meant he was considering the concept or if he was trying to figure out how to tell me I was an idiot.
It was Morrie that suggested, early in the 2-year campaign, that we field phone banks. I (the padawan) questioned him (Yoda) as to the efficacy of such a move. Why would we attempt to sway public opinion more than a year out from the vote?
With a wry smile, he suggested that this phone bank wasn't to inspire...but to gauge public opinion. He needed to know why residents opposed the project in order to mount an effective response to ultimately win the public vote.
As I look back upon the keys to the win, it was that moment that rises to the top. Within days of the weeks-long phone banks, we knew that there were only two issues that concerned voters. The opposition was flailing away with 13 reasons why the project was a bad idea. It was Morrie that guided us to focus on what mattered to the electorate and to ignore the superfluous.
My other favorite memory of those heady times was that I was, admittedly, a bull in a china shop when it came to engaging the opposition. I desperately wanted to respond to every lie and misdirection they threw out into the public discourse. It was Morrie that subtly shook his head and held me back, knowing that it was not yet time.
I'll never forget the moment, a week before the vote, that he smiled that wry smile, nodded and said "Go." And, minutes later, I faced off against an opposition spokesperson on the evening news and took him down hard.
Days later, we won with 50.8% of the vote (4 out of 5 people on the street today will say they voted for Monona Terrace, so successful it has been in the renaissance of the Mad City). Morrie's brilliant counsel accounts for at least 10% of that vote...maybe more.
Madison is blessed to have had Morris Andrews and George Nelson in position to help lead the community through the '90s. We are who we are because of these two great individuals.
Godspeed Morrie...you were an inspiration and a teacher to so many of us. And, I'm able to guide others toward success because of the truths you taught me.
As the saying goes, "when somebody hands you a lemon, you make lemonade."
It was more than a lemon that America's sitting President lobbed at Baltimore over the weekend...and the team at Visit Baltimore took the opportunity to acquaint readers of the Baltimore Sun, New York Times and Washington Post to some of the great aspects of the city. Like top 5 accolades for business, minority entrepreneurship, women in tech and more (click the image to see the ad).
It reminds me of the great video Rockford used to punch back at Forbes a few years ago when that publication named them the third most miserable city in America. That was a classic.
And, Visit Baltimore's response will now join the playbook for how to make sweet lemonade.
Nicely played...
Visitors to the Dominican Republic occasionally die. Visitors to virtually every destination die, far from home and unexpectedly.
In the Dominican Republic's case, it's the unusual frequency that has caught the media's attention. And, while the situation probably doesn't warrant the attention it has been getting over the past month, let's be honest. This is the kind of story today's media loves because it panders to one of our biggest fears, being alone in a foreign place with nowhere to turn for help.
And, the media coverage has had a massive impact on travel to the island. Air travel purchases are down 10% from the same period last year. Hotel bookings are down 74% for July and August and 59% of Travel Agents say their clients are reconsidering trips to the Dominican Republic.
And, Rick Springfield canceled a concert.
It all points to a debilitating year for the country. And, probably, good news for Puerto Rico.
Here's the thing: the State Department says that it is not registering an abnormal increase in American deaths in the Dominican Republic. At the same time, reportedly healthy travelers dropping dead suggests something's not right.
However (and here's the lesson to be learned), you don't say that deaths are a normal occurrence in your country (even if they are). But, that's what the Tourism Minister told reporters last month when he said that (the then) eight deaths over a 6 month period wasn't unusual.
Ummm...nobody expects to die on vacation. And, you just told them that people do that in your country?
Yeah...that didn't help.
At all.
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