Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Smiles All Around

Walking back to my hotel after an early morning presentation to the Rockford Area CVB Board, I came upon a corner that made me smile (click image to enlarge). 

It was the stone in front of the Rockford Park District that read "Webbs Norman Center." Along with former CVB CEO Wendy Perks Fisher, Webbs was one of the early national visionaries that saw the potential in Sports Tourism almost 40 years ago. It was their early partnership that set into motion the transformation of Rockford Tourism. This video offers a glimpse of that relationship.

My smile grew larger when I noticed that the street in front of the Webbs Norman Center has been renamed Tim Dimke Drive...as Tim and his crew took Webbs' and Wendy's vision and expanded it even further with current RACVB CEO John Groh.

As I ducked into the sensational riverfront Embassy Suites Hotel for a quick bite before heading out, I had to smile again because I heard joy and laughter coming out of the kitchen...and that's a sound we've all missed over the past few years. But, there it was...and, as I surveyed my fellow diners, I could see how infectious it was for all of us.

And, that's just damn good management...the kind that empowers employees to have fun, please the guest and take incredible pride in their work.

Thanks Rockford...let's see if my next stop continues the streak.

MSP Overnight

When one has logged over 1.5 million miles in the air, there's not a lot for what one isn't prepared. Yet, it happened to me Friday night. I've been stranded overnight many times...but always was able to score a hotel room (even as late as 3:30 am). That didn't happen this past weekend and I spent my first overnight in an airport.

The experience was a never-ending cascade of mistakes punctuated at almost every turn by bad communication, starting with the gate agent we met as we returned from a futile attempt to de-ice. "I don't know," isn't an acceptable answer. And, it propelled my flight-mates and me to figure it out on our own.

Because most of the seating throughout the airport has arm rests, sleeping on seating is pretty much out of the question, if one wants to recline. I ultimately found a semi-dark hallway off F Concourse and spent a few fitful hours on the floor, my backpack as my pillow.

When I finally gave up trying to sleep at 4am, I started to walk the airport and was stunned at the number of people I discovered reclining on padded sleeping mats. Where did these come from? I didn't see them at 2 when I gave up and hit the floor. And yet, they were everywhere. How did I miss this opportunity?

As I continued my journey through MSP, I made other discoveries. Concourse C is exceptionally noisy due to the airport's odd need to continually broadcast that the shuttle isn't in operation overnight. And the seldom used Concourse B? That's where there are no armrests and lots of nooks and crannies in which to find solace as you crash for the night.

Which got me to thinking. Sleeping in an airport is rarely a pleasant experience...and most of us (even veterans like me) don't know how to diminish the anxiety and pain of the experience. So, wouldn't it make sense for airlines to avoid the chance to deliver a service miss with a clueless and uncaring gate agent (he honestly should be canned post haste) with a flash card or QR code that offers suggestions for how to overnight in an airport?

Just a thought...because that would make me love my favorite airline even more.

New on DMOU > Community Engagement

It's not a part of the primordial DNA of DMOs, but Community Engagement is an increasingly vital component of our work. Visit Anchorage's Jack Bonney joins the show and shares his philosophies on how to build a rock solid community relations program that is based in the yin and yang of what your DMO can do...and can't. And, from that, building a relationship based on trust, service and admiration can be a beautiful thing.

It's just one of over 100 interviews waiting for you in the DMOU vault. 

New on DMOU: Embracing the Night Time Economy

A lot of attention is paid to the 6a to 6p economy...but that has been a disservice to its 6p to 6a sister of the night. 24 Hour Dallas intends to change that...and we talk with the organization's Coordinator, Bryan Tony, on the most recently released episode of the DMOU Podcast.

Chick here to listen...or find us on your favorite podcast platform.

What Hoteliers are Thinking Today

Prior to the Plague, the best Destination Marketing professionals had a pretty good idea of what their hoteliers were thinking. But today? 

The DMOU podcast is back from Holiday Hiatus with STR's Vail Ross, talking about the new demands, pressures and opportunities facing today's hotel executives. And, it's one of over 100 conversations waiting for you in the DMOU vault.

And, be sure to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to ensure that you're notified the moment a new episode drops. Because we're looking forward to a great 2023.

Looking at it Through the Customer's Eyes

Trying to find the dock for a Water Taxi to get us to dinner...and the address provided is not recognized by GPS. And there's no signage at the nearest parking lot. Sure, the locals know where to go...but how many first-time visitors miss their reservations because nobody in management of this otherwise sensational experience thought about how a potential first-time customer (who will likely rip them on Social Media) could possibly locate an impossibly difficult to find dock. Have you tried to find your business using GPS (and on all the platforms)? As Todd Rundgren famously said on Something/Anything, "you might be surprised."

Or the web platform that chose to update the skins of all its users without warning and inadvertently caused at least some of us (and I'm guessing more) to have their interface become unreadable? We open a "support" ticket, get a rapid response...and then are told, "looks good on our end." Yeah, because they're all using big screens while the majority of our users are on laptop and mobile. When shown screen shots of how it's not OK, they go radio silent for two days. Hey...we get it. You fucked up and don't know how to fix it. But, an automated, "we know you're still out there" response each day would be nice so we don't start searching for another host because we think you don't care (which I just had, minutes before they finally acknowledged their mistake).

In every enterprise, there needs to be a person responsible for these kinds of missteps. I'm not saying it's a full-time job (though it may well be). But somebody needs to be on the case, everyday, focused on how new and existing customers can revel in your customer care...and be, as Guy Kawasaki once said, "Thunder Lizard Evangelists."

 

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?

Time to Get Back to Work

Now that the mid-terms are (mostly) over, it's time to get back to work.

Hopefully, as a DMO pro, you've already built at least a cursory relationship with your Federal and State delegations (something that should have been in play for all candidates over the past few months so that you're ready to roll regardless of the victor). 

And, top of the docket for the Tourism and Hospitality industry right now is the bi-partisan House Resolution 9231...the Service Worker Economic Stabilization Act, designed to remove disincentives in the present tax code that discourage companies from spending on in-person meetings and business travel.

According to Tourism Economics, the bill would increase revenue at travel businesses that offer food or entertainment services by about $70.4 BILLION over the next two years, many of which are small businesses.

You know what to do...call or write your Senators and Representatives now.

 

The Overlooked Workforce Solution?

While national statistics indicate that the American workforce has returned to pre-Plague levels, those of us in the travel and hospitality industry know that we are the outlier. Most hotels, restaurants, attractions and retailers are beyond desperate for employees with which to keep their doors open and service levels high.

On a trip to Mississippi last week, I saw a billboard (click image to enlarge) offering a $5,000 signing bonus for cooks. And, if it takes $5,000 to get someone to apply, one must ask if we are barking up the wrong tree.

If the "usual suspects" don't want to work...who does?

Can you say formerly incarcerated individuals (the numbers of which are expected to blossom when cannabis offenders are freed)? This is a fascinating article on how individuals that made an unfortunate wrong turn (not habitual or violent criminals) can be the best employees ever.

Worth bridging the conversation in your community, n'est-ce pas?

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.