Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Boycotts and Cancellations

A few years ago, North Carolina and Indiana infamously passed "bathroom bills" and quickly lost major sports events and future corporate investment. Both States ultimately backed off...but the damage was done to their national reputations.

Today, it's Georgia. After passing a law that many believe will restrict voter rights, Major League Baseball has pulled this year's All-Star Game from Atlanta. Will Georgia legislators blink?

Don't get me wrong, I abhor restricting voting rights for any citizen of this country. But, does pulling the All-Star game hurt the citizens of Cobb County more than the clearly teflon politicians that passed this tone-deaf measure? Will they back down as other States have done? Or does this reaction inflict further pain on a travel industry that has been decimated this past year?

I caught this interesting take yesterday from WSB Radio in Atlanta. Yeah...lots to unpack here.

The law still sucks...but, if Georgia legislators won't budge, who gets hurt?

The unintended consequence, indeed.

The Chef as The Story

If you've yet to catch an episode of the new CNN travelogue series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, treat yourself. Beautifully shot, the series explores the variations in cuisine, traditions and preparations throughout the country.

Just as beautifully shot (and no less culinarily compelling), is a new online series we recently stumbled upon from our friends at VisitNorfolk.  City with Bite is a semi-weekly video series featuring local food and culture icon Nomarama as your host with a stated mission to try all 600 of Norfolk's independent restaurants. And, with 4 episodes already online and streaming, we're so planning our next visit to the city!

Click on the slightly irreverent trailer and I dare you not to watch all four episodes.

Congratulations to Kurt Krause and the crew at VisitNorfolk. Sensationally played!

Make it Worth It

As a "Loyalty Member" at a regional movie house chain, I annually get a Birthday e-mail offering me a random free "gift" to entice me back to the theatre. And, I got one this weekend, offering me a free fountain drink as my Birthday gift.

This may have been the offer I got last year. I really don't remember, because offering me a 16 oz. Diet Pepsi won't entice me to drive 30 minutes to see a show I wasn't already considering. And, with the 'VID, the offer would have to be substantially higher to encourage me to place myself in an enclosed space with unknown protocols and no control over potentially sick patrons in the row behind me. Indeed, part of me thinks the Marketing Department forgot to update their traditional Birthday e-mail offer to better reflect pandemic reality.

You want me to put aside my health concerns and come to your theatre again? How about a free family 4-pack of tickets for my birthday? That way, you not only get us through the doors but another couple or family members as well to re-engage with your product. You lose nothing, because your seats aren't full and you gain all the overpriced concessions we'll consume. And, if we don't get sick in the next 10 days, you'll have encouraged us to return because your protocols work.

Offering me a Diet Pepsi? You simply look tone deaf. And cheap.

For those in the hospitality space that believe that special offers can kick start your recovery...go large or go home.

007 Theme Songs

With the sad passing of Sir Sean Connery, I was reminded that the 007 franchise he helped launch on the silver screen is the only one I can recall that a big deal was typically made about who sang the theme song. Naturally, part of that is the sheer longevity of the series. But, there's always been something more...even as the franchise moved into a new century and saw performers such as Adele, Garbage and Chris Cornell take star turns on the opening songs.

You may disagree with this ranking from a 2015 piece in Rolling Stone...but, it's generally on the mark (with some great trivia and backstories). And yes, Shirley Bassey will always be the voice of 007.

But, on this Music Friday, we're going with my Dad's all-time favorite. This is Tom Jones and "Thunderball."

The Power of a Movie

Back in the '90s, I seem to remember a number of destinations that had hosted major movie productions being disappointed that large number of visitors didn't follow. That has certainly changed during this century, as movie locales are increasingly seen as bucket list destinations.

And now, Guam is about to have its moment in the sun. Yes, the same island that saw its tourism arrivals tank for a few months when the President and North Korea were in a pissing match in 2017 is now hopeful that a new Netflix movie will put Guam on everybody's list.

Here at the compound, we've relaxed our standing rule against Holiday movies before Thanksgiving during the 'VID. And yes, Sunday afternoon, Terri and I watched the completely formulaic "Operation Christmas Drop." And, yes...it measures up to any Hallmark Holiday movie. And actually, it was better...because it wasn't shot on a "Truman Show" lot. It was actually shot on location.

That has Guam Visitor Bureau CEO Carl Gutierrez pretty excited. Not only that the storyline is based on a long-standing humanitarian tradition...but the shots of the island are mesmerizing.

Need some affirmation? Midway through the movie, Terri (typically an extremely discerning arbiter of where to go next) turned to me and asked, "why haven't we ever considered Guam?"

And, now we are.

Well, That's One Way to See It

Four porn stars are reportedly facing charges for filming in a Mexican National Park. Officials are apparently furious that such antics harm the brand image and culture of Chiapas. 

On the other hand, the head of the Chiapas Hotel & Motels Association said he hoped the video would spur tourism, saying "I see it as a promotion to the destination. (The actors) are coming because it is a safe place and they chose this location due to its nature.”

Well, that's one way to look at it, I guess.

The Re-Imagined Annual Meeting

One of the few positives that have emerged from the pandemic is how creative some of us have become. What started with Zoom Happy Hours in an attempt to maintain a sense of normalcy in the early days of the 'VID has blossomed into some pretty ingenious ways.

Take, for example, the ubiquitous DMO Annual Meeting. For the most part, these have been relatively staid events over the years...and we've been honored to keynote a bunch. But, in an era of physical distancing, DMOs have had to get creative, like the Greater Springfield MA CVB did last month.

Theirs was typically an event with food and drink...so Mary Kay Wydra and her team sent boxes to each registrant to the Zoom meeting, with instructions to not open said box until the event began. Once the Annual Meeting was gaveled to order, participants opened their boxes to find wine, beer and snacks for the meeting, as they listened to Mary Kay's recap of the year and her vision for the future. It was a great twist on an old theme in which I was honored to play a part.

Visit Jefferson Parish holds their Annual Meeting next week as a hybrid event. Those who feel comfortable gathering will mask up at a local theatre to mark the occasion while those who don't will be able to tune in from home.

And then, there's Visit Tulsa...which recently hosted their Annual Meeting at a local Drive-In movie theatre. Over 150 people munched on popcorn and watched the annual show from their cars at the Admiral Twin. And then were treated to a movie recently shot in Tulsa.

I love this industry and the creatives we get to work with every day.

The Next Victims

Last autumn, I had the opportunity to attend a fascinating presentation on the future of higher education by the Associate VP for Enrollment Management at the University of Iowa, Brent Gage. In a nutshell, Brent shared that demographic shifts, already in play, over the next 10 years would place under-branded liberal arts schools at risk.

Little did any of us in that room believe that day of reckoning would be coming much sooner due to a ham-handed response to a pandemic.

A friend from college (one of those schools that are on the "they're toast" list) sent me this chilling post from NYU professor Scott Galloway and his team as they looked at the health of every U.S. college (and thus, every college town) in the face of the 'VID. The article links to an exhaustive spreadsheet to show their analysis of the likely survivors...and those schools who won't. 

It's not a pretty picture. But, as Galloway says, "denial is more expensive than facing reality."

Or, be like Bluto: "My advise to you, is to start drinking heavily."

Your choice.

Where it Was Filmed

Sadly, I'm old enough to remember when destinations were giddy to welcome visitors to where major motion pictures had recently been filmed...and ultimately heard crickets.

Today, those destinations must be shaking their heads in disbelief, because visiting film locales is a serious thing. Maybe it's our selfie culture...but visiting where movies, TV shows and videos were shot is big business.

And, the newest town to cash in on this phenomenon is Húsavík, Iceland, home to the fictional characters of Sigrit and Lars, the stars of the Netflix film "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga," starring Rachel McAdams and Will Ferrell.

In a great interview in wiwibloggs, the Director of the Húsavík DMO says internet traffic is up 400% and that the movie has been "a blessing." 

"I think we realize that they are making fun of us, both Icelanders in general and townsfolk as well. We can take the joke, and laugh along, especially when the movie is giving us this fantastic promotion."

Jaja Ding Dong!

 

 

Shakespeare on the Zoom

One of the delights in living in South Central Wisconsin is American Players Theatre. Shakespeare (and other classics) are performed each evening under the stars (and the bats) and weekend afternoons, on a stage nestled into a hillside near Spring Green (Frank Lloyd Wright's former Wisconsin haunt). It is one of the blessings we look forward to as Winter gives way to Spring, and Spring to Summer.

Alas, poor Yorick, there will be no outdoor season in this year of "the VID." But, that's not stopping APT from "playing in the woods" (albeit virtually). Tomorrow evening, they'll be performing "Julius Ceasar" via Zoom on Wisconsin Public Television and their own American Players Theatre Facebook page.

And yes, I know tomorrow is also the premiere of "Hamilton" on Disney+. Luckily, both will be available to stream on your schedule...and Wisconsin Public TV is waiving its geographic restrictions so anyone can see all of APT's Zoomy productions through July 26. 

Thanks APT...this will make this season's parting a far less sweet sorrow.