Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

America's Top Cities

The latest edition of America's Top Cities is out today and DMOU had the opportunity to talk with Resonance's Chris Fair on how the rankings are determined and why they matter. It's no surprise that big cities dominate the top 50 because they have more assets than smaller cities. But, there are some surprising cities in the bottom 50 that point the way to how DMOs can elevate community brand and magnetism to increase awareness and interest. Chris breaks it all down in this exclusive interview on how the rankings have evolved post-COVID. Cool stuff.

Opening a $107 Million Convention Hotel without a DMO

I'm pretty sure that the disillusioned head shake by hotel developers in Conroe has been more pronounced than that of the serial killer in the Geico commercial. As the City of Conroe footed most of the bill for the exceptional new Hotel & Conference Center that opened last week, you'd think someone would have considered that having a DMO with no staff to assist with the opening would have been a red flag.

Hey, if forces within the City wanted to fire accomplished, award-winning DMO leadership...that's fine. Completely their prerogative. But doing it weeks before one of their biggest private economic development partners opens such an ambitious project that needs a professional DMO (and not City Hall receptionists)...that's just carelessly clueless.

But hey, there's a lot of that going on out there.

Sadly.

The Challenge

This is the challenge, n'est-ce pas?

When the late former Illinois Tourism Director Donna Shaw announced that her office would be cutting back on promoting State Parks in favor of the rich experiences of Chicago, she defended the move as an attempt to attract the "high value consumer," referring to those that spend more than those that bring their own bed, beer and bait.

Cathy Ritter, another former Illinois Tourism Director, shared her definition of a high value consumer on the DMOU podcast as one that shared the values and honored the culture of a place.

Both are clearly in play in Hong Kong, according to this story in the New York Times.

But, what a conundrum, eh? How to be a welcoming destination (and DLO) when you really don't want "locusts" weaving through your community.

New on the DMOU Podcast: Kara Franker

For DMOs that produce destination events, it often consumes months of staff time. Yet, Visit Estes Park turned a festival that a neighboring community was preparing to sunset into an event that garnered national media attention in just 100 days. CEO Kara Franker guests to tell the unique story of the revitalized "Frozen Dead Guy Days," an event that not only bolstered a need time on the calendar but also raised money for workforce housing and daycare initiatives. It's a stirring story of community collaboration you're not going to want to miss. You can find the conversation HERE.

And, while you're at it...check out the sensational video behind the story Kara tells on the podcast about backing a Room Tax increase to support local workforce housing and childcare.

Simply brilliant.

Reality v. the Circus

For the past 5 years, Shannon Overby took the destination marketing of Conroe TX beyond what most would consider possible. She recently got caught up in political shitshow when forces within the City decided that the DMO should serve as the receptionist for City Hall and she pushed back.

Conroe let her go for her "insubordination." And, within days, she is snapped up by one of the top DMOs in the State of Texas.

Hey Conroe? Does that suggest to you that you have no friggin' idea what you're doing? Or the talent you just frittered away?

Yeah...probably not.

Like an SNL Skit

Wisconsin's US Senator Ron Johnson (yeah, we're sorry) recently said that climate change was good for our State.

OK...so ignoring the impacts on the rest of the world is troubling enough. But his rationale is beyond parody: 

"Without global warming, my state of Wisconsin would still be mostly covered by a 1-2-mile thick glacier."

Honestly? US Representative Mark Pocan (who, to be fair, has said some pretty nutty stuff too) nailed it when he said Ron's comments were like an SNL skit.

The shit that comes out of our "leaders'" mouths...

Sigh.

 

Some Good News

We often, with disbelief, report on the unwarranted attacks upon Destination Marketing Organizations...but we gotta say, the past couple days have been pretty sweet.

A proposal to kneecap Florida Tourism marketing received a pretty stellar punch in the nose as the State Legislature not only appropriated revenues to Visit Florida but increased its budget by $30 million.

And, the attempt to disband the Hawaii Tourism Authority failed.

In both cases, it is clear that legislators ultimately set aside their personal interests for headlines and accepted that, while there may be issues to be resolved, the DMOs in question produce so much State revenue that it's best to keep them in play.

Can we hope that the future will bring more sophisticated decisions? Fingers crossed.

And then, there's this. Minnesota, which has traditionally trailed its Midwest neighbors (except Indiana) in its investment in Destination Marketing is now considering doubling its Destination marketing budget.

And Indiana? Long the "why do you even bother" budget? The Legislature is considering more than doubling its investment.

Pretty cool news for those of us that have, for so long, preached the value of Destination Marketing. And congratulations to all that have advocated for such investment in your States and communities.

Selfies

When I was growing up, we rushed the concert stage to take pictures of our rock and roll idols. It was in the early 2000s that I witnessed something quite different; fans rushing the stage to twirl and take a picture of themselves with the performer in the background.

The slow headshake.

Maybe it's because I'm not in love with my face...but the whole selfie thing is kinda lost on me.

And, it clearly is lost on community leaders in Portofino, where selfies have just been banned.

Concert Fees

Just tell me the friggin price.

It's hotels, airlines, concerts and so many assets we wish to consume. Just tell me the friggin price.

Ari Herstand lived next door during his youth. We luxuriated in his musical experimentation through his window as we sat on our porch. We went to his shows and were blown away. Really? This guy lives next door?

His is a song that Terri and I often message each other when I've been on the road too long.

And, he is the author of How to Make It in the New Music Business, which has a lot of truths that those of us in the Destination Marketing field could maximize.

He recently penned a piece for Variety that so deserves every music fan's read. And yeah...we in the DMO world as well, as we move into ensuring the visitor experience is transcendent.

Just tell me the friggin price.

Re-Acquiring Resident Support

When residents begin to push back on what they perceive to be a community, neighborhood or attraction that is too crowded, they often point the finger at visitors. Whether that's true isn't the issue; local perception is.

Which is why what operators of East Maui's Twin Falls have recently done is so brilliant.

Earlier this month, they staged their first "locals-only day" and the results were pretty fascinating. According to the Maui News, heavy days at Twin Falls see between 200 and 450 cars, taxing the environment and creating parking headaches. On the day reserved for locals, only 150 cars were counted. So, check off the overcrowding box.

But, the really sensational part of the project was reacquainting island residents with one of their favorite childhood memories that they hadn't revisited in recent years because of all the tourists. As one of the employees there said, “the majority (who came) said they hadn’t come here in years and they had avoided the area because it was just overcrowded, so that was one of the comments we heard the most.”

And the island visitors who were turned away? A member of Friends of Twin Falls said, “most tourists were very understanding and ventured to the next stop on the road.” 

Gotta love it. Well played.