Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

This is 50

Last night marked the 50th Anniversary of the birth of what is today known as Destination Madison, an organization I was proud and honored to lead during the first half of the '90s.

Thanks to Destination Madison for the kind shout out during last night's festivities regarding my part in securing the public referendum vote to build the world-class Monona Terrace Convention Center that served as the jumper cable for Madison's renaissance. 

And having my successor Deb Archer honored for her amazing 25 years at the helm of the organization was a true treat for Terri and me.

And here's to the next 50...

Bigger than the "Big Game"

What does it say when an event that simply picks future winners and losers without a resultant highlight reel is more important than the Super Bowl?

That's what the Mayor of Detroit said yesterday in announcing updated plans to hold the NFL Draft in the Motor City next April. “This is potentially bigger than the Super Bowl,” Mayor Duggan said. “Only 60,000 people can get tickets to the Super Bowl. But for the NFL Draft, hundreds of thousands can get in — and they stay for the weekend.”

That's why Detroit is reportedly changing the playbook from past NFL Drafts and concentrating all its events downtown. According to Duggan, “When you have 300,000 or 400,000 people coming from across America, we want to change the image of Detroit in their minds once and for all. We felt like to do that, we had to build the draft into the city.”

And, ain't that the whole point of events? To change perception of a destination?

Like Detroit did in 1896...when it launched a never-before utilized Convention Sales strategy to land national events to showcase the city to potential investors.

New on DMOU: NYC's Fred Dixon

After a brief travel-induced hiatus, the DMOU Podcast is back with a wide-ranging conversation with New York City Tourism + Conventions' Fred Dixon. As Chair of Destinations International, Fred has laid out an ambitious agenda for his year including DEI and Accessibility, Global growth, Member sustainability and a renewed emphasis on meetings and business events. We discuss these topics and more...including a fascinating (and fun) story of how his DMO partnered with Taylor Swift.

Join us...and it's good to be back.

Brilliant...or WTF

Word out of Baton Rouge is that the Louisiana Office of Tourism is going to deploy a $10 million appropriation in a highly innovative set of initiatives:

$300K for local recording artists to go birdwatching with writers from Rolling Stone.

$650,000 to "takeover" the Sphere in Las Vegas for two hours...plus off and on for a week.

$200,000 for a Visitors Guide (ostensible online) based on users' Zodiac signs.

$500,000 for Super Bowl advertising.

A million dollars for floats in the Macy's and Rose Bowl Parades....and a bunch more.

And, you know what? Given the obligatory State TV ads that all pretty much look the same (except Michigan, North Dakota and California)...I think this strategy of changing the narrative might actually work.

WTF.

 

Priorities Indeed

Over the weekend, I stumbled upon a letter to the editor of the Mountain Express that took issue with the salary of Visit Asheville's Vic Isley:

"Victoria “Vic” Isley’s new contract as the director of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority makes her the highest-paid public official in the county. So now we know conclusively what Buncombe County prioritizes. Now we understand that tourism is more important than education, jobs, roads, DEI, health care or absolutely anything else."

The writer is absolutely correct. Tourism is the most important investment the community can make with its Room Tax collections...because it drives the non-resident revenue that government requires to support education, jobs, roads, DEI, health care and absolutely everything else.

Any other questions, Mark?

New on the DMOU Podcast: The Illinois TID Win

It was 2011 when several DMO pros in Illinois began discussing the potential to introduce State legislation to add Tourism Improvement Districts into their funding mix. Earlier this year, that legislation finally passed and was signed into law. Rockford Area CVB CEO John Groh and Visit Quad Cities CEO Dave Herrell return to DMOU to share the up and down story of persistence, negotiation and being ready when the political winds were right. Even if your State already has TID legislation in place, this episode is a fascinating primer on moving an initiative through the political process.

It's just one of over 125 conversations waiting for you in the DMOU Vault.

Thanks to the Tourism Teacher

The Tourism Teacher is a relatively new podcast, hosted by our friend Andi Jaspersen, that is targeted to the padawans in the Tourism and Destination Marketing space. Part of Adam Stoker's Destination Marketing Podcast Network, the podcast has just wrapped its first season and I was recently honored to share my take on DMO Board Governance.

What we do in Destination Marketing isn't easy to understand for those from the outside world. Welcoming new employees or interns (or new Board members) into your DMO? The Tourism Teacher is a great primer to get people up to speed...fast.

Thanks, Andi. I loved our conversation.

Do the Math

According to a recent article in Fast Company, office space takes up between 70-80% of all real estate in many downtowns. With so many of us continuing to work remote, that space is going unused...and, in many cases, unleased.

In San Francisco, it is estimated that only 40% of the pre-plague workforce has returned to the office. And, as the average worker in that city spent $168 per week near their workplaces...that pencils out to $1.2 billion in lost revenues per year to the surrounding restaurants, bars, coffeeshops, retain outlets and services businesses.

Is it any wonder so many of those businesses (even those who could find workers) are now shuttered? Which then sets about a vicious cycle of why would anyone would want to return to the office if there's nothing to do in the blocks surrounding one's building.

Cities that intend to survive are going to hafta get real creative...sooner than later...before it's too late.

 

The Board's Role

I have absolutely no idea of whether the CEO of the Long Beach CVB did what local media is accusing him of doing.

But his Board stepped up and did what DMO Boards are supposed to do...defend their CEO in the face of accusation. Sadly, so few do.

When accusations of these kind come forward, it is typically a surprise to the Board. And there are several case studies in which the Board freaks out and distances itself from its CEO, fearing a media splatter. That only makes it worse for the organization.

The best Boards push back on the accusations and then do their internal analysis of the situation. And, when they are done, take the appropriate steps...strongly support the CEO or cut bait. That didn't happen in Cleveland years ago...and it set that city back years in its convention center development.

Kudos to the Long Beach CVB Board for doing the right thing.

 

So Long, X

Over the past few months, I've simply ghosted my presence on X (formerly known as Twitter). I didn't proclaim my extraction. I just walked away...so far from its origin had it strayed.

But, as I was reminded on my recent trip to Jackson MS to keynote the STS Connections conference, to be silent is to be complicit.

Industry icon Corbin Ball carries the ball for so many of us with his final post before departing the arena.

Or, should we stay and fight?