Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Julie Schmitz Jensen

Terri and I work in a sector of this economy in which a lot of our peers have smiles that "light up a room." It's what we do to draw customers and partners to our destinations and initiatives. It's about making people feel welcome and embraced. It's about building relationships.

So, when I say that Julie Schmitz Jensen (former CEO of Visit Rapid City) could light up a room...that means that an already lit room was about to go super nova. I met her at a Destination Marketing industry conference eight years ago in Las Vegas. It was a day I'll never forget (and chronicled it in this blog).

Julie departed terra firma on Monday, on to light up her next world with a heart as big as Mount Rushmore. To say that Social Media, text and e-mails have been on fire since the news broke earlier today is as big an understatement as one could make. She was that loved...because she loved and helped so many live sensational lives.

Terri and I are on the porch tonight, burning a fire in her memory and raising a glass to her unbridled spirit. Gone too soon...but leaving a legacy that will live on forever.

Godspeed, Julie.

Breathing In

It has been an amazing, restorative couple weeks since Terri and I returned from Toronto and the cacophony of Destinations International.

That's not a complaint...just a fact. The 1300 of us that came together had so much to say, so many friends to meet and so little time. It was both exhilarating and exhausting.

Through a fluke of the calendar, these past two weeks have been at home, looking out over Crystal Lake. Our days have been full, to be sure, with client calls. But we've enjoyed hanging on the porch, watching (and hearing) the cranes overhead, the sparrows and finches fighting for a perch on our fountain and luxuriating in the breeze of a Wisconsin summer. And these past two weeks have been as perfect of a stretch of 'Sconie weather that I can ever remember.

It's now back on the road to do what we do...and we can't wait to get back at it. But these two weeks have been nirvana.

I'll Do Anything

This Music Friday post honors the moment that Terri and I finally admitted to each other that there was something smoldering there.

Thank you, babe...for all the love, laughs and sensational experiences we've shared.

No one could say it as well as Kiefer. This is "I'll Do Anything."

Oh yeah...and I love you more ;)

And "I Can't Stay Away."

25 Years Ago Today

While it doesn't seem like yesterday, it certainly doesn't seem like a quarter century since Madison opened the doors on the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Monona Terrace Convention Center. Seven years almost to the day when then-Mayor Paul Soglin unveiled plans for adapting Wright's design into a convention and community center, during which the first two were consumed in a ferocious referendum battle that resulted in a 50.8% win. Walk downtown today and ask people if they voted for it and I'm pretty sure 4 out of 5 would say yes...that is how important Monona Terrace has been to Madison's renaissance.

I was part of the team that strategized and led the effort to get that referendum passed. In the process, I was mentored by two individuals that will, sadly, not be in attendance when those of us that moved this civic project to the goal line gather later this week. They are also, outside of my parents and a handful of professors, the two individuals that taught me life lessons that made me who I am today. Both Morrie Andrews and George Nelson departed terra firma in the past few years, but they were the men that made Monona Terrace happen. To be sure, there were hundreds of us that contributed and the Mayor got the ball rolling...but without George and Morrie, it never would have happened.

As we prepare to celebrate 25 years (and salute these two men), I went back and re-read my eulogies. You should, too.

George Nelson and Morrie Andrews...two guys that changed Madison forever.

Croce

My friend Lee Tasseff (CEO of Destination Mansfield-Richland County) is a regular follower of our Music Friday posts (thank you)...and reached out to suggest this sensational piece that recently ran on CBS Sunday Morning about A.J. Croce...the son of Jim Croce.

So cool that the son has come back to honor his father...while still making his own sensational music.

Thanks for the nudge, Lee :)

And sorry to send you down the rabbit hole again with the Jim Croce link.

Not.

The Jaw Drop Move

Many in the DMO space likely know of Jon Schmieder, Founder and CEO) of the Huddle Up Group, a sports consultancy with which we work from time to time, when the situation requires a broader synergy and vision. 

Jon posts a weekly newsletter called the "Monday Huddle Up" which deserves your subscription. But, if you're reticent because, like streaming services, you're already overwhelmed, at least take time for yesterday's post. It's one of his best.

And an awesome story.

Thoughts & Prayers

One has to wonder, when the majority of Americans believe in a path forward, why a political movement (I can't even call it a party) ignores that plurality in the politics of partisanship.

I'm a guy that sees a challenge and says, "let's solve it." But, those beholden to special interest money cannot.

So, this Music Friday post is from Will Hoge...this is "Thoughts and Prayers."

Enough.

Really...how can we continue to elect people who can't see the truth and provide solutions we crave?

Naomi

We lost one of Country Music's most iconic figures this past week with the passing of Naomi Judd. Mother of Wynonna and Ashley, she wasn't shy about sharing her story of the mental illness that apparently robbed us of this talent. Through the music she made and the books she wrote, we were always drawn to her art and story.

As we say farewell, it's a 2-fer on this Music Friday. One of my favorites...and, from 1991, the seemingly appropriate "River of Time."

Oh yeah...and the time she sang halftime at the Super Bowl.

The Beauty of a Sunflower

If you travel through DTW and ever traverse the subterranean passageway between concourses, you no doubt have experienced the light and sound show that has delighted travelers for years. Unless somebody has turned it off.

The option appeared a few years ago as officials at the airport became aware that the light show and sounds could be distressing for some people with hidden disabilities. The work-around? Buttons at each end of the tunnel that allow visitors to turn the show off for a few minutes as they make their way through to the next concourse. 

Airport officials at TPA, along with partners such as TSA, the Airport’s Police Department, airlines and others who assist passengers – have taken another step and became one of only a few dozen U.S. airports to launch the Sunflower Lanyard Program as another way to help visitors address the sometimes overwhelming stimuli faced by people with autism, PTSD, epilepsy or other conditions.

The Sunflower lanyard, which got its start in the UK, is starting to find adoption in the States. And it's an exploratory conversation that every DMO should be having with its airport and industry partners.

Playing the Exclusivity Card

Last month, the island of Barbuda launched a new campaign that acknowledges the destination's limitations...by turning them into a strength.

We just spent a few days in a coastal destination where walking the beach was, at times, a struggle because of the crowds. While we were elated that business was booming for our client's partners, we'd prefer a little more laid back vibe when we take some us time. And, with "one ferry, two flights and ten taxis," that's exactly what we're looking for in a beach destination.

Throw in 11 miles of pink sand? We're so there.

Enjoy the simple joy of this video.

Brilliant.