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.

Is it a Swedish Thing?

There are two destinations that can always be counted on to take current affairs...and turn them into Tourism Marketing Gold. And, oddly enough, they both bear Swedish roots. Of course, there's Sweden...and then there is Rockford IL, where their Swedish immigrant roots run deep.

Rockford has had a run, capitalizing on Wisconsin Senators fleeing to the city across the Illinois border to block a Senate vote. And, then there was the time that Forbes magazine called Rockford miserable. Classics both.

And Sweden has had their share of moments...best exemplified by their current video. When President Biden confused Sweden with Switzerland...it was just t0o delicious an opportunity for Sweden to point out the differences between their two destinations.

Is this a Swedish thing? Because it so works.

RIP Cursive

When iconic brands such as Eddie Bauer and Johnson & Johnson reject their decades-old logos because today's new consumers can't read the letters? A sad day for typography, to be sure.

Because our schools no longer teach cursive, who can blame them? But, after a weekend at my fraternity's annual reunion, where I saw examples of exquisite handwriting from the mid-1800s (where, seemingly, everyone's penmanship was a work of art), the story out of Eddie Bauer struck me as sad.

The script logo is out...and block letters are in.

I get why...but we've sadly lost a piece of American culture.

Ford? You're up next.

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.

 

New on DMOU: Rick Antonson

If there is a short list of thought leaders in the DMO world, Rick Antonson is always on that list. He was our first guest 20 years ago on the DMOU Teleseminar and our first guest on the the resurrected DMOU Podcast (and that says a lot). On this episode, he’s back to talk Destination Marketing…but also to share thoughts about his latest book, Train Beyond the Mountains: Journeys on the Rocky Mountaineer. Rick and I go deep into the meaning behind travel, the connections made and the life lessons learned. It’s a wide-ranging conversation that I believe you’ll love with one of the most eloquently expressive voices of our era.

New on the DMOU Podcast: Brook Kaufman

As Destination International’s Advocacy Summit is just around the corner, there’s no better time to talk with Visit Rapid City’s Brook Kaufman who, when she was with Visit Casper, ran and won a seat on her County Board. On this episode, you’ll hear why Brook thinks that more DMO pros should run for office…as well as her experiences during the last Total Eclipse of the Sun and how, as the first non-resident to helm Visit Rapid City in 40 years, she built a culture of trust with both stakeholders and staff. And, oh yeah…how she developed 40,000 Social Media followers during her quest for her first Marathon. 

It's just one of over 120 episodes with some of the best and brightest minds in Destination Marketing.

New on DMOU: PCMA's Sherrif Karamat on AI

PCMA CEO Sherrif Karamat is one of the deepest thinkers in the business events space on the planet. And, not unlike those old EF Hutton commercials, when Sherrif talks, I listen. So, when he said that DMOs were falling behind his members in the adoption of AI at Destinations International’s Annual Conference this summer, that was more than enough to earn an invitation to DMOU. Join us for a fascinating discussion of how he believes AI can reduce the mundane and better connect us to our clients…and where Sherrif believes the future of DMOs lies.

It's just one of over 120 powerful conversations you'll find in the DMOU Vault.

New on the DMOU Podcast > True Ambassadors

I was honored to moderate a panel at a PRSA event this summer in Madison...and it was a pleasure to reconnect with my friend Kelly Barbery, VP of Marketing and Communications at ExperienceColumbiaSC.

I was just the moderator...and was not responsible for the content. So, I was unprepared and mesmerized by the story Kelly and Director of Communications Charlene Slaughter shared regarding their "Ambassador Program."

Trust me...this is not your garden variety Ambassador Program.

A cool conversation that also touches on their Pimento Cheese Passport and their first steps into NIL.

Check it out...and over 120 other conversations in the DMOU Vault.