Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Next Up on DMOU: Scott Dring

While DMOs are increasingly engaged in (and in Destination Cleveland’s case, leading) workforce development and talent acquisition initiatives, Visit Dublin OH is playing the long game by working to show High School students the breadth and excitement of hospitality as a career choice. Scott Dring joins the DMOU podcast to outline how the newly launched Travel & Tourism Academy in the Dublin School System came to fruition. The program merges traditional learning curriculum (designed by the region’s top academic institutions) with really life onsite exposure, becoming one of the most talked about Academies on campus. Scott also shares how the Dublin Link has both created a new local destination but enhanced its historic downtown. And, a Bonus Round question that involves 4 guys in a van in an attempt to visit every major league baseball park on America without GPS or mobile phones. Join us.

Next Up on DMOU > TourismIQ

On the newest edition of DMOU, we check in with Adam Stoker, author of Touchpoints and progenitor of the Destination Marketing Podcast Network to get under the hood of a new free online town square for Destination Leaders. It’s called TourismIQ…and Adam walks us through its genesis, its current build out and what users can expect in the near future. Join Us.

The Three A's

One of my regular morning reads is Fortune's CEO Daily. Editor Alan Murray has been in Davos the past few days, hanging with CEOs from around the world. Last night, Fortune sponsored a dinner with 80 of them...from Amazon to Intel to Williams Sonoma.

They asked the CEOs to discuss, at their tables, the biggest risks and the biggest opportunities facing business in 2024. The discussions were held under Chatham House rules, so individual comments aren't attributable. But the answers are fascinating.

My favorite quote: “In terms of risk, we talked about three A’s—asteroids, AI and assholes…assholes meaning politicians, misinformation, deep fakes—you name it."

A to that.

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?

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.

On Artificial Intelligence

Each year at the Annual Convention of Destinations International, we roam the halls asking a single question. This year, that question was how DMOs were beginning to utilize Artificial Intelligence (or AI). On this episode, you'll hear from a handful of DMO pros on how they are using AI to jump start ideation and save time in the composition of written communiques. And, as you'll hear, this is just the beginning for our sector.

Looking Back

Honored last week to be a guest lecturer in two CDME classes at Destinations International's Annual Convention in Dallas. For those not in our sector, CDME stands for Certified Destination Marketing Executive and it is one of the top professional development designations one can earn. But, just because one earns it doesn't mean they have earned it for life; one must re-certify from time to time.

Funniest one-liner from the sessions I was privileged to attend was from Visit Bath County's Mark Shore, who shared that, in preparation for his re-credentialing classes, he went back to some of his past course materials to review.

"One of the chapters was on how to maximize our MySpace pages," he smiled.

What a long strange trip it's been...

The Next-Gen DMO

Such a pleasure and honor to guest on Adam Stoker's Destination Marketing podcast last week. We riffed on all things Destination Marketing and Leadership...and the conversation was both fun and insightful.

Check it out.

They are Listening...and Sharing

OK...I'm about as far from a conspiracy theorist as one can get. But this goes beyond coincidence.

Lou Malnati's Pizza is the bomb. But, I haven't enjoyed one in over 30 years since moving to Wisconsin. Likely haven't thought about one in over a decade. 

In a conversation last week in our house, a friend told us that he often sends Lou Malnati's Pizzas as gifts to friends and family. That's how amazing they are. Not two hours later, I am served up a Facebook ad for Lou Malnati's Pizza.

Alexa's not only listening 24/7...but she's clearly sharing intel with other platforms.