Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

Kiefer

Terri and I ventured to a little club south of the border last month to see Kiefer Sutherland. The musician...not the actor.

While big fans of his work on screen and tube, we were intrigued when we watched a few videos of his work across three albums that have been quietly released...but offer some compelling tracks.

From the song exhorting you to do what you love to a plaintive realization that the relationship is over, this is sensationally good stuff on this Music Friday.

And the song that is our anthem.

Which will, sadly, be discounted because Kiefer is an actor.

Which is clearly a mistake. 

Enjoy.

A NYE Like No Other

Followers of this blog know that Terri and I love our New Year's Eves to be hot and sweaty on a rolling dance floor. But for another New Year's Eve...we'll be passing on our passion because of the plague.

But this year, there's something to actually look forward to for us that are electing to stay in. As we shared with you previously, the 50th edition of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve will have its first countdown at 11E/8P live from San Juan, Puerto Rico...not too shabby a way to celebrate the city's 500th birthday. And, quite a coup for the team at Discover Puerto Rico.

Which is why I had to laugh when CNN announced earlier this month that they, too, would be counting down from Old San Juan tomorrow night.

Hey, you gotta love a two-fer, eh?

Should be fun...and we can't wait to see Puerto Rico on the world stage with these two international broadcasts.

It's Still a Wonderful Life

This week, 75 years ago, the classic Holiday movie "It's a Wonderful Life" was released...to a fairly ambivalent reception at the box office.

Thanks to cable television, it found new life and became one of the most loved Christmas movies of all time after it was put into the public domain, which allowed it to be broadcast without licensing or royalty fees. So much so that a flick one could watch virtually every day of the season on a myriad of channels is now regulated, with NBC having exclusive rights to show it...which they do only on a handful of occasions to drive viewership.

In a world in which so many classic movies get a refresh, that there hasn't been a faithful retooling of this movie simply says this is one that got it so right that there is no need to go there.

Happy Holidays...and ring a bell so an angel can score their wings.

Sounds Like Puerto Rico

Last week on the DMOU Podcast, Discover Puerto Rico's CEO Brad Dean humbly predicted his DMO would win one of the 5 Emmys for which they had been nominated for the series, Sounds Like Puerto Rico.

Last night, they took home 3.

Congratulations to the in-house team that made Puerto Rico sing. We couldn't be happier for your success in making Puerto Rico one of the most visible travel brands in the world. And, New Year's Rockin' Eve from San Juan is just around the corner.

Check out Brad's episode to hear how they did it.

The Return of the USFL

Remember the USFL? A Spring Football League that was ultimately deep-sixed by a guy that eventually became President?

Well...it's back. And the Birmingham CVB has committed two million dollars to see that the entire season (every game) is played in their city.

Of course, they're taking some hits for the decision. But, let's break this investment down. The new league (which will play next Spring and is backed by Fox Sports) will launch with 8 teams and will play a 10-game schedule plus three playoff games.

Now, you can argue all you want about what percentage of the crowd will be local versus room night visitors or what the true economic spend will be versus the million dollar investment. However, Fox and the teams are expected to generate 50,000 Room Nights alone. Factor in ancillary spending and the impact on the Birmingham hospitality industry could easily top the DMO's investment.

But, even if you don't believe the estimates, next Spring, for 12 weeks, Fox Sports will be broadcasting from Birmingham every Saturday and Sunday (with a few Fridays and Mondays tossed in). 23 games will be televised...all with money shots of the destination sprinkled through each game coming in and out of commercial breaks.

23 three hour, content-rich commercials for Birmingham. 40 million viewers.

What other DMO can claim that kind of international visibility?

Nicely played, Birmingham.

The Power of an Iconic Event

It's not that surprising for many destinations to say that hotel bookings are up over last year. But to see a 41% spike on New Year's Eve in a destination you can only access by air or boat? That's the power of landing an iconic event.

As we noted a few weeks ago, Puerto Rico will host the first countdown of the 50th anniversary of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve...an hour before the traditional New York City countdown. Discover Puerto Rico worked three years to land that deal. Bookings are already up 41% from last year...and the majority of the spike has happened since the announcement of the event.

Regular readers of this blog know that Terri and I love New Year's Eve. And, outside of last year, I can't think of a year we didn't find a funky band to get silly sweaty with on the dance floor (Hey, Dancing Noodles...please bring back your NYE extravaganzas).

However, this year, I do believe we'll be watching San Juan get down on ABC, in front of a roaring fire.

History, babies.

The First Guitar

I was actually "in the room" in a hotel in Chicago on August 1st, 1981 when a bunch of music and media executives unveiled the live launch of MTV. I was programing an FM rocker on the southside of the city and cringed a bit when the first video played was "Video Killed the Radio Star." But, everyone in the room knew it was prescient.

I drove back home to find my cable company (like so many in the country) hadn't yet signed onto the fledgling network. The next day, I learned that management there had no intention of offering the channel. So, my Team at the station hustled up a plan to take our morning show and simulcast it, offering viewers news, interviews with locals and at least a smattering of videos to at least tip our hat to what was to come.

Cable management rejected our notion out of hand saying, "nobody wants to watch that trash." C'est la vie. It was a cool idea.

So...on this Music Friday, we offer up a great trivia question. Who was the first guitarist featured on the launch of MTV?

Most will say it was the Buggles, as they were the first video played. But, the Buggles were a synth band with a bass player.

No...the first guitarist featured was Spider Giraldo (in which he takes great pride) with Pat Benatar on the second video.

Here's the original video...and here they are, tearing it down live.

They're back on tour this summer...and it's a great show. Go.

Landing a Dream Job

I can't imagine my life not in the travel and hospitality field...and yet, that's never where I aspired to be when I was younger. I stumbled into it quite innocently and I've never let go (or, probably more truthfully, it never let go).

But why wasn't it an option? My mother instilled in me an ethos to always give back; to be in service to others. And, I can't think of an industry that is more "in service" than the service industry. So why wasn't it a viable option as I made way way into adulthood? Because, historically, we've paid shit wages and demanded impossible hours of entry-level positions? Because society and educators didn't value the work we do? Because self-absorbed asses in our midst think it's OK to demean service workers to their faces?

An interesting story in Fast Company caught my attention over the weekend. Roughly half of teens aspire to work in an artistic or investigative career. Only 2% of careers are in the arts/creative field and 8% are investigative (think scientist, detective, researcher, etc.). Why don't more dream of a job in hospitality?

Which then got me thinking about the new Amazon Prime series "Life's Rewards," where a rich playboy loses everything and is forced to live off his hotel points. As I suggested to Visit St. Pete / Clearwater's Steve Hayes on the DMOU podcast, my favorite aspect of the show was not just the character's reawakening...but the service staff around him that helped him find his way.

The answer isn't ads that extoll the virtue of a life in hospitality (did those Army ads make you want to join...or was it the TV shows and movies that glorified the cause?). We need more shows like Steve's to inspire the other half of teens that hospitality is a path worth considering.

Prime Visibility

On an episode of the DMOU podcast, Visit Nashville's Butch Spyridon quipped that he never thought he'd be a film producer. But, with last year's release of the sensational "It All Begins with a Song," he did.

I'm guessing Visit St. Pete/Clearwater's Steve Hayes could say the same thing after "Life's Rewards" premiered on Amazon Prime last week. A story of a guy who loses everything (except his billions of hotel points), the series is shot on location at the Don CeSar hotel on St. Pete Beach (TripAdvisor's 2001 Best American Beach).

The first DMO-produced TV series designed to stream on a major platform, "Life's Rewards" is a joint project by Visit St. Pete Clearwater, the St. Pete Clearwater Film Commission and Visit Florida and stars Sebastian Rocha. You can check out the trailer here.

Gotta love it!

The Chef as The Story

If you've yet to catch an episode of the new CNN travelogue series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, treat yourself. Beautifully shot, the series explores the variations in cuisine, traditions and preparations throughout the country.

Just as beautifully shot (and no less culinarily compelling), is a new online series we recently stumbled upon from our friends at VisitNorfolk.  City with Bite is a semi-weekly video series featuring local food and culture icon Nomarama as your host with a stated mission to try all 600 of Norfolk's independent restaurants. And, with 4 episodes already online and streaming, we're so planning our next visit to the city!

Click on the slightly irreverent trailer and I dare you not to watch all four episodes.

Congratulations to Kurt Krause and the crew at VisitNorfolk. Sensationally played!