Destination On The Left

Jim Walter has been in the Destination Marketing world for the past 16 years. He got his start leading Madison County Tourism in upstate NY for 10 years as its executive director. For the past six years, he has led the sales and marketing efforts for Visit Cheyenne in Wyoming. He is a former president of the New York Travel and Vacation Association and is currently the president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of PCMA. He enjoys creating memorable experiences that help grow the local economy through tourism. Jim is an avid backpacker, runner, hunter, and snowshoer and enjoys spending as much time in the mountains as possible, and seeing his daughter and friends. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and holds an M.S. in Service Management from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Jim is recognized as a Certified Destination Management Executive by Destinations International. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Jim Walter about how he meandered into destination marketing and the creative ways he continues to attract crowds to Cheyenne, Wyoming. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Some of the various meandering ways that people end up in the tourism industry, including Jim’s own story How Jim earned his title as a Certified Destination Management Executive The creative tactics and ideas Jim has employed in his various roles to compete in the tourism market Jim’s strategies to bridge the generational gap and get young people interested in the Old West culture of Cheyenne Some of the rich history of Cheyenne and Wyoming and how Jim and his colleagues use that to attract tourism and celebrate the destination Features of good “co-opetition” in the tourism industry and what matters most to the tourists you attract How Jim sees the travel marketing industry evolving and the best practices to keep up with this evolution Meandering Into Destination Marketing Jim Walter wanted to be a baseball broadcaster when he first entered college. During one of his summers he got to do just that, only to realize it wasn’t what he wanted. He worked in radio for a while until he got fired, which led him to take a job doing sales for the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce. Ever since then, Jim has worked in destination marketing and has loved every minute of it. Jim’s career has taken him from upstate New York to Cheyenne, Wyoming and taught him ways to be flexible and creative along the way. While working in Madison County, Jim experienced the advent of digital marketing and got the opportunity to improve the area’s hospitality industry in unique ways. He started “Mad Foods,” a food blog dedicated to telling the stories of cideries and farm-to-table restaurants in the county. This same creativity transferred over to his efforts for Cheyenne, where he decided to start wearing a cowboy hat, boots, and a buckle to conferences and networking events. He attracted attention and solidified the brand of Cheyenne as a real Old West destination. These destinations have taught Jim how to play to his brand’s strengths without trying to make the destination something it’s not. This can sometimes present challenges, as it’s tempting to morph your brand into something new in order to fit with the times. In Cheyenne’s case, Jim knows that the Old West brand is a mainstay and that it’s best to integrate it with the modern day rather than scrap it completely. History and Looking Forward Many people don’t know of Wyoming’s rich history, and the younger generation continues to grow further removed from America’s Old West roots. In his “That’s My Cheyenne” video initiative, Jim had locals share the fun attractions that Cheyenne has, such as its nightlife, mountain biking trails, arts, and symphony. Cheyenne’s Frontier Days, the largest outdoor rodeo in the world, even hosted Post Malone, a stellar example of integration between a brand’s roots and modern times. Once people are attracted to Wyoming and Cheyenne, they can continue to learn of the history of the area. Wyoming was the first U.S. territory to grant women the right to vote and the right to hold office, and Cheyenne has been celebrating the “Year of the Woman” to mark the law’s 150th anniversary. You can learn more about the state’s incredible women’s rights history in their newest inspirational video, “Cheyenne, Wyoming: The Birthplace of Women’s Suffrage” (link here: https://youtu.be/VOYkf_g79LQ). As the tourism industry continues to evolve, Jim has plenty of best practices to keep up with the times. Jim reminds us to always leverage “co-opetition”, citing the Brew Central campaign of New York as a great example of collaboration between competitors. As it becomes easier to advertise and market your destinations via social media, Jim stresses how important it is to devote your resources first to building a place people will want to visit. If you do that, eventually people will want to live there, and then businesses will thrive there. This is great advice for any tourism professional, and I hope you commit it to your heart as you grow and progress all of your special destinations. Resources: Website: https://www.cheyenne.org/ Email: jim@cheyenne.org YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CheyenneCVB Instagram: @visitcheyenne Episode Transcript We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Josh Collins has a background grounded in live entertainment and experience design. He helps brands develop better rhythms of connecting with their audiences both online and off. After 15 years of traveling the world with brands like Stevie Wonder, The Roots, John Legend and more, Josh was attracted to take over and lead the Visit Franklin brand for Franklin, Tennessee, located just south of Nashville. After five and a half years growing Franklin’s brand, developing their digital platform, and eventually increasing the visitation rate by 13.6% in 2018, Streetsense reached out to Josh and brought him on board to lead the Destination and Travel and Tourism practice. Now he’s honored to join countless other destinations and travel and tourism brands and help them grow their reach, connect with their audience, and create a healthier, more sustainable tourism product for their community. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Josh Collins about designing travel experiences that are personal and impactful and bringing together local communities to make memories for people all over the world. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How growing up around live music shaped the lens of Josh’s world Josh’s affinity for digital and how he used it to help artists develop their brands Different trends of personalization in travel and tourism Tools that tourism boards are using to collect data that will help improve visitor experiences The importance of activating local communities to create an attractive aura in the destination Designing Experiences Since he was six years old, Josh Collins has been on a tour bus alongside some of the most famous musicians in the world. Working with the likes of Stevie Wonder, The Roots, John Legend, and more, Josh has been exposed to destinations across the globe and been a part of numerous crowd-pleasing experiences. From this wild life, Josh learned what it takes to design memorable experiences and events for others to enjoy. Josh and his company, Streetsense, have seized on a cliche trend in travel and tourism and breathed new life into it: personalization. When it comes to creating experiences that stick with people, the smallest details can have a big impact. Josh’s team ensures that destination staff are warm, personal, and always there to attend to their guests’ needs. Technology is employed to enable users to customize their experiences at Josh’s destinations, surveying and choosing the attractions they want to see and sharing their feedback with the rest of the world. The point of it all is a connection. When trying to think of what attracts people to a destination, Josh calls to mind the little things we all might love about our hometowns: our favorite places to eat, parks to walk in, or spots to catch a breathtaking view. These are the things that connect us to locations; mimicking them can be an important tool to maximize satisfaction with experiences. Identifying those local gems and bringing them to people will satisfy the community and all of the lucky people who get to experience its hidden treasures. Vibrant Destination and Learning From Others On Destination On The Left, we talk a lot about collaboration and “co-opetition”. Josh Collins is a certifiable expert in these concepts, as his mission is to constantly team up with other partners to make his destinations and experiences successful. Streetsense’s “Vibrant Destination” program is the recipe for Josh’s experience architecture and design. The program is all about synergy. That may sound like a buzzword, but it’s an important concept. Josh’s team ensures that all aspects of a destination are cooperating from top to bottom and receiving an equal voice in how to build a unique experience for tourists. Local businesses, concert venues, visitor bureaus, tourism agencies and more all work hand-in-hand to build successful experiences and places for people to visit again and again. On a more personal level, Josh believes that the best way to collaborate is through mentorship and friendly conversation. A lack of conscious respect during conversation makes discourse and discussion difficult and the design process suffers as a result. If you respect someone’s work, you should take them out to coffee and ask them for help. Only through partnership and shared knowledge can we as tourism professionals continue to design experiences that will stay with people for a lifetime. I hope that Josh’s wisdom will inspire you to take the steps you need to start designing touching, impactful experiences for your tourists today. Resources: Josh’s Email: jcollins@streetsense.com Website: www.streetsense.com Instagram: @realstreetsense Facebook: @realstreetsense Episode Transcript We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Kevin Costello is the President of the Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau, the official tourism promotion agency for Steuben County, NY. Kevin manages a team of five tourism professionals who tell the destination’s story with a strategic and research-based approach to increase accommodation occupancy and tourism expenditures within Steuben. In his previous position, Kevin served as Director of Economic Development and Tourism for the Town of Abingdon, Virginia. Kevin has developed several award-winning programs such as the Wine Trail of Botetourt County, the Upper James River Water Trail, the Abingdon Music Experience, and Rooted in Appalachia. Under Kevin’s leadership, the Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau was awarded Tourism Office of the Year by the Southeast Tourism Society in 2014. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Kevin about how creativity drives tourism marketing and how being a better collaborator increases your destination’s chances of success. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Kevin’s hospitality journey and how he fell in love with working in tourism How Kevin has invested his creativity to generate unique projects for his various destinations The process of building and troubleshooting a tourist destination and how to properly market for it The challenges of running a visitors bureau and how Kevin has creatively overcome obstacles How collaborations have helped Kevin’s projects come to fruition Tips for finding mutual assets and best practices for being a better collaborator Evolutions Kevin has observed in destination marketing, what his company is doing, and how he thinks the field will continue to change Creativity in Tourism Marketing Kevin Costello is the current President of the Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau. Kevin got his start in tourism marketing working at Montauk Point, Long Island, before earning a degree in travel management from Rochester Institute of Technology. He gained experience at resorts in Florida before pursuing his master’s degree in tourism management from the University of Tennessee. Throughout his career, Kevin has occupied tourism positions in unique places, such as Danville, Virginia (AKA the last capital of the Confederacy); Margarita Island in Venezuela (sounds like torture, right?); Disney World; and the Finger Lakes region of New York. Running through it all was Kevin’s creativity, the engine that drove him to start rural Botetourt County’s tourism industry from scratch, create a winery tour, and put together the Upper James River Water Trail. Since working for Steuben County, Kevin has learned the importance of navigating government bureaucracy, mastering tourism fundamentals, and using all available channels to reach tourist audiences. He draws on experiences overhauling Abingdon’s tourism industry by marketing the Creeper Trail without upsetting town traditionalists who loved its main attraction, the Barter Theater. Co-opetition and Creativity Despite his successes, Kevin acknowledges the X factor I always come back to: collaboration, or “co-opetition.” To assemble his upcoming project for the Finger Lakes area, a trail that involves over 200 agrotourism attractions, Kevin is collaborating with professionals in a variety of agricultural industries, including alpaca and cheese. Another collaborative project of Kevin’s, Rooted in Appalachia, saw collaboration with local nonprofits to increase sustainability for local farms. Using farmer’s markets, restaurant tours, websites, and more, Kevin’s team helped to push the farm-to-table philosophy to tourists and supported two different counties of 25 farms. In addition, Kevin’s team assembled a group of chefs to compete in the Cast Iron Cookoff in West Virginia and promote the area. As Kevin demonstrates, tourism marketing is equal parts hard work and fun reward! To be a good collaborator, Kevin stresses how vital communication, brainstorming, commonality, and responsibility are for successful partnerships in the tourism industry. Don’t be afraid to shoulder a heavier or lighter load if your partners have different assets than you do. As long as you continue to pull your weight, invest your creativity, and have a little fun, tourism marketing partnerships will be one of the best decisions you make. Resources: Website: www.corningfingerlakes.com We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Brittany Gibson is the Executive Director of the Seneca Lake Wine Trail. Her experience with wine began as Advertising Director and Wine Club Manager at Fulkerson Winery, a position she held for 10 years. In her previous capacity at the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, Brittany was responsible for promoting Schuyler County’s tourism industry by creating and implementing tourism marketing and public relations programs. She was also responsible for developing and implementing programs to increase the visibility and credibility of the Chamber. Brittany serves on the Finger Lakes Regional Tourism Council Board of Directors, the Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance Marketing Committee, the Schuyler County Planning Board, and the Community Development Corporation Board of Directors. She volunteers her time serving as the coordinator of her family’s charity organization, Team Charlie. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Brittany about the importance of partnership and “co-opetition” in promoting your destinations. Brittany explains how she sorts through the noise and keeps people coming back to Seneca Lake Wine Trail day after day. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Brittany’s experience of sorting through the noise and reaching the consumer as a travel marketer in the wine industry The power of partnership and co-opetition in Brittany’s marketing strategies for wine and tourism Why knowing your target audience and how to market to them is pivotal to your brand, with examples of Brittany’s “wine personas” Leveraging state and private partnerships to advance your brand Getting people engaged in your winery destinations, keeping them coming back, and growing your audience Brittany’s best practices on helping partnerships function well and how to take charge in cooperative situations Sorting Through the Noise As destination marketers, Brittany and I are both very familiar with the noise that surrounds what we do and how it can hurt the connection between us and the consumer. For Brittany, it was important to realize that the brand and its mission were about the consumer and reaching them in a simplistic and user-friendly way. Since starting her new job, Brittany and her team have staged a large-scale digital media buy to significantly increase Seneca Lake’s exposure to the public. In addition, Brittany has helped to launch a new website for the wine trail, giving consumers the opportunity to explore the wines and locations they’d like to try out. In focusing her marketing efforts, Brittany has zeroed in on three distinct “wine personas” in Seneca Lake’s target audience. The first persona, the next-generation or millennial wine drinker, is the future of the wine tasting business. The second, the “wine is life” persona, covers 35- to 50-year-old women who love immersive wine experiences as much as the wines themselves. The third persona, the fine vintage wine drinkers, are baby boomers who know their wines inside and out. The Power of Partnership Market research, media buys, and web development aren’t easy to do alone. For Brittany, one of the most valuable assets to making all these works is the partnership network Seneca Lake has created. In growing Seneca Lake Wine Trail as a destination, Brittany has partnered with our very own Break the Ice Media to craft Seneca Lake’s message through social media and website content. Alongside our partnership, Brittany has built connections with restaurants, tourist attractions, and chambers of commerce all around Seneca Lake. Brittany believes that by leveraging co-opetition with public and private partners, she and her team have helped turn Seneca Lake into a true tourist destination, not just a series of wineries. Brittany’s network of partners collaborates extremely well. To form and maintain such strong partnerships and cooperation, Brittany tells our audience to take charge, trust their instincts, and have confidence in their experience to be successful. If you’re never afraid to learn and ask questions, your partnerships and business will flourish. Resources: Website: https://senecalakewine.com We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

With a talent for creating special events that blossomed while working for her dad’s car stereo shop, Nicole Mahoney got her start in marketing at Frontier Field in Rochester. She also began serving as the executive director of the internationally known Lilac Festival. Later on, she headed the Canandaigua, New York Business Improvement District while also performing projects for the tourism promotion agency Visit Rochester. In 2009, Nicole founded Break the Ice Media, with more than 20 years of experience in tourism marketing. She now hosts “Destination on the Left”, a highly successful tourism marketing podcast. As a business owner, Nicole knows what it takes to be successful. She founded BTI to help businesses tell their brand story through public relations, digital and traditional channels. She has the ability to uncover unique marketing opportunities and develop marketing and public relations initiatives that help clients build long-term success. On this episode of Destination on the Left, Nicole shares a personal family story that has inspired her to never give up even when the going gets tough. She explains why using this advice is important to all professionals and how applying it can make you a better tourism marketing specialist. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why you should always go for it – just like Nicole’s daughter Changing the “soundtrack” in your head to conquer self-doubt How to avoid “imposter syndrome” in your quest to pursue your dreams How to own your experiences as a unique individual The power of stories and their impact on our successes Believing in Yourself What inspires you to keep moving forward, no matter the obstacle? For Nicole, it’s the story of her daughter Maeve’s perseverance and strength in the face of self-doubt. With the goal of being selected as the commencement speaker at her high school graduation, Maeve saw the competition and was filled with self-doubt. Stricken with “imposter syndrome”, Maeve believed she was not good enough and that there would always be somebody better for the job. Nicole quickly reminded her: “The only way to know for sure you won’t get picked is to not even try.” Realizing she should aim for what she wanted, no matter the odds, Maeve took the leap and went for it. The result? She was selected as one of the two speakers at her commencement. From her success, tourism marketing professionals should always be reminded to aim high, go for it and never give up. You never know if you don’t try. The Power of Stories Maeve was inspired after being moved by the commencement speaker at her sister’s graduation. Nicole continues to be inspired by what Maeve shared in her speech: a personal story about great adversity. Maeve suffers from chronic lung disease, a condition that put her in the emergency room for eight weeks in 2002. Despite a seemingly impossible uphill climb, Nicole, her husband and Maeve persisted, and Maeve was off of oxygen and medication without a transplant when she was five years old. Although she doesn’t remember much of it, Maeve was able to teach everyone the power of her own story and remind her parents of the power of theirs. Stories like Maeve’s remind us of how different we are and how stories reach us differently. The one constant is this: we all have the power to see the good in stories, change the soundtrack in our heads and go for it. Nicole hopes that this episode and Maeve’s story will resonate with tourism marketing professionals just as much as they did for her. Resources: Email: nicole@breaktheicemedia.com Twitter: @Break_TheIce Facebook: @BreakTheIceMedia We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Gina Nacey is president and executive creative director of Adventure Creative, an agency based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their focus is on active lifestyle brands, recreation, and destination marketing. Gina has led the strategy and creative direction of Explore Minnesota’s brand new “Find Your True North” campaign, and the Minnesota Zoo’s “Where Amazing Lives.” Adventure Creative helped Sun RV Resorts launch a signature tier of resorts – among much more great work. Throughout her 20 year career, Gina’s work has been recognized with hundreds of Addy awards, including many Best of Show and Judge’s Choice awards. She was also honored with the American Advertising Federation Silver Medal for achievement in advertising. Gina has taught advertising, copywriting, and public relations. She has traveled nationally to judge advertising competitions, worked on several nonprofit boards, and served in a variety of roles with the American Advertising Federation. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Gina about the creative and strategic work it takes to connect emotionally with your target audience to build a great brand. We talk collaboration and doing work that transcends ego to put the client’s needs first.  What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why solving business problems is the heart of marketing How to make an emotional connection with people’s need to visit your destination Why marketing needs a seat at the table in broader business decisions How to use real experiences from visitors to tell your story How to create truly collaborative relationships Solving A Business Problem Destination marketing is much more than finding the right words and images to describe your organization. Ultimately it is about solving a business problem to bring visitors to you again and again. Gina describes her education and experience and how that connects directly with the wide range of skills needed to help solve destination business problems. She said, “We are never doing creative for creative sake. We’re always trying to solve a problem. That requires looking at the numbers and understanding the audience and understanding what the client is really trying to achieve.” Whether you’re in the agency business, or you’re a DMO or a tour operator, or working in a museum; whatever your role is, you’re there to solve that business problem, move the organization forward, and meet visitor needs. For Real Co-opetition Whatever aspect of travel and tourism you are in, you want to win the business. We all know that co-opetition is sometimes the best way for a rising tide to lift all boats. But what if you are competing for exactly the same client at the same time? That’s the situation Gina found herself in. When an RFP went out for a job, her company was a strong contender. It was between Adventure and another agency local to the client. That’s when Gina said, “Why don’t we share the work? They can do PR, and we can do the branding side and collaborate on everything.” The client was shocked that they would agree to that. The project turned out well, and the collaboration was real. They made decisions based on what was best for the client. Everyone checked their ego at the door, and that made everyone a winner. We make a point to weave co-opetition into the podcast for exactly these reasons. Resources: Website: www.adventurecreative.com Episode Transcript We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Mandy Hagadorn serves as marketing manager at New York Kitchen, an event and education space for all things food and beverage in New York State. She grew up on a farm near Canandaigua, New York. She graduated with a degree in anthropology from Nazareth College. After college, Mandy got involved with event planning in both her personal and professional life. At New York Kitchen, she started as an event planner and quickly moved into the marketing manager position. She still loves organizing the Craft Beer Festival and is excited about a brand new bourbon-focused festival she’s spearheading for New York Kitchen. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Mandy Hagadorn of New York Kitchen about everything from event planning to rebranding. How do you manage a massive rebranding campaign? How do you plan an event from scratch and keep existing events fresh? We’ve got great answers and inspiring conversation in store on this episode. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How to avoid mission creep when you offer a variety of programs and activities The challenge and opportunity of managing a rebrand process How to turn events into memorable experiences Keys to a good partnership Simple ways for businesses to work together to make shoulder seasons more profitable Offering Variety Around a Unified Mission New York Kitchen offers a lot of activity: classes, special events, and a place to dine on everything New York State has to offer. Mandy and I talk about how to create a unified mission around a wide variety of programs and activities. With everything a geographically large and diverse state has to offer, how do you stay on point? It’s a challenge Mandy enjoys tackling, and she has some good advice on avoiding mission creep. Managing a Rebrand NY Kitchen wasn’t always New York Kitchen. Up until about a year ago, it was called the New York Wine and Culinary Center. But as craft beverages of all kinds have expanded in recent times, “wine and culinary center” did not capture the fullness of what New York has to offer. If you have ever been involved in rebranding a place with some history and a current fanbase you don’t want to alienate, you know it can be an exciting and stressful experience. Mandy and I talk candidly about some unexpected challenges she and her team needed to overcome in the process. But the process made them stronger – staying connected with those loyal customers but also showing who they were to a new target demographic. She reflected, “The biggest challenge we faced here at New York Kitchen was the rebrand. But the biggest blessing that we’ve had here at New York Kitchen is the rebranding.” This is a great conversation to listen in on for ideas on what to expect and anticipate as you rebrand a known entity. Resources: Website: www.nykitchen.com Episode Transcript We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

Drew McLellan is a marketing veteran who has run his own agency for over 25 years, helping clients create authentic love affairs with their customers. He also helps other agency owners learn how to take their business to the next level through cohort groups and resources through Agency Management Institute. He loves to create “Aha” moments for his clients, peers, and audiences across, through vivid storytelling, Italian heritage-inspired hand gestures, and the occasional tipping of a sacred cow. Drew is also one of the world’s top marketing and branding bloggers according to Ad Age’s top 150 index. Recently, he has appeared in The New York Times, Entrepreneur Magazine, Business Week and Fortune Small Business. The Wall Street Journal calls him “One of the 10 bloggers that every entrepreneur should read.” On this episode of Destination on the Left host, I talk with Drew about what it takes to build a great relationship with your marketing agency. Getting your destination’s message out to your ideal customers is getting more complex, not less. Open communication and confidence in your agency are crucial. It’s a wide-ranging conversation with great tips on knowing what to look for and expect from a great agency.   What You Will Learn: How to vet marketing agencies to find the right fit Why finding an agency that specializes in destination marketing is important How to have an open and honest relationship with your marketing agency How to handle tough conversations with your agency Best practices you should look for when hiring and working with an agency Marketing Collaboration We’re a long way from the Mad Men days. It’s no longer enough for an agency to swoop in to tell you the messages you need to spread, and purchase airtime and print space and make it to that 3 martini lunch by 11:30. The channels available for your messages are almost limitless, and the work is much more complex. Clients and agencies are, or should be, working more collaboratively to discover customer personas, define the buyer’s journey, and craft the right messages to grow your business. In the conversation, Drew made this observation, “A great agency is really a great business advisor. It’s much broader than deciding what ad you are going to put on Facebook or running a radio spot.” When it comes to agency relationships, marketing collaboration is the name of the game, you want an agency who plays that way. Setting Expectations A great agency relationship starts with good communication. This needs to happen at two levels. You need time and space to communicate voice-to-voice and face-to-face, along with the texting and email communication that happens while doing business. One piece of communication Drew mentions that clients and agencies too often overlook: gratitude. Saying thanks when your collaboration partner goes above and beyond the call of duty goes a long way in shaping a strong relationship. The second part of setting clear expectations is getting it in writing. Also, put it in writing! Make a good contract that makes expectations clear. Drew’s vast experience leads him to the following conclusion: “Whatever the problem is, I promise you it’s not just the agency’s fault and it’s never just the client’s fault either.” A great relationship with your marketing agency doesn’t just happen. This episode is full of tips, steps and best practices for making the most of your marketing dollars through that agency relationship. Resources: Website: https://www.mclellanmarketing.com/ Website: https://agencymanagementinstitute.com/ Episode Transcript We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/

We recently attended the 2019 NYS Tourism Conference in Buffalo, New York and interviewed presenters, conference attendees, and Tourism Excellence Award winners. My interviews focused on the conference themes of inclusion, fostering community engagement, and "tourism is everybody's business", as well as key takeaways from the conference. This episode focuses on some of the award winners, and I hope you find these conversations informative and inspiring. In this final episode of the series, I share my conversations with: Kelly Blazosky, President of Oneida County Tourism Patrick Kaler, President and CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara Rebekah LaMoreaux, President and CEO of Watkins Glen Chamber of Commerce and Ronald Roney, Director of Watkins Glen State Park What You Will Learn in This Episode: How seven different counties partnered for Oneida County Tourism’s “Bike Thru History” program, intended to highlight Revolutionary War destinations for visiting cyclists and to bring new cycling enthusiasts to the region How a character named the Unexpected Buffalo was featured in a wide-ranging marketing campaign across many forms of digital media, showcasing the numerous experiences and destinations on offer in Buffalo How a unique partnership between a state agency and a local chamber of commerce led to the construction of a brand new Welcome Center at Watkins Glen State Park, showcasing not only the park but the other events and destinations in the community Oneida County Tourism Kelly Blazosky from Oneida County Tourism discusses their award-winning "Bike Thru History" program, developed in partnership between Oneida County and six other counties. She shares how the program was developed as a way to engage biking enthusiasts and give them an opportunity to bicycle to important historical sites from the Revolutionary War throughout the region. Kelly explores how they engaged cycling professionals to help determine how to interconnect looping bike paths of varying challenge levels that would also connect with the historical sites. She shares how they developed thirty new routes for cyclists, using the Erie Canalway corridor as the main branch from which the paths would extend. She also discusses how they created a website to showcase the newly looping routes, and how they connected with a cycling route and GPS app to include the routes. Kelly explains how coordination between the various groups and assets and keeping clear communication were key to the program's success. She shares her pride in winning an Excellence Award and her gratitude toward all of the partners involved. Visit Buffalo Niagara Patrick Kaler from Visit Buffalo Niagara discusses their "Unexpected Buffalo" marketing campaign featuring the character of the same name and his journeys through the destinations and experiences available in Buffalo. He explains how the campaign was launched across 30-second TV spots, print ads, newspapers and magazines, transit advertising, and across social media. He discusses how the target markets for the campaign included Toronto, Rochester, Erie, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. Patrick shares how the Unexpected Buffalo character is a fully-realized and interactive creation with his own social media presence. He also discusses how the Unexpected Buffalo campaign generated more than $108 million in its first year alone, for a return on investment of $84 for every $1 spent. He shares how the idea for the Unexpected Buffalo campaign was developed almost exclusively in-house and why taking risks and being bold were important to the success of the campaign. He discusses how being recognized by the state and peers is a great thing to take back to stakeholders. Watkins Glen State Park and Watkins Glen Chamber of Commerce Ron Roney from Watkins Glen State Park discusses renovations to the park and the inclusion of a welcome center located at the main entrance of the park, done in collaboration with the Watkins Glen Chamber of Commerce, and he shares how it has made a major impact on the community. Rebekah LaMoreaux from the Watkins Glen Chamber of Commerce shares how the Chamber partnered with the Park as an opportunity to share with visitors the many other opportunities Watkins Glen has on offer. Ron shares how his biggest takeaway from the project was that the collaboration between a state agency such as the Park and the local tourism services can offer powerful benefits to both parties. Rebekah shares how she learned that promoting tourism is everyone in the community's job. Ron talks about the honor he felt at being recognized for their work, and he shares the pride he feels at contributing toward the positive impact the collaboration is making to the entire region. Rebekah shares her surprise and joy that the state agency gave the project their stamp of approval in the first year, and she discusses the potential of future partnerships. Overview These 2018 NYSTIA Tourism Excellence Award winners truly demonstrate how thinking outside the box can create tremendous new opportunities. From unique partnerships to original characters, these organizations prove that successful tourism marketing requires creative thought, fresh ideas and teamwork. I hope you’ve enjoyed this series of episodes and learning from the 2018 NYSTIA Tourism Excellence Award winners across all three episodes. Please remember that you can now submit nominations for the 2019 awards by following the link in the resources section below. Thank you for listening! Resources: The Wild Center website: www.wildcenter.org Destination Niagara USA website: www.niagarafallsusa.com Watkins Glen Chamber of Commerce Website: www.watkinsglenchamber.com Watkins Glen State Park Website: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/142/ Rachel Laber Pulvino's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rachellaber/ 2019 NYSTIA Excellence Award nomination website: https://www.nystia.org/news/excellence-in-tourism-call-for-nominations

We recently attended the 2019 NYS Tourism Conference in Buffalo, New York and interviewed presenters, conference attendees, and Tourism Excellence Award winners. My interviews focused on the conference themes of inclusion, fostering community engagement, and “tourism is everybody’s business”, as well as key takeaways from the conference. This episode focuses on some of the award winners, and I hope you find these conversations informative and inspiring. In this episode, I share my conversations with: Nick Gunn, Marketing Manager at The Wild Center Julie Gilbert, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Destination Niagara USA Rachel Laber Pulvino, Director of Communications and Public Relations at Visit Rochester What You Will Learn in This Episode: How a unique and powerful collaboration between The Wild Center and many other regional partners led to the creation of their award-winning GoNorth program, a travel itinerary that promotes destinations all across the region How Destination Niagara USA completed a massive brand refresh that made a major international impact, allowing the American side of the falls to better differentiate itself from the Canadian side How Rachel Laber Pulvino finds great joy in being Visit Rochester’s “Chief Storyteller”, and how winning the Young Professional Award has given her a new perspective on teamwork and leadership The Wild Center Nick Gunn of The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, New York describes their award-winning GoNorth program, a tour-based travel itinerary focused on the international market that includes destinations across northern New York and the Adirondacks, developed in a unique collaboration with the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau, the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council, Fort Ticonderoga, High Peaks Resort, the Saratoga Convention & Tourism Bureau, and the Warren County Tourism Department. He shares some of the many destinations and experiences available on the itinerary, and he explains why the GoNorth program has been able to promote some of the lesser-known destinations in the area and create new revenue streams for the region. He shares the strength of the partnerships that have made GoNorth a compelling itinerary and a great success. He talks about learning of the remarkable number of gems the region offers during the development of the program. He shares how receiving the Tourism Award has been a powerful motivator to continue the work the collaboration is doing. Destination Niagara USA Julie Gilbert from Destination Niagara USA discusses their major brand repositioning effort in 2017 that rebuilt their brand architecture from the ground up, with new marketing and photography and a new website. She shares how their new digital outreach generated 6.8 million consumer engagements and $114.6 million in incremental visitor spending, resulting in 111 times their return on investment. She shares the goal of the rebranding to make a more active experience for visitors as summarized by the new tagline “Niagara Falls USA: Where Adventure Comes Naturally”, and she discusses how the rebranding resulted in a younger average consumer age and a higher average consumer income spend. She discusses using physical branding upgrades as a method to promote the new message. She shares how a visit from an Associated Press reporter’s report on the brand relaunch was picked up internationally and generated over 500 million publication impressions. She shares how Niagara Falls USA is working to differentiate their experience offering from what is being offered on the Canadian side of the falls. She shares the lessons learned from doing a major brand refresh for the first time, and she discusses the pride and honor she feels at receiving a Tourism Excellence Award: Rachel Laber Pulvino of Visit Rochester Rachel Laber Pulvino with Visit Rochester discusses the honor of winning the Young Professional Award, and she shares her background in public relations, communication and marketing and how her unique skill set has benefited her in her role during her three years with Visit Rochester. She discusses her joy at being Visit Rochester’s “Chief Storyteller” and her excitement at being able to talk about her community with the media, bloggers, and social media influencers. She discusses the professional and leadership growth she has experienced over the last year, and she shares how her mindset toward teamwork and contribution has changed. She shares how honored she feels being selected by her peers to receive a Tourism Excellence Award, and she discusses the remarkable sense of community she feels working with tourism professionals across the state of New York. Overview The remarkable thing about each of these 2018 NYSTIA Tourism Excellence Award winners is their deep, authentic and infectious enthusiasm for the work they are doing and the impact it is making on their local communities and on tourism across the state. From The Wild Center’s incredible wide-ranging collaboration with other organizations in their region, to Destination Niagara USA’s commitment to rebranding and reaching new audiences both locally and internationally, to Rachel Laber Pulvino’s passion for her community and for sharing the story of Rochester, these award winners truly demonstrate that enthusiasm and dedication are the keys to creating remarkable campaigns that absolutely deserve to be honored by their peers. Resources: The Wild Center website: www.wildcenter.org Destination Niagara USA website: www.niagarafallsusa.com Rachel Laber Pulvino’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rachellaber/ 2019 NYSTIA Excellence Award nomination website: https://www.nystia.org/news/excellence-in-tourism-call-for-nominations We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/