Destination On The Left

Being part of an established cultural institution is exhilarating and challenging all at the same time. You know you have so much to offer, but staying relevant and communicating your value is a job that never stops. In this episode, we explore one such place, the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York. Eastman was a larger than life figure who left a lasting legacy especially in the world of photography and film. But of course, there is so much more to him and to the museum that bears his name. For our conversation, we have two guests joining us: Eliza Kozlowski and Stacey Vandenburgh. Eliza is Director of Marketing and Engagement. She has worked at the museum since 1990. She oversees communications and marketing activities, publications, digital engagement, guest services, exhibitions, and programs. Eliza is a member of the board of the American Alliance of Museums and is past chair and current board member of the Public Relations and Marketing Professional Network of the American Alliance of Museums. She is a board member of the Museum Association of New York and past board member of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and house. Eliza is an active member of the Visit Rochester and is past a president of its active volunteer arm, the Visitor Industry Council. She is a past recipient of the “I Love New York Award” for cultural tourism promotion. Stacey is the Guest Services Manager at the George Eastman Museum. In this role, she schedules group tours, manages staff at the Lipson Welcome Center, assigns mansion, gallery and garden tours to 50 docent volunteers and oversees the museum’s photography workshop program. Stacey graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts with a BA in Art History. She also holds an MFA from the School for American Crafts at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Woodworking & Furniture Design. She has worked at the museum since 1996. Before this role, she was the manager of the KR Whitmore Conservation Center and served as Assistant Registrar. She also worked for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York as Conservation Technician in the Department of Objects Conservation. Stacey is active with Rochester’s CVB, Visit Rochester. She is currently the chair of the Group Tour and Travel Trade Sales Committee, a program of Visit Rochester’s Visitor Industry Council. The committee presents Greater Rochester as a preferred destination and stop-over in the travel trade and group tour programs. Members work collaboratively on sales missions, presentations, trade show exhibitions, education and overall market development. Full show notes available here: https://breaktheicemedia.com/podcasts/eliza-kozlowski-stacey-vandenburgh/

What if you got along with your sibling enough to travel with them – on a regular basis? That’s the life today’s guests are living. On this episode, we explore the world with Colleen Kelly and Catie Keogh. We’ll talk about what it takes to follow your dream – and then market and produce something that makes your dream cash-flow positive! Colleen is the host, creator, and executive producer of the popular national PBS television series Family Travel with Colleen Kelly. The well-known travel series airs to over 96% of the country to 17 million viewers and is currently in production of its fifth season. As an Emmy-nominated executive producer, travel expert, and engaging television personality, Colleen Kelly has been a featured and keynote speaker at high profile travel industry events and appears in numerous radio and television broadcasts. Catie’s extensive broadcasting background includes a 2015 regional Emmy win for Best Magazine Program as Executive Producer – Host, a 2012 Emmy win for On-air Talent – Host, and 11 additional Emmy nominations across her production company and team. Catie’s insight for creating 24/7 City Secrets was to provide a much-needed insider view of the sights, sounds, and experiences of her dynamic hometown, Chicago. In addition to Family Travel, Colleen is also the co-creator and co-host of their newest series, Trip Sisters, where she works with her co-host and sister, Catie, collectively as live contributors for the Travel Channel’s six-million-plus followers on Facebook and Instagram. Full show notes available here: https://breaktheicemedia.com/podcasts/colleen-kelly-catie-keogh/

Traveling full-time is the dream of many of us. It’s a lifestyle drenched with allure. On this episode of Destination on the Left, Nicole talks with Dalene Heck, travel influencer and owner of Hecktic Media. She and her husband have been living the travel-full-time dream for nearly 10 years. Unless you are just plain independently wealthy, you need a plan to make travel your lifestyle. Dalene dives into how she and her husband have monetized their passion, overcome obstacles, and live life that is authentic to who they are – it’s a pretty amazing story. Dalene tells stories through words, photos and video on the award-winning travel blog Hecktictravels.com. She earned the title Traveler of the Year from National Geographic, was twice named Voice of the Year by BlogHer, and received a North American Travel Journalists Association medal for Best Independent Travel Blog. In addition to her storytelling, Dalene runs Hecktic Media, Inc., working with travel brands on influencer marketing and social media account management. Full show notes available here: https://breaktheicemedia.com/podcasts/dalene-heck/

Celebrities and influencers post their amazing travel and adventure on social media all the time. Often, that is not by accident. Product placement and influencer marketing can bring attention and interest to your hotel or travel destination. In today’s episode, we talk with Stacy Jones, who has been doing product placement and influencer campaigns for over 20 years. We talk about the creative process of working with celebrities and influencers (pro tip: get everything in writing!) It’s a fascinating conversation about a marketing tactic you may not have thought of – but which has such potential! Stacy is the CEO of Hollywood Branded. She has over 20 years of leadership experience building global entertainment branding campaigns for top Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of brands. Her career started after receiving her BFA in theater production and scenic design from the University of Arizona. Stacy is an adventurer at her core. From skydiving, to hang gliding, trekking Mayan ruins in Belize, Stacy has explored the ocean as an avid scuba diver. She lives out loud, that’s for sure. Full show notes available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/stacy-jones/

Americans work hard, which is great. But the data shows that many of us think that means we should leave vacation time unused which is a loss for you and your family. It is also means lost productivity and less job satisfaction, which is bad news for employers. Today on Destination on the left, Katie Denis and Nicole talk about what gets left on the table and what to do about it. People are losing out on travel and enriching their lives – and the travel industry is losing real dollars. Katie is responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day management of Project: Time Off. She is also responsible for taking all of her vacation time and encouraging her team to do the same. It is her favorite duty. She spends her time off with her toes in the sand of Grayton Beach, Florida, hiking the Colorado Mountains, or returning home to Cincinnati, Ohio. Katie lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her husband and their two daughters. A full transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/katie-denis/

We recently attended the 2018 Museum Association of New York annual conference and spoke with attendees from all over New York State representing all types of museums and cultural institutions. I found the conversations enlightening and inspiring. Through this series, I hope you will find a new perspective on this important segment of the tourism industry and how museums and cultural institutions are working to build community, reach audiences beyond their local markets and creating new programming and events that enhance the visitor experience. In this episode, I share my conversations with: Scarlett Rebman, Grants Officer with Humanities New York David Gerber, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Museum of Disability History Cordell Reaves, Historic Preservation Programs Analyst for New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation A full transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/museum-series-episode-5/

In an area known for its scenic mountains and lakes that can keep you exploring outdoors indefinitely – how do you draw people indoors to explore the history and present of this beautiful region? That’s the challenge for The Adirondack Experience – the museum on Blue Mountain Lake. Today in this episode, Nicole is joined by Jennifer Bine, Director of Interpretation at the Adirondack Experience. Together they discuss challenges and opportunity in reshaping established institutions. They explore the history and vibrancy of New York’s Adirondack wilderness and the joy of sharing that experience with visitors to the region. Jennifer holds a master in historical administration and museum studies from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Arts in history from Iowa State University. Her experience includes work with the Smithsonian Institute. A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/jennifer-bine/

In this episode, you’ll learn different ways that you can diversify your audience from Billye Chabot, Kara Gaffken, Ed Varno, and David Hutchings.  We recently attended the 2018 Museum Association of New York annual conference and spoke with attendees from all over New York State representing all types of museums and cultural institutions. I found the conversations enlightening and inspiring. Through this series, I hope you will find a new perspective on this important segment of the tourism industry and how museums and cultural institutions are working to build community, reach audiences beyond their local markets and creating new programming and events that enhance the visitor experience. In this episode, I share my conversations with: Billye Chabot, Executive Director of The Seward House Museum Kara Gaffken, Director of Public Programming at Historic Huguenot Street Ed Varno, Executive Director of the Ontario County Historical Society David Hutchings, Executive Director of Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/museum-series-episode-4/

Keeping the engine of New York State tourism humming along doesn’t just happen – it takes the hard work of local tourism boards, big campaigns like “I Love New York,” all of the businesses that cater to visitors, and coordination and cooperation among all of those entities. Keeping a finger on the pulse of all of that is more than a full-time job. Mark Dorr is president of the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, an industry trade group based in Albany. Mark previously served as vice president and communications manager for the group. The association advocates on behalf of the industry before state lawmakers and regulatory agencies and provides educational programs and online marketing exposure. Mark graduated from the College of Saint Rose with a degree in Public Communications and received his master’s degree in Journalism Public Communications from Murray State University in Kentucky. He previously worked as an editor and feature writer for a publishing company and was the editor of an award-winning weekly newspaper in the Catskills. He also spent three years as an editor-of-record in Troy, New York. A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/mark-dorr/

In this episode, we will learn about how to create programs and special events that attract new visitors from Starlyn D’Angelo, Kevin Walsh, and Katherine Jennings. We recently attended the 2018 Museum Association of New York annual conference and spoke with attendees from all over New York State representing all types of museums and cultural institutions. I found the conversations enlightening and inspiring. Through this series, I hope you will find a new perspective on this important segment of the tourism industry and how museums and cultural institutions are working to build community, reach audiences beyond their local markets and creating new programming and events that enhance the visitor experience. In this episode, I share my conversations with: Starlyn D’Angelo, Executive Director from The Shaker Heritage Society Kevin Walsh, President of Central NY Living History Center Katherine Jennings, Development & Major Gifts from The Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center A transcript of this episode is available here: http://destinationontheleft.com/museum-series-episode-3/