Destination On The Left

In this episode, you will learn about why you will be able to better promote your destination when you join organizations that can help you out from Becky Wehle & Sara Piccini. Becky Wehle is President & CEO of Genesee Country Village & Museum, the largest living history museum in New York State, located 25 miles southwest of Rochester. The Museum features 68 historic structures from the 19th cent...

In this episode, you will learn about how DMOs can band together to come up with great ideas to serve their partners from Greg Evans. Greg Evans has been with Simpleview since 2008 and currently serves as their Vice President of Sales & Account Services. In his role, he provides strategic insight and recommendations for his teams when providing knowledge and best practices to current and prospecti...

In this episode, you will learn about the important idea of Cathedral Thinking from Rick Antonson. Rick Antonson is the former president & CEO of the international award-winning destination marketing organization, Tourism Vancouver. Among his volunteer leadership roles, Rick was president of Pacific Coast Public Television, chair of Destination Marketing Association International (based in Washing...

In this episode, you will learn about having that real, authentic experience when you travel from Joe Baur. Joe Baur is an American travel author, writer, filmmaker and podcaster whose work has appeared in a variety of domestic and international outlets, including Matador Network, BBC Travel, Viator, and CraftBeer.com to name a few. He's also the author of various Falcon Guides titles and 2016's ...

In this episode, you will learn about using creativity to solve difficult challenges from Lisa Burns. Lisa Burns has been in the travel industry for over 35 years with a wide range of experience including group tour planning and product development, event and meeting planning, marketing and public relations, and both a domestic and international tour director. With a proven track record of diligen...

In this episode, you will learn about making sure your destination has a successful tomorrow by building lasting partnerships today from Drew Alberti. Drew Alberti has been the Program Manager for Lakes to Locks Passage since 2008. He is responsible for community outreach, product development, and brand awareness. Some of his accomplishments include authoring From Forest to Fields: A History of Ag...

In this episode, you will learn strategies for collaborating with a large region like the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor from Jean Mackay. Jean Mackay has served as a director of communications and outreach for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor since 2007. She manages all aspects of web based and print media and works collaboratively with organizations throughout the 500-mile...

In this episode, you will learn about using great design to drive people to your destination from Cindy Harris. Cindy Harris is a graphic designer, painter, and lover of all things art. She began Harris Studios over 15 years ago with the purpose of helping established businesses create an authentic identity through design. Cindy believes in the importance of good design in this world and asserts t...

In this episode, you will learn about what your destination can do to attract international travelers. Nicole Mahoney started Break The Ice Media in 2009 in response to the evolving needs of small to medium-sized businesses, in particular, the rise of social media. Break The Ice Media is a boutique marketing and communications firm with a focus on travel, tourism, food, wine, and hospitality. As C...

In this episode, you will learn about collaboration across county lines with a FAM tour from Rhonda Vaccaro, Vice President and Senior Consultant at Break The Ice Media. Today Rhonda brings more than 20 years of sales and new business development to the table. She's a master at creating relationships and has a deep understanding of sales strategies, creating win-win opportunities for BTI's tourism...

In this episode, you will learn everything you need to know to get started working with a travel influencer from Colleen Knopeck, Associate Consultant at Break The Ice Media. Imagine being a Kindergartener and winning a writing award from a national PBS Kids show. Or by fifth grade, regularly writing for the Buffalo News' Kids Page — and having the chance to interview Buffalo Sabres hockey players...

In this episode, you will learn about the best social media tips from Jessica Reilly, Associate Consultant, at Break The Ice Media. Jessica is a graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Political Science. She started at Break The Ice Media in 2016 and brings with her a duality of knowledge, combining her classical PR training with marketing skills. She has a pas...

In this episode, you will learn about how to create a fiercely loyal team from Larry Broughton. Larry Broughton is an award-winning hotelier and entrepreneur, CEO, bestselling author, keynote speaker, and former US Army Green Beret. As Founder and CEO of Orange County, California-based broughtonHOTELS, CBS News has called Larry the nation's foremost expert on leadership and entrepreneurship, while...

In this episode, you will learn about family travel and the options families have beyond Disney World, from Rainer Jenss. Rainer Jenss brings a wealth of experience and expertise as President and Founder of the Family Travel Association. Before putting his professional expertise and personal passion to the ultimate test by traveling around the world for a year with his wife and two young children...

In this episode, you will learn about America's first wine trail from Cassandra Harrington, Executive Director of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail. Cassandra has been director of the CLWT since December of 2014. In her time with the Trail, she and her coworker Kathy have completely rebranded the organization, have increased event attendance and have generated a solid social media presence. Cassandra has...

In this episode, you will learn about how social media helped Casa Larga Vineyards have a great 2016 from Camille Zess, consultant at Break the Ice Media. By the time Camille left college she was already an accomplished writer. As a writing minor, she took many classes in different types of writing including memoir, which involves real storytelling. And storytelling is key in marketing communicati...

In this episode, you will learn about generating return visits from customers who stop at a stopover destination from Rose Hapanowich. Rose Hapanowich is director of travel and tourism for Destiny USA. Rose has an extensive background in retail as a result of working in department store, specialty shop and outlet shopping venues prior to joining the management team of Carousel Center, initially as...

In this episode, you will learn about managing a destination through all four season from Drew Broderick. No day is ever the same for Drew Broderick, director of sales and marketing for Bristol Mountain and Roseland Adventure Attractions, which is comprised of Bristol Mountain Ski Area and Fall Sky Rides, Bristol Mountain Aerial Adventures and Zip Line Canopy Tours, Roseland Waterpark, and Roselan...

In this episode, you will learn about programs that bring together counties, hotels, amusement parks, and more from Sarah Blackwell. Sarah Blackwell joined BTI in 2013, bringing a fresh perspective, creativity and attention to detail to every client project she works on. A highly talented writer, she becomes the "voice" of many diverse clients for their stories and blogs — no easy trick. It takes...

In this episode, you will learn about how regions can collaborate together and pool resources to do things together that they could not do alone from Laury Poland. As president of Finger Lakes Wine Country Tourism Marketing Association (FLWCTMA), Laury Poland is responsible for creation, coordination, administration and implementation of all FLWCTMA programs and initiatives to promote economic dev...

In this episode, you will learn about how to get 50% of all your customers from referrals. Driven by a conviction that the business of selling creates freedom, David brings an exceptional 40-year career as a salesperson, speaker, coach, and author of "Are you for real?!" (Aviva, 2015), an inspiring sales-career survival guide. He empowers all types of individuals to new heights thanks to his time-...

In this episode, you will learn about how the Museum Association of New York (MANY) is consistently growing their tourism efforts from Erika Sanger. Erika Sanger joined MANY (Museum Assoc. Of New York) after serving twelve years as the Director of Education at the Albany Institute of History and Art. There she provided vision for the development of programs for adults, children, schools, and famil...

In this episode, you will learn about why collaboration at the regional level makes a huge difference from Valerie Knoblauch. Valerie is President and CEO of the Finger Lakes Visitors Connection where she has worked since 1984 when she was hired as the organization's first employee. In her role, she is responsible for guiding a team of tourism marketing professionals who are charged with promoting...

In this episode, you will learn about how leveraging your social media in the tourism industry can help you to bring in more visitors from Brittany Gibson. In her capacity at the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, Brittany is responsible for promoting Schuyler County's tourism industry by creating and implementing tourism marketing and public relations programs. She is also responsible for dev...

In this episode, you will learn from Ramjee Chandran about the evolution of tourism publishing, and why creative content is as important now as it was in 1989. Ramjee Chandran is an entrepreneur, writer, publisher, and musician with 27 years of publishing experience. As a journalist, his articles have been published in India and other countries. Most of Chandran's publishing career involved magazi...