Destination On The Left

Why are people interested in traveling to your destination? Finding out the "why" makes marketing more precise and leads to more visitors and ergo, more revenue. Finding out the "why" gets beyond lumping people into demographic categories. It helps us understand what motivates them and what could potentially motivate them to choose us. Our guest this episode of Destination on the Left is Susan Bai...

Today's podcast is a little different from our regular episodes. We are talking to one of the Break the Ice Media team members on another team-cast episode, Rhonda Vaccaro. We are going to dive into a topic that is a favorite of Rhonda's- creating successful FIT itineraries. Rhonda is a Vice President and Senior Consultant at Break the Ice Media. She brings more than 20 years of sales and new busi...

Destination tourism often has a larger story to tell beyond just one institution, even one as iconic as the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Even if you don't pay close attention to baseball, you know it as "America's National Pastime." Part of the joy of this industry is finding the story to tell that brings people to a region and to your specific tourism destination. Cooperstown has a b...

As tastes and sensibilities change, your organization needs to change with them, or else deal with a shrinking market share. If your organization has history, another challenge is perceptions that change more slowly than your brand message. That's what was happening at Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY. The zoo was growing as a leader in wildlife conservation from upstate New York all around the wo...

The field of travel and tourism is ever changing. Adaptation and collaboration are a part of the territory to stay relevant and to stay in business. Group touring has been a segment of the industry where adaptation has been especially necessary. Finding new alliances, experimenting and learning from both successes and flops – it's all part of the job. On this episode, Nicole speaks with guest Nick...

In any competitive landscape, keeping a legacy cultural institution relevant is a challenge. Keeping it relevant while retaining the original vision is an even greater challenge. For many in the travel and tourism industry, we're always looking to strike a balance between differentiation and collaboration. We really need both to thrive. In New England, where you can't walk ten feet without bumping...

What do you do when a destination is perceived as being geared toward a certain age group or other segments of the population? That has been one challenge for  the Strong Museum of Play  in Rochester, New York. In a market like Rochester, with plenty to keep children and adults occupied, capturing attention even with the idea of play can be a challenge. On this episode, we explore the study and cu...

As businesses, we live or die on data. Understanding the market, understanding who is coming to our destination, who is interested but doesn't know enough to make a decision – these pieces of information are vital to our ability to thrive in travel and tourism. But gathering and interpreting this data is a challenge for everyone. Our guest on this episode of Destination on the Left is an expert in...

Can a small niche destination become a regional anchor destination? That's an apt description of the Corning Museum of Glass. Promoting any destination takes creativity and hard work. Our guest in this episode brings both to her work, and examples of both for us to learn from. In this episode, we talk with Beth Duane of the Corning Museum of Glass. Throughout our conversation, she explores how the...

Digital and social presence are a necessary part of an effective marketing plan, and they can be a great deal of fun as well. Working with partners in a region and harnessing the power of influencers who love your destination are avenues to explore and exploit as you promote your region. In this episode of Destination on the Left, Nicole talks with Anna Pakman, VP of Digital Marketing for Empire S...

Art has the power to build bridges between cultures. Our guest in this episode understands that more deeply than most. What if art could even assist in the process of new language learning? On this episode, we explore the way of the possible with guest Patricia Lannes. Patricia has over 30 years of experience in the cultural field, especially in museum education and visual literacy. She envisions,...

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 o...

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...

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 dive...

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 pro...

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...

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...

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. To...

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. Thro...

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 Hospi...

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 an...

On this episode, you'll learn how the Motorcoach travel industry is changing and catering to individual needs – not just one-size-fits-all group packages, with Peter Pantuso. Peter Pantuso is the President, and CEO of the American Bus Association. ABA is the largest transportation, travel, and tour organization in the United States with nearly 4,000 members. It represents 65 percent of the nation'...

In this episode, you'll learn how to build strong community partnerships, with Eliza Kozlowski, Rachel Unger, and Hannah Barry. 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 h...

Today's episode is all about destination marketing, and we're learning from a master craftsman. Matt Stiker spent the first part of his career in advertising agencies running a wide range of accounts for highly creative and highly successful brands including ESPN, Coca Cola, Microsoft Windows, and X-Box. He also ran advertising and marketing for a diverse set of companies including Adidas and HP....

In this episode, you'll learn different ways you can understand your audience better from Rob Cassetti and Tom Schuler. 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...