Destination On The Left

In this episode, you will learn about how listening to your customers can open up many doors from Mark Hoffmann. Mark Hoffmann is president and founder of Sports Leisure Vacations, Sacramento's largest and oldest packaged tour and travel company. There he orchestrates the company's many facets of operation from escorted tours and travel agencies services to receptive, meeting, planning, and incent...

In this episode, you'll learn about focusing your limited marketing dollars on the visitors who are closest to your destination from Devon Perry. Devon Perry joined Visit South Jersey as marketing director in 2015. In this role, she closely shadowed the executive director, and when the opportunity presented itself, she was well acquainted with the position and truly the best choice to lead Visit S...

In this episode, you will learn about how everyone can chip in to drive visitors to a region and the economic impact that provides from Rachel Laber Pulvino. Rachel Laber Pulvino is a Rochester native who has the privilege of promoting her hometown on a daily basis as the Director of Public Relations and Communications for Visit Rochester. In this role Rachel is regularly reaching out to regional,...

In this episode, you will learn about social enterprises in the travel and tourism industry and how they can really drive social change and positively benefit communities from Mike Rea. Mike Rea is a social entrepreneur who has been committed to creating philanthropic value and impact for more than 15 years. Mike has been President & CEO of Tourism Cares since July 2013, building on its momentum t...

In this episode, you will learn about ways to grow economic development and give a destination a sense of place that thrills residents and visitors alike. Kal Wysokowski is president of the Canal Society of New York State, Commissioner for the New York State Canal Corporation, and Commissioner for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. With all of those volunteer roles, Kal still has time f...

In this episode, you will learn about the importance of having a strategy for everything you do and not just trying whatever you think of to see what sticks. For Morgan Painvin, it's all about hitting the bullseye of results. Her quiver of arrows is vast and varied from strategic partnerships and micro-niche placements to national features and creative ideas. The award-winning campaigns that defin...

In this episode, you will learn about five of the biggest travel trends to pay attention to in 2018. 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 CEO...

In this episode, you will learn about making the most of your resources and entering into collaborations to create a lasting impression on visitors from Hillarie Logan-Dechene. Hillarie Logan-Dechene's career has been about building the capacity of not-for-profit organizations. As the Wild Center's Director of Philanthropy, she is responsible for all membership and development activities and works...

In this episode, you will learn about how to use Pinterest to drive visitors to your content from Louise Cottrell. Originally from the Bay Area, Louise Cottrell is a Pinterest marketing strategist working with travel content creators and business owners to generate traffic, grow their audience and increase sales. She does Pinterest account management as well as consulting and training for bloggers...

In this episode, you will learn about why differentiation is the name of the game and why you need to provide unique, niched experiences to attract visitors to your destination from Ed Healy. Ed Healy is Vice President of Marketing for Visit Buffalo Niagara where he is responsible for VBN's destination marketing strategy. His responsibilities include overseeing all sales and marketing communicatio...

In this episode, you will learn how regions don't influence a travelers decision on where to go, and how to get them to come to your destination from Josiah Brown. Josiah Brown is best known the New York Sherpa and has logged over 600,000 miles throughout New York State over the last 13 years. He is the brain and the passion behind New York's Best Experiences. The Sherpa lives for recommending the...

In this episode, you will learn about providing a great customer experience and building partnerships that help you do that from Tom Mulliez. Tom is a father, husband, entrepreneur, and the visionary behind iTREKKERS. Tom founded the company in 2014 after realizing that bringing together vetted professional captains and guides on one platform would help guarantee everyone a better experience in th...

In this episode, you will learn about how restaurants featuring local wine makes such a huge impact from Michael Warren Thomas. Michael Warren Thomas owns Savor Life and products and hosts four radio shows focusing on gardening, wine, food, and travel. He started his first show, Naturally Green, in April 1994. He's added several shows since then including For the Love of Food, a show all about foo...

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...