The HootBoard Visitor Information and Destination Marketing Podcast

Brianna Francis, VP of Marketing Communications at York County, joins the HootBoard Visitor Information and Destination marketing podcast. We covered many topics related to content creation and its role in promoting a destination. We discussed the importance of in-destination marketing and how it can drive a great user experience. I remind everyone that I didn't pay her to say that since our interactive tourism kiosks help direct traffic to the touchpoints of a destination. :) 0:00 - Intro 1:07 - Brianna takes us through her career path and how she came to be the VP of Marketing Communications. 2:38 - We start talking about DMO Content Creation process, and Brianna gives us insights for presenting the content and make it more consumable. 4:19 - Action Item! - Find your newsletters, blogs, and older content and identify one specific thing that can be identified and used as a singular focus for your visitors. Don’t dilute your content with too much stuff, but focus on a specific thing and talk about it on your blogs, content pages, so that people do not get distracted. 5:16 - “Let’s be the news” Brianna said about creating DMO content that is new and necessary. This is the mindset to help drive content that enables the consumers to know what is happening now and why it is important to them. 6:20 - He taking about getting a pulse on the community and other ways to identify the information that is necessary and worth sharing. We also get into how seasonality can play a role in creating content that resonates with the area. 8:40 - The question is “What do you look for when choosing your next piece of content for your blog or social media?” Brianna speaks to the importance of using analytics tools like Google Analytics to identify what your area is searching for and how that can be used to create new ideas. 10:48 - Staying relevant and following the buzz. We talked about how the news mentioning their location created a lot of interest. This is a good way to identify topics that might add more insight to what they are talking about, or maybe even adding clarifying information. 12:02 - Brianna gives us advice on how to approach working with guest bloggers and micro influencers. 13:36 - We get into the process of pitching, why it is important, how it has changed over the years. We learn what mindset one should consider having when making the pitch. 17:50 - The role politics plays in the tourism industry. 18:57 - In-destination marketing is an important part of the guest experience. We asked Brianna what she thought is an often overlooked part when destination execute its in-destination marketing. 23:37 - Brianna talk about guides and kiosks and how they may be often overlooked when getting full utilization about of your in-destination marketing. 25:06 - I make sure everyone knows that I did NOT pay Brianna to mention the importance of kiosks at a location. :) 25:40 - Brianna gives us two quick reactions and important takeaways to remember. 27:06 - What is the most overlooked thing in in-destination awareness? 28:07 - Brianna let’s us know where to find them online. 28:30 - We start saying our goodbyes. Thank you Brianna!

This episode has some great action items! Adam stoker joined the HootBoard Visitor Information and Destination Marketing podcast. We covered many topics including his favorite destination marketing campaigns and strategies. We spoke briefly about the HootBoard touch screen kiosk software and how it helps DMOs. We also got into his book, "Touchpoints: A Destination Marketer's Guide To Brand Evaluation And Enhancement," and broke down some of its main points. We also talked about some of our experiences with the destinations we have personally visited. It was a very informative discussion, and we walked away with some great action items. 0:00 - Intro and getting to know Adam’s career journey, and his accomplishments thus far. 8:06 - Do you have any favorite or clever destination marketing strategies that you’ve learned about over the years that you find particularly effective? Adam talks about how important it is to be authentic when marketing a destination. 9:50 - Adam shares a great piece of copy from Nebraska’s destination marketing campaign and a great line “Only boring people get bored.” 12:40 - We go into the importance of identifying and understanding features vs benefits. A destination should be able to articulate these two things when talking about what they offer. 13:15 - Adam shares another great campaign idea called “Idaho’s 18 summers” that targets families with kids. This emotional campaign talks about how there are 18 summers between the birth of a child and their 18th birthday, and the importance of family time. 15:14 - Discussion on another great campaign from Bryce Canyon Garfield County. It’s about their Covid recovery campaign and the copy that accompanies the campaign is titled “upgrade your dust.” 17:36 - We get into a Covid discussion and how destinations are opening up. 21:15 - Strategies for Marketing to Different demographics 25:32 - Adam is the author of Touchpoints: A Destination Marketer's Guide To Brand Evaluation And Enhancement. He gives a nice intro to the book and goes into detail about it. 28:51 - By the time someone experiences your destination, they should be able to tell an effective story. The story of a destination is very important. Adam talks about how a story brings a destination to life. 32.00 - The power of a strong recommendation from a local wait staff employee. Adam gives an example of a unique touch point he had at a restaurant during his experience in Knoxville TN. 32:30 - Satya shouts out Knoxville. #knoxrocks 33:36 - Adam shouts out knoxville. #knoxrocks 34:35 - Adam Stoker’s book can be found on Amazon. You can order the physical book or get the ebook. It’s got great reviews, and there is great feedback. Adam has a wealth of knowledge, and his book is a great addition to the destination marketer’s reading list. 36:26 - Adam talks about how the book is a DIY tool. Adam talks about the process of how he can help a destination roll out to help destinations as a service. 37:52 - Todd from Schenectady shouted out. 39:00 - We go into the different DMOs and their reactions to Covid. It was a challenging year, but DMOs definitely rose to the occasion to keep things going and adapting to what was happening. 42:00 - Adam shares a trend that we all can agree is a useful way to get the information out there - the power of podcasting. He envisions a day where any DMO will use podcasts to get people to talk about their location. 47:57 - What is an action item destinations can do today to enhance their brand? Adam gives a great answer. 48:35 - What are some resources that destination marketers or travel destinations are not taking full advantage of and should be.

Andrea Johnson is the Director of Marketing and Communications at eXplore Lawrence Kansas and joined the HootBoard Visitor Information and Destination Marketing podcast. Bryan was particularly excited about this episode because he lives in Lawrence Kansas. You'll get to see a very non-biased look at how much Lawrence Kansas is loved. Andrea shared great information about education, content and website marketing, big event marketing in a university town, and other useful insights in the destination marketing industry. Enjoy! 0.00 - Intro 1:26 - We get to know Andrea Johnson who is the Director of Marketing and Communications at eXplore Lawrence where she is responsible for managing the Unmistakably Lawrence brand. Andrea markets Lawrence, Kansas as an unmistakable place to visit, and does so through various digital, social, print, and media tactics. 3:03 - We talk specifically about the education backgrounds, college majors we each have, and how our education worked its way into the careers we currently have. Andrea goes into finding tourism and destination marketing, and the career journey aspect right after graduating college. 6:51 - We learn how the term “Unmistakably Lawrence” came to be as a slogan. 8:05 - We express our love of Lawrence Kansas. We talk about what we believe makes it unmistakable, and how it stands out from other towns and cities in Kansas. Bryan talks about the income potential from Mass Street busking. 11:55 - We talk about the Virtual Press Trip as part of the Women in Travel Summit. It was supposed to come to Kansas City but got postponed due to Covid. Influencers and bloggers were brought together on a virtual press trip, and the team had 1 hour to show off Lawrence and what makes it special. It was a really great experience. 16:35 - Andrea talks about how events are looking now, and what is happening as the city starts to open back up. 19:36 - We talk about commencement and how Andrea worked with the city and university to engage the influx of new visitors. 25:35 - We discuss the role technology plays in delivering health information. This was good for covering the Covid situation and how to communicate restrictions for every out of state visitor. The digital communication role played a significant role in the ongoing change. 26:01 - We dig a little deeper on what organizing the graduation experience looked like. Since the last graduation was cancelled, there were actually two weekends that needed to be managed with graduating students. 29:58 - We start talking about the website, how it is designed, how the content experience benefits the users, and the more popular parts of the website. 33:15 - Establishing KPIs is an important part of any website redesign. We get into what the destination marketing website could look at as an achievement metric. 35:48 - Bryan expresses his love of the website’s best food and drink specials lists in Lawrence Kansas. The website does a great job of organizing the food and drinks specials, and it’s a great way for the local community to find the best food deals for them. We had to find out how popular it truly was. 38:00 - We learn about how university towns do a lot of marketing to the new students and families that come to town. There are many ways that people can engage with the new students in the area. We go into orientation, school visits, and the different ways college town marketing inspires students to get around the town. 43:04 - Every town with a CVB or DMO likely hosts conventions that are lesser known. Bryan loves learning about the hobbits, sellers, and other enthusiasts that meet up in areas, and he wanted to know what specific conventions happen in Lawrence of which he isn’t aware. He is surprised at the answer. 47:00 - We start saying our goodbyes, we ask Andrea to promote any links, websites, and events: Fall - September 4th Debut of Encountering John Brown Exhibit at Watkins Museum....

Travis Napper joins the HootBoard Visitor Information and Destination Marketing Podcast. We discuss a very interesting historical event called The Sultana, and it happened on the Mississippi River. We covered the career path that Travis has been through thus far. We also learn about his strategy on generating traffic and enhancing the image of Arkansas, which is done by doing the work of four areas within the Tourism Division: sales, research and development, communications and welcome centers. Enjoy! 0:00 - Intro 3:30 - Sultana vs Titanic Historical Events. Did you know that Arkansas was the location for a Maritime disaster that was even more disastrous, in terms of lives lost, than the Titanic? Travis gives us the historical story on this events, talks about a new Museum that is coming in, and we get to know the area a little bit. 14:40 - We ask the question "If we were going to travel and spend a few days in Arkansas, what would Travis recommend we do in order to get a great Arkansas experience." We love asking these types of questions to Directors of Tourism. Their knowledge of the area is hard to compete with. Travis covers fun things to do in nature, float trips, digging for real diamonds (that you get to keep!), recreational experiences, and family-friendly fun. 24:40 - We ask Travis about his career, his journey as a destination marketing expert, and how he came to be the Director of Tourism at Arkansas Tourism. 31:30 - We ask Travis a hypothetical question about if we were at the city level of a DMO or tourism entity, and we wanted to get the most out of the state level DMO, what does that relationship look like, and how can we get the most out of our connections together? 43:00 - Travis explains more on what is meant by 'DMO Sales' and how it generate revenue for an area. 50:00 - Part of the strategy that Travis likes to employ includes 'Research and Development.' We ask him to elaborate what he means by that, what exactly are we researching, and how to put that information into practice. 54:20 - How are regional associations different from CVBs? 59:20 - Travis talks about the visitor center of the near future. What will the next 10-20 years bring in terms of creating a visitor center experience that keeps up with the trends and needs of visitors. 01:06:00 - Travis let's us know how to get into contact with their social media 01:06:40 - We say good-bye to another great interview.

Gui from Visit Orlando North joined the HootBoard Visitor Information and Destination Marketing podcast to share his experience, journey, and insights as a Tourism Director. We covered a lot of ground about the state of destination marketing in Florida, and had a lot of fun talking with Gui. 0:00​ Intro 1:30​ - Give us a visual of Seminole County, how is it positioned, what is the marketing landscape, and what are your competing destinations that you must contend with? 5:37​ - Orlando has many attractions, and we were curious about how North Orlando separates itself from the popular attractions. 9:38​ - Gui tells us a bit about himself, the career journey, and how he came to be Director of tourism for Do Orlando North. 15:50​ - Gui speaks about the importance of immersing yourself in your destination in order to deliver a great informational visitor experience. It’s a great way to get to know the people who visit your area, and understand what they truly love about visiting. 21:45​ Gui offers advice to other DMOs, and provides insights on how to replicate success. 27:10​ - Gui shares tips, tricks, tactics that other destination managers may find useful. 34:40​ - Gui talks about how they have engaged the educational community in their area in order to create the next generation of leaders. We also discuss how utilizing the resources and talents of the higher education institutions in a way that is beneficial for all the stakeholders. 41:30​ - Orlando North has seen a lot of growth and many great things have happened. Gui gives insights into how maybe some other destinations can replicate that success. 50:20​ - Gui talks about their journey with completing local sports complexes that are heavily used by people. They are a big draw, and have been very successful in creating sports participation among the citizenry and those traveling from farther away. We dive into the thought process, the journey, and how its success is creating more success throughout the area. 56:45​ - KPI (key performance indicators) are an important part of measuring the success of any campaign. Gui talks about the process of creating their KPIs, which ones to focus on, and how to agree on which ones identify levels of achievement. 01:05:35​ - We talk about the importance of having the right infrastructure to host big events. We talk specifically about how the NBA and MLS used the Orlando area as its hosting area for their playoff and championship games during the 2020 season. 01:07:23​ - Gui discusses the pain points that are encountered in their industry, and what he would like to see as a solution to those pain points. This may be useful to anyone else who is experiencing the same type of issues while promoting a destination. 01:09:35​ - Outro. We discuss our social media handles, how everyone can get into contact with Gui. Say our goodbyes, and thank yous.

Monica Armstrong the Director of Visitor Services at Visit Knoxville, in Tennessee, joins us on the HootBoard Visitor Information and Destination Marketing Podcast. 0:00​ - Intro 2:00​ - Monica educates us on the types of personality traits that one might need in order to perform at a job like hers. We learn about the type of responsibilities that are included in a role like hers, and what employers need to look out for when hiring for this position. 3:30​ - Monica talks about the importance of understanding their visitors, and how getting to know the visitors can help drive a strong engagement strategy. 8:20​ - Monica tells us about common visitor information issues that one may face, and the specific challenges she faces as a Director of Visitor Services, and what strategies she deployed to work through them. 15:10​ - Monica talks to us about Knoxville Tennessee, its visitor center, and other information that is interesting about the area. 23:55​ - Monica talks about programs around the city that helps visitors get to know the area, and gets into how a strong network of information can provide a great user experience from around the city. 31:50​ - Outro Whether you are working in the destination marketing tourism industry, or you need digital signage for internal employee communications, you'll find plenty of solutions for your specific needs at HootBoard.

Satya and Bryan spend some time breaking down a blog post from their Destination Marketing portfolio and expand on its ideas. We talk about some of the ways DMOs can engage its audiences, the importance of curated lists that highlight businesses, and we talk a look at how touch screen kiosk software can help a destination. 0:00 - Intro 03:11 - Bryan and Satya expand on what do visitors want to know when they are visiting an area, diving into what is important to them from an information stand point. 9:38 - The Importance of presenting the best businesses that represent your area, and taking a look at creating a curated list of businesses that will give a new visitor a memorable experience. 13:37 - Expanding on how to engage visitors taking a look at famous anchor spots as well as the hidden gems. This would work ideally in a hotel that works as a concierge software. 19:18 - Everyone loves saving money. We dive into how visitors can get the most for their money. 25:40 - Outro Bryan is a consultant for SEO and provides insights around that as well.

Elaine Schroth, CEO & President at Visit Concord, sits down with the HootBoard Visitor Information and Destination Marketing Podcast to discuss about creating a campaign around the Taco Trail, and how it became a popular choice to promote the destination. Elaine offers advice to the younger generation, or any individual who is looking to get into the destination marketing industry. She provided some great advice about what it takes, the kind of work that needs to be done, and other great information for anyone interested in pursuing this type of career. We also got into the philosophy, strategy, and process behind creating the "Taco Trail" in Concord California. Summaries and Timestamps 0:00 – Intro 1:25 – We get to know Elaine, her career journey, and how she came to be CEO and President of Visit Concord. 6:10 – Elaine talks about the modern visitor center, and the kind of improvements that have been made to it to accommodate an ever changing digital world. We cover updated features of their new visitor center, and how those features benefit travelers to their destination. 9:00 – Elaine talks about specific initiatives to engage visitors to a destination, and how she approaches partners in the area to provide a comprehensive experience to the travelers to their destination. 12:00 Elaine talks about Visit Concord’s famous “Taco Trail.” It’s a fun experience for those who enjoy great tacos, and want to get to know the restaurants in the area. Learning about how a specific area executes a visitor engagement strategy is a great way to learn about how one could apply a similar approach to their area. 17:30 – Elaine discusses the philosophy, strategy, and process behind choosing the Taco Trail as opposed to using grapes, wine, and other similar types of consumables northern California is known for. 21:45 – Elaine educates us on the communication strategy with the partners who participated in the Taco Trail. She discussed strategies in how to engage the partners, and the software used to keep track of everything. We also talk briefly about interactive tourism kiosks. 25:40 – The pandemic has changed just about everything, and Elaine explains how the pandemic changed the way they do things, and the strategies involved to work through it. 32:20 – Elaine talks about marketing businesses in the area, and how they could help in those efforts to keep things moving along during the pandemic. We covered strategic initiatives and organizational efforts. 34:40 – Elaine talks about the origin of Comfort Food week. 35:45 – Elaine offers advice to the younger generation, or any individual who is looking to get into the destination marketing industry. She provided some great advice about what it takes, the kind of work that needs to be done, and other great information for anyone interested in pursuing this type of career. 40:20 – Elaine offers some predictions about what the future of destination marketing looks like. She shares her ideas of what travel will look like in the near future, and the years beyond. 45:30 – We say our goodbyes, and wrap up another great lesson about the destination marketing industry.

Bryan and Satya breakdown 3 DMO websites: Visit Austin, Visit KC, and Travel Portland. They take a close look at the design of the page from a marketing perspective. Bryan offers some insights on the SEO value of the websites, and Satya speaks more on the visual experience. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kruGuQC5Hg This is a great long-form episode for anyone who works in the SEO, web design, or website marketing industry. Feel free to comment or send feedback about anything we may have missed.

Executive Director at Discover Schenectady, Todd Garofano joined the HootBoard Visitor Information and Destination Marketing podcast to discuss some challenges, the importance of timing in marketing, future funding sources for DMOs, and a little bit of his professional journey. We talk a little bit about how a smart kiosk visitor information system helps visitors find their way around.

Mary Rains joined the HootBoard Visitor Information and Destination Marketing podcast to share her experience at the Odessa Texas DMO. Each area has its own sets of needs and challenges and Odessa Texas is no different! Mary has some nice words to say about our interactive touch screen kiosks, and expanded on how it helps the area. Odessa Texas is primarily a worker destination, so we discussed tips and tricks on engaging that audience, understanding their needs, and Mary shared her knowledge of the Odessa Texas area. It was a great interview, and we definitely covered a lot of useful ground.

Meet Bryan and Satya in the launch episode of the HootBoard Visitor Information and Destination Marketing Podcast. We will cover who we are, why we're starting the podcast, what our experience is, and a few more pieces of information about what to expect, and what we've learned so far in the destination marketing space.