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Discover who is a Destination Champion... Champion of Technology Outreach: Chris Adams, Miles Media Chris is raising the quality of online marketing information available to DMOs. Major improvements in web analytics now allow DMOs to continually improve websites and online marketing. As director of online marketing, Chris focuses on making these tools easy to understand and apply. He has been instrumental in creating a wide range of research for the industry, including white papers such as a ‘Web 2.0’ glossary, Green Publishing, and ‘Print in a Web 2.0 World.’ He and analytics industry leader Omniture released the white paper “Monitor, Measure & Manage: Best Practices in Web Analytics for DMOs” in 2008, describing how to measure and report on website audience, engagement, and critical success events. Since DMOs’ online metrics are often not consistent, comparable, independently validated, or easy to understand, Chris is leading an initiative to establish a standard solution for measuring the online audience of DMO websites. By raising awareness of this issue and recommending a solution, Chris is helping destination marketers validate the overall size and significance of DMOs’ role in the travel industry and increase credibility among stakeholders whose support is critical to the success of every DMO.  Read more!Champion of Maximizing Reach: Alpharetta CVB The Alpharetta CVB team recently launched a program allowing representatives from each of the city’s 23 hotels to submit an application to send one sales representative from their property to attend one lead-generating tradeshow during the 2009-2010 fiscal year on the DMO’s dime. (Participating hotels have been asked to select a show not already on the Alpharetta CVB staff’s schedule.) By extending DMO dollars into the community, the DMO is extending the reach of the destination and promoting its stakeholders. Mark Spanka, general manager of the Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta said, “This innovative program allows us to sell our hotel through a medium we otherwise may not have been able to afford. There is no doubt the leads generated by attending the tradeshow will result in room nights for our hotel and will also benefit the DMO.” Read more!Champion of Regional Cooperation: Tammy Blount, Tacoma Regional CVB In her 16-month tenure, president and CEO Tammy Blount has transformed a good organization into a great one with a new business plan that strategically embraces regionalism, leadership, and accountability. Cultivating community relationships, she boldly convinced key decision makers from six different municipalities (who had previously left the fold of the TRCVB) to move from a silo approach to regional cooperation. Tammy’s community leaders credit her for bringing tourism to the forefront of the economic development discussion, which was previously focused on technology, transportation, and the military. She has increased funding by 16%, and is working to add another 80% in incremental funds by 2010 though strategies such as implementing a Tourism Promotion Area. Read more!Champion of Red-Carpet Welcomes: Julie Brakenbury, Greater Raleigh CVB Julie Brakenbury rebuilt the convention and visitor services team from the ground up just a year before the new Raleigh Convention Center opened. Partnering with the local community college, Julie forged Raleigh’s customer care training program ensuring that local hospitality professionals are well-informed and able to exceed the expectations of meeting and convention guests. Julie also rolled out Greater Raleigh’s Red Carpet Welcome for large arriving groups. The program brings together components at a variety of area businesses to extend a friendly and branded welcome to convention-goers. She’s a true believer in the “service to sales” approach and an indefatigable advocate for Greater Raleigh’s group business. Read more!Champions of Building Editorial Relationships: Nadine Carter & Tony Hill, USA TODAY Tony Hill and Nadine Carter of USA TODAY are long time champions of destinations. This past February, they arranged an editorial meeting with DMAI’s Board of Directors and the publication’s top editors for the travel and business travel sections. The editors left with new perspectives shared by the DMO executives; and the execs left with clear strategies on how to pitch a story to the press. Read more!Champion of Destination Participation: Mayor Carl Brewer, Go Wichita Since being elected mayor in 2007, Wichita, Kansas, Mayor Brewer has been a destination cheerleader, even willing to travel and participate in bid presentations. He consistently goes beyond the call of duty, including learning to square dance so that he could participate in a special ceremony for the National Square Dance Convention. During his tenure, Wichita has received numerous awards and accolades. An avid supporter of revitalizing the downtown area, he supports many innovative projects to improve the area’s quality of life. He supports projects that give back to the community, such as the Mennonite Housing Rehabilitation Services and Opportunity Drive, which builds affordable housing for low-income families. Read more!Champions of Relevancy: Danielle Cohn & Paul Bencivengo, Philadelphia CVB When the down economy began to affect the meetings and tourism industry, communications duo Danielle and Paul created an opportunity to educate media, legislators, and citizens about the industry’s impact on hometown jobs. Fueled by enthusiasm that Philadelphia was home to the nation’s first convention in 1774, they planned a special meeting on 7 May 2009, facilitated by “Benjamin Franklin” at City Hall. Front-line hospitality employees joined the Mayor, the DMO President, and other industry leaders; 16 individuals shared how “Meetings Mean Business” to them personally and to their organizations. Media outlets ran dozens of print, radio, and broadcast clips; the visual mix of history and hospitality made for a unique, memorable, and successful event. Read more!Champion of Destination Leadership: Wanda Collier-Wilson, Jackson CVB Wanda Collier-Wilson has been recognized locally, statewide, and nationally as a tourism leader in such publications as JET magazine and Black Meetings & Tourism magazine. Under her leadership as president and CEO, the Jackson CVB has also won awards for destination excellence. Collier-Wilson has played a significant role in tourism development projects at the local and state-wide levels, including working with Downtown Jackson Partners as an advisor for the US$2.1 billion economic development project. During the recent economic downturn, she aided local restaurants by developing an extensive restaurant campaign. She has also been instrumental in the development of the Mississippi Hospitality Certified Program. Read more!Champion of Tourism & Workforce Development: Paul M. Cramer, Athens, Georgia In a community where the poverty level is at 30 percent, community member Paul Cramer is devoted to local tourism workforce development. Executive director of The Classics Center, a leading Athens venue, and one of the founding members of the Athens Hospitality Careers and Resource Panels, it was his vision that created the Hospitality Careers Academy, a partnership with a local Ritz-Carlton, wherein high school students spend a week learning about the hospitality industry. He started the Athens Technical School Hotel, Tourism, and Restaurant Management program, which has grown to almost 100 students. Director and co-founder of Bread for Life, a program providing classroom instruction and paid hospitality training for those looking to improve their life circumstances, Cramer was named Employer of the Year in 2009 by the Athens Justice Project. Read more!Champion of International Tourism Development: Rob Davison, University of Westminster, London The country of Poland has its own one-man destination champion for its burgeoning convention and conference industry—Rob Davison. In 2003, when his book Business Tourism was translated into Polish, he visited Warsaw for the book launch, and that trip became a life-changing experience for him. It also invigorated Poland’s standing as a new destination in Central Europe. Davison has been helping the managers of Polish convention bureaus learn how to market and sell their cities more effectively: helping them create “Local-Hero” programs; writing extensively in trade magazines to promote Poland; and even mentoring young destination marketing professionals to continue to push Poland into the spotlight as an emerging convention destination. Read more!Champions Who Overcame Hurricane Ike: Galveston Island CVB In September 2008 when Hurricane Ike devastated Galveston Island, the entire DMO team truly stepped up to lead. Despite personal losses, they immediately contacted local tourism partners to access conditions and offer support, contacted clients with up-to-date information, and worked with the city and media to send accurate messages balancing the losses suffered while acknowledging that tourism would help with a quick recovery. Today, tourism is back in gear on Galveston Island, largely due to the efforts of the champion DMO staff. Read more!Champions of Stakeholder Communications: Ginny Gutierrez & Carolyn Keating, Greater Miami CVB For almost a decade the Greater Miami CVB has kept stakeholders apprised of the impact of tourism on Miami and the efforts of the GMCVB with a weekly newsletter titled, What's Happening This Week @ The Greater Miami CVB. For the past three years, Ginny Gutierrez and Carolyn Keating have been the ghostwriters behind the communication piece, which is distributed by the GMCVB’s President & CEO William D. Talbert, III, CDME to more than 15,000 people and posted online at www.TalbertTalksTravel.com. Ginny and Carolyn are truly great advocates of the Miami CVB and its industry. Read more!Champion of Tourism Development & Education: Ernie Heath, University of Pretoria, South Africa As tourism management department head and professor at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, Ernie Heath has been dedicated for 25 years to the advancement of tourism destination management and marketing in South Africa. Ernie has facilitated research, planning, and marketing initiatives throughout the country, including the first strategic destination marketing plan for Port Elizabeth. In 1995, he helped launch the “Explore South Africa” campaign, which contributed to a growth of more than 50% in international arrivals that year. In his current position, he established the Department of Tourism Management at the University of Pretoria, whose programs have gained accreditation through the World Tourism Organization TedQual System (the first in Africa). He has facilitated more than 40 participative strategic tourism destination planning processes and championed various innovative tourism education and tourism destination collaborative projects (for which he received his university’s Laureatus Award for Innovation in Teaching). The projects were undertaken by postgraduate students working with destinations in Dubai, Namibia, and Mauritius. Read more!Champion for Travel Trade Education: Cheryl Jones, Orlando CVB For the past 15 years Cheryl Jones, travel industry marketing manager at the Orlando CVB, has been instrumental in the CVB’s efforts to increase awareness of Orlando in the travel trade industry by building relationships with trade partners, attending trade shows, and providing various educational tools. Most recently, Cheryl demonstrated her passion in the development of the Orlando Travel Academy, an on-line educational program for the travel trade. In her role as project manager, Cheryl led the RFP process to find the right tool, created the content development process, and coordinated multiple internal Orlando CVB departments to launch this outstanding educational tool that will bring Orlando to life for thousands of travel agents across the U.S. and Canada. Cheryl has also worked with Orlando CVB members to bring about an attractive incentive program for graduates. Since the launch of the program in May 2009, more than 2000 travel agents have graduated! This program will have a lasting impact on the Orlando destination for many years to come. Read more!Champion of Destination Leadership: Cheryl Kilday, Loudon CVA Cheryl epitomizes the term destination champion in that she thinks of the entire destination and the impact of tourism within the context of every discussion. As president and CEO of the Loudon CVA in Virginia since its inception in 1996, Cheryl has led numerous innovative organizational achievements, including being DMAP accredited, establishing a social networking presence that earned a VACVB Virgo Award and Emmy® nomination, and establishing an important partnership with local NFL team the Washington Redskins. Read more! Champion of Tourism Development: Heather Kisabeth, Grapevine CVB Heather has helped propel Grapevine to the forefront of Texas destinations. Whether representing Grapevine locally, regionally, or internationally as director of tourism sales, Heather brings with her a devotion to her city and a Texas-size heart. Although her efforts aid the city year-round, Heather’s greatest impact is felt during the holiday season. Typically a slower time for hotels and attractions, Heather spearheaded efforts to make Grapevine a must-see during the holidays. The town now comes alive with a myriad of lights, decorations, and special events that make it one of the most successful months of the year. Grapevine’s hotels, retail stores, restaurants, and attractions stay very busy during the holidays, thanks to the efforts of Heather and her staff. Read more!Champions of Cutting-Edge Marketing: Janet Korn & the marketing team, Grand Rapids/Kent County CVB The marketing team at the Grand Rapids/Kent County CVB, headed by Janet Korn as vice president of marketing, consistently thinks “out-of-the-box” and comes up with new and unique ways to promote Grand Rapids and Michigan’s West Coast. A section of their website is devoted to the G-Rap! Social Lounge, a virtual community for visitors that houses the DMO’s social media channels on YouTube.com, Facebook, and Twitter. Their 2009 Summer Tourism Promotion gave visitors staying in a participating hotel a free iPod Shuffle with their stay, inviting visitors to download the destination’s more than 20 Touring Tunes Podcasts. G-Rap! also connects visitors to area “Tweeples,” community organizations with twitter feeds. Read more!Champion of Customer Service: Gage Lee, Frank’s Diner, Spokane Regional CVB In the restaurant world you earn your guest’s loyalty one meal at a time, and Gage Lee does exactly that for Frank’s Diner in Spokane, Washington. Always quick with a joke or a piece of Spokane trivia, she is a shining example of exceptional service and also a bit of a Spokane ‘expert’. At Frank’s Diner, located in a historic train car, Lee’s reputation as a friendly, outgoing, and helpful goodwill ambassador for Spokane is well deserved. She adds to that local flair that has visitors leaving with great memories. Read more!Champion of Destination Revitalization: Kristin McGrath, Providence Warwick CVB Beyond her role as director of sales, Kristin Mcgrath gets actively involved in community infrastructure projects, most recently working with city officials and business leaders to revitalize Providence’s intermodal gateway, Kennedy Plaza. Kristin’s colleagues on the project say that her tourism vantage point and marketing techniques helps to shape the programming offered to include countless visitors who have not yet experienced the heart of Providence. Her keen insight was directly attributed to making the area a more vibrant and active downtown destination. Read more!Champion of Branding: John Meroski, Fayetteville Area CVB Fayetteville, North Carolina, is a community that embraces the core values of patriotism, hospitality, and pride. John Meroski, CEO of the Fayetteville Area CVB, has been a leading figure in the community’s brand initiative and in the transformation of Fayetteville into “America’s Hometown.” He is also a driving force behind developing and implementing a sub-brand for the community, eventually declaring Fayetteville and Cumberland County a “Sanctuary City” for military members and their families. John Meroski is a big thinker and big dreamer who saw the potential for a forward-thinking brand strategy for his community. Read more!Champion of the Green Team Approach: Tim Newman, Visit Charlotte Tim is greening Charlotte, North Carolina! President & CEO of Visit Charlotte,Tim is a cofounder of the Charlotte Green Team, a consortium of organizations with a goal to pave the way for improving the environment through sustainable events and business practices. He’s led the community into a new way of thinking through his enthusiasm and example in improving the environment through sustainable events and business practices. Read more!Champion of Creating Buzz: Jennifer Resendez, Kissimmee CVB Jennifer’s coworkers call their web and video development manager their “Queen Tweet” for her remarkable commitment to using the social networking site twitter.com to promote Kissimmee, Florida. Recently, the DMO was named as one of the Top 15 heavyweights on Twitter that you must follow! by Visacape.com. Spearheaded by Jennifer, who has created an adorable personality when she tweets regularly to more than 1300 followers, Kissimmee is one of top 15 tourism board twitterers, providing travelers with regular destination recommendations. The DMO recently used Twitter to promote its Freedom to Enjoy Sweepstakes to encourage springtime travel to the destination, resulting in 67,000 views and nearly 1,000 click-throughs to a microsite created for the campaign. They recently launched a twisitor center which focuses on answering visitor questions. Follow them on Twitter @KissHeartofFL. Read more!Champion of Community Visioning: Tamra Scheid, Visit Topeka Inc. Visit Topeka’s tourism manager is passionate about her community. Tamra’s community involvement includes Heartland Visioning, a grass roots movement to improve the area’s quality of life; the arts committee; and the Chamber’s young professionals group. She spearheads several successful community awareness projects, including: Tourism Expo – showcasing Topeka to groups and citizens alike; a Topeka Activity Book helping children explore the city through fun activities; an “Explore Topeka” 3rd grade postcard art contest; a Topeka Photo Contest that ran for three years; and, most recently, the Topeka Treasure Hunt (120+ treasure packets were distributed in the first week). Tamara has also enhanced the visitor experience by creating a Very Informed Professional (VIP) program to educate frontline hospitality workers about how important they are to the visitors’ stay and how to keep visitors spending their money in Topeka. Read more! Champion of Interactive Branding: Loretta Shaffer, Beaches of South Walton TDC Loretta is a brand zealot, championing the brand evolution of the Beaches of South Walton in Florida. As director of marketing, Loretta created brand guidelines to ensure the brand (layouts, colors, images, etc.) and logo send a consistent message to visitors – online and off. She has made it her mission to gain recognition for the Beaches of South Walton – which is not a city/town, but a collection of beach communities – on map programs such as Google and MapQuest, which are hesitant to list a brand vs. a city. Perhaps her greatest strength is keeping things fresh. She engaged a committee of stakeholders proficient in web technology, to identify needs and future goals of the website, select a new web firm, and push the limits of what is interactively possible online. Read more!Champions of Green Innovation: Lauren Simon & Kelly Tope, Scottsdale CVB Lauren Simon, Kelly Tope, and the marketing team of the Scottsdale, Arizona CVB have championed a very successful green initiative for their destination. Initially created for tourism businesses, the Green by Design Tool Kit is now used not only by DMO members, but also by local non-tourism businesses, schools, and non-profits. Read more!Champion of Heros: Terry Sullivan, Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak When Terry Sullivan, president and CEO of Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak, was asked by his colleague, Richard Scharf of the Denver Metro CVB, for help volunteering in his city, Terry wasted no time at all. A Vietnam-War helicopter pilot himself, Terry was honored to serve as co-chair for the event, “A Celebration of Valor, 50th Anniversary Congressional Medal of Honor Society,” honoring 65 living recipients of America's highest military honor, the Medal of Honor. Terry helped arrange for 1600 military personnel and their families to be transported from Colorado Springs to the Pepsi Center to participate in this gala evening of entertainment and tribute, and arranged motor coaches, meals, and event logistics. Terry said, “It was an honor to be able to share in the generosity and heartfelt gratitude in the community!” Read more!Champion of Green Meetings: Team San Jose San Jose is grounding itself in the world of responsible meetings travel. Team San Jose participates in the fifteen-year plan to transform the city into a world center of clean technology innovation and to promote cutting-edge sustainable practices. Team San Jose is putting its best carbon footprint forward, making it more attractive to eco-responsible planners and encouraging economic growth by recycling nearly everything – paper products, carpeting, and food waste. What cannot be recycled, like furniture, scrap metal, and foam boards, is donated to non-profit organizations for repurposing. Team San Jose uses electrically powered service carts around the Convention Center, keeps the thermostat at 68 degrees, uses energy efficient LED marquees, and regularly composts and uses recyclable convention materials. Read more!Champion of Dodging Asteroids: Susan Thomas, Hilton Head Island VCB, Hilton Head Island – Bluffton Chamber of Commerce In the fall of 2008, the realization of the impending impact of the economic downturn hit home for the Town of Hilton Head Island. VCB vice president, Susan Thomas, recommended the DMO put forth a strong effort to mitigate this impact by implementing a quick, tightly focused marketing campaign to attract visitors within a 300-mile drive to vacation in the region in 2009. The DMO received from the Town of Hilton Head Island monies from the state’s Crisis Recovery Accommodations Tax Fund for the express purpose of implementing such a campaign. Susan and the DMO staff immediately went to work to design and engage a new campaign, “Hilton Head ’09.” As of June 2009, the campaign has netted 30,322,053 impressions for the destination, across all media platforms, more than 35,000 unique visitors to the website, 10,360 newly opted-in “Hilton Head Insiders,” and filled rooms that would have been left empty. Read more!Champion of Establishing Relevancy: Jeffery Vasser, Atlantic City CVA For more than 15 years, the ACCVA reported to the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority. As ACCVB president, Jeff Vasser recognized the limits of the situation and, over a four-year period, built a coalition of Senate and Assembly leaders to support the viability and value of separation. He worked with the NJ Office of Legislative Services to draft the appropriate language and in the summer of 2008, Jeff’s persistence paid off when Governor Jon S. Corzine signed the legislation. Both Jeff and the Governor noted that the separation leads to better operating efficiency, as well as taking some burden off of the state’s finances. Read more! Champions of Giving Back: Andrew Weir & Tom Griffin, Tourism Toronto Every weekend in Toronto, the “Relax, Recharge & Renew Program” provides parents of children with special needs a much-deserved break. Andrew Weir and Tom Griffin—the Corporate Responsibility Team at Tourism Toronto—created this program to provide respite for overworked parents, uniting the tourism community, and producing rave reviews from every corner. Weir and Griffin’s program treats parents to a relaxing weekend of fine dining, hotel accommodations, first-class entertainment, and limousine service, while their children’s care is taken care of by certified professionals. Andrew Weir and Tom Griffin have earned the name champion and 100 families each year get to learn firsthand exactly why. Read more!Champion of Destination Dedication: Tiffany Wilms, Tourism Council of Frederick County Community member, Jasmine Sneed, marketing director for Everedy Square and Shab Row, has nominated Tiffany Wilms as the destination champion of Frederick County, Maryland. As tour & marketing coordinator at the county’s Tourism Council, “Tiffany’s love of our community is unmatched by any of the numerous business leaders and volunteers that I have the pleasure of working with,” wrote Jasmine. “Her passion to bring people to our county, her county, is what makes her a Destination Champion. Tiffany, herself, is the best advertisement of why Frederick is a wonderful place to visit. Always dedicated to her job and her community, she is always ’on-duty’ – waiting to be of service, and is an ardent supporter of Frederick County merchants like myself.” Read more!Champion of Destination Greening: Laura Wood Habr, Virginia Beach CVB Laura Wood Habr, the owner of Croc’s 19th Street Bistro, has shown unparalleled commitment to her industry, setting the standard for green restaurants and championing the green message to the Virginia Beach hospitality industry. Her restaurant was the first in the state to become certified Virginia Green. Laura even renovated her property to include many eco-friendly practices, going above and beyond the set standards. Her work on the grass roots level, including holding a mini-green trade show in her restaurant, enabled Virginia Beach to sign up enough hospitality businesses to become the first Virginia Green destination in the state. Through her leadership, Virginia Beach has about 90 Virginia Green certified businesses, the goal of the G.R.E.E.N. committee, which she chairs, is to get over 100 Virginia Green businesses by the end of this summer. Read more!Champion of Community Outreach: Woodfield Chicago Northwest CB The Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau has added social responsibility to the menu of their annual restaurant show Chefs’ Fest. For the past three years, attendees have been encouraged to donate a non-perishable food item at the show and in turn were entered into a raffle. Cash donations were also accepted, and the organization also “sold” soft drinks provided by Pepsi Americas for a cash donation. Food and cash donations benefited the Greater Chicago Food Depository, who operates numerous food pantries in the Chicagoland area. Read more!Contact kclemens@destinationmarketing.org +1.202.835.4214 +1.202.296.7889 - fax | ||||
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