Engage in this new NTA online community

October 9, 2018

NTA’s new online resource can best be described by its name: Engage.

Set to launch Nov. 5 during the opening ceremony at Travel Exchange ’18 in Milwaukee, Engage is an online community platform that allows NTA members to share information, pitch product, discuss best practices, fill tours and troubleshoot challenges.

The platform’s potential is enormous, said NTA President Pam Inman, CTP. “Our members can form discussion groups where they’ll get advice from colleagues they trust,” she said. “NTA folks have a world of experience, and this private forum is their opportunity to solve problems and create new partnerships.”

A few members got a sneak peek at Engage in August, when they served as beta testers during the final stages of the platform’s development. After her trial run with Engage, Michelle Pino, co-owner of Northeast Unlimited Tours in Sandwich, Massachusetts, is eager to connect with NTA colleagues.
“There are times when a question or situation arises that I would love to reach out to companies similar to ours in other parts of the country to see if they have had a similar experience and, if so, how did they address it,” Pino said. “I like that Engage gives us direct contact with the NTA community so we can reach people with the click of a button.”

During the Milwaukee convention, Nov. 4–8, delegates will have several opportunities to learn how to use Engage. Morgan Maravich, CTP, NTA industry and member engagement manager, will lead sessions at the convention floor presentation stage on Monday afternoon and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings. NTA members can also learn how to get started on the platform by tuning in to a Dec. 5 instructional webinar, which be archived on NTAonline.com.

Part of the appeal of Engage is that it provides a way for NTA members to connect with each other outside of the association’s major events, said Christina Werner, CTP, a tour operator with Custom Holidays in Allen Park, Michigan.

“Engage discussion groups can help us keep the conversation going in between Travel Exchange and Contact, when we tend to lose touch,” Werner said. “The platform’s library is a great place for suppliers and DMOs to upload their sales sheets and sample itineraries so that operators can access those files digitally.”

Engage has been part of NTA’s plans for nearly two years, and association leaders recently received confirmation they are on the right track, Inman said.
“One of the top recommendations from our consultant’s report this summer was that NTA build a 365-day engagement strategy,” Inman said. “And Engage is an enormous step toward accomplishing that objective.”

Because Engage is integrated with the NTA database, members can access the platform when they are logged in to NTAonline.com. Members who don’t know their user name and password can email headquarters@ntastaff.com. For questions about Engage, members can reach out to Maravich at morgan.maravich@ntastaff.com.