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Tuesday Newsletter

July 26, 2005

Tuesday Newsletter July 26, 2005
July 26, 2005: Volume 25; Issue 23
 

Today’s Headlines
  • Bestselling Author Mitch Albom to Speak in Detroit
  • But Wait, There’s Plenty More at Convention
  • NTA Leadership Looks Ahead at its Recent Meeting
  • Spreading the Word on Your Association
  • NTA Members Win TIA Awards
  • Coming Soon, Online Appointment Scheduling Tutorial
  • Join Tourism Cares for Tomorrow
  • Ready for Regensburg?
  • August Courier Preview
  • Support Tourism Cares at Annual Convention
  • NTA Job Center
  •  

    Bestselling Author Mitch Albom to Speak in Detroit

    Nationally acclaimed columnist and author Mitch Albom will be the feature speaker at the Tuesday luncheon at the 2005 NTA Annual Convention in Detroit, Nov. 4-8. His book "Tuesdays with Morrie" is now the best-selling memoir of all time, with nearly 10 million copies sold worldwide. Albom’s first novel, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven," was published in 2003 and has been on The New York Times bestsellers list for nearly two years.

    Albom, who lives just outside of Detroit in Franklin, Mich., will address the NTA delegation on Nov. 8. Borders bookstores will be onsite at Cobo Center to sell "The Five People You Meet in Heaven." Due to pre-existing contractual obligations with his publishing company, Albom will only be able to autograph this novel during a one-hour book signing session immediately following the luncheon.

    Make plans to join us in Detroit so you don’t miss hearing from this world-renowned author. If you haven’t registered for the 2005 Annual Convention, click here or contact your Member Services Department at 800-682-8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859-226-4444 to get signed up.

    Better Business. Better Be There.

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    But Wait, There’s Plenty More at Convention

    Mitch Albom’s appearance in Detroit is just one of many exciting things planned at the 2005 Convention. Are you aware of these other great benefits that are slated for our stay in the Motor City?

  • One operator’s trip to Detroit will be maxx-imized when the winner of a two-year lease on a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx is announced.
  • Daily drawings – In addition to the Malibu Maxx giveaway, all delegates will be eligible to win a host of other great prizes including a Carnival cruise, weekend getaways, a shopping spree to Birch Run Outlets and complimentary Convention hotel stays.
  • The new "Show Special" concept has resulted in nearly 50 suppliers and DMOs who are offering extra special deals to tour operators who book business with them during or shortly after Convention. Study up during appointment scheduling and take advantage of these great "Show Specials."
  • The popular open floor format is back. In the recent member needs survey, four out of five members reported that they picked up additional appointments on site thanks to the open Exchange floor format.
  • Enjoy a night at the site of the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and home to the Detroit Tigers, Comerica Park, for the Icebreaker.
  • Michigan Rocks for Tomorrow moves back to the Hard Rock Cafe. Click here to secure your ticket for a rockin’ fun event.

    Convention is all about the business, but there’s a lot of fun to be had in the Motor City when NTA comes to town, so sign up now.

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    NTA Leadership Looks Ahead at its Recent Meeting

    The NTA Leadership Team held its final meeting of 2005 in Lexington, Ky., July 22-23.

    The 57-member advisory group of volunteer leaders shared information in large-group settings and breakout sessions on many topics. They reviewed the recent member needs survey and used those results as the basis for much of their discussion. The group talked about strategies for increasing member involvement, recruitment and retention, additional enhancements to Annual Convention and heard an update on governmental issues from NTA Legislative Counsel Jim Santini and a progress report from Bruce Beckham, executive director of Tourism Cares for Tomorrow.

    Additionally, the NTA Board of Directors held a brief meeting during a portion of the Leadership Team meeting. The primary agenda item was the adoption of a code of conduct for NTA staff and NTA’s principal contractor, Host Communications, and a similar policy document for NTA’s Board of Directors and officers.

    Both sets of policies were adopted by the board and will be posted within the next few weeks on NTA Online. Other matters discussed during the meeting included 2006 budget considerations, ways to increasing attendance at the Grassroots Symposium and technology ideas.

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    Spreading the Word on Your Association

    The NTA Communications Department has been hot on the presses this quarter, keeping your association’s name in front of millions. From the Washington Post to Travel Weekly, everyone wants a word with us, and best of all, they want to know about you.

    NTA was mentioned in more than 250 news articles this quarter, compared to 176 from January-March. The combined circulation of the papers running those articles was 16,503,276, a figure far exceeding the first-quarter papers’ total reach of 4,550,146.

    This huge increase primarily was due to NTA’s growing presence in the consumer media. This quarter, NTA was cited in major newspapers such as the Miami Herald, Dallas Morning News, Newark Star-Ledger, San Francisco Chronicle and Las Vegas Review-Journal. If you would like to read some of NTA’s recent coverage, visit NTA in the News under News & Publications on NTA Online.

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    NTA Members Win TIA Awards

    The Travel Industry Association of America selected 10 organizations to receive its 2005 Odyssey Awards, including five NTA members. This annual program recognizes travel-related companies that have demonstrated originality, creativity and effectiveness in categories such as cultural heritage; domestic travel marketing; the environment; public & community service; and education, training and employment.

    The following is a list of NTA members who received 2005 Odyssey Awards, followed by their category of distinction:

  • The Greater Saint Charles (Mo.) Convention and Visitors Bureau – Cultural Heritage
  • Nevada Commission on Tourism – International Travel Marketing
  • Amtrak – Travel Facilitation
  • Missouri Division of Tourism – Tourism Awareness
  • Explore Minnesota Tourism – Domestic Travel Advertising

    Odyssey Award recipients will be formally honored at TIA’s Annual Awards Banquet in Seattle on Oct. 27. For a complete list of winning programs, click here.

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    Coming Soon, Online Appointment Scheduling Tutorial

    Whew … what a week! Nearly 150 members went into the appointment scheduling system and began their preparations for Detroit last Tuesday when the system went live. As the weeks tick by, the activity will continue to grow.

    There are many enhancements to the appointment scheduling system and all are geared to helping you make your Convention appointments the best ever. And, while you are always welcome to call NTA with any questions about the system, there will be an online tutorial available next week to walk you through it. The tutorial will be between 15 or 20 minutes long and should answer many of your questions and point out great features that you may not know about.

    Stay tuned to Tuesday, which will contain the information that the tutorial is live. In the meantime, call your Member Services Department at 800-682-8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859-226-4444 or e-mail us at questions@ntastaff.com with any questions about appointment scheduling.

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    Join Tourism Cares for Tomorrow

    Membership has its privileges. And that statement is certainly true when it comes to membership in Tourism Cares for Tomorrow.

    All NTA members can join the growing list of their tourism colleagues who already belong to one the industry’s most influential organizations. Those who signed up using the dues check-off can apply their $50 toward a membership if they wish. Tourism Cares memberships range between $100 and $5,000 with varying benefits for each level. More information, including a membership brochure and the latest Tourism Cares newsletter, will be mailed to you soon.

    Please make your commitment to assure the future of the world’s natural, cultural and historic treasures and the education of tomorrow’s tourism professionals known by becoming a member today.

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    Ready for Regensburg?

    Take a step back in time to Regensburg, a place that traces its roots back to early A.D. and remains one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Germany. The beautiful riverfront city is one of the great stops on NTA’s Product Development Trip to Germany’s Bavarian Region, Oct. 6-12, 2005.

    Historic sights such as the Porta Praetoria, the northern gateway to the Roman Fortress and the famous stone bridge which has spanned the Danube River for more than nine centuries, will make your stop in Regensburg unforgettable. Regensburg includes the oldest place of worship in Bavaria, the Alte Kappelle, St. Peter’s Cathedral. Other top sights are the palace of the princes of Thurn and Taxis, the City Museum, the house of Johannes Kepler and the East German Art Gallery.

    The cost of the trip is $550 (U.S.) – including airfare from any USAirways city, lodging, attraction tickets and most meals – and you can sign up by clicking here. It is open to full-time employees of NTA tour operators and limited to one per company (sorry, no spouses). All questions should be directed to Eric Berger at Bavaria Tourism at 212-505-1893 or via e-mail at eric@peekmarketing.com or to Woody Peek at 615-778-9690 or via e-mail at woody@peekmarketing.com.

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    August Courier Preview

    In the August issue of Courier, you’ll enjoy the cover story on new forms of interactive theatre, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at how operators turn festivals and events into revenue. A special edition of Travel Essentials explores the relationship between travel and culture in an exclusive interview with National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis.

    The August business section includes reflections on the Annual Grassroots Symposium, a walk down memory lane to the Toronto Convention of 1982, an exploration of the myriad audiences to which the student tour operator markets and one member’s success with the Practitioners in the Classroom program.

    UPCOMING DEADLINES:

    November Issue – Ad Space: Aug. 26; Editorial: past
    Dining; America’s Historic East (Colonial Virginia, D.C., Maryland & Pennsylvania); Branson & the Ozarks; Delaware; New Jersey; New York; Quebec; Rhode Island.

    December Issue – Ad Space: Sept. 28; Editorial: Aug. 1
    Tour Operator Spring Meet Preview; Shopping; Blue Ridge Parkway (Appalachian & Smoky Mountains, North Carolina, Tennessee & Virginia); British Columbia; Canadian Rockies & Glacier National Park; Alabama; Florida; Louisiana; Mississippi.

    January Issue – Ad Space: Oct. 28; Editorial: Sept. 1
    Post-Convention Issue; 2005 Convention Coverage; Cruising: Overnight/Daytrips; Deep South (Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi & Tennessee); British Isles & Ireland; Alaska; British Columbia; California; Hawaii; Nevada; Oregon; Washington.

    INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
    American Music TheatreGreater Birmingham CVBChinatown New York CityDetroit Metro Convention & Visitors BureauJefferson Visitors Convention Bureau John G. Shedd AquariumMAMMA MIA!Menopause the Musical MotorCity CasinoMTR WesternMuseum of the American WestOntario Tourism Marketing Partnership CorporationSears Tower SkydeckTourism LondonTourism TorontoTreasure Island Resort & CasinoTurning Stone Casino

    Please click here to view the 2005 Editorial Calendar online.

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    Support Tourism Cares at Annual Convention

    Want to donate an item or a travel package to tourism’s biggest and best auction? Want to buy a ticket to attend the industry’s best rock ‘n’ roll party? Then go to http://www.tourismcaresfortomorrow.org/ to download a donation form for Tourism Cares’ silent and live auctions at the NTA Convention and to register online for Circle Michigan’s Rock for Tomorrow dance party on Saturday night during Convention.

    Tourism Cares for Tomorrow – the nonprofit that puts the fun in FUNdraisers.

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    NTA Job Center

    Position Available – Managing Director

    The Gettysburg Adams County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is accepting applications for the position of managing director. Individual must be knowledgeable in tourism, administration and management. Preferable applicants will hold a four-year degree or equivalent experience. Please send resume, complete with salary requirements and references to:

    Ms. Nancy Brown
    Human Resource Committee
    Gettysburg Village Main Office
    1863 Gettysburg Village Drive
    Gettysburg, PA 17325
    e-mail: nancybrown@gettysburgvillage.com
    fax: 717-337-9708

    OR

    Ms. Andrea Proulx
    President GCVB
    Historic Gettysburg Hotel
    One Lincoln Square
    Gettysburg, PA 17325
    e-mail: aproulx@hotelgettysburg.com
    fax: 717-337-2075

    If you have a listing to post in the NTA Job Center section of Tuesday, please e-mail NTA Communications Specialist Pat Henderson. The cost is $250 and your ad will run in two consecutive issues. The association will send an invoice upon publication of the posting.

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