Tuesday Newsletter
April 12, 2005
Tuesday Newsletter April 12, 2005
April 12, 2005: Volume 25; Issue 8
Annual Convention … Better Be There
Registration for Annual Convention will be opening on NTA Online during the first week of May. Members will not be receiving a printed registration brochure, but all registration materials will be available on the Web site. Some tour operators may have received erroneous information in the mail about registration fees for the 2005 Convention. Please note that the early bird registration fee is $210 (U.S.), and the regular registration fee is $320 (U.S.). Supplier and DMO registration fees are $1,060 (U.S.).
All members will receive an e-mail announcing that registration is officially open the first week in May and information will appear in a future issue of Tuesday.
Detroit will be playing host to the event, Nov. 4-8, and it should be another one to remember. Highlighted by the Tour & Travel Exchange, NTA’s Annual Convention will again bring together industry professionals for five days of striking deals, shaking hands, having fun and seeing old friends and making new ones. Click here for more details on Annual Convention.
Better Business … Better Be There.
".travel" a Reality, Pre-Authentication Starts Soon
The Internet Corporation for Names and Numbers (ICANN) officially approved the ".travel" sponsored, top-level domain name at its board meeting in Argentina April 8. This action means that ".travel" domain names will soon be available for purchase by NTA members.
Although the timetables are still being developed, NTA tentatively plans to make pre-authentication available to members in May or June 2005. Because ".travel" is available only to authentic or legitimate travel organizations, the process for securing your ".travel" domain is different that buying a ".com" or ".net" domain name. Before you may purchase your ".travel" domain name, you must be authenticated by a participating travel association, such as NTA.
To read more on the steps for registering for a ".travel" domain name, click here.
Spring Meet Speed Dating a Success
The Tour Operator Spring Meet in Sacramento was a resounding success, and a major factor was the revamped Partnering Session, which utilized a speed-dating format. Due to feedback from past Spring Meets, the format was tweaked in an attempt to create more interaction among tour operators by giving them two-minute, mini-appointments with 35 different tour operators. Participation, productivity and energy were all increased at the Speed Dating session.
"It was neat because it gave you a chance to see 35 colleagues with the very specific purpose of talking about business," Hospitality Tours President Ted Nelson said. "Sometimes it’s tough at socials or informally to get down to business, because you don’t want to interfere with someone’s free time. But this session gave you the opportunity to talk shop."
NTA would like to thank the Sacramento CVB for its great hospitality and contributions to the 2005 Spring Meet. Mark your calendars for the next year’s Tour Operator Spring Meet, which will be held in Louisville, Ky., March 22-25, 2006.
Product Development Trip Slated for Virginia
NTA is pleased to announce the first scheduled North American Product Development Trip, which is planned for June 4-9, 2006, to southeastern Virginia. Hospitality professionals from the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach will host the six-day event, which will include stops at more than 20 local sites – ranging from the Virginia Air & Space Center to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens to Motor World Racing Park.
This trip will center around the Student & Youth Travel AIM and will offer site inspections and a workshop for tour operators to meet with local suppliers and DMOs. The cost to participate is $100 and does not include transportation to Virginia. More information will be posted on NTA Online once registrations can be accepted, and space will be reserved for full-time employees of NTA tour operators. Only one participant per company may attend.
Questions should be directed to Cheryl Morales at the Newport News Tourism Development Office at 888-493-7386.
Keep Up With Trends in The Trend
Have you seen NTA’s new monthly research newsletter, The Trend? If not, here is a sample of what you are missing.
The Trend contains articles on industry research, changes and demographics, in addition to other consumer-based research. This month’s issue includes first-hand consumer data from the Yankelovich National Leisure Travel Monitor – the industry’s premier source for consumer travel research.
"The Trend is a great and informative piece," Gina Bannevich, tourism manager for the Canton/Stark County (Ohio) CVB, said. "It is very helpful, and we use the support numbers and other trends to inform our board of directors of things happening in the industry."
The Trend will arrive in your e-mail box monthly, and the cost is $10 a month or $120 a year. If you have questions about The Trend, or want to join the more than 300 NTA members who already subscribe, e-mail Sandy Stansfield.
Tourism Cares Partners With Ritz-Carlton
On April 1, 2005, Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Tourism Cares for Tomorrow sponsored a special Tourism-Caring for Ameica restoration project on the above-ground tombs at St. Louis Cemetery #1 in New Orleans. Tourism-Caring for America is a Tourism Cares program designed to bring the tourism industry together to do meaningful volunteer work at important national, cultural and historic sites.
Ritz-Carlton sponsored this special one-day event for its top agents and partners. More than 25 top-producing travel agents and 25 Ritz-Carlton general managers from throughout North America and the Caribbean worked side-by-side with Ritz-Carlton President and COO Simon Cooper in New Orleans.
Tourism Cares would like to thank Ritz-Carlton for a tremendously successful and effective clean-up day. The industry-wide Tourism-Caring for America event is coming up May 13 at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Application forms for participation, along with sponsorship information is available at http://www.tcfonline.org/.
Jackie Traylor, executive director at the Solvang (Calif.) CVB passed away April 4. She retired in Dec. 2004 and almost immediately went blind from complications of a brain tumor and rare brain infection and leukemia.
Jackie had worked for the Solvang CVB for many years before taking over as the executive director seven years ago. She will be remembered for her love of the Danish Village of Solvang and the Danish costume she wore to NTA, POW WOW and many other trades shows.
A memorial service will be held April 16 at the Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang. If you want to make a donation in Jackie’s honor, please send it to the Solvang Conference and Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 70, Solvang, CA, 93464.
It’s Convention Sponsorship Time
Looking for a way to market your business so that you’ll get the undivided attention of NTA members at the 2005 Annual Convention? How about sponsoring a meal event, social function, or some other part of this industry-wide gathering?
There are a lot of ways for you to get your name out there but, by choosing to be a Convention sponsor, you guarantee your name will be in front of your association colleagues. With sponsorships starting at $1,000, there are options to suit any budget.
To learn more about what is available, either click here or contact Karla DiNardo at 800-682-8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. or Canada), or 859-226-4232, or via e-mail at karla.dinardo@ntastaff.com.