Tuesday Newsletter
August 8, 2006
Tuesday Newsletter August 8, 2006
Volume 26: Issue 32
| Interested in becoming a sponsor for Tuesday? Contact Karla DiNardo at karla.dinardo@NTA.travel. |
On the Convention Trail: Mentors Matter
This is the fourth installment of On the Convention Trail, a series of Tuesday articles by 2006 Convention Chair Barb Bowman of the Grand Junction (Colo.) Visitor and Convention Bureau. The stories are aimed at getting you ready for Annual Convention, which will take place Nov. 3-7 "on location" in Salt Lake City.
There’s so much more to Convention than your Tour & Travel Exchange® appointments …
Everyone needs mentors, defined as "wise and trusted teachers or counselors to help them throughout their life and career." Aren’t you amazed at how the right person comes into your life at the right time? As I was preparing for my first NTA Convention and feeling completely overwhelmed, in comes Jody Colletti, supplier extraordinaire.
Night or day, rain or shine, Jody was there to answer all of my tedious questions. Her advice included etiquette such as not going over on appointments, presenting your business card first and then sitting down and making sure to put your own business cards into your right pocket and the tour operator’s card in your left so as not to hand out another person’s card. Believe me, I’ve done that! By the time the Exchange rolled around, I felt confident, positive and ready to do business … thanks to Jody. What a feeling!
Who has been there for you as a mentor? Or who could you be there for if you were a Convention volunteer? If you remember the premise of the movie "Pay It Forward," that’s the idea! So set aside your blackberry and think about connecting with a delegate who will be attending Convention for the first time.
Put some "NTA magic" into their day, and yours, by making them feel part of the NTA family. Happy Convention!
National Park Service Updates: Mainella Resigns, Glacier Fully Open
Fran Mainella, National Park Service director for six years, announced her resignation July 26. Her departure comes on the heels of the appointment of former Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. NTA Legislative Counsel Jim Santini said the association will monitor these changes within the Park Service and the Department of the Interior for their impact on park access and commercial/entrance fee issues.
In other NPS news, fires are under control at Glacier National Park and the St. Mary Visitors Entrance has reopened. Additionally, the lodge at St. Mary, a few campgrounds in that area and a six-mile stretch on the east end of Going-to-the-Sun Road are again fully accessible and operational. For further information on Glacier National Park, call 800.338.5072 or 406.837.6211 or go to http://www.glacier.visitmt.com/.
Los Angeles International Airport Construction Starts
Airport officials said passengers headed for Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) over the next eight months should expect slight delays for their inbound flights, especially in the next few weeks as airport workers get used to the changes brought about by construction.
The project will take one of the airport’s four runways, the southernmost landing strip known as 25 Left, out of service and relocate it 55 feet to the south as part of an ongoing $333 million project at LAX. The construction will affect only incoming flights and delays are expected to be about six minutes during the airport’s morning, mid-afternoon and evening rush hours, although the wait could stretch to nearly a half-hour during fog.
After the runway opens next spring, LAX will build new taxiways designed to reduce the risk of collisions between planes on the taxiway and planes taking off on the runway. At that time, LAX will be able to handle traffic from the next generation of aircraft, most notably the new Airbus A380 jumbo jets which, due to their size and weight, will require changes to many airports in the U.S. and worldwide.
For a more detailed overview of the project, or to see updates as runway construction progresses, go to http://www.laxmasterplan.org/soverview.cfm#soverview.
NTA Convention: Submit a Show Special
If you are a registered seller at the NTA Annual Convention, you can submit a 50-word Show Special via NTA.travel. A Show Special is an offer or promotion made by your company that may entice an NTA tour operator to book business with your company during Convention.
During appointment scheduling, sellers who have submitted a Show Special to NTA will be denoted with an icon. Buyers can review the Show Specials on the NTA Convention Web site, where they will be posted. If you decide you want to make changes to your special, feel free. Just resubmit your Show Special and the old information will be overridden.
Want to participate, but you haven’t registered for Convention? No worries … there’s still time for you to get signed up at http://ntaonline.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=46&url_subchannel_id=47&url_article_id=2871&change_well_id=2.
Better Business. Better Be There.
Oregon Product Development Trip: Sign Up Now
The Aug. 18 deadline for NTA tour operators to sign up for the upcoming Oregon Product Development Trip is approaching. The trip provides a chance for operators to not only explore all the beautiful the Pacific Northwest has to offer, but also allows them to meet with Oregon suppliers.
The trip will take place Sept. 26-Oct. 1 and highlights the many diverse areas of the state from Portland to Bend and Mt. Hood to Crater Lake. To register or view the itinerary for this Product Development Trip, click here. Cost to participate is $150 (not including airfare to/from Oregon) and is limited to one representative per tour company.
Questions on the Oregon Product Development Trip can be directed to NTA Vice President of Marketing Lisa Nelson at lisa.nelson@NTA.travel.
Want to Host the 2010 or 2011 Annual Convention?
Looking for a way to bring thousands of travel professionals to your city? Hoping to gain valuable exposure and reap economic benefits for your area? Then put in your bid to host the 2010 or 2011 NTA Annual Convention.
NTA’s premier event, held each November, affords its hosting cities and regions tremendous exposure within the travel industry. The economic impact (both immediate and residual), media coverage, relationship development and ultimate increase in tourism are just a few of the accrued benefits to the host.
To get copies of the bid specifications and the hotel contract requirements – or to ask any questions about hosting the Annual Convention – contact NTA Director of Operations Lee Carter via e-mail at lee.carter@NTA.travel.
The deadline to submit a bid is Aug. 31.
Tourism Cares and NTA are proud to announce that the sponsors for this year’s Rock for Tomorrow dance party at the NTA Convention will be the Nevada Commission on Tourism, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and the Reno Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority. No one throws a party quite like Nevada, and Rock for Tomorrow attendees can count on a great band, rocking music, an awesome venue and lots of fellow delegates to meet and party with.
All registered tour operators will be guests of the Nevada delegation. That’s right … tour operator delegates will receive complimentary tickets! Tour operators who have already purchased tickets with their Convention registration will be contacted by Tourism Cares with refund options. For immediate information, please contact Tourism Cares Development Manager Lisa Schmiemann via e-mail at lisas@tourismcares.org.
Supplier and DMO delegates, you’ve got to be there, too! Be sure to purchase your tickets, which are $40 in advance and $50 on site, when you sign up for Convention. If you’ve already registered and didn’t order a ticket, call NTA Member Services today at 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444, and they’ll take care of you.
And remember, all proceeds go to benefit the mission and programs of Tourism Cares, NTA’s official philanthropic organization.
Remembering Carmen Picknally and Hanns Ebensten
Two NTA-member companies recently lost valuable members of their families when Carmen Picknally, vice president emeritus of Peter Pan Bus Lines Inc., and Hanns Ebensten, founder of Hanns Ebensten Travel, passed away.
Picknally was 80 years old when he passed away Aug. 4. He will always be remembered for his leadership, innovations and dedication to Peter Pan and the intercity motorcoach industry during a career that spanned nearly 60 years. Memorials can be sent to the Picknally Family Scholarship at Cathedral High School, 260 Surrey Road, Springfield, MA 01118.
Ebensten was 82 when he passed away July 24 from pneumonia. A trip down the Nile River at age 6 was the beginning of what would become a lifetime of exploration and wanderlust. Considered the inventor of gay travel, Ebensten founded the company that still bears his name after taking a group of gay men to the Grand Canyon in 1972. Memorials can be sent to Hanns Ebensten Travel Inc., 923 White Street, Key West, FL 33040.
More Convention Sponsorships Announced
This year, NTA will feature more sponsorships at Annual Convention than ever before. As a result, we are pleased to announce the following sponsorships.
While the above is a list of sponsorship concepts, NTA is certainly receptive to additional, innovative ideas. Contact Karla DiNardo – 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232 or karla.dinardo@NTA.travel – for more sponsorship information and learn how you can receive an exhibit booth on the floor for the duration of Convention.
Last Chance to be a Part of 2006/2007 NTA Tour Catalog
The Group Travel Leader will produce the 2006/2007 edition of the NTA Tour Catalog in September. The special supplement reaches 30,000 packaged travel industry professionals and tour operators can submit a 50-word company listing for inclusion in the publication.
Members interested in advertising information, should contact Kelly Tyner with The Group Travel Leader at 888.253.0455 or via e-mail kelly@grouptravelleader.com. The deadline to participate is Friday, Aug. 11.