First Glimpse at NTA Mall | Who’s Wearing What Badge? | To-do List
January 15, 2013
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TODAY’S ARTICLES
First Glimpse at NTA Mall
NTA Welcomes Delta Aboard as Official Airline
Reminder: Shuttle Service from Orlando Airport
Dipert, Dresel to Claim Top NTA Awards
Stay in Touch with TED
Who’s Wearing What Badge at Travel Exchange?
Join NTA and Brand USA at COTTM
A Few Items for Your To-do List
Come to the ‘Clubhouse’ to Putt … and Save!
Early Bird Rates for Tourism Cares Restoration Projects
NTA Sponsors are Excited to See You at Travel Exchange!
Spend One-on-one Time with International Visitor Expert
If you’re starting to get that Travel Exchange feeling, you’re ready to start scoping out the convention floor. This delightful map points out highlights of the NTA Mall,
including the following:
Entrances: Entryways to the NTA Mall and the dining room are essentially side-by-side. You’ll never be far from food!
Refreshments: Speaking of food (and drink), you’ll find several additions (and returning favorites) in a tasty lineup of sponsored snacks in the Refreshments Lounge.
Gator!: At the Wild Florida/Photo Vision booth, on the flipside of Visit Orlando and Visit Florida booths, you can get your picture taken with an alligator!
Sponsors: Be sure to talk with the friendly folks at our sponsor booths, located in the front portion of the floor.
Cyber Center: This is where NTA members can recharge phones and devices, check appointments and emails on PCs, and plug a laptop into the Internet.
Stage 1: Get practical tips and info during any of the 15-minute mini-presentations on Stage 1. Click here for the schedule.
NTA Central: Ahhhh, an oasis of information in the middle of a bustling convention floor: NTA Central has HQ staff members on hand to answer your every question.
This map represents the NTA Mall only. Keep in mind that the Travel Exchange appointment booths are located on the far side of the refreshments area, and the UMA floor is to the right. You’ll receive a floor plan of the entire show in your registration materials. See you there!
NTA Welcomes Delta Aboard as Official Airline
NTA and Delta Air Lines are now traveling together as business partners. Delta, the 
official airline of NTA, will play a prominent role next week at Travel Exchange. Along with offering discounted airfare for Travel Exchange attendees, Delta is enhancing the Travel Exchange experience by hosting the Delta Sky Lounge, with Delta’s signature peanuts, cookies and pretzels. Delta also will sponsor many of NTA’s seminars, our business appointment sessions, and the new Travel Exchange app.
See the news release for more details.
Reminder: Shuttle Service from Orlando Airport
Shuttle service from the Orlando airport is available on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, and here’s how to find the shuttles: A tram shuttle will take you to the main terminal, where you follow the airport signs to baggage claim. You’ll take an escalator from Level 3, the tram level, to the baggage claim area on Level 2. (Click here for a detailed airport arrival map.)
As you descend the escalator, look for Florida Coast to Coast greet staff; they’ll be wearing red polo shirts trimmed in white and holding a Travel Exchange sign. Identify yourself to the staff person before retrieving your luggage. After you get your bags, the staff person will direct you down to Level 1, where you’ll board a shuttle.
If you don’t see the staff person during shuttle hours, feel free to call the Arriving Guest Hot Line: 407.802.3444.
Dipert, Dresel to Claim Top NTA Awards
Ed Dresel and Dan Dipert are set to receive two of NTA’s highest honors during the Awards Dinner on Tuesday night in Orlando.
Dresel, president of Destinations Unlimited in Southington, Conn., will receive the 
Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors individuals who have made outstanding, long-term personal and professional contributions to NTA. A longtime leader within NTA, Dresel served as board chairman in 2001, steering the association during the uncertain times that followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Serving in a number of leadership roles since then, Dresel is currently chairman of NTA Services.
Dipert, who 40 years ago founded Dan Dipert Tours in Arlington, Texas, will receive
the NTA Pioneer Award. The award recognizes individuals whose accomplishments have resulted in a significant change in the travel industry that benefited NTA and its members. During his term as NTA president (now termed "chairman"), Dipert conducted periodic conference calls with member tour operators, allowing them a forum to share problems—and solutions—with other members.
Dipert and Dresel were informed of their awards months ago so their families and associates could be on hand in Orlando. NTA will make two other awards at Travel Exchange, both to unsuspecting recipients. The Shining Star Award, honoring an outstanding sponsoring member, will be awarded at the luncheon on Wednesday, and during the Annual Business Luncheon on Thursday, NTA will present its Volunteer of the Year Award.
While we’re at Travel Exchange in Orlando next week, there won’t be an issue of Tuesday, but you’ll get plenty of information about NTA news.
Travel Exchange Daily (go ahead: call it TED) will be printed in Orlando and distributed Sunday through Thursday. Each eight-page newsletter will include articles about that day’s events, education (seminars and mini-presentations) and networking events. And starting Monday, each issue will feature photos from the previous day (and night). If you don’t have one handed to you as you enter the convention center, you can pick up your copy of TED at NTA Central, the registration desk, NTA Publications and Sponsorship booth, and throughout the refreshments lounge.
We’ll get back on track with Tuesday on Jan. 29.
Who’s Wearing What Badge at Travel Exchange?
Here’s another reminder. To help you quickly identify NTA and UMA buyers and sellers when you’re at Travel Exchange, we created this colorful badge chart. The
graphic illustrates each badge and color designation for all Travel Exchange attendees; click on the image at right to get a better look. As an example, all NTA tour operators will be wearing a blue Rhode Island badge holder with a white name badge insert. Here’s your badge breakdown:
NTA badges (blue Rhode Island badge holder)
- White: tour operators, NTA staff and Tourism Cares staff
- Yellow: tour suppliers, DMOs, associates and educators
- Green: guests and media
UMA badges (black Sardo badge holder)
- White: motorcoach operators, spouses, affiliates, staff and non-exhibiting suppliers
- White with yellow stripe: motorcoach operators who package tours. (The yellow stripe says: "We assist with planning tours.")
- Pastel blue: exhibitors
To see who will be wearing the badges, check the scrolling list of registrants on the Travel Exchange homepage.
Join NTA and Brand USA at COTTM
Brand USA and NTA are partnering to present the U.S. Pavilion at the China Outbound T
ravel and Tourism Market, April 9–11, in Beijing, China. COTTM is the only B2B show in China for outbound travel business, and last year more than 4,000 trade visitors attended. NTA has hosted the pavilion at COTTM for four years, and partnering with Brand USA will create an even stronger U.S. presence at the show. The two organizations also partnered at last year’s China International Travel Mart.
U.S. businesses are invited to become part of the pavilion. At COTTM 2012, Utah
connected with the China Great Wall Society for several business opportunities, including a joint promotion arrangement at the Great Wall and in a Utah state park. Patti Denny of Utah Office of Tourism said, "COTTM is the only show in China I can actually track and measure the results."
The Early Bird rate of $3,995 is good through Feb. 4. Then the rate of $4,295.00 applies through to the Feb. 28 deadline. The registration fee includes the following:
- Standard exhibiting space (Upgraded space is available.)
- U.S. Pavilion branding and decorating
- Logo display on NTA’s Chinese website for four months
- The opportunity to be covered in the COTTM Show Daily publication. Four extra pre- and post-show issues will be distributed to 50,000 trade subscribers to help exhibitors gain brand awareness and increase business opportunities.
- On-site bilingual assistance
- Refreshments throughout the show
If you’re interested in this huge market but cannot attend the show, you can request collateral distribution services. NTA offers professional translation/production services to turn your English flyers into Chinese. Please direct all your questions to Haybina Hao, NTA’s director of international development.
A Few Items for Your To-do List
- Sign up to volunteer at Travel Exchange before tomorrow (Jan. 16); it’s a great way to meet new people! And if you miss the deadline, you can sign up on-site at NTA Central.
- To get comfortable with all the features of the mobile app created for Travel Exchange 2013—and this is one helpful tool—sign up for a free online session tomorrow (Wednesday) at either 9 a.m. or 3 p.m. EST.
- See what your colleagues are saying about Travel Exchange, and post your own updates on Facebook and Twitter (#NTA13 and #NTAyp).
- To take advantage of having the UMA folks on the floor, check out the list of registered UMA buyers on our Travel Exchange website, just beneath the countdown clock.
- The Early Bird rate for Contact ’13 in Hawai‘i, the Big Island, ends on the last day of Travel Exchange: Thursday, Jan. 24. You can register on the Contact website here or swing by NTA Central at Travel Exchange to register.
- It’s time to renew your NTA membership, which ends Jan. 31. So that you don’t miss a minute of your member benefits, you can renew online here or process the membership invoice you received via mail and email.
Come to the ‘Clubhouse’ to Putt … and Save!
Celebrate Travel Exchange 2013 by stopping by the NTA Publications and Sponsorship booth. You’ll receive 13 percent off rate card for all publications if you book at Travel Exchange.
We will have all of NTA’s official publications on hand: Courier, NTA Trip Planner publications, Membership Directory, The Best of the USA-China Directory, Contact program, Profile Form Notebook, Travel Exchange program, Travel Exchange Map & Schedule and Travel Exchange Daily Newsletter. Plus find out about sponsorship opportunities at Travel Exchange and Contact.
While you’re at our booth, you’ll be sure to notice our club
house theme-complete with our awesome putting green! Stop by to try your chance in our daily putting contest. Daily winners will compete for the grand prize of a Kindle and a full page in a 2013 issue of Courier. Come by often to see how the competition is stacking up on the leader board.
Your NTA Services account executive will be at the booth to discuss your 2013 advertising plans and sponsorship plans, and our Courier editorial staff will be on hand to discuss the 2013 editorial calendar. And of course, we’re all pros when it comes to consultation on your golf game.
With NTA publications and sponsorship opportunities, we can show you how to positively impact your bottom line in 2013.
Early Bird Rates for Tourism Cares Restoration Projects
Act today and take advantage of the special Early Bird rate of $109 for Tourism Cares’ 2013 volunteer restoration projects in New York City and Plimoth Plantation.
On May 30 and 31, industry friends and colleagues will gather and volunteer at world-famous Coney Island and Jamaica Bay to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Tourism Cares for America program. Be sure to be among them. Volunteers will paint playground benches, light posts, water fountains and decorative trash receptacles along the boardwalk at Coney Island and participate in dune preservation and beach clean-up projects at Ft. Tilden Beach. Early Bird registration of $109 ends Feb. 1, when the standard price of $129 takes effect. Please click here to register.
On September 26 and 27 volunteers will participate in the Tourism Cares for Plimoth Planation project, where they will rebuild the plantation’s English Village palisade, complete landscaping projects at the Wampanoag Native American Homesite, and complete painting projects to enhance the Visitor Center. There may even be an opportunity to work aboard Mayflower II, the replica of the 17th-century merchant ship that brought the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620. Early Bird rates of $109 end March 1, when the standard price of $129 takes effect. Please click here to register.
For more information about these projects or find out more about being a sponsor, please visit the Tourism Cares website or contact Jessica Ahern. The early bird gets the discount, so register today!
NTA Sponsors are Excited to See You at Travel Exchange!
By sponsoring events and features at Travel Exchange, companies create memorable moments and timely networking opportunities. They also create an enviable return on investment. See comments from NTA Travel Exchange sponsors:
"We are counting down the days until Travel Exchange and are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the Best of Broadway to NTA and UMA members. With a full roster of appointments for Group Sales Box Office/Broadway.com and Broadway Across America, we are more than confident that we will have a robust ROI."
—Stephanie Lee, Group Sales Box Office/Broadway.com
"Norwegian Cruise Line is very excited for the opportunity to support Travel Exchange ’13. Our sponsorship allows us to reach fellow NTA and UMA members, strengthen relationships and build new ones. By listening, working closely and understanding tour operators’ needs, we’ve been able to develop new programs designed exclusively for them. Helping each other is what a partnership is all about, and that is what you find at Travel Exchange."
—Jodi Danyluk, Norwegian Cruise Line
"Delta Air Lines, Inc. is pleased to be the official airline of NTA! By partnering with this great organization, Delta has the opportunity to reach thousands of its members as we are recognized on your websites, in printed materials and member communications. As a large global airline, we’re looking to NTA for added exposure during its Chinese road shows, COTTM, Contact, Travel Exchange, and in its Chinese publications. As NTA members have chosen this organization as an avenue for expanding their businesses, we trust our partnership will bring added value and allow Delta to ‘Keep Climbing’ in our business."
—Norma Dean, Delta Air Lines, Inc.
"Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is proud to sponsor the Travel Exchange Welcome Reception/Icebreaker on Sunday, Jan. 20. We value the opportunity to partner with NTA and UMA members, and we are excited to present a sneak peek of the new home for space shuttle Atlantis, opening in July 2013."
—John Stine, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
"NASCAR Sports Grille, which is part of the ECI Restaurant Group (Baltimore, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Hampton Roads, Virginia; Louisville, Kentucky; and Kansas City, Missouri) is excited about supporting NTA and showcasing their Orlando Restaurant at Universal CityWalk on January 23. We look forward to everyone coming out for great food and fun."
—Elaine Cavanaugh, NASCAR Sports Grille
Spend One-on-one Time with International Visitor Expert
By 2017, 80 million international visitors will travel to the U.S. That’s an additional 18 million visitors compared to 2011, a 29 percent increase. Do you have what you need to tap into this growth? Do you have the market research tools you need to justify your international visitor budget?
To find out, you can meet one-on-one at Travel Exchange with industry expert Scott Johnson, president of Travel Market Insights, a premier international visitor research firm that currently provides international visitor market insight to DMOs, businesses and industry associations.
To book an appointment, stop by the Travel Market Insights booth in the NTA Mall. And don’t miss Johnson’s presentation with Ron Erdmann on Wednesday at 1:45 p.m.: BRIC Versus Traditional Overseas Markets.
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