Steve Hartman Has Convention ’11 on His Calendar. Do you? | NTA’s Richer Receives National Award
March 29, 2011
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TODAY’S ARTICLES
Steve Hartman Has Convention ’11 on His Calendar. Do You?
NTA’s Richer Receives National Award
Webinars to Focus on the Latin America Market this Friday, Advocacy next Tuesday
Are You Taking Full Advantage of Member Discounts?
Pardon Our Online Outages
NTA Makes Big Impact on Tianguis
You Could Be Networking, Partnering and Relaxing … Here
Tourism Cares Online Scholarship Application Closes Friday
5 Steps to Establishing a Web Presence for Your Business
7 Facts in 7 Minutes … Inside Your April Courier
Two NTA Events to Be Featured in Popular Travel Trade Publication. You Can Be, Too.
Industry News and Updates
Steve Hartman Has Convention ’11 on His Calendar. Do You?
CBS journalist Steve Hartman served as the official emcee throughout the week of Convention ’10 and will be joining us again this year in Las Vegas!
Known best for his "Everybody in the World Has a Story" reports during the "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric," Hartman learned that every NTA member has a story—and they also have something in common.
"They don’t just want to make a buck and take people for a ride—literally and figuratively," he said. "They are doing their part to make the world a better place. I’m glad to see it."
Hartman said being surrounded by NTA members was an "uplifting experience," which explains why he’s coming back for more. We’re excited to have him back as the emcee for Convention ’11 in Las Vegas. Jump on Facebook and let us know you’re coming, too.
Convention ’11 is the place to meet more partners, find more products and get more business. Registration opens April 19 at www.NTAonline.com/Convention.
NTA’s Richer Receives National Award
Steve Richer, CTP, has been named the 2011 recipient of the Apex Distinguished Service Award from Black Meetings & Tourism Magazine. The award is presented annually to an individual who has provided long-term benefits for the travel industry in general and the African-American market segment in specific. Richer is NTA’s public affairs advocate, advancing the legislative priorities for the association—and the entire travel industry—in Washington, D.C.
Richer’s selection was based on his consistent position of inclusion and diversity throughout his leadership roles with Atlantic City, the Mississippi Gulf Coast and with NTA, according to Gloria Herbert, associate publisher/editor of Black Meetings & Tourism.
"His genuine efforts to develop new, niche and diverse markets have not only enhanced the bottom line of the companies with which he was affiliated, but they also opened the door for businesses within those markets to benefit," Herbert said. "This honor is an acknowledgement from some of Steve’s peers in the travel and hospitality industries to express our appreciation for his extraordinary service that has made all of us better."
Richer will be honored by BM&T during a May 13 luncheon at the Travel Professionals of Color Annual Conference and Trade Show in Louisville. TPOC is an NTA strategic partner, and you can learn more about the annual conference at the TPOC Web site.
Webinars to Focus on the Latin America Market this Friday, Advocacy next Tuesday
An hour-long Webinar on Friday, April 1, at 2 p.m. ET will focus on the Latin America travel and tourism market, covering international arrivals from the Latin American markets, U.S. destinations most visited, spending patterns and other trends from the region. The program will highlight critical data from the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries and market intelligence from the Commercial Services offices. The U.S. Department of Commerce, OTTI; the U.S. Commercial Service Travel & Tourism Team and Reed Exhibitions will conduct the Webinar.
Registration for the Friday Webinar is $50; more details are available here. For questions, contact Anastasia Xenias by phone (+1.212.482.1856) or e-mail, or Julie Heizer by phone (+1.202.482.4904) or e-mail.
And next Tuesday, April 5, at 2 p.m. ET, U.S. Travel continues its Grassroots Advocacy Webinar Series with "Advocacy 101: Wielding Influence with Policymakers." The 60-minute session features best practices for advocacy, including how to catch the attention of your policymakers, communicate with them and build a lasting relationship. To register for this free Webinar, click here.
Are You Taking Full Advantage of Member Discounts?
Being a member of NTA gets you valuable discounts from NTA corporate partners, saving you money on payroll and credit card processing, printing, insurance, shipping, office supplies and more. Be sure you’re taking advantage of these member benefits*:
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Payroll Processing ADP (for U.S. members only) offers:
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Printing Angstrom Graphics offers:
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Insurance Berkely offers:
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Credit Card Processing Capital One offers:
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Shipping FedEx (for U.S. members only) offers:
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Office Supplies Staples offers:
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*Not all benefits/discounts are available for all members. Please review the information and disclaimers for each partner. These discounts are offered through NTA corporate partners, not NTA.
NTA is upgrading technology applications this week. During the upgrades some members-only features of our Web site will be unavailable, including searches, online updates, Partner2Partner, online dues renewals and the tracking program. The delay could last through Thursday, but it’s more likely all systems will be up and running by late Wednesday. For assistance or questions, please contact NTA headquarters. We appreciate your patience during this time.
NTA Makes Big Impact on Tianguis
Cathy Greteman, NTA chair, and Steve Richer, public affairs advocate, represented NTA last weekend at Tianguis Turístico, the annual gathering and tradeshow of the Mexican travel industry. Greteman, on a whirlwind schedule, held a top-level meeting with Mexico Secretaria de Turismo Gloria Guevara Manzo; addressed a special luncheon of the worldwide leadership of the Mexican Tourism Board, which included the secretaries of tourism for the states of Mexico; and opened a relationship with the Mexican tour operators association, PE-TRA.
Held in Acapulco, Tianguis was attended by thousands of participants, including buyers from 22 countries.
You Could Be Networking, Partnering and Relaxing … Here
Contact is an operator-exclusive event created to enrich you personally and professionally.
In the beautiful resort setting of Newport, Rhode Island, Contact connects you and your staff with peers on three levels:
- CEOs/Owners
- Marketing & Sales
- Operations
Share best practices, discuss industry trends and build your team’s professional development through the networking opportunities, education sessions and sightseeing adventures at Contact.
Join us in Newport, Rhode Island, Aug. 1–3 and enjoy what Andrea McHugh of the Newport and Bristol County CVB calls the "fabulousness" of Newport. Here’s a taste of what you’ll experience at Contact:
Contact is NTA’s only tour operator-exclusive event. Suppliers and DMOs, want access? Sponsorship is your ticket. Contact Karla DiNardo at +1.859.226.4232.
Tourism Cares Online Scholarship Application Closes Friday
Undergraduate and graduate students studying travel, tourism and hospitality in the United States and Canada are invited to apply for a Tourism Cares scholarship on the new online application platform. The April 1 deadline is fast approaching, so interested students are encouraged to apply right away.
All academic scholarship recipients will be invited to participate in the Tourism Cares Experience the Industry Student Program at NTA’s Convention in Las Vegas. At the event, students will shadow travel industry mentors during business appointments, participate in discussions about career paths and take advantage of networking and career opportunities. Mentoring opportunities at Convention are available. If you are interested in serving as a mentor, please e-mail Jessica Ahern.
5 Steps to Establishing a Web Presence for Your Business
Half of all small businesses don’t have Web sites, according to a 2009 report by Discover Credit Cards. Blogger Claire Celsi says a company without a Web site might still have potential customers searching for it online, and those searchers will likely land on a page listing the company’s name and other information. That means the company’s Web presence is controlled by some other entity.
Celsi often sees business owners, in a rush to establish an online presence, diving into Facebook or other social media sites. But she believes you’d be better off to first create a Web site of your own, where you can provide a full description of products or services. If you have delayed creating a Web site for your business, here are five steps to starting one from scratch:
- Register a domain for your Web site. Pick a registration site, such as GoDaddy.com or register.com, and reserve the simplest, most fitting name for your business.
- Set up a simple site. If you’re able, start with a Web platform such as WordPress to create your site. If you’re not comfortable attempting this, find someone who is.
- Add content on your front page. Post fresh news or a blog regularly. Updated content leads readers to return, and it improves your site’s standing with search engines.
- Create a company page on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Link readers from your Web site to your social media pages, where they can get additional information.
- Promote your Web presence. List your Web site address and social media icons in e-mails and ads to let people know the many ways they can learn more about your business.
This more comprehensive strategy can help you establish a broad presence on the Web. For more details, you can find Celci’s blog here.
7 Facts in 7 Minutes … Inside Your April Courier
Ready for a guided tour of our favorite magazine? The April issue of Courier includes a wide range of business and destination stories that take you from the halls of the U.S. Congress to Civil War battlefields to the sunny environs of the Caribbean. As a primer for the issue, here is a series of questions to ponder; for answers you can conduct your own scavenger hunt throughout the magazine.
- On what day of the week does Convention begin this year? (p.12)
- What specialized group of travelers numbers approximately 650 million and is underserved currently by travel service providers? (p. 14)
- Which Maryland battlefield was witness to the bloodiest single-day battle in U.S. history, with some 23,000 casualties? (p. 22)
- At which U.S. historic garden can you hear a recently restored 10,010-pipe Aeolian Organ? (p. 31)
- Where can you visit the first city in the New World, which was constructed with the help of Christopher Columbus’ brother and son? (p. 41)
- When and where did the first pizzeria in the United States open? (p. 67)
- On which island in the Pacific Northwest is the local-foods culinary scene booming? (p. 77)
In addition to checking your answers, you can learn more about Historic Homes, Gardens, the Civil War, the Antebellum South, New York City, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Mexico and the Caribbean in the April issue of Courier.
Repeat advertisers in this issue are Angstrom Graphics; The Berkely Group (TPP); Blue Man Group; Cherokee Heritage Center; Cracker Barrel; Empire State Building Observatory; Fredericksburg Department of Economic Development and Tourism; Georgia Department of Tourism; Maid of the Mist Corporation; Missouri History Museum; NASCAR Hall of Fame; and Pensacola, Fla., Convention & Visitor Information Center.
We’re grateful to our repeat advertisers (those who book in three or more issues of Courier per year.) Click here for more information.
Upcoming deadlines:
July Issue: 2011 Annual Preview to Convention; Faith-based Travel; Zoos & Aquariums; Kentucky; Ohio; Tennessee; West Virginia; Southern California ; Boston; Germany; Switzerland & Austria.
Bonus Distribution at Contact ’11
Ad Space: April 27
Editorial: April 4
August Issue: Theaters & Broadway Shows; Our Claim to Fame; Illinois; Indiana; Michigan; Minnesota; Wisconsin; Ontario; Pacific Northwest (British Columbia, Oregon, Washington); Greece & Turkey.
Ad Space: May 25
Editorial: May 2
September Issue: Museums; Sightseeing Rail; Literary Tours & Attractions; Florida; Georgia; North Carolina; South Carolina; Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas); Czech Republic; Poland & Slovakia.
Ad Space: June 29
Editorial: June 6
Please click here to view the 2011 editorial calendar.
Two NTA Events to Be Featured in Popular Travel Trade Publication. You Can Be, Too.
The July issue of Courier magazine will feature two NTA events: Contact ’11 (August 1–3 in Newport, Rhode Island) and a preview to Convention ’11 (December 5–9 in Vegas, baby!). This is a great issue for you to be visible and promote yourself! Not only will these event features grab attention, but this issue will have bonus distribution at Contact ’11, where 100-plus NTA tour operators are expected to attend. Don’t miss out—advertise in this must-read issue!
July also features Faith-based Travel and Zoos & Aquariums. Destination articles include Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, Southern California, Boston, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Contact a member of the NTA Services team today, either by phone (+1.859.219.3533) or e-mail, to reserve your spot in Courier’s July issue.
- A report by Amadeus, "Navigating the Airport of Tomorrow," calls for increased electronic connectivity in airports to track not only baggage but also passengers.
- eTurbo News is changing its Internet domain name from .com to .travel. The .travel domain helps identify companies that operate within the travel and tourism industry.
- Business travel airfares climbed in 2010, and hotel rates are poised to follow them upward in 2011; both point to industry rebound, according to American Express Global Business Travel.
Click here for the Tuesday archive.
