Tuesday Newsletter – March 10, 2009
March 10, 2009
Volume 29, Issue 10
Tuesday’s title sponsor is FedEx
Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kelley Burchell at kelley.burchell@NTAstaff.com.
TODAY’S ARTICLES
The New NTA Convention — Designed by You
New-Look Symposium Generated Excitement
Free Advice on the Economy from Dr. Peter Tarlow at Spring Meet
US-VISIT Webinar Broadcast Available
Green Your Office Operations by Reducing Carbon Emissions
Meet Asian Experts in Los Angeles at April Conference
Update Your Profile for the Membership Directory
Last Call to Reserve Space in NTA Pavilion at COTTM
Get Connected Through LinkedIn
NTA Announces 2009 Convention Sponsorships
Be a Sponsor of Tourism Cares for Gettysburg
New Advertising Opportunity for the June Native American Feature
The New NTA Convention — Designed by You
The NTA Board of Directors approved the format for the NTA Convention, which will take place in Reno, Nevada, Nov. 14-18. The format was developed by the Meetings & Events Committee, based on member feedback and research, and NTA also worked to make the Convention as affordable as possible by negotiating great hotel prices and allowing members to register at 2008 rates.
The Convention opens Saturday with a day focused on operator partnering with prescheduled appointments, primarily operator-focused education and a full schedule of sightseeing tours (all members are welcome to attend the seminars and the tours). Appointments between destinations and operators will be 10 minutes and set in a regional format with tour operators walking the floor. Tour operators will be seated, as they typically have been, for prescheduled 10-minute appointments with suppliers.
As always, the business floor will be open throughout the Convention. This year’s schedule includes open shopping time for the operators with DMOs and suppliers in the regional format as well as a series of five-minute prescheduled appointments between the operators and suppliers that are supplier request only.
Affordability will be another key factor for this year’s Convention. Operators still have the early-bird option, and this registration fee and the regular fee have not increased over 2008 prices. And, for the first time, NTA has added a discounted early-bird rate for suppliers and DMOs, which will allow them to attend Convention at the 2008 registration price if they sign up by June 16. Also, room rates will be available through the NTA hotel block for as low as $54 a night for operators and $58 for suppliers and DMOs.
Specific information for tour operators, DMOs and tour suppliers on the format and how it works is available at NTAonline.com. More details on the modifications will be passed along in the April issue of Courier magazine and in future issues of Tuesday.
If you have any questions, please contact your NTA Member Services Team at 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444.
New-Look Symposium Generated Excitement
The winds of change are blowing through Washington, D.C., and through NTA’s Grassroots Symposium, as well. The format of this year’s Symposium, which was held Feb. 24-26, was modified to more intentionally focus the attendees’ Capital Hill visits on members of Congress who are in positions of influence regarding important travel issues.
In addition to visiting with their state’s members of Congress, attendees met with members and/or staff of the Senate Majority Leader, the Senate Minority Leader, the Speaker of the House, the House Majority Leader, the House Tourism Caucus Co-Chairs and many chairs and ranking members of both House and Senate committees and subcommittees as part of more than 40 "cluster" appointments.
"Those of us in Alabama saw the Grassroots Symposium as a great way to not only spread the word about overall tourism issues, but to get in front of our state leaders on issues specific to Alabama tourism," said Patti A. Culp of the Alabama Travel Council. "We brought a delegation of five and, in two days, were able to meet with all of our senators and congressmen and not only make a difference in tourism overall but for our state as well."
First-time symposium attendee Melissa McKee of Collette Vacations echoed Culp’s sentiments, saying "I left Washington and the symposium eager to tell everyone about this wonderful NTA experience and why we should all stay on top of the important issues facing our industry today."
If you are interested in becoming more active in helping NTA stay in touch with federal and state legislators on key travel issues year-round, click here to learn more about joining the NTA Grassroots Action Network.
NTA would like to thank this year’s symposium sponsors: Entertainment Cruises, Rhode Island Tourism Division, New World Tours Inc. and The Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel.
Free Advice on the Economy from Dr. Peter Tarlow at Spring Meet
Who says you can’t get anything for free? Travel industry expert Dr. Peter Tarlow will be on hand at the 2009 NTA Spring Meet not only to offer up some great information during his educational seminars, but also to meet with tour operators one-on-one to help them navigate the current economy.
Tarlow will have a booth in the InfoZone throughout the event and will be scheduling free sessions for tour operators. Being able to sit down with this renowned economist and travel expert one on one is just another reason you need to make plans to join your fellow tour operators in Monterey, California, from June 4 to 6 for what is sure to be an incredible Spring Meet.
Register today and you’ll receive the early-bird rate, which is a savings of 30 percent off the regular registration fee.
US-VISIT Webinar Broadcast Available
U.S. government officials recently held the first in a series of "Welcome to the United States" Webinars geared to help provide information on border security and entry requirements for international travelers visiting the United States. The Feb. 24 Webinar focused on the latest U.S. border security requirements for travelers from European countries that are part of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.
The session was led by representatives of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s US-VISIT program and Customs and Border Protection, along with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Travel and Tourism Industries and U.S. Commercial Service. If you are interested in accessing the recorded version of the Webinar, click here.
Additional Webinars will address both VWP and non-VWP travelers from around the world, and if you want more information on these upcoming sessions, e-mail rsvp.webinar@dhsbiometrics.com.
Green Your Office Operations by Reducing Carbon Emissions
(NOTE: This is part of a series of columns by Brian Mullis, president of Sustainable Travel International, which will appear in Tuesday. Last fall, NTA announced its strategic alliance with STI that allows members to get discounts on certain STI services, including the eco-certification program.)
To continue last month’s discussion on how to "green" your office and save some "green" in the process, I’m going to focus on reducing your employee-related carbon dioxide emissions. One of the big steps you can take toward a lighter carbon footprint is to reduce employee vehicle use and travel. Here are a few concrete examples of how you can do this.
Flex Schedules and Telecommuting — Implement a commuter benefit program. Flex schedules and telecommuting serve as valuable recruitment and retention tools, can help with morale and can reduce costs through office space and parking savings.
Bicycle Commuter Tax Provision — Take advantage of the new Bicycle Commuter Tax Provision, which applies if you offer any of the following benefits to your employees: transit passes, qualified parking and qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement.
Carpool Benefits — Help employees form carpools through rideshare matching or regional rideshare organizations, which helps carpoolers locate others nearby with comparable schedules.
If you have a question about sustainable practices, please e-mail me at brianm@sustainabletravel.com.
Meet Asian Experts in Los Angeles at April Conference
The 22nd Annual Asia Pacific Business Outlook Conference, coming up April 6-7 in Los Angeles, offers you a chance to learn about the latest trade and investment opportunities and challenges regarding the economy and business environment in many Asian countries. Although the conference is not targeted specifically to travel and tourism or any particular industry, you could take part in any of 50 educational sessions and:
- Hear market overviews and outlooks on 14 different markets in the Asia/Pacific region. These market briefings will be given by the U.S. Commercial Service Senior Commercial Officers from each country.
- Participate in Q&A sessions with the Senior Commercial Officers during the market briefings as well as during a session called "Country Workshops."
- Meet one-on-one for individual consultations with the Senior Commercial Officers to discuss their current business in a particular Asia/Pacific country and/or their interests in developing business in that particular country.
For more information, click here or contact Jeff Hamilton with the U.S. Commercial Service at 801.255.1872. Also, when you are registering, use the U.S. Department of Commerce Registration Code: DOC2009 to receive the discounted early registration rate.
Update Your Profile for the Membership Directory
NTA is preparing to print the 2009-2010 Member Directory, which includes a complimentary listing for all members. The directory is a frequently used resource and one way that members access information on your company.
To make sure that your contact information is listed correctly in this year-round reference guide, please take a few minutes to log on to www.NTAonline.com to review and correct your company’s contact information. Simply follow these steps to update your profile:
- Go to www.NTAonline.com and login
- Click "Update Your Profile" from the list on the right side
- Review and update all defining characteristics for your company, then make sure to click "Save"
Please contact the NTA Member Services Department with any questions or concerns by calling 800.682.8886 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4444.
Last Call to Reserve Space in NTA Pavilion at COTTM
Just as NTA’s China Inbound Program is opening doors to a new market of leisure travelers into the United States, your association is continuing to find avenues to help you to expand your business in the China market. One upcoming opportunity is offered in conjunction with the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market, which will take place April 22-24 in Beijing.
NTA is putting together a pavilion for the event that will give you an affordable way to gain exposure not only with those outbound operators attending COTTM but also with more than 4,000 hosted Chinese buyers. For only $2,500 your company will have a 4 square meter booth in the pavilion, which represents a savings of more than 30 percent off what it would cost to purchase a traditional booth on your own. Additionally, the NTA pavilion is receiving promotion by show producers in China and on the show floor to drive traffic to the area.
Contact NTA Director of Industry and Government Relations Matt Grayson today to reserve your spot.
Get Connected Through LinkedIn
More than 35 million professionals from more than 200 countries are currently using LinkedIn. This social networking tool can help you get answers to business-related questions, make recommendations and introductions, and promote your company and services.
If you are interested in learning the basics on how to get started, NTA has created a "How To" document specifically for LinkedIn that will walk you through it. The document, which is part of a series of helpful documents NTA is preparing to help you navigate your way though NTA Online and other useful online tools, and includes tips for creating a professional profile and building your network.
These "How To" documents were created at the suggestion of the 2009 Technology Team. If you have ideas on other topics NTA should cover, please e-mail Public Relations Manager Sara Spencer.
Additionally, NTA is encouraging you to pass along your tips of using LinkedIn and other social networking sites. If you’ve found a unique way to make these tools work for your company, please share your expertise on the Member Forums under Social Media Tips.
NTA Announces 2009 Convention Sponsorships
One way you can make the most of your 2009 NTA Annual Convention experience is through sponsorship. Sponsoring provides you with an opportunity to gain maximum exposure while also making a lasting impression on key decision-makers in the industry who will be in Reno, Nov. 14-18. And, since the World Religious Travel Association is co-locating its event with NTA, there is even more of a reason to sponsor since you can reach these additional new travel buyers!
With sponsorships starting at around $5,000, this is a great way to reach your target audience while staying within a budget. All sponsors receive a variety of benefits, including a guarantee to request prescheduled appointments, promotions before, during and after the event, and access to a database of attending delegates. Plus, each sponsor who spends at least $5,000 will receive an exhibit booth on the Convention floor.
Click here for a list of available sponsorships and benefits. Sponsorships are sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and you can reserve your sponsorship by contacting NTA Vice President of Sales Karla DiNardo at 800.682.8886, ext. 4232 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4232.
Be a Sponsor of Tourism Cares for Gettysburg
Support Tourism Cares by becoming a sponsor for the 2009 Tourism Cares for Gettysburg restoration event. More than 300 travel industry volunteers will come together on the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to restore the George Spangler Farm from April 16 to 18.
By supporting the effort, you can get your organization or company’s name in front of the volunteers. Association, merchandise and monetary sponsorship opportunities are still available. Contact Natalie King for details.
New Advertising Opportunity for the June Native American Feature
The June issue of NTA’s Courier magazine will feature the annual Native American, First Nations and Western Heritage feature story. Suppliers and DMOs offering these products are encouraged to promote themselves to NTA tour operators through one or both of the following opportunities:
- Purchase a listing in our newly created "The List," which will be a directory of tour operators, suppliers and DMOs offering these products. Your listing will include company contact information, your company’s color logo and 75 words of text, and the cost is only $750.
- Purchase display advertising (1/6, 1/3, 1/2 or full page) in the June issue
Also, if you book a 1/2 page ad or larger in the June issue, you’ll receive a listing in "The List: Native American, First Nations, and Western Heritage" absolutely FREE (a value of $750). The space deadline is April 1 and materials are due April 15. For more information, contact advertising@NTAstaff.com or call Kelley Burchell at 800.682.8886, ext. 4241 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4241.