Tuesday Newsletter – Nov. 25, 2008
November 25, 2008
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| Interested in advertising in Tuesday? E-mail Kelley Burchell at kelley.burchell@NTAstaff.com. | |
Volume 28, Issue 46
Tuesday Archives
TODAY’S ARTICLES
Pittsburgh Was the Place to Be
First Draft of Modified Format for 2009 Convention in Reno Announced
Elections Complete; 2009 NTA Board Set
Ann Thomas, Barb Bowman Receive NTA Awards
GR Convention Goodness: GAN Reception, Issues Luncheon and a $10,000 Giveaway
Tourism Cares Played a Key Role at Convention
NTA Hosting Two Upcoming Member Events
Registration Underway for Tourism Cares for Gettysburg Event
Stay Tuned for a Recap of Recent NTA Board Meeting
Thanks to Egypt Product Development Trip Organizers
Last Call to Reach 24,500 Student Travel Planners Via Trip Planner
December Courier Preview
Pittsburgh Was the Place to Be
It was an exciting week in Pittsburgh as NTA members, association partners and industry guests gathered for the 2008 NTA Annual Convention. The event included many ways to meet with partners and strike deals during the Tour & Travel Exchange (sponsored by American Express OPEN), the Buyer-to-Buyer Exchange and at the Destination Pavilion. The sponsored events offered plenty of informal networking options, and Jeff Corwin, Marvin Hamlisch, Craig Morgan, The Capitol Steps, Kevin Pollak and Harry Beckwith kept delegates entertained and enlightened.
A diverse lineup of educational seminars covered topics ranging from the economy, online marketing and multiculturalism to working with specific markets such as China and Cuba. Speakers from two of NTA’s strategic partners — the World Religious Travel Association and Sustainable Travel International — also led sessions.
WRTA and STI were two of seven NTA strategic partners that had representatives at the Convention, and NTA also welcomed colleagues from 11 sister associations. The event was attended by members from 25 nations and representatives from seven other countries took part in the national tourist office guest program.
NTA also recognized the first CTP class to graduate using the new curriculum that was developed through NTA’s partnership with Temple University in 2007. Members who received their CTP certification in Pittsburgh were Tracy Gruber of Western Discovery LLC, Margaret Holmberg of the Spokane Regional CVB, Melissa Hutcheson of AAA Sojourns, Michelle Jennings of Longwood Gardens and Mary Ann Steen of Explore Minnesota Tourism.
NTA would like to thank VisitPittsburgh and 2008 Convention Chair John Shaffer for all their efforts to make the event run so smoothly. Also a tip of the cap goes to the delegates who pitched in to ensure that NTA was able to successfully conduct its first green Convention.
top of pageFirst Draft of Modified Format for 2009 Convention in Reno Announced
During the Business Meeting Luncheon at the Convention, members heard from NTA leaders regarding many of this year’s developments and information on the future of the format for the NTA Convention.
The concept is to adjust the Convention format to more of a destination driven model, similar to how the Destination Pavilion is set up. The proposed model would have DMOs and tour suppliers from the same area seated together so that tour operators can more easily develop geographically based itineraries. This would give operators the option of having a series of consecutive Exchange appointments with members from a certain region.
"This is a first-draft plan, and we probably have as many questions for you as you have for us," said NTA President Lisa Simon, CTP, during the luncheon. "The key is to begin the discussion on this to work through some of the details so, together, we produce the best innovative business format in the packaged travel industry. And to do that, we need your suggestions and ideas."
Simon also said the proposed format would address one of the consistent responses NTA has heard from tour operators — regarding why they don’t attend Convention — which is that the Convention is structured in a way that’s not conducive to the way they do business.
Members are encouraged to log on to the member forums to post their questions and thoughts regarding the new model.
top of pageElections Complete; 2009 NTA Board Set
The newly elected NTA Board of Directors was announced during the last day of Annual Convention. Members of your 2009 board are:
Executive Committee
Chairman and CEO — Michele Michalewicz, CTP, of Western Leisure Inc.
Vice Chairman/Chair-elect — Catherine Greteman of Star Destinations Inc. #
Secretary/Treasurer — Jim Reddekopp Jr. of Fly Away Holidays #
DMO Director — Ed Hall, CTP, of VisitRochester
Tour Supplier Director — Wayne Chandler, CTP, of Gaylord Attractions
Immediate Past Chairman — Bob Hoelscher, CTP, of Flemming Tours Inc.
Tour Operator Directors
Luca Arioli of Intertravel
Anne Davis of Cruises and Tours Worldwide
Sherri Guiborat of Mayflower Tours Inc. #
Laurie Lincoln, CTP, of Main Street Tours Inc. #
Corey Marshall, CTP, of Anderson Vacations
Jim Warren of Exclusively Canada Ltd. #
DMO Director
Greg Eckhart of Travel Portland #
Tour Supplier Director
Carolyn Chrzan of Golden Corral #
Directors at Large (appointed by NTA Chairman and CEO)
Peter Grunwaldt of Premier Alaska Tours Inc.
Susan Iris of Canadian Tourism Commission
Bronwyn Wilson of Australian Pacific Touring
# indicates 2009 election winner
top of pageAnn Thomas, Barb Bowman Receive NTA Awards
NTA honored two members during last week’s Annual Convention. Ann Thomas, CTP, of Western Discovery LLC received the Bob Everidge Lifetime Achievement Award and Barb Bowman of the Grand Junction (Colorado) VCB was presented with the Volunteer of the Year Award.
Thomas served on the NTA Board of Directors for six years, including being the association’s chairman in 2005. An active member of NTA for more than 16 years, she has held many volunteer positions within the association including chairing the CTP Task Force and serving on the education, member services and marketing committees. Thomas also was the board liaison to the Global Committee, the NTA Speaker’s Bureau, the Tour Supplier Council and the National Tourism Foundation.
Bowman, who has been an NTA member for nearly 20 years, has served the association in many leadership capacities. In addition to her many volunteer roles at the NTA Convention over the years, Bowman was the chairman of the 2006 NTA Annual Convention in Salt Lake City. She was the DMO representative to the NTA Board of Directors in 2004 and has been active with the association’s government relations efforts, which included her being named the 2000 Bulldog of the Year.
top of pageGR Convention Goodness: GAN Reception, Issues Luncheon and a $10,000 Giveaway
It was a busy week for your association’s industry and government relations group at Convention, between the GAN Reception, the Issues Luncheon, the Great Government Giveaway and recruiting members to join the revitalized NTA Grassroots Action Network.
During the GAN Reception, Tom Armstrong of Tauck World Discovery received the Bulldog of the Year Award. The event, sponsored by Guide Service of Washington, Inc., and The Newseum, included remarks from GAN members on the group’s recent and upcoming advocacy activities.
The State of Arkansas/Little Rock CVB sponsored the annual Issues Luncheon, which brought The Capitol Steps and their always-hilarious political humor to the fundraiser for NTA’s government relations efforts. Attendees also heard about the association’s GR work from NTA Government Relations Committee Chair Ed Dresel, as well as NTA Legislative Counsel Jim Santini and NTA Public Affairs Advocate Steve Richer, CTP.
Laurie Lincoln, CTP, was the winner of this year’s Great Government Giveaway, which was sponsored by Golden Corral Corp. Nationwide. Lincoln is donating $2,500 of her $10,000 prize back to the association to help with its GR efforts.
top of pageTourism Cares Played a Key Role at Convention
Tourism Cares offered a mixture of the old and new in Pittsburgh during the NTA Convention. In addition to its traditional Tourism Rocks event, the Live Auction and the Experience the Industry Student Program, Tourism Cares organized the NTA and Tourism Cares Give Back event.
NTA and Tourism Cares worked in conjunction with Pittsburgh Cares on the charitable event with a theme of "opening up a world of travel through books," which was a resounding success.
Pittsburgh Cares Executive Director Daniel Horgan reported that more than 20,000 books were collected, 21 bookcases were built and designed, and 50 murals, centered on literacy and travel themes, were painted. He said the efforts will support close to a dozen different schools and youth-serving organizations that reach well more than 1,500 youth. NTA and Tourism Cares would like to thank the Utah Office of Tourism, Luray Caverns and Sports Leisure Vacations for helping to sponsor this event and the more than 250 NTA delegates who participated.
During the Experience the Industry Student Program, 21 students sat in on Tour & Travel Exchange appointments, heard from industry veterans during a roundtable discussion and took part in the evening social functions.
This year’s Live Auction raised more than $70,000 for Tourism Cares, including $24,000 from the sale of the Prevost motorcoach that was purchased by MTR Western’s Darren Berg. The Tourism Rocks dance party, sponsored by the Las Vegas CVA, the Nevada Commission on Tourism and the Hard Rock Café, saw more than 500 rockin’ NTA delegates dance the night away at the Pittsburgh Hard Rock.
To learn more about Tourism Cares, click here.
top of pageNTA Hosting Two Upcoming Member Events
The first of two of upcoming NTA events — the Reno Roadshow — follows hot on the heels of last week’s NTA Annual Convention. Here are more details on the upcoming member events:
- 2008 Reno Roadshow (Dec. 2 in Reno, Nevada) — The final roadshow of the year will help build excitement for next year’s NTA Annual Convention.
- 2009 NTA Grassroots Symposium (Feb. 25-27 in Washington, D.C.) — Mark your calendar now to be in D.C. to learn more about NTA’s government relations and advocacy work.
top of pageRegistration Underway for Tourism Cares for Gettysburg Event
Tourism Cares has opened registration for its 2009 clean-up project, which will bring together industry professionals in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, from April 16 to 18.
Volunteers who take part in the 7th edition of the Tourism Cares for America project will help with tasks such as painting, replacing fencing, restoring period structures, removing modern structures, cutting trees and clearing brush at the George Spangler Farm near the battlefield, which is one of the most significant sites in U.S. military history.
Sitting on 80 acres in rural Pennsylvania, the George Spangler Farm was used as a field hospital for thousands of wounded Union and Confederate soldiers during the battle. The farm also was the sight of the death of Confederate General Lewis Armistead, who led the climactic event of the three-day battle — Pickett’s Charge. Today, the property is one of the last field hospitals kept intact as it was in 1863.
top of pageStay Tuned for a Recap of Recent NTA Board Meeting
The NTA Board of Directors gathered in Pittsburgh before the NTA Annual Convention for its final meeting of the year. An update from the meeting will appear in the Dec. 2 issue of Tuesday.
top of pageThanks to Egypt Product Development Trip Organizers
NTA would like to extend its thanks to the American Tourism Society for helping put together the recently completed Egypt Product Development Trip. The joint venture allowed NTA tour operators to attend the ATS Fall Conference in Cairo, Oct. 27-30, before taking part in the NTA trip from Oct. 30 to Nov. 4.
During the Product Development Trip, operators enjoyed a five-night, six-day cruise from Luxor to Aswan on the Nile River. Participants visited the Philae Temple, the Ombo Temple, the Temple of Edfu, Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, and the Temple of Luxor.
NTA will be posting information on 2009 Product Development Trips on its Web site soon. The trips confirmed for next year include one to Scotland and Southeast England (March 23-29) and another one to Germany that will be held in conjunction with the 2009 ATS Fall Conference (dates TBA).
top of pageLast Call to Reach 24,500 Student Travel Planners Via Trip Planner
NTA has begun work on the second edition of the student travel Trip Planner. You can reach 24,500 student travel planners through the publication, which is NTA’s only officially endorsed magazine for the student market. The NTA Trip Planner will be mailed in February 2009 to a large group of student travel planners, as well as distributed with the February issue of Courier magazine to 1,500 NTA tour operators.
Listings in the publication are available to tour operators for only $250, and suppliers and DMOs can take advantage of display advertising opportunities by booking before the fast-approaching Dec. 3 deadline. For more information or to receive a copy of last year’s publication, call 800.682.8886, ext, 4241 (U.S. and Canada) or 859.226.4241.
top of pageDecember Courier Preview
The December issue of Courier includes a recap of the recently completed NTA Annual Convention. You’ll read about what went on in Pittsburgh, from the Tour & Travel Exchange floor to the educational seminars, entertainment and social events. The issue also includes a feature story on artisans and factory tours and the month’s destination stories focus on the Rockies and the Smokies, as well as Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.
UPCOMING DEADLINES:
March Issue — Ad Space: Jan. 5; Editorial: Past
2009 Tour Operator Spring Meet Preview; Golf Resorts and Destinations; Toronto and Niagara Region (New York and Canada); Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky; Scandinavia; Arizona; Colorado; New Mexico; Utah.
April Issue — Ad Space: Jan. 28; Editorial: Dec. 3
2009 Preview to Convention; Historic Homes and Gardens; New York City; Antebellum South (Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee); France; Arkansas; Mexico; Oklahoma; Texas.
May Issue — Ad Space: Feb. 25; Editorial: Jan. 5
2009 Tour Operator Spring Meet; Beach Destinations; Wine and Culinary Tours; Canyonlands (Colorado, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Sedona and Utah); Asia; Iowa; Kansas; Missouri; Nebraska; Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
The Berkely Group (TPP) — Beverly Garland’s Holiday Inn/Universal City — Biltmore Estate — Greater Birmingham CVB — Capital One — Chase Paymentech — Cheyenne Area Convention & Visitors Bureau — Colorado Springs CVB Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak — Empire State Building Observatory — FamilySearch at Temple Square — Foxwoods Resort Casino — GE Money — Georgia Department of Tourism — Historic Temple Square LDS Church — Holiday Inn PCMR — ITS Design & Printing — Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism — Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
Click here for more information on the 2009 Editorial Calendar.
| To ensure that you’re doing business with an NTA member, go to the NTA Web site home page and click either "Tour Operator Search" or "DMO/Tour Supplier Search" at the top of the page. |