TOP TEN RESPONSES FROM ZAGAT’S  AIRLINES SURVEY:  The just released Zagat 2009 Airline Survey—it  covers 16 domestic and 73 international airlines, as well as 30 domestic airport—contains no surprise insofar as consumer ratings of air travel is concerned: it has declined in quality. What does make interesting reading from the opinions of 5,895 frequent fliers and travel professionals (e.g. travel agents) who collectively took 97,600 flights in the past year are the open-ended comments about airline service quality. From the survey news release, here are some of them:

TOP TEN RESPONSES FROM ZAGAT’S AIRLINE SURVEY

#10. “Another contender for the ‘Passengers Come Last’ award.”

#9. “Basks in its adequacy.”

#8.”Asked why we didn’t have blankets, the steward said ’so they could give the execs bonuses.’”

#7. “I expected a coin slot for the toilet.”

#6. “They still serve bad airline food, so retro!”

#5. “Cabin staff has been on duty since Sherman sacked Atlanta.”

#4.”Should I have to pay extra for my knees?”

#3. “If there was any less legroom, I’d have to check my legs.”

#2. “At least you don’t have to pay extra to have your luggage delayed.”

#1. “The miracle airline … 23 wheelchair passengers pre-boarded, but only four need them after landing.”

Leah Woolford , Founder and CEO of USDM.net,  is a recognized  leader in digital marketing and was the luncheon presenter at E-Tourism Summit in New York City.   The following is an excerpt from an interview that was conducted during  E-Tourism Summit in New York City.

 Q: What do you believe has been the biggest Internet impact on DMOs?

LW: Really there are two big impacts:

One: The Internet has caused DMOs to greatly expand their role from information providers to sellers of travel. Today they have to compete with commercial web sites (OTAs) that sell travel.

They have to attract the buyer, influence the buyer and complete the sale. It’s a difficult transition. They must remain relevant and consumer behavior dictates that they take on this role. 

We help them  prove to their boards that eCommerce is necessary on a DMO web site.

Number 2 : For DMOs, Advertising as we have known it is dead. That may sound like a radical statement, but look at the newspaper industry in free fall, and the broadcast networks delivering their shows online to consumers. Consumers go to the Internet for entertainment and eCommerce transactions. It’s all online, and the online space gets bigger and bigger with the untethered web now pervasive on smart phones. Its an exciting new world for advertising and marketing with endless possibilities and opportunities for DMOs and all travel marketers.

 Q: Does that mean that DMOs and other marketers don’t need television broadcast and print to advertise anymore?

LW: No, I don’t mean that. But, what DMOs need is an INTEGRATED strategy that leads with online strategy and to offline tactics where they do the best job.

DMOS are some of the smartest marketers in travel. They have to be. They have limited budgets and staff resources. But they are smart and they work smart. They are starting to realize that they cannot rely on their traditional agency to provide an online strategy if that traditional agency has made their fees from commissions and creative development.  Its hard to measure offline but you can certainly measure online very accurately. We prove results to city councils, boards and state offices, which in turn can lead to additional funding, where we have been involved.

And, now Public Relations as we have known it is dying. It is being replaced by what we at USDM.net have trademarked “consumer engagement”. It is much more than just Twitter, Facebook, and consumer generated content. Those are tactics.

Q:  Explain what you mean about public relations being dead but social marketing is so much more…

A:  Take into account that anyone can post on Twitter or upload destination images to a Facebook fan page. So what? Who cares? Where’s the business objective?  What matters is that the DMO has a strategy for consumer engagement and that strategy is brand-centric. For example, if a DMO posts regularly to Twitter are they brand-centric with their posts? Is it relevant to who they are trying to communicate with? Consumers in general, moms, reporters and travel writers? Who?  There has to be a strategy and the implementation of that strategy has to be focused on consumer engagement, customer experience and customer value. Then we measure DMO engagement, we use Neilson’s buzz metrics.

In fact, we have been retained by Eileen Ogintz, the nationally syndicated columnist and frequent guest on Today Show. Her company retained us to develop a commercial web portal to reach more family travelers. With that engagement we are doing some very exciting things with Eileen for DMOs. This bridges social marketing, public relations and broadcast, but ultimately it is what we call “consumer engagement”…. It is exciting because Eileen can command such an audience in print, online or broadcast. That is exciting for DMOs!

Q:  On the topic of social marketing… Do you think that DMOs should control their own social marketing or should that be a function of their ad agencies or interactive agencies or consultants?

LW:  The DMO definitely should control the social marketing aspect of their programs. They may need outside partners and the technology to track and measure, but all in all the DMO, or hotel for that matter, should control this and take ownership of it.

 Q: What you see as the challenges facing DMO’s in the coming years.

LW:  Well USDM.net was a partner in the PhoCusWright DMO study last year. This was a first annual study that provided an in-depth survey of consumers and their views about researching and booking travel with DMOs.  The number one challenge for DMOs is relevancy to consumers. So many competitors are trying to step up and take the DMO position… from OTAs to privately held web site companies who are using the destination name as a web address. This is a serious problem and will become more difficult to manage if DMOs cannot educate their boards about funding for technology and online marketing in a way that they can compete.

We believe relevance as a key issue for DMOs. Funding, and the method in which DMOs are funded is another challenge. In some of our contracts we were engaged to help add additional funding sources to the DMO budgets, and we accomplished that, through gross receipts funding, through sponsorship programs and through some other local/regional initiatives with city councils and government. DMOs are smart and they work smart, but they are handcuffed by these two issues.

Q:  So what is the next big thing? 

LW:   Mobile Marketing in the U.S., without a doubt! It is the game changer.

More than 90% of the U.S. population has a mobile device. Successful SMS Campaigns will change the way DMOs and hotels market and it will separate the men from the boys.

The biggest opportunities lie in building a loyal subscriber base of mobile opt ins. We already have a database of 36 million mobile opt ins and it is growing every day. DMOs can position themselves as the “carrier of the brand message,” while their members and destination partners “piggyback” with their own offers for hotel rooms or packages.  The risk is high for DMOs who get into this with shared short codes and other “middle man” programs. The Carriers won’t allow the channel to become a free for all.

1. The summit stayed true to its promise of bringing 28 leading experts with direct tourism industry experience, all in one place! That was what caught my attention originally! 2. I learned new angles and ideas that I put into action immediately upon my return. No lag time whatsoever. 3. By attending this summit I was able to clearly define my plans for 2010…so…it gave me some answers I was seeking and helped me zero in. The result is that now in mid October I am working on next year not thinking about next year.

Andrea L. Burke, Burke Communications

1 – Great lecture from Peter Barresi regarding You Tube 2 – On the first day in the social media workshop, I found it much more helpful to listen to a panelist rather than have them come around the room and try to answer people’s questions personally. 3 – Might be helpful to open conference with a group overview and introduction of what is on the agenda, who’s who, get a sense for everyone’s level of current participation in E-marketing, etc. Thanks again, Kate Chinn Marketing Manager Top of the Rock Observation Deck

It was a pleasure to participate in the Summit. Three comments: 1. I learned a lot of new things that were very interesting. 2. The workshops were very interesting and choosing one out of three was not easy. 3. On Tuesday the Summit ended pretty late. I am looking forward to receiving and answering the survey.  Alexander Kontogouris, Marketing & Media Relations , Greece Office of Tourism -

Great conference,with ideas and strategies to implement immediately. -Top notch speakers straight from the “source”! -Nice mix of DMO’s and companies with cutting edge technology and solutions. -Nice format and timing of conference. Any thought to Downtown Minneapolis? Jan Kroells,Vice President of Marketing, Destination Bloomington Once again thank you for hosting the e-tourism summit – I enjoyed attending it. -A lot of valuable information was shared, great insight into the latest trends and developments. – The second day contained some overlap with the info that was presented on day one – maybe something to try to prevent. – Obviously I’m interested to have more international tourist boards attending to share their experiences in the current market + their market outlook. – Most of the speakers were enthusiastic and engaging – nice to listen to. I was blown away by the lunch interview with USDM – great. Kind regards, Thijs de Groot ,Marketing Director ,Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions

Even though social media is almost a “been there done that” subject, I feel E-summit was able to pull out the real stars and allow us to gain a better insight in using these mediums to further our own campaigns. It was interesting to hear how to target your social media campaigns to better your return on investment and call to action. Many times destinations myself included are just posting and not really sure how to harness our message without coming off as a sales pitch or too unprofessional. Deidre Jackson, Website Specialist, Florida Space Coast Office of Tourism Great event. I really enjoyed myself. -The travel network workshop was phenomenal -The presenter on i-phone applications was a big disappointment -I prefered the smaller breakout sessions to the larger ones. Jonah Siegel,Planet Eye

 1. First day was too long but great sessions. 2. Second day – many sessions were a repeat of what was presented in 1st day breakout sessions. 3. Problem when speakers cancel – know this cannot be helped but filling in last minute with others may not be the best way to resolve this problem. MATHILDA SHEPTAK, Vice President/COOPocono Mountains Convention & Visitors Bureau

Unfortunately, only went to the one search marketing workshop but loved it because of 1. Hillary Bressler 2. Robyn Levin 3. Came away with understanding of the latest trends and how I can implement them. 24 karat gold!!! Thanks and regards, Beth Wildstein, Associate Director Tourism and Group Sales,American Museum of Natural History -I thought the content was excellent, stimulating and motivating. -I hope to take the passion and ideas from the conference back to work with me. -I came away with many, many ideas that are worthwhile and inexpensive that can be implemented immediately by almost anyone with a beginner’s knowledge of social media, websites, search engine marketing ,optimization and email marketing. A fairly experienced “eTourism” expert would also have learned what’s next. It was very useful to meet the “experts” all in one place that can help an organization implement a more sophisticated Social Media Marketing Plan. Sheelagh Wylie,Director of Tourism & Groups, Xanadu Meadowlands

The Conference was extremely well organized; Content was very relevant and informative Presenters (with one or two exceptions) were interesting and engaging I really enjoyed the two days and learned lots – am already planning to attend next year! Orla Carey, Manager – Advertising & Direct Marketing , Tourism Ireland

Fabulous conference – I have already stated to implement!!!! Cathy Doran,Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau

- Most informative – great presentations on relevant and worthwhile topics – Using social media as promotional vehicles seems to require a toe-in-the-water mindset and internal champions who sleep, eat, breathe, live, tweet to succeed (as distinct from strategic planners, emphasis on ROI etc) – Any company getting involved needs to recognize the significant ongoing commitment and resource which will be required to respond to opportunities and challenges as they crop up. Kind regards Joe Byrne, Tourism Ireland

Impressive, knowledgeable presenters Intensive, aggressive program (feel I really got my money’s worth) Good social opportunities built into the program as well– (2) breakfasts, lunch, reception June Tice,Research Manager , Hampton Convention & Visitor Bureau

Thank you so much for this email. It was my first time at the e-Tourism Summit. I am glad I did attend. Here are my impressions in a nutshell: 1- I met terrific people at the conference. 2- The e-Tourism Summit was engaging. 3- I enjoyed some speakers versus others who just threw in sale pitches. Overall, it was a good learning experience for me. We try to be cutting edge at Monaco, but there is always something new and/or something that can be done better. I will definitely try hard to put into practice some of the new online ideas my colleagues presented in these past two days. Maria G. Tuttocuore, Web & Technology Executive,Monaco Government Tourist Office I thought the conference overall was excellent! The hotel was in a great location and a small city in and of itself. The meeting space was comfortable and welcoming of interaction. The only thing that I would have changed was the order in which the speakers presented. I think that all online advertising, social media, and web site development should have been group together. There was a lot of jumping around between topics. Tiffany Turner-Grundy, Philadelphia CVB

*The summit once again provided some great insights into interesting and exciting emerging technologies and ideas on how best to investigate and/or utilize these deliverables *I believe the sessions should be much less about ppt decks and more about interaction between panelists and participants *With regard to some of the “new” players, those participants should be told to “tone down” the sales rhetoric and focus more on how and why they moved into the space and what void they plan to fill. Larry Dickerson, eBrains. What a great conference it was. I really loved the case studies on both days and the panel discussion on FaceBook and Twitter. -I thought the panel on the future visions for web sites was great and so was Jennifer Barbee’s presentation yesterday. The Bloomington CVB has a 2.0 web site and we are moving toward 3.0. -I would have liked to see more on Mobile Marketing, but I guess that can be next year as it has not gone into full swing with CVB’s. Maybe the BCVB can be on the panel next year as we are starting to do sms (text) campaigns with the hope to get a good opt in list by the middle of 2010. Not sure, the there seemed to be a lot more suppliers than CVB’s this year. Still the information was really good. NYC was a nice place, but I must say I prefer the West Cost for this conference.. Hope we can move it back to SF next year. Or what about Toronto? Thanks for putting it on. John Lambrecht, Marketing & Technology Manager, Destination Bloomington

Thanks for the excellent “curation” of presenters this year. As always, the Summit was thought provoking, interesting, balanced and informational. I’m sorry that my partner, Dave was not able to attend. You can be sure that HMG will reference your Summit in all of my take-aways to clients in the next few weeks. Thanks again for this opportunity…. it was time and money well spent, especially in this economic environment. Linda Davis Vice President ,Hotel Marketing Group

1) well-organized – you were everywhere and seemed calm, cool, collected 2) packed full of content – no downtime which is great, if you’re in a conference room, keep the information coming 3) location was terrific – comfortable rooms, many hotel staff on site to keep conference and rest rooms cleaned and stocked, many dining options within short walking distance Thanks for everything! Valerie Blackman ,Hampton Convention and Visitor Bureau

1. Thank you for creating a hashtag on twitter for the event. It made it easy to connect with others who were attending and commenting as well. 2. Would it be possible to provide in the bios or in the spreadsheet w/ all the contact information the twitter handles and the websites that the presenters represent? It will make it easier to follow them, recognize them in tweets during the conference and to have a reference for looking at the websites & facebook pages that these people manage. 3. I also thought that the conference could have had a designated tweeter and actually use the twitter handle that was created for etourism summit to post announcements, room changes, lunch ideas, updates, key learnings, announce who is speaking and their twitter handle, suggestions for nighttime entertainment, any group dinners happening, photos of attendees, etc… Just a fun idea for next time! 4. I REALLY liked the location of this year’s conference. I’d vote to have it there again next year. 5. I think the reason the App creator presenter got such a bad wrap is because he was a bit technical and presenting to a group of big picture strategic thinkers. I would recommend someone who can speak to what kinds of apps are being created (or needed) and trends in iPhone apps for travel and what is working and not working. Rather than a “how to” create an app – we’ll save that for the technical people on our team. Overall a fabulous conference! AIMEE CHEEK, Corporate Marketing Manager, CSM Lodging

Thank you so much for organizing such a dynamic event and I found it empowering to learn and have a grasp of what’s out there in the market place. Panels are excellent choices. I especially like the best practices sessions, show and tell made great impressions. The networking opportunity is priceless. I am in discussion with the board members of a conference held in Feb to consider bringing in some of the speakers on the technology track. Thank you so much for the exceptional job! Best regards, Linda Ho, Hong Kong Tourism

Tom Wyvill, a new presenter at E-Tourism Summit and former opera singer, is now a strategist at Google who works with Fortune 500 travel and hospitality clients to maximize their digital ROI. We caught up with him in New York and wanted to share some of his thoughts on how to get past the recession with our readers? 

 How did you come to Google?  

After working in hotel sales and marketing for many years, I had an early mid-life crisis and then worked as a professional operatic tenor and music teacher.  When I decided to return to a career in marketing, I discovered the Google Advertising Professionals Program and took great advantage of the opportunity to study, take the exam, prove my qualifications and start my own business.   Later, I joined Google and returned to the Travel industry.  We like to hire creative people, so I strongly believe those years of professional musicianship were highly valued!

What do you do at Google and what type of companies do you work with?

At Google, I work with Fortune 500 travel companies (across the spectrum of hotels, airlines, car rentals, destinations, online publishers and OTAs) to capture opportunities and maximize their marketing investments. 

 What can small and mid-size companies learn from the large advertisers?

All of our advertisers can learn from each other. The most successful advertisers are sometimes small to medium sized companies, as they’re often able to be incredibly flexible and creative.  We work with our advertisers to be more customer-responsive and resourceful with their marketing investments.

How can travel companies get ahead of the recession and begin their recovery process early?

To get ahead of the recession and begin the recovery process early, Travel companies need to focus on their customers more than ever before. Google helps you do this, by offering more scale and targeting capabilities than any other form of advertising.  It’s actually part of our own corporate value system to “think and act like an underdog” and to “be scrappy and resourceful,”  so we make it easy for all Travel companies to acquire customers and visitors with a rapidly evolving set of incredibly powerful and free tools.   We all know a recession forces companies to be “scrappier”  - the trick is to make sure you adapt quickly and acquire these new efficiencies now, to pull ahead of the economic rebound and capture your customers’ imaginations.   Are you ready for the coming Travel boom?

 Prior to joining Google, he worked in national sales for Four Seasons and Aston Hotels in Hawaii, was a general manager for Ramada properties in the Pacific Northwest, and helped bring Starbucks to the East Coast, opening many of the first stores in Washington, D.C. and New York City. Tom started his career in digital marketing as a freelancer, working as a white-label consultant to advertising agencies. Later he managed SEO, SEM, website architecture, analytics and operations as an e-commerce manager for Wolters Kluwer. At other times, Tom worked as a classical singer, performing with several regional opera houses, directing numerous choirs and teaching.  Tom holds degrees from the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and the University of Maryland School of Music, and recently earned his MBA in global strategy through a joint program between Cornell and Queens University in Ontario. 

Hurry: Register here: http://www.thetouroperator.com/etourismsummit/registration.html

E-Tourism Update: Superstars of Social Marketing: How San Francisco CVB attracted 100,000 Facebook Fans; How Baltimore built 6,000 Twitter followers.  30 presenters: www.etourismsummit.com

Recently we caught up with PR and Marketing ”Guruess” and E-Tourism Summit presenter, Robyn K. Levin, who found herself in a David vs. Goliath situation marketing a nine-room B&B near Atlantic City and providing them Google rankings higher than iconic casinos such as Caesars, Trump and Borgata.  So what’s her secret?  You need to come to the E-Tourism Summit to find out! www.etourismsummit.com

How did you get started in interactive marketing?

I have always been 5 to 7 years ahead of the trends and knew that the Internet would be the next big business.  In 1999, I started attending world internet marketing conferences to learn the latest technology and understand how I could leverage it for my clients.  I forged a strategic alliance with the leading webhosting company to be their SEO and PR firm.  They packaged SEO to their clients and outsourced it to me. They were later sold.  

 What are the major changes to online marketing you’ve seen during the past year?

The rapid adoption of social networking sites as – Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Linked-in and others.  I help my clients understand and leverage the best technology to quickly and profitably grow their business,  Search is the fasting growing segment of YouTube as the baby boomers are looking for how-to information and I advise my clients of this an include it in our strategy.  About a year ago I had a hotel  client that I advised—against his will practically– to use video guest interviews and when we incorporated the videos with P.R. and keyword search, overnight his hotel was ranked number one on Google.

Do you still use e-mail marketing as a major component of your strategy?

Don’t underestimate e-mail.  Recently, I used a targeted e-mail campaign for one of my clients to help promote their 5^th annual event.  We spent the least amount of money in the hardest economy and sold out the event in record time.  The keys to e-mail success are: number one, using the right “hook” in the subject line; number two, content; and number three, the right call-to- action.  Without the right subject line, which I always test for different segments, nothing else matters. Integrated marketing is the real key.  I use some combination of e-mail marketing, online videos on you tube pushed out through an ad network, webinars, press releases, and social media.  Most important, you have to focus on your optimal outcome and work backwards. PR that’s effectively pitched combined with smart SEO can quickly drive traffic to your website and increase your brand recognition. Those secrets I’ll share at your event.

Speaking of PR and how it can work, recently Inc. Magazine’s blog   http://blog.inc.com/start-up/2009/09/marketing_keep_it_brief.html  interviewed me about my Cocktail Napkin Marketing Plan. Uber-marketer Guy Kawasaki, re-tweeted   to his Twitter followers about why a marketing plan should be brief enough to fit on a cocktail napkin with a link to the Inc article. My PR pitch  triggered the story on Inc’s blog,  then it got picked up on twitter via Kawasaki’s and other  re-tweets, linking it back to my blog which ultimately linked back to my website, which increased visitation in one week by 596%.  This is an example of true integrated marketing. My clients frequently land in the major media including the Wall St Journal, NY Times, Money magazine and on page #1 on Google, Yahoo and Bing.

Robyn will make her best selling CD’s including the Cocktail Napkin Marketing Plan, Get Smart Social Networking “Live” and Public Speaking Bloopers at a special discount for the conference attendess only.

Register for E-Tourism at http://www.thetouroperator.com/etourismsummit/regonline.htm

E-Tourism Update: Only 23  21 spots left for E-Tourism Summit NYC.  Register Now. www.etourismsummit.com

Here are two articles we wanted to share with our readers:

18 Ways to Kick Your Competitors Ass Online; despite the provocative headline offers several common sense suggestions that many of us overlook. http://www.conversationmarketing.com/2009/08/18-ways-competitor-online.htm

10 Strategies for lowering your website’s bounce rate from I-Media Connection provides advice how to avoid running search or banner ad programs that can attract the wrong people to your website. ttp://www.imediaconnection.com/content/24118.asp

E-Tourism update: Only 29 spots left until sell-out.  Don’t be left out.   Register at www.etourismsummit.

E-Tourism presenter spotlight: Jim Brody, TripAdvisor

Session: Behavioral targeting and how to handle negative reviews on TripAdvisor.

Q: How and when did you begin your position as the go-to guru for DMO’s at TripAdvisor?

I’ve been with TripAdvisor for four years, and had worked with DMO’s for several years prior to joining the company.  When I started, we only offered the direct response text link advertising, and so when a destination would contact us, there really was nothing we could do for or with them.  This spurred me on to ask about what we could develop to benefit the DMO’s, and when management learned more about what they are and what they do, I was then asked to develop that plan.  That’s how it all started.

Q: What do you view as the major challenges DMO’s have in marketing themselves online?

DMO’s can be frequently overwhelmed by the technical aspects of the Internet (not to mention the myriad of choices), and that has led to an attempt to simply duplicate what they do offline, online (because that’s a really easy thing for anyone to get his or her head around.  Getting to know how the online environment melds with your marketing plan, along with the psychographics of online use, is by far the biggest hurdle – but it’s also a key to success.

Q: What will attendees learn from your session about “behavioral targeting” on TA and how can will it benefit them?

TripAdvisor is huge – and I don’t just mean in terms of the audience size.  Getting to know some of the details of how the audience can be easily segmented is extremely useful, and – frankly – is information very easily applied across the Internet.

Q: What will attendees learn about dealing with bad reviews on TA or any other UG website?  

DON’T PANIC!  It will all be OK.  Seriously – if users can have a say, so can the businesses they are talking about.  The Internet is a democratic platform, and we certainly provide a portion of that platform to just about everybody.  DMO’s get quite the opportunity to get into the conversation on our website, but we have a strong venue and set of services to help lodgings, attractions and restaurants have their say as well.

Q: What web 2.0 tools do you use in your day-to-day business endeavors?

I’ve been investigating Twitter a great deal lately, so following lots of people (but not really tweeting myself – yet).  Also I find Troy Thompson’s Travel 2.0 blog and all the conference blogs (including E-Tourism blog) indispensible sources of information.

To view the full program ,go to: www.etourismsummit.com.

 ET Summit Update:  New session added: How one destination attracted over 20,000 Facebook fans and 1.5 million web 2.0 hits to their website…go to: www.etourismsummit.com to see the full agenda.

PRESENTER SPOTLIGHT:  Jennifer Barbee, President, Jennifer Barbee, Inc. 

Session: What Will Travel Websites Look Like in The Future?

Q: Last time we met was when you spoke at ET Summit in NYC in 2005 when you were running USDM.net working for your aunt Leah Woolford.  You’re now on your own, why did you leave and what have you done since?

A: I left USDM in late 2006.  As far as why, why does anyone choose to follow their own path? Sometimes it’s just in us to make a change and invest in ourselves.  I actually didn’t start my company directly after I left.  I took some much needed time off and investigated what it was about Interactive and Tourism that made it my siren song.  In July of 2007, I had been getting so many consulting requests  from DMOs, that I realized if I didn’t get back the industry was going to drag me back… So, here I am. 

 We have consulted and created strategy at many levels of interactive needs.  For instance, we run the boutique agency for clients like Panama City Beach, Baton Rouge, Loudoun County, VA,  Bradenton Area CVB.  And, we also have executed custom consulting jobs like in Minneapolis, where we were asked to redesign their in-house agency to fit the growing trends of an open brand vs. a traditional strategy.  And, we partner with unlikely companies, educating both our competition (coop-etition) and DMOs on our particular open source approach to marketing online.  We have an education arm to our firm, JB University – which is our labor of love to provide any and all education, completely transparent to the Travel Industry.   

Q: What will your presentation be focusing on at E-Tourism Summit?  

A: The future of Web Design and Websites.  We (the travel industry) are still building these proprietary monster sites, and it’s the beginning of the end for that.  This is the age of Open Source and content distribution.  In the coming 3 years we will separate the men from the boys so to speak in the interactive realm.  The best client is a knowledgeable one, one that aids in attacking problems with you. With billions of sites on the web, and millions of those focused to users in this industry, our main marketing tool should always be the forefront of discussion and making that tool stand apart in some way from the rest.  My presentation is going to dig in to the factors that make tomorrow’s web site … I think the attendees will be surprised to hear the real trends.  I’ll save those trade secrets for the show:)

Q. What social networks do you belong?  How often do you post? How do you find the time to keep up?

A: My Blog, Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Linked In, Digg and about 10 more that we use depending on the topics.

www.dotcomconfessions.com, www.twitter.com/jenniferbarbee, www.youtube.com/user/jenniferbarbee, http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Jennifer-Barbee-Inc/67434176208

We post daily to the blog, several times a day to FB and Twitter, and the others are worked in based on topics.  For us, social media is more than just  our own networking – it’s about getting dirty and rolling our sleeves up, to both leverage practical applications and foresee important trends for clients.  We have over 6,700 Twitter followers and  I take our social networking very seriously.  I just recently wrote a blog post http://dotcomconfessions.com/twitter/twitter-orphans about my soapbox of creating social sites then abandoning them. How often do we post?  Several times a day…with a vengeance.

Q: How do you balance everything you do with a family life?  

A: I have a lovely family that drives me to excel and balance this crazy life.  My husband, Drew worked for EDS, where he managed infrastructure for the Navy’s bases in the Western Hemisphere.  Last year, we decided that we wanted to grow this company together, and he is now with JB Inc.  So, I get to see him 24 hours.  My two girls are also in the mix, Dakota is 9 and going on 15 like most girls her age.  Andrea is 7 and a live wire!  Both of the girls travel with us on client trips.  This year, we spent two weeks in New York, a week in Phoenix and it worked out great.  Blackberrys are a beautiful thing, and allow me flexibility in my work/play.  Balance for us is about integration, and having fun in everything we do.  Life is life…on the job or off. 

To see more, go to: www.etourismsummit.com

E-Tourism update: We are now up to 28 experts and success stories at ETS. go to: www.etourismsummit.com for the most updated program.

E-T Summit Presenter Spotlight: Susan Norton, Travel Channel Studios

Session: DIY Video Production: October 13th: 9-12:00 noon.

1. What is your background in film and video production?

I’ve been a producer of non-fiction tv and film for the past twenty years.  I am currently Vice President of Travel Channel Studios where I’m responsible for developing and overseeing the production and fulfillment of original short form content for all of Travel Channel Media’s platforms including TV, Web, VOD, Mobile and external partner platforms.  I also oversee Travel Channel Academy, a 4-day weekend video bootcamp for travel passionates.  I served as an executive producer at Discovery Networks over original programming for 10 years and director of production at Military Channel.   I’m a native New Yorker, but have worked in the Washington DC area for the past 18 years.   I’ve got a Master’s Degree in Producing Film and Video from The American University and a B.A. from Brown University.

2. What do you hope attendees will take away from your workshop at ETS?

I would hope they walk away with a general idea of what it takes to produce a basic travel video, whether they’re shooting and editing from scratch or utilizing existing video to make a solid short travel video.   I would hope that attendees could walk away with an idea of how video could help them further their message and the options available to producing or acquiring travel video.  I will be bringing one of my  Preditors (producer-editors), Tiffany Burnett, short-form video travel guide, to help with detail demonstrations.

 3. What is your role with Travel Channel Academy?

I manage the editorial aspects of the TCA program, specifically overseeing curriculum development and marketing along with our partners, Rosenblum and Associates, who facilitate the course instruction.  One of our main objectives with regards to TCA is working with academy alumni by providing feedback to those who submit videos after completing the course and identifying future talent who might provide us with video content in the future.   

4. Where are your favorite places to travel?

It’s hard to choose one particular location, as I really enjoy seeing all the different types of people and places around the world, however, one of my favorite places to travel is the UK, specifically London and Ireland.  I love the energy and history of London and the adventure and people of Ireland.  My most memorable trip, however, was to Machu Picchu in Peru…unforgettable.

5. What do you do to relax with your family or friends?

When I get the opportunity to relax with friends, I actually prefer cooking a meal and hanging out around the table, noshing and talking without any time pressures or taking a long walk in the woods.

6. What trends do you see on the horizon with travel video?

Now that travel video is available on so many different media platforms from TV to VOD to web and mobile devices, it’s critical to understand the distribution method in order to produce the right product.  In addition with the importance of search engine optimization, tagging travel video with the right metadata is critical to getting your content and message out there and noticed.     In every case, however, quality is king.  We’ve seen a trend over the past year of popularity migrating away from amateur quality user-generated video to higher quality professionally produced video.

E-Tourism Summit Update:  Now we have 27 experts and case study participants whose brains are ripe for the picking at  www.etourismsummit.com.

What Are Four Types of Branded Campaigns on Facebook?

While small businesses have a huge opportunity to take advantage of the Facebook advertising platform, many large brands are interested in growing their presence on the world’s largest social platform. For those companies there are many opportunities and the challenge is not determining whether or not to be on Facebook but what the best approach is. In this article from Nick O’Neill on “The Unofficial Facebook Resource, each of the campaign types is outlines as well as some of the pros and cons of each type. 
 Facebook engagement advertising includes:

1.Poll Engagement Ads

2. Video Engagement Ads

3. Branded Gift Engagement Ads’

4. Event Engagement Ads

Additionally, several of the comment to the posting have generated debate from knowledgeable marketers who’ve shared their experiences.

http://www.allfacebook.com/2009/07/branded-facebook-campaigns/#