Back from another astounding DMAI Annual Convention. The session with Claire Hughes Johnson of Google, the PDM sessions, the "cheap therapy" as you network and realize you're not the only one dealing with those issues... And the expo is a perfect opportunity for small bureaus to window shop and compare valuable tools that will help their Bureau! If you believe the Convention is only for the major markets, you're mistaken! Dan Fenton offered a money back guarantee. Perhaps Stephen Perry will offer the same next July.

But, I don't believe it was perfect. Jeff Hurt has offered his thoughts on improving conferences. Here's a few other random thoughts as to how to improve the conferences we attend every year - August's Five @ 5:

1. True Descriptions of Session Contents - I swear some of the same people that write the over-exaggerations we tend to put in our visitor guides write the session summaries. If it's going to be an infomercial, tell me please. If you sell it as a session on marketing to 35-45 year old high school drop out martians, make sure the speaker stays on topic and doesn't change his mind after a conversation with a friend as he walked into the breakout room.

2. A Frank Dialogue with Hoteliers - we always grumble about the hoteliers. We wish we could get them to understand us or just hear us. Have we ever invited them to a round-table dialogue? Get the HLA leadership(s) to attend a session, listen and encourage them to take the message back to their membership. (Better yet, hold the HLA and DMO conferences concurrently and have joint sessions!)

3. No Motivational Speakers or Celebrities - Save the money. The celebrity will just say something stupid and show he/she doesn't have a clue about the group they're addressing. And I'm motivated enough being out of the office. No rock climber or fighter pilot or former athlete will help me with my job. Save the hour and give me more time to network.

4. More Time to Network - Ten minutes between sessions is not enough time to start a serious dialogue. (Perhaps I'm stupid in that I go to sessions.) But the time to chat with the colleagues about their 'best practices' or mistakes they've made that will help me is invaluable! Give me more time!

(Oh, and when a niche specific round table session is held, don't spend half the time writing down 20 topics leaving us with enough time to only touch on 3. Especially if you polled the group in advance and already have a list!)

5. Hold the Conference in a Small Market - "small market" is a relative term. If it's a state conference, hold it in really small community. One that will really value the attendance. I know there's logistic issues but figure it every fourth year or so. Nationally, go to a Des Moines, or Lincoln, or Topeka, er, I'm sorry, Google, Kansas. Do we always have to go to the same major markets? Besides, it will be a lot easier for smaller bureaus to sell it to their boards if you're headed to Fargo (with all due respect Fargo!)

This is certainly not a knock on Michael Gehrisch and the staff at DMAI. The convention is outstanding and DMAI is moving in some great directions! Stay tuned for some incredible offerings in the form of a tool kit from the Advocacy Committee! And this certainly wasn't directed just at DMAI. My state's conference could use a refreshing I'm sure. I'm not going to suggest #5 to them this year though 'cause it's scheduled to be in my city!

A friend and colleague, Craig Molitor, recently landed the Fond Du Lac, WI, CVB gig. As I emailed congratulations, I was completing my first year review. Naturally my mind started thinking of all the changes I would have made that first year and, if asked, what I would advise Craig or any other colleague starting their first year at the helms of a DMO.

I fear the first trap we first year execs fall into is the "we-need-to-change-everything" trap. Sure, there are probably some things that need changed. I inherited a bureau that was using three different logos and many different communication styles. Additionally we were not a part of the greater community. That had to change. But often no change is needed. Instead five simple steps the first year on the job - July's Five @ 5:

1. Meet, meet, and meet - You had better get a membership to the Y or a new pair of running shoes 'cause if you're doing it right that first year, you're eating breakfast and lunch with someone every day. Hoteliers, attractions, Mayor, City Councilmembers, City Manager and department managers, business leaders, the Chamber and ED execs, sports clubs, University President and department heads... and that's the first month.

2. Listen - it's not enough to just meet with all of those community leaders, but listen. They may actually have a great idea. "Something I always wanted to share with the CVB...", "Something that was really successful years ago but then just dropped...", "What (your predecessor) did real well was..." You'll miss some real good advise or promotions if all you are thinking is "what can I share from my resume to impress them?"

3. Read everything - Your predecessor may have had a great marketing plan. No sense 'fixing what wasn't broken'. By-laws, research, contracts, research, visitor guides, research, history books research, board minutes, oh, and if there's any recent research on your community, visitor profiles, etc., peruse it. (If not, call someone and have some done. Then read it!)

4. Set Goals - Quite frankly, they can be very modest goals but set goals. I didn't set any goals and at times I truly wondered what I was targeting. I knew we were getting some stuff done but hadn't prioritized. What needs reviewed? What is fully functional and doesn't need looked at? Which employee needs guidance and which one should I leave alone?

5. Check the Attitude - Harsh I know but first, you got the job! You don't need to impress anyone any more. Secondly, your predecessor may have left in good graces! You aren't coming in to 'clean up a mess' 'cause he/she may not have left a mess. And finally, you'll be appreciated for what you show a year from now or 18-months from now. Again, you don't HAVE to change anything just to say 'I'm the new sheriff'.

If you're 15, 20, 25 years on the job, the above can still apply. When's the last time you sat down with everyone to chat and listen? Do you still read new things or 'just know it'? And maybe everything is still working and you don't have to change anything 'cause it's been used for a long time.

Indicators and research show stable growth and longevity in the sports event industry, an industry that has been resilient at a time when other markets are showing signs of decline. - National Association of Sports Commissions

So when the motorcoaches aren't coming by as much, its harder to get your message to the leisure traveler through all the clutter, and the local banquet hall just isn't attracting the conferences, where to turn? Sports Marketing. And once again NASC's Symposium provided the perfect messages at the perfect time! Sessions on Partnerships, Economic Impact, Risk Management, and Sponsorships; plus the 'trendy' Green and Social Media.

And how about that line-up of speakers? Mr. March Madness Analyst Clark Kellogg, Indians GM Mark Shapiro and Olympic Medalist Paul Wylie. If you're looking to "get in the game" - the sports marketing game, NASC's Symposium is a 'must attend'. But it's not as simple as hanging a For Use sign on the local softball diamond. There are basic but serious considerations before 'lacing them up' - May's Five @ 5:

1. Fields or facilities - "Got a field. Check!" Nope! Truly how available is the complex to outside uses? Most school facilities are for the students and most public facilities are for the residents. Period. Ask the school district or parks and recs about the fields' availability before shopping them. You'll appreciate it less you truly attract someone and then have to say 'I guess it's not available this summer.'

2. Transportation Infrastructure - Can teams get to the fields or even your community? Reasonably? How easily can they fly in if you are able to attract a national event? Is there an interstate system close to your community/facility that will make it easy to drive in? And is there ample parking? If there's an open ditch county road leading to the facility do you expect participants to park along the road? May work for the beer and church leagues but not AAU!

3. Relationships - Gonna bid on a tiddly winks event... who is the first person you call? The local tiddly winks guy or gal! You sell the community - the hotels, the restaurants, the attractions during down time. The local tiddly winks guy or gal sells the venue that the tourney will be held in, the knowledge of the sport and the local tiddly winks nation that will rally and volunteer!

4. Volunteer Base - Probably the worst thing is attracting an event and not having the volunteer base to staff the event. Your staff can't do it! You're selling the community for the next event! Have the volunteer base in place before you bid on the event!

5. Hotels - Here's an interesting question to ask your hotels - Do you want youth sports? Believe it or not, most may answer 'no'! Those rowdy teen boys tear up the place and cost the property more in repairs than they make on the room nights. As we fight for every room night and validation of what we do, the worst thing is to attract an event only to have the hotels not offer any room blocks and all the room nights go to the neighboring community.

I've spoken on the subject of sports marketing and have more on the site including a copy of the PowerPoint presented. Find it under Resources.

I believe my son is an average 6-year-old. He likes Star Wars, Transformers, Wii and sports. When we moved to Norman, Okla., he saw the OU football poster and wanted one. So up one went on his wall! Then he wondered if he could get posters from the teams OU was playing. And thus, the quest began!

Because the DMOs in the cities of the Big 12 have a strong relationship I was able to drop the other eleven a line and make the request. As some went unfulfilled, I started contacting the universities' athletic departments myself. The result is 25 posters - and counting - covering all sports in 8 universities! And daddy has one interesting lesson in customer service - April's Five @ 5:

I received one of five different responses from the universities. They are the "cold shoulder", "play by the rules", "absurdity", "just do it" and "above and beyond."

1. Cold Shoulder - it was interesting that I didn't get even a simple return email from two of the universities. I realize they're busy, but really, how hard is it for some graduate assistant or secretary to click reply and type "I'm sorry but we simply can't fulfill your request." I would have understood that reply. I don't understand being completely ignored!

2. Play by the Rules - I get that the NCAA has more rules than the US Government, but to receive a one page email explaining all the rules bewildered me! KISS! "The way we interpret the NCAA rules do not allow us to fulfill your request." Simple enough. I'll buy that. If you have a rule restricting a potential visitor's request, don't go into details or attach the policy, just simply explain - or break it!

3. Absurdity - one university's email reply stated they'd be happy to send us a poster if we'd send them a check for $10.00 to cover postage and handling. Really!? You didn't think I'd check other packages to see what the postage ran to see how much you're pocketing? Is your athletic department that broke? I'd revisit any policy like that that borders on absurdity. Think like your customer! (Oh, and when I questioned them on it, I got #1. I didn't like that university anyways!)

4. Just Do It - with proper credit to Nike... You can probably guess - they just rolled up a poster or two and mailed 'em! (At a much lower cost of postage than $10.00 I might add!)

5. Above and Beyond - the only university I'll name is Colorado if only to give them proper credit! They went above and beyond in that they sent two posters, a bumper sticker and schedules. Yeah, we're probably not going to Boulder from Norman to any games, but they didn't know that! It was a very nice surprise!

How are our responses in comparison to these? I'm reminded of a break-out session at a tourism conference one time. The title of the session said/says it all - "Yes is the answer! Now what's the question?"

Share more with you next month!

Pictures of trees turning those glorious colors of red, yellow and rust are now featured on your website. You are now promoting pumpkin patches and advising visitors to pack long sleeves to cope with the cooler temperatures as they shop the farmers markets! Fall in the Midwest is a beautiful time of year, but are visitors discovering your community? Are people even traveling in this economy?

This month's Five at 5 suggests a resounding "Yes!" TripAdvisor surveyed 1,900 travelers worldwide, and 82 percent of U.S. respondents plan to travel for leisure this autumn, up from 70 percent who said they took pleasure trips last fall.

Five other things to note this fall:

* 48 percent of those travelers plan to drive to their destination. Continue to market to those markets within driving distance.
* 21 percent of U.S. travelers plan to take a trip to view the colorful foliage this fall. If your website is not featuring fall pictures, get with your webmaster today.
* 26 percent of U.S. travelers plan to visit a winery this autumn. Is there a winery within driving distance from your community? It's okay to promote a neighboring attraction if your community is serving as the hub.
* 58 percent of U.S. respondents plan to go to a festival this fall. Have you emailed your database informing them of your fall festival?
* 50 percent of business travelers are exploring ways to extend business trips with leisure.* Each front desk of your hotels should have a placard of "fun things to do." Perhaps the hotel will allow you to distribute a flyer in each room!

"Fall is shaping up to be a strong season for TripAdvisor travelers and even a modest drop at the gas pump, fuels their enthusiasm," said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor. With continued marketing efforts this fall, your destination will be able to attract those visitors.

For questions or assistance, feel free to call.

*from Orbits for Business and Business Traveler Magazine trend report

Did your tourism friendly candidate win yesterday? Were we tourism professionals as active in this past election as all other interested parties? All too often we leave it to the Chambers to host the candidate forums, to publish the candidate profiles and talk the issues that impact business. Then we wonder why our Representatives and business community doesn't pay respect to the tourism industry. Health care, taxes and education impact tourism just as much as the manufacturing plant the Chamber represents.

November's Five at 5 suggests actions to take today to make contact with that newly elected (or re-elected) legislator. Share with him/her the impact tourism has on his/her district and the key legislative issues before them this session:

* Invite him or her to lunch, breakfast, coffee, dessert... But don't allow them occupy the conversation talking about the election. Make sure you stress your issues.
* Send a letter to him/her outlining your key initiatives. Don't make it long. A simple "Congratulations. Please keep in mind how you can assist tourism", will suit for now. Hit them with the meat later.
* Host a "sending off" reception. Be sure to include your board members and contacts through out the community's tourism industry. Stress to them the importance of attendance! If the legislator attends a reception with five people, it won't make a good impression on the industry.
* Schedule in your Outlook a reminder to call and schedule one of the first meetings with your legislator in his/her new office at the capital. You don't have to be a registered lobbyist. You're a constituent visiting your legislator.
* While you are contacting elected officials, drop a line to your city council members. When was the last time you talked one on one with them? They shouldn't only hear from you at budget time.

When you do meet with the legislator, include something to show off the district (read - your attractions.) I have visited many offices and noticed they are proud to display a picture, poster or commemorative from their home. Marketing is marketing whether you get those impressions in the state capitol or DC.

When you climb onto the lap of our joyful Tourism Santa Claus, what will you be asking for? Okay, beyond the obvious three: a raise for you, a sold out year in your hotels at an elevated ADR, and peace on earth between your hotels and the DMO.

On this months' Five @ 5 - the Tourism Christmas Wish List. These five marketing tools have been the hot items discussed and presented at fall conferences. Should Santa deliver one of these in your stocking, your destination could see increased visitors and you could realize a little progress towards the first two wishes above.

1. A dressed up website. "The internet will play a bigger role in 2009." Bigger? 94% of North Americans research, plan and book their vacations online. If it's been years since you've updated your site, look to do it soon. What do you dress it up with?
2. Video on your website. All reports are Google and Yahoo! are searching more for sites with videos. Add an inexpensive video to your site and increase the chances of search engines moving you closer to the top.
3. Podcast available through your website. In addition to the printed visitors guide, you will want to make a podcast available through your website. Visitors download the message to their MP3 player and listen to your recorded narrative about your community. Others have recorded a guided tour as a podcast.
4. An introduction to social media. Use online marketing and media to build brand advocates for your community. Pictures on Flicker, videos on YouTube, user comments on your website, blogs... it's not just pretty printed brochures anymore
5. Any Peter Drucker book. "The dean of this country's business and management philosophies" according to the Wall Street Journal. Help yourself and your organization with some continuing education.

If the jolly old elf doesn't deliver under the tree, let me know. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we might be able to help. If we don't chat, from my associates and me, best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year! May you find peace through the ultimate gift of love found in a manger!

Every once in a while an opportunity comes along that one just has to take. And while I had every intention of growing Stephen Koranda & Associates and not moving from Kansas, when I learned about the opportunity in Norman, Oklahoma, to direct the CVB, I had to take it. Besides, in today's economy, one has to go with a sure thing.

Naturally I still have contacts with associates and if either one of us can assist, please let me know. But in the meantime, I'll focus on the immediate task at hand - the Norman, OK CVB. In the spirit of Bill Geists' last Z-news, I still plan to continue these dialogues so that we continue to connect. What will you find with the monthly Five @ 5?

1. Ideas, tips, and best practices I discover. While I'm going to bring a lot of ideas from Kansas, I'm going to learn more from Oklahoma. And I've already connected with colleagues in Texas that are sharing. If I can forward any thoughts, you'll read about them.
2. Lessons learned from mistakes made. Seriously, we're not all perfect. A buddy of mine in Kansas laughs when he tells me about mistakes he made in Atlantic City. Sure they're great to hear over a beer, but they're also great lessons.
3. Research. Yes, we're all doing our own primary research to learn more about our customers, but if I can uncover some incredible secondary research that will help us all, why not share it!?
4. Comments from colleagues in response to these posts. One is below. Others will be added as they come in. There's many of us that have ideas, lessons and information. Let's share. Which leads to...
5. Increased tools for dialogue. Besides these monthly sharings, I'm working with my webmaster to create a forum on the website. Post a question. Respond to a question. Share some information. Communicate! "Share concepts that, combined and debated, could recreate this crazy business in which we find ourselves" as Bill says.

One thing I'm learning doesn't differ on this side of the state line - tourism is all about partnerships, sharing and communication. Here's hoping this Jayhawk in Sooner country can foster the communication and help us all grow and succeed in 2009. I look forward to hearing what is on your mind!

Miss me last month? I'd like to think the 5th of June ended and you screamed "Where's Stephen's Five @ 5!?" For both of you that asked about this correspondence's where abouts, budget time at our CVB, other 'fireworks' at the Bureau, vacation preparation, and, well, life happened!

There were feelings of being overwhelmed. Feelings of guilt 'cause I can't get a simple newsletter out. Feelings of 'holy crap, can there be any more?' But then a magical day happened and I'm reminded... Nothing terribly profound... Just simple things that are this month's Five @ 5.

1. Take time for you. When is the last time you had a vacation? When is the last time you had a day off? Sure there's all the stuff and email that piles up the week one is out of the office, but some times we just gotta get away! Oh, and I hate to hurt your esteem, but it will run while you're out of the office!

2. It's okay to ask for help. I've been handling my father's affairs since his death and got behind on a couple of things. My brother called me and asked what he could do to help. 'I've got it' I told him. He replied with a gentle, 'It's okay to ask for help. I won't think any less of you.' I don't believe your board or co-workers will think less of you either.

3. Slow down and pace yourself and you'll finish. Runners will know this and being a runner I shouldn't have had to be reminded but within two days, two very different runs helped me recall this lesson for everything in life. Slow down. Do one thing on that 'to-do' list at a time and you'll finish it.

4. Pick yourself up and move. Actually lyrics from Switchfoot hit me one night (during that a fore mentioned run.) Something not go your way? Make a mistake? Board critisize you for something? It's okay! I dare you to life yourself up off the floor. I dare you to move like today never happened...

5. Take time for Him. Good devotions hit us at the perfect time don't they!? This one compared a bird trapped in a garage to us trapped in our busy lives. The bird wouldn't stop so they could be rescued. We need stop and go to Him so he can assist us in the planning and organizing of our day. He knows what you will be facing and longs to prevent you from 'banging' your head against the wall. Won't you fall into the open arms of your Father and allow him to rescue you? He is waiting.

These probably aren't going to help your bottom line, let alone attract a visitor to your community or attraction, but then again, if the bureau or attraction shuts down 'casue staff has 'lost it', you're not going to attract visitors then either. Sometimes it's taking care of ourselves and re-energizing us that help us get back to the task at hand!

Leading up to this year's DMAI Conference in Atlanta, I heard hype like "can't miss conference", "best networking", and "in this economy, one should attend now more than ever." Outside of the ventures on the planes, (Southwest - please start flying into Atlanta!) the event last week was ever bit worthy of the hype!

I case you missed it or all your co-worker talked about was the 80's cover band Thursday evening, the 'tions that came from the DMAI Conference is this month's Five @ 5.

1. Motivation. The blind mountain climber was one thing, but when US Travel's Roger Dow delivered his 'the gloves are coming off' address, who couldn't help but be motivated to work in this industry employing 1 in 8 Americans!? Actually Roger's quote was, "(The tourism industry) is done being the drama team. We're going to start being the football team!"

2. Inspiration. If the "shirtsleeves" sessions do one thing, it's inspire you knowing that you're not the only one. There's others out there in your size bureau struggling with the same issues - finances and threats on transient guest tax receipts, city council reps that don't get it, hotel relations, branding...

3. Education. Sessions that actually lived up to the description! Unique concept in conferences but DMAI's did. Websites, the "Experience Economy", sales tools... quality education that one can take back and utilize immediately.

4. Information. Never one to truly value expos (unless they're in our conference center generating room nights) I found myself looking forward to the second day of the expo seeking out vendors for that one on one time to truly understand their software, services, consulting and more. No more webdemos for me. Give me DMAI's expo!

5. Networking-ation. Partnership programs from Colorado. Software advise from New York and Texas. Social marketing thoughts from (where was he from?) It's very difficult to calculate an ROI on great networking, but advice, tips and best practices from colleagues are extremely valuable!

The season of state Governor's Conferences is nearing. Texas holds theirs next week. Others follow later this fall. If you haven't been in a while, I strongly suggest you reconsider it. If you're preparing to go to the "same ole conference", try attending this year with a new perspective. Besides, in this economy, one should attend education sessions now more than ever!

Hope this helps! I look forward to hearing what is on your mind!

We're re-building the Bureau website here in Norman, OK. At the DMAI Conference in Atlanta I saw a LOT of cool new tools - or 'widgets' as I've learned. Plus the staff has been asking a lot of questions mainly like "Shouldn't our website be able to do (insert task here)?"

Some might say I'm helping my competition by sharing all of this, but most of you know by now, sharing is what this email is all about! So with all due respect to Don Henley, here's Part 1 of 'Building the Perfect Web Beast' - this month's Five @ 5.

1. Content Management System. CMS or related to your website - Web Content Managment - is designed to allow you to edit your website without knowing HTML or uploading files. We all know our websites should be able to be changed almost daily as needed, a good CMS will allow you to do so. Oh, and if it is web based, you'll be able to do it from anywhere!

2. Customer Relationship Management. Or 'database'. Forget Excel! There are CRM systems that track every time you call or email that conference you're trying to attract, store your leisure leads, and tally every time you refer someone to one of your attractions or hotels. And it should be integrated with your website! When Joe Visitor completes your form for a visitors guide, it should go into your database - without you typing in the data!

3. Analytics Software. Used to collect and display data about visiting website users, analytics software is FAR beyond the little counter at the bottom of websites! Yes, you'll see how many 'hits' your website is getting, but you'll also see from which websites or ads your visitors are coming from, which pages they are viewing the most and for how long, and a whole bunch of other 'dashboard' type stuff I'm sure will impress your board!

4. Mobile Websites. Visitors aren't just learning about Your-ville via the web on their PC. They may be searching via their smart phone. Two camps: have a separate site specific for mobile phones. The other suggests coding your website to determine whether or not Jane Visitor is accessing via a PC or a smart phone. I like option two. Especially if I forget to update the mobile site regarding the board members' change in menu!

5. Booking Engine. Number two thing being done over mobile phones? Hotel reservations. Booking engines aren't just for Expedia, Priceline and your hotels any more. There are numerous options for a booking 'widget' to be on your website. No longer do you need to link to your hotel websites any longer. Oh, and who wouldn't like a little coinage from every room booked through your site!?

Next month, Part II. We'll explore five other tools to truly beef up your website. If you have a tip, let me know. I'll share it!

Last month I shared we're re-building the Bureau website here in Norman, OK. As we look to improve our efficiencies, these are the tools to help. Part 1 highlited Content Management System, Customer Relationship Management, Analytics Software, Mobile Websites and Booking Engines.

Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Monitoring, Itineraries, Advertising and Merchandising are highlighted in Part 2 of 'Building the Perfect Web Beast' - this month's Five @ 5.

1. Search Engine Optimization. When someone searches for 'things to do in Your-ville', is Your-ville CVB's site one of the first ones on the list? If not, they need to improve their Seach Engine Optimization. SEO is the process of improving the volume or quality of traffic to a website from search engines via "natural" or un-paid ("organic") search results. Your webmaster should be assisting with this.

2. Social Media Monitoring. They're talking about you on Twitter, Facebook, restaurant reviews, hotel reviews, whether they liked the museum or not... you best be listening. Numerous tools allow you to monitor what they're saying. This is a great article summarizing the many free monitoring tools available.

3. Social Media Monitoring II. No longer are travelers simply taking the word of a destination or attraction's website. They're seeking the comments of other travelers. They're finding them at Trip Advisor and other similar sites. Instead of trying to hide it, provide the information to your visitors. It's as simple as placing a Trip Advisor widget on your site.

4. Advertising. Ads are everywhere on the internet. They're all over websites. Heck, YOU are probably placing ads on the internet. Why shouldn't you be placing ads on your website? Why is it we DMOs have the mentality that 'we can't charge for ads on our site'. "We're a non-profit." Only in tax status. We still must look to maximize revenues! "We must market all properties the same." We do in the universal list! Right next to it is an ad for Your-ville Inn & Suites!

5. Merchandising. Why should everyone else be able to market Your-ville shirts, mugs and commemoriative trinkets and you not be able to? If over 80% of the visitors are searching websites before they leave town, perhaps you'll be able to catch a sell before they visit your town. Partner with that local merchant to provide an additional outlet for them! The additional revenue realized will be beneficial!

I hope this month's and last month's articles have helped shed new light on potential for your website. It's far more than just an online brochure!

Social Media Monitoring tools were suggested in last month's Five @ 5 to be a vital part of any DMO's website moving forward. Hit a nerve with one reader who suggested we're spending too much time strategizing over Twitter and Facebook.

Frankly I agree with my friend, Jim Zaleski in Parsons, Kansas. And I agree with Meryl Levitz of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation who, at US Travel Association's Marketing Outlook Forum said, "Social media is not the silver bullet!"

So after a season of Governor Conferences, MOFs, and webinars packed with sessions and keynotes regarding Social Media - Social Distortion or this month's Five @ 5:

1. Yes, you really should be on Twitter and Facebook (and other social media outlets.) Set up your accounts and start with one post or tweet a month. Then build from there! None of us have time to sit on Twitter and Facebook all day long. SO DON'T! But find five minutes a month to post something.

2. Remember, you're trying to drive overnight travel. ("Heads in beds.") I'd suggest that most of your potential visitors can't drop everything when you post an event that is that evening or that weekend. I subscribe to the concept that you should be posting about events and happenings at your attractions 4, 6, 12 months out. U2 just announced they're playing your city 6 months from now? Tweet that to give the visitor time to buy tickets and reserve the hotel.

3. It's okay if someone says something bad! That makes it believeable! Besides, if you have locals following you as well, they'll most likely jump in and refute the bad post. Which takes me back to #1. Believe you'll be consumed by constantly responding to questions and posts? Not if you have passionate locals following you. Some colleagues are sharing that the locals often respond quicker than staff!

4. Oh, and um, they're probably not believing you. Jim shared these numbers from PRSA:

* Trust of corporate communications fell from 38% to 26%. (Your tweets are "corporate communications".)
* Believability Factors by Media: Radio 38%, Television 36%, Newspaper 34% compared to Company's Website 24% and Social Media 15%.

He then went on to make this point: "If you have a very developed Twitter account, you may be able to reach 10,000 people. But what if only 15% of them believed you? Had you spent that time writing a press release, and a legitimate outlet runs it, you could reach 100,000 and 34% would believe the story. What is the better time spent?"

Sooo...

5. Stick with the basics. Jim commented, "We should never lose sight of the good ole' press release. If your organizations' Twitter account upkeep or Facebook time has meant redirecting resources and cutting local and/or traditional media relations campaigns by even one press release, priorities might need to be evaluated."

I am tired. I am not even going to suggest I am busier than anyone else. We're all busy. I'm also frustrated that I'm in the office until 6pm, get home at 6:15pm, immediately sit down for supper, then get 30 minutes of time with my kids. (Anyone give me an 'Amen'?) So the time management and productivity has to change.

The goal - leave the office at 5pm! Lofty? Maybe immediately. But not if some simple adjustments are made. There's 90,523 books listed on Amazon under 'time management'. None of us have the time to read them all so here's a summary of the finer points of time management* - February's Five @ 5:

1. Write things down - A common time management mistake is to try to use your memory to keep track of too many details leading to information overload. Using a to-do list to write things down is a great way to take control of your projects and tasks and keep yourself organized.

2. Prioritize your list - Prioritizing your to-do list helps you focus and spend more of your time on the things that really matter to you. Rate your tasks A, B, C by importance and due date. Then rate the As 1, 2, 3, etc. Rate the Bs 1, 2, 3, etc.

3. Plan your week - Spend some time at the beginning of each week to plan your schedule. Taking the extra time to do this will help increase your productivity and balance your important long-term projects with your more urgent tasks. All you need is fifteen to thirty minutes each week for your planning session.

4. Carry a notebook - You never know when you are going to have a great idea or brilliant insight. Carry a small notebook with you wherever you go so you can capture your thoughts. If you wait too long to write them down you could forget. Another option is to use a digital recorder.

5. Learn to say no - Many people become overloaded with too much work because they over commit; they say yes when they really should be saying no. Learn to say no to low
priority requests and you will free up time to spend on things that are more important.

There's more. If you'd like another 5, drop me an email and I'll get them to you.

* from Rodger Constandse - Goals to Action

...if in fact you make these Resolutions! New Year! New Start! New Hope! A friend on Facebook said it best - 'so far 2010 feels just like 2009.' That is unless we do something about it right!?

Sure resolutions are cliche but from time to time it's nice to reflect and start a new. Here's the resolutions I hope you join me in making this year - this new year's Five @ 5:

1. Take Care of Myself. Exercise more. Just walk to lunch once a week! Eat better. Drop the roll and grab some fruit. Get that massage you've always wanted. Heck, schedule the visit to the dentist you're too busy for. Someone has to take care of you - might as well be you!

2. Take Some Time Off. Always amazed when we get together and start sharing how long it's been since we took a vacation. The mental break is a necessity. The place will survive without you for a couple of days. You can't take the vacation days to heaven. Use them! If you have little ones like me, they'll love you for it!

3. Read More. I heard once at a conference that if one reads 30 minutes or so a week, in a year-and-a-half, they'd be an expert in their field! Besides, we might find an idea to steal. You don't have to read all the "Good to Greats" of the world. There's some insightful blogs out there. Email and I'll send you my five favorite blogs to check.

4. Connect More. And I mean by phone. I'm resolving to call one person a week to reconnect. (Please don't screen my call with your caller ID.) When is the last time you simply called someone just to say 'hi', 'how are you?', 'don't need anything, just wanted to touch base.'?

5. Go to Him More. A past devotion compared a bird trapped in a garage to us trapped in our busy lives. The bird wouldn't stop so they could be rescued. We need stop and go to Him so He can assist us in the planning and organizing of our day. He knows what you will be facing and longs to prevent you from 'banging' your head against the wall. Won't you fall into the open arms of your Father and allow him to rescue you? He is waiting.

These probably aren't going to help your bottom line, let alone attract a visitor to your community or attraction, but then again, if the bureau or attraction shuts down 'cause staff has 'lost it', you're not going to attract visitors then either. Sometimes it's taking care of ourselves and re-energizing us that help us get back to the task at hand!

Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2010!

Last month easy ways to cut the budget were shared. Luxuries, gone. Lunch meetings, cut back. Cell phones used before land lines for long distance. But as DMOs pour over budgets, what are the "must keeps"? The "no way I'm cutting backs"?

If you are going to truly make an impact this next fiscal year, let's explore the five tools of a marketing kit that should be the first line items accounted for in the budget... this month's Five @ 5.

1. Website. Before you say "no duh!" sessions on websites continue to be the most attended at conferences. Perhaps another month I'll get into the key elements that should go into a quality site. For now I'll just state your site should be professionally done! Still my favorite stat (and it's three or four years old): 80% of visitors have fully planned their itinerary using a website before they leave their house. If your site isn't quality and complete, game over.

2. Printed Piece. Word has some really cool templates. Microsoft puts even more on their site. Drop in a cool picture and us graphic wannabes puff our chests. But if you're going to seriously play in this game, you must invest in a quality designed printed piece. Visitors will again gauge your destination by the piece.

3. Pictures. Just like Word templates allow us to dream about being a graphics person, those cameras on our phones allow us to dream about being a great photographer. Use the phone to call someone and invest in a professional to capture quality shots of your attractions. Oh, and it's okay to have people in the picture. Even better is if they appear to be enjoying the site.

4. Research. Okay, some will argue this should have been first, but if you don't know who your target audience is, what they think, when they travel, what they want to do when they travel, what they think about destinations like yours, you are trying to shoot stars in the sky. Invest in some research and start shooting fish in a barrel.

5. Sales person. And not the really nice retired gal that has lived in Destinationville all of her life and everyone loves her. Instead that agressive "sell ice to an Eskimo" sales person that can make contacts and get people to your community. You have to be able to deliver. Harold Hill can't oversell and disapoint the visitors, but someone needs to be selling!

Ask around. Pick up the phone and call a neighboring bureau. Heck, call me. All the above can be fairly affordable. If you want to "move that dial" this next budget year, these are the tools you will want to have had invested in!

Have a thought on these five? Does another tool rank above these? Share it with us!

Norman, OK, Normantown, WV, North Salt Lake... we're all feeling the affects of this slow economy. Most of us are starting to think budgets and question how we're going to do everything next year that we've done this past year with less revenues.

It's recognized that most DMOs will have to cut costs this next year if you haven't already. Before jumping immediately to cutting staff, consider where to save money without hurting staff morale. Some easy ways to cut the budget in this Five @ 5.

1. Identify the luxuries. If you make a list of the must haves, the items not on the list might be the luxuries that you can cut. Fresh flowers, gourmet coffee, changing out the vehicle every two years, what is the luxury in your office?

2. Lunch meetings. Ever wonder how a meeting is ever conducted outside of lunch? Ever think about the cost savings of not having so many lunches? Cut out one $30 lunch a week and you've realized a savings of $1,400! Put that back into marketing!

3. Office supplies. Buy a more economical brand of paper. Lease a used printer or used fax machine. Share expenditures with another organization in your community.

4. Get Bids. Mamma told Smokey "you better shop around." You might be surprised at how much you can save by getting bids on shipping, office supplies, printing, etc.

5. Use those cell minutes. Need to make a long distance call? Put down that land line and pick up your cell phone. Most likely you're only using minutes with your cell phone and not being charged extra for long distance. Another option? Skype. It allows you to make and receive telephone calls on the Internet.

Chat with your team. I'm sure there are other ideas. Talk to them about the tight budget and I'm sure they'll willingly sacrifice something around the office before they sacrifice their job.

Have a cost cutting measure? Share it through this forum. I look forward to hearing what is on your mind!

As I started with the Norman, OK CVB, one of the first "issues" I faced was our local Bob Woodward. Remember the reporter that broke the Watergate story? Each community has a reporter looking for their Pulitzer! I had mine. She wanted everything and quoted the Open Records Act as easily as her kid's names and birthdates. Colleagues offered suggestions:

1. Make public notice your meetings and make all of your records available for public review. If reporters want to come to your meetings, welcome them! You can help educate them. The only thing you shouldn't open are personnel records. "My opinion is that it all should be open and then no one thinks you are hiding anything, which in any good organization you are not."

2. "We have made it a practice to be as open as possible, and meet monthly with both city council, county commissioners and offer a lot of info to the press...we don't discuss specific pieces of business in our board meetings, and do not release financial data because of the private membership organization status."

3. "My best advice is to smile broadly and say, 'Certainly, we're an open book!' - because you are. All of our records, except personnel records, of course, are open to inspection. That applies to email as well.

"If and when they look at sales files or bed tax receipts, just let them know that those are very sensitive records as the hotels consider that information to be proprietary.

"I've found that being completely open with reporters is the best way to establish a positive relationship with them. You'll always have the occasional overzealous Woodward & Bernstein wannabe who will try to create controversy where none exists. The majority of reporters will appreciate your openness and honesty and will also appreciate the sensitivity of proprietary information. The more you dig in your heels or seem to be reluctant to provide information, the more certain they'll be that the next 'Watergate' story is lurking just behind your file cabinet drawer."

4. "Take time out to knock out talking points for anything you can reasonably expect to end up in the paper. Some of those things are pretty innocuous - e.g.: football economic impact; impact of the economic downturn on the tourism industry; crimes committed in or around hotels, etc. Others take more time and consideration but you'll know them when they pop up."

5. "Get to know your local newspaper editors and television news folks - reporters and assignment editors. Educate them about what you do. Sit down with the Editor and attempt to explain that the reporter's presence will have a negative impact on the community. If Board Members are not allowed to express opinions without it being reported in the paper, some cool ideas may never get off the ground...hurting the destination. One would hope the Editor wouldn't want to hurt the community. This is a long shot...but possibly worth a try if you have any kind of a relation with him/her."

Most agreed that after a while, most reporters "get a clue that there isn't a story and stop wasting their time."

Have a thought?