Over the past two years, the face-to-face interaction with which we all believed was crucial to initiating relationships and closing business was replaced by Zoom meetings, e-mails communiques and telephonic calls. Has this forced era of digitization changed Sales forever? On this episode of DMOU, Tom Martin (author of The Invisible Sale) makes some bold predictions of what's next, how Propinquity is your best new friend and how to make our "new normal" work even better than before. Plus, a "hot and tasty" answer to the Bonus Round Question. Join us.

As we all attempt to emerge from the ravages of the pandemic, the efficacy of Visitor Information Centers continues to be a hot topic in our discussions with DMOs around the country. And, when we find one that redefines the genre, we're all too excited to share the story on DMOU. On this episode, Destination Augusta (GA)'s VP of Destination Development Jennifer Bowen shares the decade long process to reimagine their Visitor Center into a community asset (named Augusta & Co.) that combines retail, culinary and storytelling into a Downtown attraction in its own right. Plus, in the Bonus Round Question, she shares her brush with Hollywood Royalty.

Most Destination Marketing pros understand the power of video to drive brand identity and awareness. But, most don't work on as many levels at Visit Tri-Cities' CEO Michael Novakovich. On this roller-coaster episode of DMOU, Michael shares how his team has embraced video as a brand tool and provided pandemic safety messaging on behalf of area health officials...not to mention how his 40+ member Board rocks. Plus, you'll get an insider's look at his time with the Destinations International House Band and his experience as an alt-grunge drummer in the Bonus Round. Fun stuff...enjoy.

It's the first week of the New Year...and how are those resolutions going? During the Holiday Season, we checked in with West Virginia Tourism's Chelsea Ruby, who recently commissioned a study to identify how such annual promises to one's self impact our travel decisions. The results are fascinating and she shares how consumers are now viewing travel as a wellness and family bonding imperative...and how that will change how her State communicates its value proposition going forward.

As we round out another challenging year, we posed a question in the halls of the Destinations International Advocacy Summit to Destination Leaders from across the Americas: What will you do new in 2022? 17 DMO leaders rose to the challenge of answering that question and we share their responses for inspiration as you ponder the opportunities before you in the New Year ahead. 

In the weeks and months after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico put into play plans to develop an independent Destination Marketing Organization and ultimately hired Brad Dean to build the agency from scratch. We caught up with this year's State Travel Director of the Year to hear how he made the decision to leave a great gig in Myrtle Beach for Puerto Rico, his philosophy behind hiring top talent and how the crisis of COVID drove his staff to create marketing magic that earned Discover Puerto Rico five Emmy nominations. Oh...and one of the funniest answers to the Bonus Round question yet. Join us.

Stillwater's Cristy Morrison holds a distinction that few, if any, do. She has led the Destination Marketing effort for her city as a City Department, a Division of the Chamber and as an Independent 501(c)(6). And, she faced an RFP challenge, which has become increasingly prevalent in the DMO space. On this episode of DMOU, Cristy joins Bill to chronicle the pros and cons of each structure and share insights from her successful RFP experience.

Since his arrival in the Quad Cities, CEO Dave Herrell has been on a mission to awaken his community to its boundless potential as a premier travel destination. Attempting to counter an all too prevalent Midwest sense of understated pride, he and his Team have launched several initiatives to persuade Quad Citizens to stand up for their community in order to attract more visitors. On this episode, Dave riffs on how his DMO is utilizing TXT, an Ambassador Program and the Web to encourage residents to share their destination favorites with the world. And, yeah...he shares his favorite concert of all time in the Bonus Round. Join us.

Every few years, Destinations International commissions a Futures Study to attempt to identify next steps for DMO pros to consider as we move our sector forward. The latest was released this July at the Annual Convention in Baltimore. On this episode of DMOU, we sit down with Charles Harris (CEO of the Reno-Sparks CVB) and Gabe Sedar (Senior Director of Advocacy Policy and Program Development for Destinations International) to discuss and debate the Top Three Trends revealed in this year's Future Study. Join us.

Since taking the reins of the Greater Boston CVB in 2018, Martha Sheridan has been on a whirlwind ride, made even more so with the events of the past 18 months. Hear the former Destinations International Chair describe how her DMO worked with the City to make the destination more welcoming, secured a Tourism Improvement District during COVID and share the lessons learned in her first three years in a Top 25 city. Oh yeah...and how she found her way into the Destination Marketing world in the Bonus Round Question.