Can you actually trust the reviews you see on hotels, venues and destinations? There's a whole web of players that involve writers, public relations, product suppliers, advertisers, media salespeople and social media influencers that may have a role in trying to influence your purchase decisions for business and travel.

Martin Donovan is the publisher and editorial director of Mix Meetings magazine based in Hong Kong, which covers travel trade activities known in the industry as MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions). He gives us an insight into what goes on behind the scenes and draws from trends in China that serve as a barometer for the rest of the world.

Quotes From Episode

"What you're seeing in China now is that the netizens are seeing that (some) bloggers are essentially being paid and courted by the industry to say nice things about the industry. So when we come out on the other side of this, there is going to be a kind of sorting out"

"The syrupy press release should hopefully become a thing of the past, once this great reckoning post-COVID happens... you have got a whole community out there who are looking for the facts, as opposed to some kind of smokescreen that's coming over it."

-Martin Donovan

Don't miss:
-How to get publicity for your event in a travel trade magazine today
-Why digital influencer marketing in China isn't working and what it means for the rest of the travel trade world
-Martin's career journey and how jobs in journalism have changed
-Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area as the next big development for business tourism (and Martin's role in it!)
-Working as a trade journalist through Hong Kong's changing political timeline

Recommendations:
Superpower Showdown: How the Battle Between Trump And Xi Threatens A New Cold War by Bob Davis & Lingling Wei

Connect with Martin Donovan:
www.mixmeetings.com

Connect with Upon Arrival:
Email: [email protected]