Digital Edge Does Baltimore, MD for DI Annual
Destinations International’s Annual Convention in Baltimore Was a Huge Success for More Than 800 In-Person Attendees The main meetings & conventions themes were workforce development issues, service quality standards & destination staffing needs This week, Destinations International hosted its Annual Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, bringing together more than 800 industry professionals in person for the […]
5 Key Takeaways from MPI WEC
After more than a year of lockdowns, it felt so good to be at MPI’s WEC in Las Vegas, June 15-17. To kick start the week’s events, I even got upgraded to a Delta One Suite—a sign of many good things to come. My fellow co-founder Shirley Smith and I, along with our VP of […]
Virtual FAM Tours That Will Keep Selling Your Destination
Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, “Plans are nothing; planning is everything.” And Dwight E.’s notion seemed to ring truest to everyone in our industry during COVID, didn’t it? If you’re a DMO/CVB sales or marketing professional, then you know better than most that when it comes to meeting and event planners, the planning doesn’t stop—and […]
How Destination Sales Has Forever Changed
Incorporating Hybrid Isn’t Just For Planners & Events — Salespeople will be Hybrid, too. Destination sales are forever changed after more than a year of working in a virtual environment. Salespeople have had to be nimble and adapt to an entirely new way of operating during the pandemic. While things start to go back […]
The Future Meeting Attendee is Gen Z
“We [Gen Z] are digital natives, and we do understand online, but that doesn’t mean that we want every single experience of our lives to be online. We’re a generation that just also really values experiences.” – Gretta Kissell, Managing Partner, JUV Consulting They may be young, but come off as wise beyond their […]
Case Study: Helping Visit Sacramento Relay Destination Value in a Pandemic Era
What Business Did We Have? As COVID-19 cleaved the travel and tourism industry, Sacramento was among the many large cities most vulnerable to the prohibition of meetings and events and strict stay-at-home ordinances in California. Early on, California assigned a four-tiered, color-coded tracking system, which presently allows for the economy and civic life to operate […]
The Confidence-Boosting Site DMOs Are Sharing With Partners & Event Organizers
Let’s show the world meetings can and are happening safely with key protocols in place, and help destinations everywhere on the path to recovery. Planners have indicated in study after study that they need proof that meetings are happening and that they are being held safely. Thus, the U.S. Travel Association, under the Meetings Mean […]
COVID-19 Will Force Destinations to Evaluate & Enhance Their Convention Services Offerings
Let’s Use This as an Opportunity to Innovate Our Approach to Services There’s no question that COVID-19 has severely impacted the travel industry and meetings and conventions greatly. But, with every challenge, there is an opportunity to take a step back and innovate for the better. Let’s take this challenge as an opportunity to enhance […]
Tips for the Destination Marketing Creatives
Like a 1960s Nancy Claster calling out to all of her viewership through her magic mirror, I’m looking out: “I see Johnny, and Suzie, and Veronica, and Bobby, and Martin…….” Regardless of your name or your game, if you answer ‘yes’ to any of the following questions, you’ve come to the right place. Do you […]
Recap: The CVB & the Future of the Meetings Industry
Digital Edge was fortunate to partner with Destination Analysts and Miles Partnership on The CVB & The Future of the Meetings Industry 2020 study. Destinations International shared the study findings via their webinar on February 10, 2021. This study and webinar conversation had so many great insights, so we thought it was important to recap […]