Posts Tagged ‘travel’

Tracking The Big Game

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

As you read this, I’m on a 19-hour flight to Mumbai, India where I will spend the night.  I will get up at 3 AM for an early flight to Nagpur (aka “the Orange City”).  I will then ride for five hours through a jungle to a game reserve.  All of this so I can take pictures of tigers.  That I may or may not find.

My point:  your biggest opportunities rarely turn up where you’re at.  You have to go where they hang out first.  (And it’s seldom a direct flight.)  Even then, the big break you’re looking for may not show up.  And…it’s worth the risk.  So go where your big game is.  Show up fully and be ready for anything.

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Posted in strategy | 1 Comment »

Meeting industry dodges a bullet

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009

Whew! That was close. The Treasury regs on meetings are out and the travel industry heaved a collective sigh of relief. No big problems — just requiring a bunch of procedures. U.S. Travel Association and the National Business Travel Association applauded the new guidelines. Yes, the comment stage is still open, but no one expects material changes. Will go into effect the middle of August.

A great example of how to turn the tide of negative perceptions. What the industry focused on: their value in the overall economy. Which begs the question: how are we experts showing up? Are we showing our value in the bigger picture? Are our descriptions specific? The cutbacks won’t last forever – but the perception of value will last a long time. No more pie in the sky promises. The more specific, the better.

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Posted in Marketing, Speaking, branding, strategy | 1 Comment »

Meetings industry fights the feds

Tuesday, March 17th, 2009

Meetings industry is fighting back on the recent U.S. Treasury’s announcement calling for strict business travel policies for executives. Seven industry groups have produced guidelines that increase accountability but also protect the $740 billion travel industry as a whole. Proposal includes a 15 precent cap of sales/marketing budgets go to meetings, events and incentive travel and limiting executive attendance to less than 10 percent. Why speakers care? Any conference costing more than $750,000 requires a written report on the purpose and plan for a positive return-on-investment.

This self-policing is a pre-emptive strike to Congress’s tinkering with travel. A great example of how the perception problem is bigger than the budget cuts. Moral of the story: help with the ROI and you’re golden…

My question to you: what pre-emptive strike are you taking? How are the buyers responding?

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Posted in Speaking, strategy | No Comments »