Episode 375: Cultivating a Transformative Mindset, with Meredith Calloway
Destination On The Left
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Meredith Calloway, Chief Visionary Officer and Co-Founder of Gifted Travel Network (GTN). She shares more about the inspiration behind her community of luxury travel advisors and her nuggets of wisdom about how to develop and cultivate a brand message that will help you stand out from the crowd by finding your brilliance. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How Meredith transitioned from working in finance to starting a travel business and founding Gifted Travel Network Why finding one’s “zone of genius” and pursuing a passion is...
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Episode 374: Our Exciting Travel Alliance Partnership Rebrand, with Nicole Mahoney
Destination On The Left
This week, I’m reflecting on our new brand and why we are so excited about the next chapter. I want to share the branding journey with you to highlight the lessons we learned along the way. I hope that our story will inspire you and give an introduction to our new company and the philosophy behind it. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why we decided to merge two brands, and how the Travel Alliance Partnership will be an economic development partner for destinations What the rebranding process involved, including workshops, visual mapping, and merging of brands Why embracing “cathedral...
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Episode 373: Understanding American Traveler Sentiment, with Amir Eylon
Destination On The Left
A thirty-two-year veteran of the Travel & Tourism industry, Amir Eylon leads the entire team at Longwoods International, responsible for the development and execution of all facets of the organization, from program development to customer acquisition and retention. He joined Longwoods in 2015 from his previous role as Vice President, Partner Engagement with Brand USA, the public-private partnership serving as the destination marketing organization dedicated to increasing international visitation to the US. He led the team responsible for helping to increase Brand USA’s partnership base...
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Episode 372: The Impact of Coopetition in Creating Meaningful Travel Experiences, with Greg Takehara
Destination On The Left
Greg Takehara has been the CEO of Tourism Cares since 2019. He previously served on its Board, acting as its Chairman before becoming CEO. Prior to Tourism Cares, Greg was the President of Trip Mate, Inc., a travel insurance administrator. He began his thirty-five year career in the travel and tourism industry at The Mark Travel Corporation, where he served as General Counsel. Greg serves on the Board of the US Travel Association and has served on the Boards of NTA and the IGLTA Foundation, as well as numerous industry committees. He is from Chicago and has an undergraduate degree from the...
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Episode 371: Leaning into the Uniqueness of a Destination, with JoAnna Haugen
Destination On The Left
JoAnna Haugen is an award-winning writer, consultant, speaker, and solutions advocate who has worked in communications-related positions in the travel and tourism industry her entire career. She is also the Founder of Rooted, a solutions platform at the intersection of sustainable tourism, social impact, and storytelling. Through Rooted, JoAnna helps tourism professionals decolonize travel experiences and support sustainability using strategic storytelling. In 2021, Newsweek named JoAnna a winner in the storytelling category of its Future of Tourism awards. She has also been nominated for...
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Episode 370: Transforming Marketing with AI, with Paul Roetzer
Destination On The Left
Paul Roetzer is the Founder and CEO of Marketing AI Institute; co-author of Marketing Artificial Intelligence: AI, Marketing and the Future of Business; host of The Marketing AI Show podcast; and creator of the Marketing AI Conference (MAICON). As a speaker, Roetzer is focused on making AI approachable and actionable for marketers and business leaders. A graduate of Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Roetzer has consulted for hundreds of organizations, from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Previously, he was Founder and CEO of PR 20/20, a digital marketing agency that he...
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Episode 369: The Power of Owned Media, with Adam Stoker
Destination On The Left
Adam Stoker is the Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Relic, a full-service destination marketing agency. For over 15 years, Adam has excelled in the leisure travel, stakeholder engagement, and destination branding spheres. Immersed in the world of tourism, Adam has spent time as a member of the Utah Tourism Industry Association Board. He is a frequent speaker and collaborator at industry events nationwide, speaking at the Utah Tourism Conference, Texas Travel Summit, several Destinations International events, and more. A passionate thought leader in the world of owned media, Adam speaks on the...
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Episode 368: Uniting Communities through Memorable New York City Tours and Events, with Rowena Sahulee
Destination On The Left
Rowena Sahulee is a marketing executive with over 20 years in the dual realms of tourism and economic development. She has worked in marketing functions at organizations such as Circle Line Statue of Liberty Ferry and Harbor Cruises, the first concessionaire to the Statue of Liberty. The Greater Houston Partnership, the main business organization in the Houston, Texas, 10-country region. Choose NJ, the economic development marketing organization for the State of New Jersey. After Choosing NJ, she started with Empire State Development in the Division of Tourism, I LOVE NY, as the Director of...
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Episode 367: Uniting for Success in the Travel Industry, with Nicole Mahoney
Destination On The Left
This week we’re coming to you directly from the ABA Marketplace in Nashville, where I’m talking to eight amazing travel industry experts about why there’s a sense of energy and forward focus in 2024. They share more about the experiences visitors to their destinations are requesting and dig into the importance of authenticity and making genuine connections between visitors and locals. In this episode, you’ll hear from these travel and tourism industry leaders: Lorey Hall: Kris Hoff: Adam Jacobson: Sonya Nash: Jill Shorkey: Marlene Smith: Greg...
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Episode 366: Nurturing Relationships in the Tourism and Travel Sector with Nicole Mahoney
Destination On The Left
This week, the podcast is coming to you from the ABA Marketplace in Nashville, where nearly 3,000 tour and travel professionals convened to learn and network with their peers. From indigenous experiences in Alberta to the revitalization of destinations like Philadelphia and Branson, this episode is packed with valuable perspectives on collaboration, envisioning the future of travel, and the power of personal connections in the tourism industry. In this episode, you’ll hear from these extraordinary leaders: Vince Accardi: Richard Arnold: Marcy Barnes: Aaron Brown: ...
info_outlineBen conceives and carries out the strategic direction for the overall brand positioning, messaging and marketing platforms. Ben is the brainchild of Catch Des Moines’ new the “S’s are Silent” brand campaign.
In this episode of Destination on the Left, I am joined by Ben Handfelt, Director of Creative and Communications at Catch Des Moines. We discuss the tactics and strategies Ben and his team are using to increase tourism in the Greater Des Moines area.
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- Ben’s background in marketing and PR
- How Ben leveraged his experience as a transplant to create a new marketing strategy for Des Moines
- How Ben differentiates Iowa from other destinations
- The importance of intentional video content
- Proper use of humor in a destination marketing campaign
- The S’s are Silent campaign and what inspired it
- The effects of tourism on the community as a whole
Destination Iowa
Tourism is more than a collection of intermittent events that draw weekend traffic—it impacts the quality of life for every resident in the area. It is the reason why Catch Des Moines brought Ben Handfelt onto the team. Ben spearheads the destination marketing efforts in Des Moines, IA, combining a background in entertainment and corporate PR with a passion for powerful creative.
Living Amongst Your Target Audience
Ben was a Chicago transplant for twelve years. He knows exactly what is going through the minds of jaded city dwellers when they hear the name ‘Des Moines.’ But as an Iowa native, he also knows what brought him back in spite of everything Chicago has to offer. That was the feeling Ben strove to capture as he built new campaigns and reshaped their brand voice. The Greater Des Moines area has seen significant results from the efforts of Ben and his team.
S’s are Silent
In any city, quality of life directly correlates to the attraction and retention of talent. So, Ben and his team are playing the long game. They created a significant amount of humorous video content and developed Catch Des Moines' new the "S's are Silent" brand campaign in an effort to draw more visitors. The campaign has an oddly specific hook, but there has been an immense payoff in leisure travel, sales, and new residents. Ben and his team are the voice of destination Iowa and they have only begun to scratch the surface.
- Twitter: @Botner0104
- Website: catchdesmoines.com
- Video: https://www.catchdesmoines.com/visitor-info/videos/
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