Episode 186: Building the Staten Island Brand, with Colleen Siuzdak and Jennifer Sammartino
Release Date: 07/01/2020
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: ...
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Episode 365: Strategies for Finding and Nurturing Your Community, with Nicole Mahoney
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Nicole Mahoney is an entrepreneur, speaker, and podcast host with a passion for business. She’s the Founder of Break the Ice Media, a PR and digital marketing agency specializing in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry, and also serves as the CEO of Travel Alliance Partners. In her weekly podcast, Destination on the Left, launched in 2016, she interviews tourism professionals from all over the globe on creativity and collaboration. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I’m talking about the significance of community in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. Whether...
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Episode 364: Creative Branding and Positioning for DMOs, with Kylie Kullack
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Kylie Kullack, the Head of Client Engagement at Struck, is a dynamic leader in the realm of brand transformation. Her extensive experience spans diverse sectors, including destination marketing, outdoor recreation, and biotechnology. Known for her strategic acumen and problem-solving prowess, Kylie consistently empowers her teams to achieve exceptional results. Her impressive portfolio features collaborations with esteemed clients such as the Utah Office of Tourism, Snowbird, Westminster College, and Altabank. Kylie’s expertise extends across traditional and digital marketing communications,...
info_outlineColleen Siuzdak is the Manager of VISIT Staten Island, a campaign run out of the Staten Island Borough President James Oddo’s Office of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. This office, created in June 2017, invites visitors to explore the borough’s many parks and cultural attractions, while encouraging residents to explore their own backyard. Start your journey to Staten Island on the free Staten Island Ferry and see the many offerings of the Unexpected Borough!
Jennifer Sammartino is a former journalist and experienced communications professional with a particular interest in serving the community. She’s fresh off serving as the first-ever Director of Tourism and Cultural Affairs for the Office of the Staten Island Borough President. And she is ecstatic to take on new challenges as Deputy Chief of Staff.
Destination on the Left is joined by Colleen Siuzdak and Jennifer Sammartino from the Staten Island Office of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. During our conversation, Colleen, Jennifer, and I discuss the different ways VISIT Staten Island entices visitors to explore the Unexpected Borough. We talk about the challenges of marketing a destination so close to Manhattan, and the creative ways in which VISIT Staten Island has collaborated to boost tourism!
What You Will Learn in This Episode:
- Colleen and Jennifer’s journey into the travel and tourism industry
- How the free Staten Island Ferry has made an impact on the Unexpected Borough’s visitor numbers
- Why the VISIT Staten Island campaign entices visitors to explore the many offerings of the Unexpected Borough
- The challenges of marketing a destination in such close proximity to Manhattan
- Creative ways in which VISIT Staten Island has collaborated to boost tourism
- How the decline in international travel has impacted their marketing strategy
- How Colleen and Jennifer have embraced Staten Island’s parks and lower population density as they restructure their marketing efforts
- Best practices that have made Colleen and Jennifer’s partnerships successful
- How Colleen and Jennifer are taking a more holistic approach to destination marketing
VISIT Staten Island
Colleen Siuzdak and Jennifer Sammartino join us from the office of the Staten Island Borough President, James. S. Oddo! Colleen is the manager of VISIT Staten Island, a campaign highlighting the borough’s many parks and cultural attractions for visitors and locals alike. Jennifer is the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. Together, they form an unstoppable destination marketing team. In our conversation, Colleen, Jennifer, and I discuss the different ways VISIT Staten Island entices visitors to explore the Unexpected Borough. We talk about the challenges of marketing a destination so close to Manhattan, and the creative ways in which VISIT Staten Island has collaborated to boost tourism!
The Unexpected Borough
As we all know, the tourism and hospitality industry is extremely competitive—especially when a destination is nestled in the heart of a tier-one city like NYC. To help the Unexpected Borough stand out from the crowd, Colleen and Jennifer stretched their creative and collaborative efforts as far as they would go. They worked with the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce to hire a marketing agency that could help with some of the heavy lifting. They held workshops with cultural stakeholders in the area such as museums and art galleries, so they could rebrand Staten Island through that lens. Colleen and Jennifer created a unique and refreshing image for Staten Island, which gave them a platform to form partnerships and build itineraries moving forward.
You Haven’t Seen New York Until You’ve Seen Staten Island
The ”Unexpected Borough” tag line has taken off, and people are using it everywhere. It has been so well-received because the entire campaign is completely void of desperation and packed with confidence. Staten Island isn’t begging people to visit, they are asserting the notion that you haven’t truly seen New York without visiting Staten Island. There is so much to offer, and so much love to spread, which is why Colleen and Jennifer have seen such a great return on their investment in this project. When people finally do get to see Staten Island, they are proactively sharing their experiences for the world to see. It has created a compound effect that is driving visitor traffic to this day.
- Website:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/visit-staten-island-7946a814a/
- Jennifer’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-sammartino-mallen-212b414/
- Colleen’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-siuzdak-b6561a62/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VisitStatenIsland/
- Twitter: @SI_Tourism