Using the newest Virtual Reality video technology, Nathan Claycomb, business development manager, for Sight & Sound Theatres, has been able to communicate the essence of the attraction (there are two theatres—one in Lancaster County, Pa., and the other in Branson, Mo.) in a way video never could, and he’ll be one of the featured speakers May 16-17 at NAJ’s RTO Summit East at the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel. Following is the complete program for the event, which takes place on day one of the Summit. Day two comprises face-to-face business meetings.
RTO SUMMIT EAST PROGRAM†
May 15, 2017
Wyndham New Yorker Hotel
(i)=Invited but not confirmed.
9:00-9:30 am: Key Digital Marketing Trends to Reach International Travelers. A brief overview of UK, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Germany, China, India. Presenter: Florian Hermann, Creative Director, NAJ Content Studio
9:30-10:00 am: How to Create a Shoulder Season SEO Co-Op Programs for international and Domestic Marketing
– How do we advise our webmaster to make our site searchable to international visitors?
– SEM: How do we generate international trade leads using paid search?
– What free Google tools can help me save time and energy?
– How Can Google help me find the best websites to connect with tour operators and consumers?
– What tools exist on Youtube to translate our videos to make them useful to tour operators ?
Presenter: Laszlo Horvath, CEO, ActiveMedia
10:00-10:30: Five Simple Things to Know about Facebook to Help Sell More Attraction Product
– Which source countries are most responsive to Facebook marketing?
– How do I build a following in these markets and at what cost?
– How can I use Facebook targeting tools to find the best audience?
– How can I use “Custom Audiences” to boost posts to my e-mail list of trade contacts
– How to use “Facebook Live” and Facebook video to promote my organization
Presenter Talia Salem, President, Urban Nomad (i) (formerly social media director for Brand USA) Jason Hackett, CEO, Briar Katama
10:30-10:50 am: What is Most Effective for Trade Show Follow Up: e-Mail or Social Media? According to an NAJ follow up survey.
- 91.1% of attendees are on Facebook and 60.7% are on LinkedIN at least 2x/week
- 55.6% communicate with RTO’s and 44.5% with Int’l Operators via Social Media
- 49.9% conduct e-mail marketing campaigns to RTO’s.
Presenter: TBA
10:50-11:10 am: Coffee Break sponsored by TourOperatorLand.com
11:10-11:30 am: Brand USA’s Creative Approach to promoting the USA in key international Presenter: Anna Klapper, Director, Global Market Development, Brand USA
11:30-12:00 noon: The UK Traveler’s Path to Purchase? According to their research, the average traveler visits 145 websites before they pull the trigger. Presentation includes a summary of the following:
- Desktop and mobile usage trends across the purchase path
- Factors influencing destination consideration
- Resources utilized during the pre-booking window
- Advertising effectiveness by channel and purchase phase
Presenter: Derek Price, Expedia Media Solutions (i)
12:00-12:30 pm: Key Travel Trends from UK, Germany and France. TripAdvisor will be releasing the most recent version of their European Travel Monitor research including how inbound hotel bookings have been affected by Brexit and decline in the Euro and Donald Trump’s presidency. Presenter: Mark Preston, TripAdvisor (i)
12:30-2:00 pm: Lunch on own
2:00-2:30 pm: Unique Selling Strategies for International Markets. Using the newest Virtual Reality video technology, Nathan Claycomb, Business Development manager, for Sight and Sound Theatres, was able to communicate the essence of Sight and Sound Theatres in a way video never could.
2:30-3:00 pm: Five Things You Need to Know about Digital Marketing to reach Chinese FITs:
- What Channels do Chinese Travelers use to search for travel information?
- What websites do Chinese tourists use to book travel?
- What’s the difference between We Chat personal vs We Chat Commercial Platform?
- Strategies to construct an affordable digital marketing strategy in China
- What are the key ROI or KPI (Key Performance Indicators) to use?
Presenter: David Becker, President, Attract China
3:00-3:30 pm: How attractions sellers are using We Chat and Weibo to Target Chinese consumers.
Presenter: Sally Berry, Tourism Sales and Marketing Manager, Corning Museum of Glass
3:30-4:00 pm: Power Panel #1: Best Online Coop Examples that have Driven Low Season International Business.
- TripAdvisor: Mark Preston (i)
- Expedia Media Solutions: Derek Price (i)
- Travelzoo: Bonnie Borkin (i)
4:00-4:10 pm: Coffee Break sponsored by TourOperatorLand.com
4:10-5.00 pm: Top RTO Executives Discuss the evolution of the International Markets from their Perspective: Panelists:
- India: Pabs Raghava, President, Tours Limited
- Western Europe: Mark Morello, President, AlliedTPro (i); Enzo Peretta, CEO, TeamAmerica (i)
- Germany: Peter Dorner, President, New World Travel
- China: Jack Lock, C-Tour (formerly L&L travel) (i)† For program updates and registration information, visit: http://www.rtosummit.com/east/
