—from Jake Steinman, editor-in-chief of INBOUND.
Q: Which collateral is best to leave behind for your appointments at the IPW?
A: A one-page (front & back) summary w/ photos and captions and e-mail them a pdf after the show
Q: When meeting a new buyer at IPW, what should you do?
A: Three things we recommend are:
—Inquire about destinations they currently near you and the gateways cities.
—Determine which receptive tour operators they use and record that info for future use.
—Provide them with a list of Receptive Operators along with IPW booth numbers who are currently selling your product.
Q: If you meet an operator at IPW trying to sell you advertising in their brochure, what should you do?
A: If you don’t know them, act like a media buyer and ask them about distribution, price, reach, CPM, etc.; and, if you’re at all interested and the price is right, try to negotiate for additional free space. If the operator is well known dropping subtle hints about excluding you if you don’t pay to play, ask them for numbers–room night or ticket sales data– as part of the deal.
Q: How soon should you expect to see business materialize from a “traditional” tour operator you are meeting for the first time?
A: Normally 2-3 years. You’re meeting them while they are preparing to release their 2020 brochures, promoting tours that will be sold in late 2020-early 2021 that will operate in summer 2021.
Q: When meeting with someone already familiar with your product or destination, what are the most important features you should to highlight?
A: What’s new/what’s changed in the past year that can help them make money
Q: You’re a hotelier and buyer requests rates for 2020-21 season, which you do not yet have, how should you respond?
A: Provide them with an estimated range of percent change based on most recent industry forecasts and tell them
Q: What should I do if I encounter a buyer whose English is not understandable?
A: Take advantage of IPW’s official translation service, Jeenie. You’ll find more information on the Jeenie service here: https://www.ipw.com/translation-app
