You're In Good Company

"Tell me what company you keep and I'll tell you what you are." - Miguel De Cervantes

De Cervantes published Don Quixote in 1605. The novel tells the story of an elderly man who becomes so enamored by old stories of brave knights that he seeks out his adventures. The story, the world's first bestseller, was eventually translated into more than 60 different languages and to this day, stands tribute to the romance of adventure.

Take A Look at our Exclusive TAS Sizzle Reel

Want a better idea of what the Travel & Adventure Show series is all about? Want to know what current exhibitors, long time and 1st time, think about the show? Take a look at our official TAS Sizzle Reel!

Produced in-house, this video includes comments from celebrity speakers such as Samantha Brown, Rick Steves, Pauline Frommer and Patricia Schultz, current exhibitors and attendees. 

Enjoy!

Get to Know Us

This month's edition of "Get to Know Us" focuses on Jonathan Golicz, the Travel & Adventure Show Community Marketing Manager.

Your Best Family Vacation

I've been very fortunate to be able to say that I've gone on some pretty epic vacations in my life. But the one trip that stands out more than the rest is definitely a two week Europe vacation with my parents, sister and brother. We spent the first 4 days in London before hopping on the Eurostar (the train that goes through the Chunnel) and spent over a week in France, primarily in Paris. From Buckingham Palace to the Natural History Museum to the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Tower of London and the Champagne Caves, we saw it all.

Each day was more amazing than the one before it and some of the things that I learned and experienced will not only stay with me for the rest of my life, but also shaped the way that I travel and changed what I look for in traveling.

2014: The Year for Travel

U.S. Consumers may be spending less at the malls, and it may be to save up for a vacation according to preliminary information on early trip planners. From Bermuda and the Bahamas to Orlando, FL and to the Pacific Rim, travelers are making more time for vacations in 2014. 

There are many stats showing a strong travel surge by U.S. consumers in the coming year(s). Globally, international tourism was up 5% in 2013, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization. UNWTO also predicts an increase of an additional 4 to 4.5% in 2014.

Additionally, an American Express Spending & Saving Tracker report released earlier this year confirmed an increasing number of Americans are planning more leisure travel in 2014 than they did in 2013.

RECORD U.S. TRAVELER SENTIMENT

Leisure travel intentions among U.S. adults are also strengthening, rising to their highest level since 2007 according to the February 2014 Travelhorizons survey conducted by MMGY Global. More than 6 in 10 U.S. adults (64%) expect to take at least one leisure trip between now and August 2014, which is seven points higher than recorded in February 2013 (57%). This data suggests that spring and summer leisure travel demand should be strong.

In other positive news for the travel industry, MMGY Global's overall Traveler Sentiment Indext (TSI) has risen to its highest level since the index was first published in March of 2007. The TSI now stands at 106 - six points higher than March 2007's benchmark score of 100 and up nine points from February 2013. The largest increases were observed in the perceived "affordability of travel" and "personal finances available for travel," suggesting that U.S. travelers may be feeling significantly better about the state of their household finances than about one year ago. 

At the 2014 Travel & Adventure Shows, exhibitors just needed to look at the aisles to see the marked increase in attendance at each record breaking show to witness this new travel enthusiasm. 

A vast majority of our exhibitors mentioned a definitive increase in attendee activity, interest and yes, BOOKINGS with this year's show cycle. Our thousands of show surveys also confirmed the jump in consumer sentiment and is primarily attributed to travelers' positive feelings about having enough money and time to take pleasure trips. People are starting, once again, to take bigger, more extravagant vacations. 

Sarah Gavin, a travel expert with online booking company Expedia, told CNBC on Thursday that "people are planning slightly longer summer vacations than last year." For people in major U.S. markets searching for summer travel, the top destinations are currently Cancun and Los Cabos, Mexico, Las Vegas, Orlando, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, Seattle, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Gain also stated that travelers from the U.S. are looking to make more trips to Europe and Asia this summer. With the Asia trips (mainly Thailand, China, the Philippines and Taiwan) likely due for a 4% price drop over last year, the European vacations appear to be catching up to pent-up demand left over from the recession, she said.

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE SHOW CYCLE A RECORD BREAKER

All of these stats are again confirmed by the Travel & Adventure Shows which saw a combined 29% growth in exhibit participation series wide, with each show setting record attendance.

All in all, beginning with Dallas and ending with San Diego, together we welcomed over 113,500 season travel enthusiasts! Our LA, Chicago and Washington DC shows are now numbers 1, 2 and 3 respectively in terms of attendance. With the expansion to the entire Long Beach Convention Center and the upsizing of many exhibitors, our LA show will be the largest of every measure in the country.

SAN DIEGO LAUNCH OUR BEST EVER

Over 12,800 people attended the inaugural San Diego event much to our and our exhibitor's delight. 

Once again, brave exhibitors faced packed aisles and from the minute the show opened, exhibitors were in sales mode fielding informed questions and booking trips from our most affluent audience to date.

Like all of our events, the San Diego attendees were enthusiastic, ready to travel and on top of that, a wonderfully friendly crowd. Over 57% had household incomes over $100k,  68% were over age 45 and over 58% spend over $5,000 annually on travel. Along with those outstanding numbers, an astonishing 28% of San Diego attendees spend over $10,000 on travel!

So, we bring the show season to a close with another record event and our best launch in over ten years. But more importantly is the outlook of success we see for our over 1,200 customers. We are humbled by the many compliments we received post show season from many of you, and the overwhelming re-sign we have seen for the next show cycle. 

Many exhibitors are adding new markets, supporting our Philadelphia show (which incidentally is already the largest show ever in the Philly metro area) and increasing booth size to handle more traveler interactions for next year.

From the entire Travel & Adventure Show Team - a big thank you to all of our loyal and growing number of exhibitors! We work hard for you year round and we are pleased that we have helped so many travelers connect with you this season.

We have enjoyed seeing you this past show season and look forward to meeting you at various industry events, offices and meetings over the off season. 

Please accept our well wishes and our hope for strong bookings!

As always, thanks for reading.

See you in October at the Dallas Convention Center where the adventure continues!

John Golicz, CEO

Exclusive TAS Interview with Patricia Schultz

Travel & Adventure Show Featured Speaker, and author of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, Patricia Schultz sheds some light on her experiences at the Travel & Adventure Show Series. Patricia has spoken at the 2014 Chicago, Bay Area and Los Angeles Shows and will be speaking at this month's San Diego Show!

What advantages does exhibiting in the Travel & Adventure Show Series has for destinations, CVB's and tour operators?

The foremost advantage must be the chance to engage face-to-face with a very wide demographic - young, old, well-traveled and not -- who may not have had interest in a particular destination prior to coming to the show. The energy at the shows is upbeat, fun and contagious - and if a destination is visually represented there, it captures a segment of the public perhaps otherwise unattainable before.

Get to Know Us - Melanie Flavin

This month’s “Get to Know Us” focuses on Travel & Adventure Show Director Melanie Flavin.

What is your best travel memory/best trip you have ever taken?

This is a hard question for me as every trip and the memories that I’ve made are all equal – even if the experiences may have been vastly different.  My first taste of travel was at the young age of three when my Mom and I traveled through Europe for a month.   While I don’t remember much of the details, I know that this trip shaped who I am.   As a kid I dreamt about going to faraway places, and, once I could afford it, I made travel a priority.  I’ve been lucky to have traveled to over 7 countries and 20 U.S. states.

San Diego Travel & Adventure Show Sponsorship Opportunities

As the last show in our 2014 Show Cycle, San Diego, quickly approaches (March 29-30), our focus here at the Travel & Adventure Show is already on how to make ourselves better for next year. So far, TAS has had over 90,400 attendees pass through its doors in just 4 Shows. Not only is this great and exciting news for Show Management, but it should also be exciting news for you, the exhibitors, as you have had the opportunity to showcase your product to more enthusiastic, highly qualified travel consumers than any other travel show in the country!

With our San Diego Show being a new market for TAS, we'd like to take this opportunity to present the remaining promotional opportunities still available to take advantage of. From social media contests, to Taste of Travel Stage sponsorships, there are numerous ways to expose your brand!

Social Media Opportunities

One of the main aspects of the Travel & Adventure Show's brand new, multi-media marketing initiative in 2014 has been the focus on our social media outlets. At this time last year, the TAS Facebook page had just over 4,200 page likes. 1 year later, our page like amount has doubled to over 8,400.

One of the driving factors in the growth of our Facebook page has been the implementation of our Fan Photo Contests. Held in 2 markets this year, we encouraged our Facebook fans to submit their favorite 2013 Vacation Photos for a chance to win Once-In-A-Lifetime type trips. The top 3 pictures with the most votes, moved on to the finals which were hosted live at the Show after Samantha Brown's Saturday speaking session. Samantha then picks, and announces, the Grand Prize Winner in front of a packed Travel Channel Theater audience.

Fan Photo Contest                    Chicago '14 Contest                 LA '14 Contest
# of People Engaged                         6,891                               8,648        
# of Total Impressions                    275,274                            176,994       
# of People Reached                       157,701                            130,763       
# of Contest Page Views                   24,063                              12,046       
# of Participants                                 165                                 115         
# of Voters                                       2,098                                995         
# of New Leads Captured                   2,263                               1,110        


Another social media initiative offered by the Travel & Adventure Show is the sponsorship of the Pixe Social Photo Booth. At the 2014 DC TAS, Pixe Social took a 10' x 20' booth and used their unique event tailored software to take over 240 attendee/exhibitor pictures, resulting in above average engagement numbers. Pixe's software takes pictures of attendees and exhibitors alike using props and a step and repeat banner, and then puts those pictures in a dedicated Facebook album. The picture itself gets branded with the TAS logo on the left hand side, and the sponsor's logo on the right hand side. The Pixe software also allows for custom hashtag placement as well as a specific message.

For more information on Social Media Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Jonathan at jonathan_golicz@unicomm.org or by phone at 203-878-2577 x125.

Taste of Travel Theater

Also new to the 2014 TAS Series is the updated Taste of Travel Theater. Completely redesigned with stadium seating, Chef placement and high-definition monitors and cameras, attendees have packed the Theater full to see top name Chefs prepare exotic foods from across the world.

Previous Chefs have included Chef Tim Matthews, Fabio Viviani, Chef Dwight Evans, Chef Berlin Lillard, Gloria Govan-Barnes and many more!

If you would like to sponsor the Taste of Travel Stage, or sponsor a presentation, please contact Kira Doran at kdoran@unicomm.org or call 203-878-2577 x100 for more information!

In Their Words - Owadan Tourism - Turkmenistan

Profiled in this month’s “In Their Words,” is Owadan Tourism’s Christina Tarasova representing Turkmenistan.

On Their Decision to Participate in the Travel & Adventure Show Series

Travel on “the Great Silk Road” has grown in popularity immensely in the past years. Many people have traversed the Chinese section of the Silk Road, and are now keen to take

Get to Know Us - Nancy Iannotta

In this month’s edition of “Get to Know Us,” we’re profiling TAS Director of Sales Nancy Iannotta!

Favorite Travel Quote

I have been blessed with taking many trips with my family. We are very fortunate although we live in different states that we truly enjoy our time together. We are like the United Nations, my husband is from Italy and we tease since we are all married to different nationalities that we have been very lucky to learn about so many different cultures. So my favorite quote would have to be: “The World is Like a Book and those who do not travel, see only one page.”

Attendee Satisfaction

This past weekend we joined over 3,000 of our exhibitor personnel at our 9th Annual Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show®, held at the Long Beach Convention Center, February 8-9.

Wow!  What a weekend.  We were excited to set a new attendance record with a +13% increase to 32,181 travel enthusiasts and travel trade attending, with a record 450 exhibitor booths, making it the largest attended travel show in the United States.

Social Media and the Travel & Adventure Show

With our biggest Travel & Adventure Show,Long Beach, only days away, it is vital for exhibitors to extend their reach into the local market before the Show to ensure high levels of booth traffic are achieved. One of the most effective ways to do this, is to utilize our Travel & Adventure Show social media outlets. 

From exclusive show specials, to booth attractions, or just simply posting your booth number, tagging us in your Facebook or Twitter posts is a great way to reach our attendees. We've also uploaded pictures and logos of every exhibitor in our Shows on Pinterest, so be sure to re-pin to your account to let your followers know you're participating! 

JetSet Extra at the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show

Travel & Adventure Show Media Sponsor JetSet Extra released a video highlighting exhibitors and their destinations at the Chicago Travel & Adventure Show. Take a look below!

Thanks to JetSet Extra for their support of the 2014 Travel & Adventure Show Series!

Travel & Adventure Show Fan Photo Contest

Travel & Adventure Show Fan Photo Contest

At this year’s Chicago Show, T&AS unveiled a brand new social media component – a Facebook Photo Contest. Travel & Adventure Show Facebook fans were asked to enter their favorite vacation pictures from 2013 for a chance to win a free trip for 2 to Mexico, courtesy of Contest Co-Sponsors Mexico Tourism Board, Los Cabos Tourism Board and AeroMexico. The results were outstanding!

The winning photo!

After 165 participants, 195 entries and over 2,800 votes, 3 pictures with the most votes were chosen for a trip to the Final Round which took place Live at the Travel Channel Theater after Samantha Brown’s speaking session. The 3 Finalists received front row seats to Samantha’s session and a Family pack of 4 tickets to the Chicago Show where Samantha would select the Grand Prize Winner. The Grand Prize included:

Get to Know Us

Your best travel memory?

My best travel memory is a trip I took two years ago with my best friend. We went to California for two weeks and drove the coast from San Francisco to San Diego. I have been to California several times throughout my life, as it is my birth place, but I have never had the opportunity to experience it this way. I got to take my time exploring the Coast and seeing the different nuances in the California culture from North to South.

Stand out moment from that trip?

The best memory from that trip was the drive through Big Sur. We stopped at a vista point and the view took my breath away. From the sheer drop off to the cliff, to the seemingly never ending Pacific Ocean, it was incredible. Ashley and I stayed there for over an hour just soaking in the view. To this day I honestly cannot get enough of that view, which is why I have pictures of it all over my apartment!

Successful Travel & Adventure Show Exhibits

Congratulations, you've made a great investment in the country's largest and fastest growing Travel Show! To maximize your ROI and get the best possible results from the Travel & Adventure Show, your booth needs to attract as many attendees as possible by using everything from sharp visuals, to engaging attractions, to proper booth etiquette by your booth staff. In this 3 Part Blog-Series, Show Management at TAS will give you insider information on how to make sure your booth gets the traffic it deserves to bring in leads and sales from the Show's qualified attendees.

In part 1, we'll give you examples and tips on how to make your booth visually appealing to your future customers.

Booth Design
Thousands of highly qualified, affluent and experienced travelers flock to the Travel & Adventure Show in search of one thing: the perfect vacation. Most of them already know what destination or tour they're looking for before they even hit the Show Floor, which is why it is imperative to create a great first impression. 

You've Made the Investment, Are you Maximizing It?

This past January 11th and 12th, the first Travel Show of the 2014 season kicked off with our Chicago Travel & Adventure Show. I, like all that attended, were overwhelmed by the heavy turnout from affluent, savvy Chicagoland attendees. 

Much to the delight of our exhibitors and speakers, 21,000 people attended the show this past weekend - a 7% increase over 2013. Theaters were at standing room only and at the main Travel Channel Theater, crowds up to 1,000 took in presentations from Rick Steves, Samantha Brown, Travel Channel's Todd Carmichael, the legendary Pauline Frommer and bestselling author Patricia Schultz. 

Show Specials - Chicago Travel & Adventure Show

There is one thing you can do that will have overwhelming success at your next Travel & Adventure Show Exhibit and it's THE #1 THING ATTENDEES WANT -- A DEAL!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2014!