Posts by Nicole
Are DMOs Evolving into Placemakers?
I have been exploring the changing role of destination marketing organizations (DMOs) through conversations with guests on my podcast Destination on the Left. My interest revolves around DMOs taking a more holistic approach to managing a destination’s brand and story by engaging with locals and serving the community in addition to focusing on attracting visitors.…
Read MoreGroup Travel Trends
Is group travel dead? My answer: yes and no! Group travel in its most traditional sense – loading 50 seniors on a bus and carting them around for several days on a sightseeing tour with stops for dining and maybe a show – is slowly going away. It is being replaced by smaller, more active…
Read More10 Must-listen Podcasts for Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Professionals
This week I celebrate 6 years since I launched my podcast, Destination on the Left, an award-winning show focused on creativity and collaboration in the travel and tourism industry. This week also marks the airing of my 300th episode and more than 75,000 downloads, more milestone markers crossed! Since launching one of the first podcasts…
Read MoreThe DMO of the Future
Everything we’ve gone through in the past few years has fast-forwarded the role of the DMO. It started to change shape, both to get through the pandemic and as a result of changes in our world. Many of these changes were already underway. We have been talking about place-making and destination management and cathedral thinking for…
Read MoreCollaboration is a Key to Improving Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Tourism
Collaborations will be more successful if we build our collaborative teams to be more diverse, equitable and inclusive. Further, collaboration itself is a key to helping our industry solve issues related to DEI. Collaboration by its very nature leads to more diversity. By partnering with other organizations and different types of collaborators, you will open…
Read MoreTourism Marketing for a Milestone Event: Getting ready for the 2024 Eclipse
Milestones are major events that mark significant change or a new development. Milestones are also markers along the way to know that you are progressing on your path or towards your goal. A milestone event such as a big anniversary historical event, or astrological event like the total solar eclipse offers a community the opportunity…
Read MoreCo-opetition: Good For Business
I am a huge believer in co-opetition – where perceived competitors cooperate and together create something bigger than they could do on their own. It is this type of collaboration that I think makes the biggest impact and the guests on my podcast Destination on the Left believe it too. I have been learning from…
Read MoreUsing Anniversaries, Celebrations and Awards for Tourism Marketing
![Using Anniversaries, Celebrations and Awards for Tourism Marketing [image of several people with wine glasses bringing them together to cheers]](https://breaktheicemedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/blog-titles-300x169.png)
Break the Ice Media celebrated a milestone anniversary in 2019, 10 years since I started the company. In that year, I was also recognized with the Small Business Person of the Year award from the Small Business Council of Rochester. Many celebrations, anniversaries and awards are integral to successful tourism marketing campaigns. Some of the ingredients…
Read MoreThe Creative Process and Collaboration
The very essence of the creative process that happens when producing theatre is grounded in collaboration. … it’s how you show up to the collaboration that will make the biggest impact.
Read MorePresentation and Listening Skills for Successful Collaborations
Improving presentation and listening skills will make us better communicators and collaborators. Performance coach Carol Lempert shared insights on how to sound and look confident, how to pitch an idea, and how to use high gain questions to make stronger connections and create better collaborations.
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