If you’ve ever been excited about making a big announcement, and then found yourself disappointed at the lack of response or awareness from your audience, the following tips can help to ensure your next announcement makes a big impact, as you maximize your reach at a tourism conference.

Conference Sponsorship

A tourism conference or trade show sponsorship is a great way to get some visibility in the tourism industry. There are many different conferences to choose from, and it’s important to select one where attendees will be the right audience for you.

For example:

If you are looking to increase visibility with consumers, then a consumer travel trade show is a good choice – many of them are themed (i.e. adventure travel, cruises, etc), so make sure the topic is something relevant to your destination or product.

For travel professionals looking to partner and network with each other, there are many industry conferences and travel trade shows. A large national travel industry trade show such as ABA or NTA will reach a high number of travel professionals, but sponsorships will likely have a higher price tag and more competition for attention. Sometimes, smaller regional or niche shows may be a better fit, if you can tap into the right audience for your business.

How we did it:

TAP chose to launch our new brand at the New York State Tourism Industry Association (NYSTIA) conference. As a New York State based business, our connections and client base are strongest in this state, and it was a perfect fit to celebrate our new brand and strengthen relationships with our existing clients and connections, as well as drawing some attention from new local contacts and prospective clients or partners.

Choosing the Right Sponsorship to Maximize Your Exposure

There are many different types of conference sponsorships, and they come with a variety of benefits to increase your visibility. Here are a few of the most common mediums of exposure included with conference sponsorships:

• Presentation time – speaking and/or visual presentations such as video or PowerPoint
• Text – business description or update in conference communications or printed materials
• Logos and images – on printed materials or custom conference swag

Choosing the right sponsorship will be dependent on your goal. If you are a destination and your goal is to attract more visitors or travel trade, then visual presentations or imagery will be key. Some creative visual sponsorships that are often available at tourism conferences include photo booths, custom hotel door hangers, or custom hotel key cards.

On the other hand, if you are launching a major announcement or rebrand, then speaking time and/or text updates will be the way to go, so you can be sure to get your message out.

Of course, budget will also play a factor. If you are launching a new brand, presentation time is ideal, but those types of sponsorships do come with a higher price tag. If that’s not in your budget, there are typically lower price point options that will include logo placement in multiple conference materials and communications, which is a great way to show off your new logo and create some buzz.

How we did it:

TAP chose a sponsorship package that included a presentation from stage (where our CEO Nicole Mahoney shared about our brand journey), hosting an evening networking reception, and logo placements in printed materials and conference communications. In addition, we sponsored the conference delegate bags, and were able to include some swag and a flyer about our services and membership programs.

Show Off What Makes You Unique

In order to attract the right clients and partnerships at a conference – the ones who will fit best with your business – you need to know exactly who you are. Your company’s values, purpose, and character should be woven through everything you do, including conference activities and sponsorships. When delegates can easily catch glimpses of what makes you unique, chances are much higher that they will take the time to seek you out and find out more about what you do.

How we did it:

When TAP launched our new brand at the NYSTIA conference, we highlighted several of our unique values and traditions – including innovation, and our light-hearted and passionate TAP traditions – through our sponsorship of the conference, and specifically an evening networking reception.

Highlighting a Core Value: INNOVATIVE

As one of our core values, being innovative is a large part of what makes TAP unique. When we sponsored and hosted a networking event as part of the NYSTIA conference, we went beyond the usual expectation of a simple mingling event with snacks and drinks, and planned a card matching game that would encourage people to actively seek out new connections. The game was so effective that people raved about this engaging ice-breaker and asked for permission to use our idea at their own events. Demonstrating our innovation? Mission accomplished!

Highlighting a Core Value:
LIGHT-HEARTED & PASSIONATE

One TAP tradition that we enjoy at our own annual conference TAP Dance is a boisterous and passionate welcome to our highly valued supplier delegates. Staff and tour operator partners stand on either side of the room entrance and clap and cheer as the attendees enter, making them feel appreciated and welcomed. We decided to bring this tradition to our sponsored networking event at the NYSTIA conference, and it was a big highlight, with many guests enjoying the experience so much that they turned around and went back for a second entrance!

Making Connections at Conference Events

While sponsorships are a great way to increase visibility, there are other things that you can do as a regular conference attendee to enhance your team presence, or even stand out as memorable without a sponsorship.

Stand Out From the Crowd with Unique Team Apparel and Swag

When TAP was planning our brand launch, we knew that we wanted team apparel and swag that stood out from the crowd. We achieved this by choosing branded items that were out of the ordinary – and the most unique choice by far was our branded sneakers. The amount of buzz that these created in just one conference made the purchase well worthwhile, and they continue to draw attention and comments at every conference that our team attends.

Make the Most of Every Opportunity to Network

If you’re attending a conference on your own, it will force you to introduce yourself and meet new people. But when teams attend a conference together, they often tend to group together – and even when you’re on your own, sometimes you’ll connect with a few people right away, and spend the rest of the conference gravitating towards the people you’ve already met.

While it’s a good idea to nurture good connections that you may find, it’s also important to make the most of the networking opportunities that are available at conferences by spreading out and meeting as many people as you can. You might have eye-catching branded apparel, but in a sea of conference attendees, not everyone may get the chance to notice you!

How we did it:

Even though TAP had a sponsored table for all the conference meals, we deliberately spread out and used the opportunity to meet as many people as possible. The branded sneakers that our team members wore also made an excellent icebreaker, as people couldn’t help but comment on them nearly every time we met someone new!

Using these strategies to stand out and maximize your reach at a tourism conference can spread your message like wildfire! You can read more about TAP’s full brand journey, and how we determined who we are (and the message we wanted to spread) in this blog post, or listen to Nicole tell our story on the Destination on the Left podcast.

The post Making a Splash: How to Maximize Reach for Your Brand at a Tourism Conference appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.

Branding is more than a wordmark, icon, or a color palette. It is a representation of who you are as a company, what you stand for and what your customers can expect from you. In a way, it seems like an abstract concept, but it is anything but abstract. In fact, when you have a solid brand, you have a concrete foundation to build and grow your business. 

Lesson 1: Start with a Clear Vision

A clear vision serves as the foundation for any successful branding project. Back in 2018, we embarked on a journey to build a company that transcended traditional marketing services, envisioning a community-driven platform for industry collaboration and growth. This vision, crafted with a 10-year outlook, provided a roadmap for our aspirations and guided our strategic decisions. 

Your vision should be written as if you were talking to someone on a future date. Pick a date 5 or 10 years in the future and write about yourself as if you have transported there. When you create your vision using a present tense it is easier to believe and to see what is possible. We created our first vision imagining how we would describe ourselves in 2028. This is important because without a vision, you cannot attract what you need to achieve it. It would be like driving somewhere without a map, just wandering aimlessly ahead. 

Lesson 2: Vision Drives Decision-Making

Throughout our journey, our vision has been our guiding light, steering us through uncertainties and informing strategic decisions. Even during challenging times like the pandemic, our vision provided clarity and direction, guiding us toward our long-term goals. With a clear vision in place, we were able to weather storms and stay focused on our mission of serving the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. 

It was because of our 10-year vision that we decided to acquire Travel Alliance Partners (TAP) at the end of 2021. We had been the marketing and operational partner for TAP since 2018 and we helped the organization that was owned by 26 tour operators survive the pandemic. At the end of that huge downturn, the tour operators who owned TAP needed to put their energy and focus into rebuilding their own businesses. Our team saw the value that TAP brought to the industry and how it aligned with our vision, so we decided to acquire the company and help to rebuild it into the collaborative innovative organization that it had been known for.  

Lesson 3: Define the Problem Before Branding

When you set out to create a new brand, recognize why you are embarking on this journey before starting it. In our case, we had three distinct brands: Break the Ice Media, Travel Alliance Partners, and our podcast, Destination on the Left. Recognizing the need for a branding overhaul, we sought expert guidance to define our challenges clearly. This step was crucial in laying the groundwork for our rebranding efforts and ensuring alignment with our overarching goals. Our initial conversation with branding expert Karley Cunningham from Big Bold Brand helped us pinpoint key challenges, such as communicating the value of our diverse offerings under three distinct brands. 

Lesson 4: Engage Employees in the Process

Our team’s involvement from the early stages proved instrumental in the success of our rebranding project. By keeping our employees informed and engaged, we fostered a sense of ownership and commitment to the new brand vision. We shared our progress transparently, solicited feedback, and empowered our team members to contribute their ideas and insights. 

Lesson 5: Build a Strong Foundation

A lasting brand requires a solid foundation built on purpose, values, and a clear brand promise. We invested time and effort in crafting these essential elements, ensuring they reflected our company’s ethos and aspirations. Working with Karley and her team, we developed a comprehensive toolkit encompassing our purpose statement, guiding principles, brand character, and more. 

Lesson 6: Recognize the Need for Additional Resources

As our branding project evolved, we recognized the need for additional resources to bring our vision to life. Hiring a dedicated team member proved invaluable in supporting the branding process and driving its success. We also leveraged external expertise to supplement our internal capabilities, ensuring a comprehensive approach to brand development. 

Lesson 7: Focus Internally and Externally

Balancing internal alignment with external brand development was key to our rebranding journey. By addressing operational aspects alongside brand strategy, we ensured a seamless transition and maximized organizational buy-in. Our quarterly leadership team meetings became forums for discussing operational changes, while our external communication efforts focused on generating excitement and anticipation for the new brand. 

We started using our new brand language externally before launching our new brand. This gave us the opportunity to start testing the language and practicing with it before launch. We included it in our job postings, client proposals and marketing materials. Our combined brands each used the language. We didn’t give away that we were becoming one brand, but we had strategic language that better aligned with the value we bring to our clients and members and we started using it as we were evolving in small steps. 

Internally, we focused on aligning everything with the new brand, including our organizational chart, job descriptions, accounting systems, internal communications, meeting cadence, project management and our standard operating procedures.  

Lesson 8: Brand Launch is Just the Beginning

A brand launch marks the beginning of an ongoing journey, not the endpoint. We adopted a phased approach to rollout, recognizing that continued engagement and refinement are essential for sustained brand success. Our launch plan included a timeline for quarterly activities extending through 2024, ensuring that our brand evolution remains dynamic and responsive to evolving market trends. 

Our brand launch plan identified four key goals: 

1. Create intentional content

2. Generate awareness & buzz

3. Provide a positive & exciting experience

4. Highlight our expanded offerings

The plan included our key messages, launch strategies, and paid, earned, shared and owned tactics. As you can imagine, a brand rollout plan has a lot of moving parts and a lot of details in it. It is important to have a written document that everyone on the team can follow with lists for all areas that need to be considered. Here is a checklist of things to consider when rolling out a new brand. 

Lesson 9: Embrace Cathedral Thinking

Embracing cathedral thinking, we approached our branding journey with a long-term perspective. We envisioned the impact of our brand for generations to come. By thinking beyond immediate results, we set the stage for enduring success. Just as medieval stonemasons, architects and artisans built cathedrals with future generations in mind, we laid the groundwork for a brand that will stand the test of time. 

Our branding journey has been a transformative experience, filled with valuable lessons and insights. From starting with a clear vision to embracing cathedral thinking, each lesson has shaped our brand’s evolution and will continue to guide our future endeavors. As we embark on this new chapter with our refreshed brand, we invite you to join us in embracing these lessons and charting your own path to branding success. 

We invite you to explore our new brand and learn more about our company’s journey. Explore our website to discover how a clear vision and strategic approach can transform your own branding efforts. Join us in embracing cathedral thinking and building brands that leave a lasting legacy in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry. 

The post Lessons Learned from a Branding Journey: Insights from Our Company’s Transformation appeared first on Travel Alliance Partnership.