Pocono Mountains Tourism Day

Congratulations to the 2013 Tourism Achievement Award Winners!  

Below is information pertaining to our Pocono Mountains Tourism Day that took place May 15, 2013 at the Bushkill Inn:

~ Tourism Day Agenda ~ Sponsors ~ 

Agenda

9:30 a.m.  (Panorama Corridor)
Registration (Coffee & Tea)

10:00 a.m.  (Panorama Corridor)
Welcome/Opening Remarks: Carl Wilgus 

10:05 a.m.  (Panorama Corridor) (Presentation)
TripAdvisor & Reputation Management Presentation: Mark Preston
Learn all of the best practices from TripAdvisor, the World's largest travel site. Learn how to increase booking traffic to your property site, as well as, how to enhance your website using free TripAdvisor tools. Discover how to maintain a positive online reputation and appropriate ways to respond to guest reviews. Lastly, hear about implementing strategies to help gain more reviews on TripAdvisor.

10:45 a.m.  (Panorama Corridor)
Smith Travel Research Presentation: Angela Keen
This data driven presentation will specifically address how the hotel industry has performed at a U.S., Mid-Atlantic, and local market level. Also, STR will be addressing ways to help in tourism efforts. We are aware statistics assist in running better businesses, but where does the data originate? Stay tuned to find out. 

11:15 a.m.  (Panorama Corridor)
Longwoods Research Report on Visitation by David West
The 2012 Pocono Mountains tourism business report including overnight trips, trip characteristics and expenditures. 

12:00 p.m. (Franklin Center)
Pocono Mountains Tourism Achievement Awards & Luncheon

12:50 p.m. (Franklin Center)
Grand Premier of PMVB Summer 2013 Commercials

1:00 p.m. (Franklin Center)
Introduction of Keynote Speaker

1:05 p.m. (Franklin Center)
Keynote Speaker Presentation: Bob Allen, IDEAS - The Power of the Brand
Using stories and anecdotes from IDEAS work around the world, Bob will provide a look at what destination branding means in the networked and lightning fast “World 4.0”. What works, what is essential and the highlights of the evolution of the Pocono Mountains brand from 2007 to the present including some top line findings from a recent strategic StoryJam. With a focus on what the region is doing well today, Bob will showcase some big themes for the continued growth of the Pocono Mountains brand.

2:00 p.m. (Franklin Center)
Closing Remarks  

Mark Preston- Northeast DMO Sales Manager, TripAdvisor

While serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small community in the Andes Mountains in Ecuador, Mark learned the true power and influence travel and tourism can have on a local economy.  As a six year veteran of TripAdvisor Media Group, Mark has helped customize online campaigns for clients ranging from airlines to OTAs. In his current role, as the Northeast DMO Sales Manager at TripAdvisor, Mark leverages his prior experience driving bookings to destination marketing efforts within the Northeast region.

Angela Keen - Director of Client Services, STR (Smith Travel Research, Inc)

Angela Keen is responsible for managing and maintaining positive relationships between STR and its corporate clients and properties. She has spoken and presented at various industry events and specializes primarily in the STAR Report.

Bob Allen - Chief Storytelling Officer and Principal Executive, IDEAS

In July of 2001, Bob Allen formed Integrity Arts and Technology, Inc. and completed a management buyout of IDEAS. The buyout allowed IDEAS to retain Disney as a client while broadening its market scope and facilitating the creation of original story-based content for converged media uses. Today, IDEAS uses the power of purposeful storytelling and "design thinking" to create brands, produce media, transform organizational culture and design and enhance immersive experiences in the location-based entertainment, hospitality and healthcare industries. The IDEAS team aggregates over 400 years of experience bringing out the central premise that powerful stories create powerful results to a diverse collection of clients and audiences via almost every delivery platform imaginable across the entire experience design chain from concept to execution from new brands for Florida's Workforce system to a new guest experience at Spaceport America in New Mexico.. Read more. 

Thank you to our Sponsors