POPULARITY
Episode Notes The Skift Research team on Thursday unveiled its State of Travel 2024 report, a 400-page document with over 350 slides on industry performance and consumer and business trends in travel. The State of Travel 2024 is strong, reports head of research Seth Borko. Travel businesses are growing with healthy margins. The report contains information on, among other topics, the state of international travel after the pandemic. It contains detailed tourism figures for each major global region. In addition, the report examines some short-term issues, such as the likelihood of moderate growth in 2024 and beyond. Next, Booking Holdings and Expedia spent an enormous amount on marketing last year — nearly $13 billion combined. But there are key differences in how they spend, writes Senior Research Analyst Pranavi Agarwal. As a share of expenses, Agarwal notes Expedia spent more on marketing last year than it did in 2019 while Booking spent less. Expedia also needed to spend more than Booking to drive bookings. Expedia spent nearly 6% of its gross bookings on marketing in 2023 while Booking spent 4.5%. Skift Research's analysis shows Booking has a higher return on ad spend from Google's sponsored listings than Expedia in every region. Finally, Nashville has long been known as a popular destination for country music fans. But tourism officials in Tennessee's capital are looking to branch out and attract mega events, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam. Deana Ivey, CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., said it is a key objective for the city. Nashville has its sights set on hosting the Super Bowl and Wrestle Mania, among other events. The city has already hosted the NASCAR Ally 400. Ivey said another priority is attracting more international visitors. She acknowledged Nashville needs nonstop flights from its largest overseas markets to help boost visitor numbers. For more travel stories and deep dives into the latest trends, head to skift.com. Connect with Skift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/ X: https://twitter.com/skift Facebook: https://facebook.com/skiftnews Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/ WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/ Subscribe to @SkiftNews and never miss an update from the travel industry.
Inside Politics host Pat Nolan is joined by Deana Ivey, newly appointed President of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. On this edition of the show, we take a look at how tourism and hospitality performed in 2023 as a whole and what lies ahead for the future. For more information about the program, visit the NewsChannel 5+ website at - https://www.newschannel5.com/plus/inside-politicsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Deana Ivey, president and CEO of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., discusses the city's decision to focus on the role of music as part of its branding story. She also highlights the importance of the city hosting a wide variety of its own events, the importance of influencers in a city filled with celebrities, and how Nashville has managed to compete with top-tier destinations. Subscribe to ensure you don't miss an episode of the Skift Meetings Podcast. Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
For this first episode in a special two-part series of Destination on the Left episodes, I visited the Destinations International 2022 Annual Convention and spoke with several attendees who are experts in the travel and tourism industry. These convention attendees share valuable insights, and the common thread woven through our conversations was the importance of building strong relationships and partnerships for the future of destination marketing. I'm excited to share these mini-interviews, and I'm sure you'll find them invaluable in navigating your destinations' challenges. The brilliance each of these leaders shared is certain to be invaluable as we continue to navigate the pandemic. In this episode, you'll hear from these extraordinary leaders: Barry Biggar – President and CEO of Visit Fairfax Beth Gendler – President and CEO of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism Celestino Ruffini – CEO of Visit Beloit Dave Herrell – President and CEO of Visit Quad Cities Deana Ivey – President of Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp Dominic Bravo – CEO of Visit Cheyenne Jason Outman – CEO of Explore Branson Kelly Groff – President and CEO of Visit Montgomery Lance Woodworth – President and CEO of Destination Toledo Lindsey Steck – Marketing and Communications Manager for Visit Pensacola Insights on the Future of Destination Marketing at the Destinations International 2022 Annual Convention The Destinations International Annual Convention is a memorable industry event that brings together marketing specialists focusing on the travel and tourism industry to exchange ideas, share strategies and forge relationships. In 2022 the convention continued to focus on cultivating the need for marketers to take an innovative approach to overcoming the problems the industry has faced over the last two years and how they can continue to serve their communities. I was delighted to be able to speak to ten experts in the field about building successful partnerships, how to move through shared challenges, and get their insights on what they think the future of destination marketing will look like. Barry Biggar of Visit Fairfax Barry shares how the creation of the Northern Virginia Visitors Consortium has helped Visit Fairfax tap into visitors to Washington DC and how together, they can make a more significant difference in their region. He goes on to describe what Visit Fairfax does to continue to be relevant and the valuable lesson about connecting with the residents of the local communities that the pandemic taught them. Beth Gendler of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism Beth shares a recent example of a partnership with the local Fire Department Beach Safety Team that has worked well for her organization to improve the beach experience for visitors to the area. She also shares why workforce development is a problem for Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism, how the pandemic exacerbated the problem, and their amazing education solution enabling them to move through the challenge and still provide their fabled southern hospitality. Celestino Ruffini of Visit Beloit Celestino explains the number one challenge for Visit Beloit, why community engagement is so low, and how his team is trying to ensure that residents feel connected to the travel and tourism industry. He highlights the reasons why he would use the word ‘visionary' to describe the Destinations International Annual Convention, not least because of the wonderful opportunities to share plans and strategies with others in the travel and tourism industry. Dave Herrell of Visit Quad Cities Dave details how Visit Quad Cities has collaborated to elevate their community by aligning more strongly with the Chamber of Commerce to create a tourism master plan through their new regional brand initiative, QC, That's Where. We also discuss why the Destinations International Annual Convention is a fantastic chance to connect with colleagues and take back so many valuable golden nuggets of information, inspiration, and insight to his community. Deana Ivey of Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp Deana discusses why the key to partnerships is going into it as a long-term relationship, not just a one-off. She shares why her organization goes into relationships like they're a marriage to be in it together and help each other out and describes why Jack Daniels has been a fantastic partner of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp for 30 years. We also dive into why a large part of the future of the travel and tourism industry includes ensuring residents are happy and proud that there's tourism in their locations and creating a balance that benefits the community and visitors alike. Dominic Bravo of Visit Cheyenne Dominic and I discuss the power of partnership, and he shares how Visit Cheyenne created their plan, engaged with partners on their vision, and put their plans into action as a team. Dominic also highlights the importance of being nimble and dynamic as a destination marketing organization and describes why he views the Destinations International Annual Convention as a game changer for marketers. Jason Outman of Explore Branson Jason talks with me about how Explore Branson works closely with one of their largest developers Bass Pro, and why an emphasis on relationships has led to a broader vision for the entire region. We discuss why funding is the number one issue facing Jason's organization currently, how they are overcoming the challenge, and continuing to advocate for their community. Kelly Groff of Visit Montgomery Kelly joined me to share how the pandemic contributed to Visit Montgomery building critical, long-lasting relationships and how that opportunity paved the way for the future of how they plan and approach their marketing and strategies together. She also digs into what she sees as the future for destination marketers and why she feels the Destinations International Annual Convention is bringing sunshine to the travel and tourism industry. Lance Woodworth of Destination Toledo Lance and I talk about the importance of clear expectations of what the goals are when partnering or collaborating. We discuss how to measure success and ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the project. He also emphasizes the power of partnership when hosting large-scale events and shares the story of how his destination hosted the Solheim cup in 2021. Lindsey Steck of Visit Pensacola Lindsey, Destinations International 30 under 30 honoree, shares her insights on why destination marketers must be connected to their local community in order to tell the unique stories of the businesses and experiences that are found there. She describes why she believes that the future of destination marketing organizations hinges on their ability to continue being dynamic and engaging with others. The Future of DMOs All our visionary leaders shared why they believe that the future of successful destination marketing organizations lies in their ability to be flexible. We discuss the myriad ways in which relationship building has helped marketers do their best to serve the communities that they live in. I hope you enjoy this first part of the two-part Destinations International 2022 Annual Convention series. Next week, we'll catch up with several more exemplary leaders to dive into how they have overcome the challenges of the past two years, their vision of the future of destination marketing, and the importance of bringing the community with them in their mission. We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/
Daily Titans Update, Watson's Titans Analysis, Mike Vrabel's press conference, Stat of the Day, Butch Spyridon talks future of Nissan Stadium, and Plaster's "Bet of the Day."
In Episode 53, Butch Spyridon talks about how Nashville has changed over the years and shares some stories behind some of the big events. You will hear about his younger years and how he never liked following the crowd. Butch Spyridon is the president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC). He […]
In Episode 53, Butch Spyridon talks about how Nashville has changed over the years and shares some stories behind some of the big events. You will hear about his younger years and how he never liked following the crowd. Butch Spyridon is the president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC). He […]
The Tennessee World Affairs Council in association with Belmont University Center for International Business and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Global Nashville Guest Host Ralph Schulz in Conversation with Butch Spyridon A conversation about Nashville's "global brand" and the importance of tourism in building international bridges. Butch Spyridon, President/CEO, Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. "Global Nashville with Karl Dean" with guest host Ralph Schulz in Conversation with Butch Spyridon A conversation about Nashville's "global brand" and the importance of tourism in building international bridges. August 31, 2021 The metrics were clear before the pandemic crushed global hospitality. Nashville and Tennessee were experiencing a boom in the tourism sector. The #1 leisure destination in the United States, according to Global Traveler's Leisure Lifestyle Awards. Reader's Choice Award for Best Cities in the U.S., according to Conde Nast. A record-high $23 billion in visitor spending in the state in 2019 and trending higher, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Travel in Tennessee generated 195,000 jobs and $1.92 billion in state and local tax revenue -- saving Tennesseans in costs for public services. Nashville's attraction to visitors is global. The daily attraction of world-class music venues, cultural activities, sporting events and more, not to mention the city's mega-events are magnets for foreign visitors. Among the main industries that drive the economy, tourism is emblematic of international outreach and bridge building among the tens of thousands of foreign visitors who come to Tennessee and Nashville. The Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. web site says it all: Music is the universal language. Nashville - where music is inspired, created, recorded and performed. Music City is ready to be explored. Experience more music, food, and fashion than ever before. All are welcome to Music City! Watch this conversation as Nashville's Chamber President Ralph Schulz asks Nashville's visitor majordomo, Butch Spyridon, about the health of the region's hospitality industry and the contribution of tourism to Nashville's brand.
Today, I'm going to be talking about my hometown, Nashville, Tennessee. Joining me is Staci Flores, Tourism Sales Manager from the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, and we're going to get into vacationing in Nashville, what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of what Nashville has to offer.Support the Show.Contact Erica James Follow me and tag me on Instagram at @EJtheTravelDiva Tweet me at @EJtheTravelDiva Follow me on TikTok at @EJtheTravelDiva Join my Podcast Community here
Butch Spyridon, CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp joined DDC to discuss new events coming to Nashville!
Butch Spyridon - CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. joins Blaine and Mickey to discuss the possibility of the NFL Combine, College Football Playoff, and more big events coming to Music City.
Butch Spyridon - CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. joins Blaine and Mickey to discuss the possibility of the NFL Combine, College Football Playoff, and more big events coming to Music City.
Thanks for joining us on Episode 12 with our guest Butch Spyridon, President & CEO at Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. The Traveling Podcast is hosted by industry veterans Dan Sherman and Ryan Barth, CMP.In this episode we'll touch on the top stories in group business travel, live events and sports (subscribe to the Market in a Minute newsletter). In addition, Butch will share his thoughts on reinventing Nashville through developing a long-term destination branding strategy, driving group business demand, selling the NFL on hosting one of their largest live events ever and leading through crisis. Butch SpyridonPresident & CEONashville CVCLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/butch-spyridon-120a399/ Bio: Butch Spyridon has served as the head of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) since 1991. Under his leadership, the NCVC has led the strategic development of Nashville’s hospitality industry, and Music City has evolved into a top global destination, generating over $7 billion in visitor spending annually.During Butch’s tenure, the NCVC has been involved with development initiatives that include the Tennessee Titans, Bridgestone Arena, July 4th, New Year’s Eve, the Music City Center, Music City Walk of Fame, and the city’s branding. He also helped lead efforts to bring British Airways’ nonstop flight to London in 2018 and he led the recruitment and execution of the 2019 NFL Draft, which became the most successful event in NFL history.In addition, the NCVC has produced two award-winning documentary films, winning Silver Lion Awards at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Combined with the NCVC ongoing sales and marketing initiatives, Nashville hotel demand has grown faster than any other top 30 US city since 2013 and was named a top destination in the world by multiple publications for eight consecutive years.Spyridon serves on the Executive Committee of the U.S. Travel Association and as Chair of Destinations International.Raised in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Spyridon graduated from Vanderbilt University. He is a graduate of the Institute of Comparative Political and Economic Systems at Georgetown University. He and his wife, Sunny, have four children and five grandchildren.The Traveling Podcast is Presented by: HIP NetworkHIP Network is a B2B digital media company shaping the hospitality industry’s agenda with expertly curated content that fuels growth. To learn more, please visit www.HipNetwork.comSupport the show (http://www.hipnetwork.com/traveling-podcast)
As Vice President of Public Relations for the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp, Heather Middleton plays a key role in maintaining Nashville's $7 billion tourism industry. Pre-pandemic, she sat down with our hosts to discuss how targeting niche publications, working with the right influencers and creating an integrated marketing strategy based on research has elevated Nashville's brand on an international scale. Please note this podcast was recorded before the outbreak of COVID-19 in the U.S.
In this episode, host, Dean Wegner is joined by his good friend, and great American, Butch Spyridon.Butch has served as president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation (NCVC) since 1991. In his almost 30 years of leadership, Butch has helped elevate Nashville to one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the world. Butch is a visionary leader and a master of branding and sales. You'll be inspired by his story of success and decades of dedication to growing the city of Nashville.
The president of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. outlines the many activities, strategies they have used to successfully promote Nashville, TN. around the nation and the world. Recently, the NFL held its 3-day 2019 draft in Nashville. Visitors to the city topped 600,000 over the 3 days setting the attendance record for the NFL draft attendance. Using the many famous musicians in Music City to promote the town. Helping to fund the national TV show "Nashville" help give very positive visibility to Nashville. Using a variety of "Influencers" to promote Nashville as they travel the nation and the world. This 22 minute program is well worth your time. Podcast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV71euL8Y-c&t=14s --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/peter-c-woolfolk/message
This week intern Emma had a chance to speak with Jimmy Lawrence, candidate for Mayor of the City of Nashville. The Nashville Municipal Election will be held August 1. Learn more about the candidates running for office in your community at www.Vote-USA.org! Narration Transcription: Nashville has experienced massive growth. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that in 2018 Davidson County had a population of almost 700,000 people, which was a 10% increase from 2010. This growth has challenged the city’s affordability. The 2018 Nashville Chamber of Commerce Vital Signs Report found that 40% of residents had difficulty covering their monthly expenses, which was 6% higher than the previous year. Rising housing costs is one of the main contributing factors. In just the past 10 years, the median house price has jumped from $159,800 in 2008 to $246,500 in 2018. Housing markets have been unable to keep up with demand, causing prices to skyrocket while median household incomes have not experienced corresponding raises. Tourism has also increased in recent years. In 2018, according to the Nashville Conventions and Visitors Corp, 15.2 million visitors came to Nashville. Tourism is a 6.5 billion-dollar industry which has been partially fueling the growth of the city. To attract tourists, Nashville invested in several large public works projects. One such investment was the Music City Center, which opened in 2013. Taxpayers have been picking up the bill for many of the Center’s expenses, such as police overtime for covering events and infrastructure upkeep for increased tourist traffic. Many would argue that the Center should cover these expenses instead of the city since it is the one generating these costs. In order to assuage its critics, the Convention Center Authority which runs the Music City Center agreed to give $10 million from its surplus funds to the city’s general fund to make up for some of the costs the city has covered in the past. However, some say that the $10 million isn’t enough nor is it a long-term solution. Even though Nashville generates great wealth from its tourism industry, debt still plagues the city leaving tight budgets for all elements of the metro government. The Metropolitan government has $3.6 billion in outstanding debt obligations. Last year, for every $10 spent by the city, $1 went to servicing its debt. The city’s debt problems can be traced back to policies implemented during the Great Recession and to borrowing that continued following its recovery. A Blue-Ribbon Commission was recently designated to address Nashville’s debt. It was tasked with trimming $20 million from the budget, and, in April of this year, the Commission released its first report with an extensive list of recommendations. Mayor Briley proposed an operating budget of $2.3 billion for the next fiscal year. Unanticipated revenue shortfalls limited his budget proposal which leaves public schools severely underfunded. Metro Nashville Public Schools requested a $76.7 million increase in their budget to pay for 10% raises for its teachers and staff, but, in Mayor Briley’s budget, the school system was only awarded a $28.2 million increase. The Nashville School Board has proposed an alternative to raise the remainder of the money where a referendum would be put to Nashvillians to vote on whether to raise their property taxes to make up for the shortfalls of Mayor Briley’s budget. This plan is still being considered. Under Mayor Briley’s budget, property taxes would not be raised. Today, we will be speaking with Jimmy Lawrence, one of the candidates for Mayor of the metro government. He is known not only as a local businessman but also as a musician. He does not have prior political experience. Now, let’s dive in with Mr. Lawrence.
On this episode of WOCTalk, we sit down with Deana Ivey, Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. to talk about everything Nashville to help us prepare for WOCNext 2019, June 23-26 at the Music City Center. WOCNext is an event for WOC nurses and other healthcare professionals dedicated to providing expert care to patients with wound, ostomy, and incontinence needs. With nearly 60 speakers and over 50 sessions to choose from this year, attendees will leave WOCNext with diverse knowledge and insights into how to best identify, care for, and overcome some of the most challenging issues facing their patient populations. Listen in to learn more about the sights, sounds, attractions and food to look forward to in Music City while attending WOCNext 2019! For additional information about WOCNext 2019, visit wocnext.org. If you’re interested in learning more about what Nashville has to offer, click here.
Butch Spyridon of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp shares the latest on Nashville's World Cup bid following USA vs. Mexico at Nissan Stadium.
The Wake Up Zone discusses the possibility of Nashville hosting the 2019 NFL Draft with Butch Spyridon, President of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.
Reports are Nashville will host the 2019 NFL Draft, we talk the process of landing an event of this magnitude with Butch Spyridon of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp