Speeches

In the fall of 2004, I was the Keynote Speaker at the 2004 New York State Governor's Tourism Conference in Lake Placid, New York. My hour-long talk, "Working With Today's Travel Writers," provided insight from my many years of working as a travel writer. Using humor and anecdotes, I touched on a variety of topics including how to write a press release that grabs a writer's attention, how to get that same writer to return year after year to your locale, whether press trips are necessary, and, most importantly, how to pinpoint writers that are best suited to your locale. Far less expensive and much more credible than advertising, the travel writer and the articles they produce are an important marketing tool to increase tourism revenue. Yet, public relation firms and CVBs still have a hard time attracting travel writers that are ideally matched to their particular destination.

The speech was very well received by the 800 or so people in attendance. The response was so favorable, in fact, that I've decided to take my talk on the road. Last December, I spoke at the Vermont State Tourism Conference. In 2006, I am scheduled to speak at the Maine and North Dakota Governor's Tourism Conferences.

Letters of Recommendation

"The session evaluation sheets have confirmed that your presentation was well received and those who attended benefited greatly from the information you so generously shared."

"Your presentation was concise, frank, and very illuminating, even for those in the room who have worked with journalists for years."

Session Evaluations

"I truly enjoyed the talk you gave. I found your tips on recruiting travel writers to be especially helpful!"
~ Scott Flaherty, New York State Department of Economic Development

"Candid, informative, entertaining. Well worth it for this communications director."
~ Steve Piatt, Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce

"Excellent insight! Great tips on capturing writers' attention. To the point and direct. Great presentation."
~ Stacey Mattison, The Hyde Collection

"Very timely since we are soon heading to Travel Media Showcase and I will be hosting the conference in Niagara Falls in 2005! We need more of this in the future!"
~ John Percy, Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp

"He's a real pro. Wish there were more writers of his caliber!"
~ Margo Jones, Westchester County Tourism