Michael Collins#TMevents @travelmedia_ie

#tbex @TBEXevents

@ThailandFanClub @ThaiAirways

presentation on Slideshare and as a blog posthttp:/www.slideshare.net/TravelMediaie

http://www.travelmedia.ie/blog

Industry - Business TrackHow DMCs and Tourist

Boards Can Creative Successful Blogger Trips

Industry - Business Track

How to Create the Perfect Trip

blogger - DMC

Bloggers v DMCs

Symbiotic Relationship• Good• Happy• Hot• Sweet• Bloggers

BadSadColdSourDMCs

Pushv

Pull

Why is there an imbalance?• Lack of communication. Both.• BLURRED LINES.• This is what we want? DMCs.• This is why we are organising this trp.• What do you want? Bloggers.• Why have you accepted this trip? • What do you hope to get from this trip.

What can DMCs do better?• Early planning and engagement with bloggers. Listen.• More bespoke trips, less group trips, more flexibility.• Better balance between blogger needs and

commercial/organisers requirements.• More free time.• Better planning. More on this in a minute. • Trips are an active media environment. No longer passive.

Preparation required.

What can DMCs do better?What are the biggest bug bears that bloggers have about trips.

• Not enough free time. Less is more.• Social time. Admin time. Down time.• Everyone on the same story. Group trips v individual trips. • Group trips less work, more economies of scale, but…….• Handles, hashtags in advance,• Amplification - partners need to engage, hotels, restaurants, venues

etc. • WiFi, MiFi – everywhere, passwords, logins.• Paid support. Facebook, reach your audience.

Quotes – for DMCs“hotel inspections.

Oh, God, no! They're for travel agents”

Quotes “Ah, Jaysus, not another

church/cathedral!

If I see the inside of one more church, I'll turn atheist.”

Quotes“8am starts after 11pm

finishes. Are ye serious?”

Quotes“Plus, I can't overstate the value of free-

time (and I'm not talking 45 minutes back in the hotel between excursions). Free time, a chance to wander alone,

take photographs…………………”

Quotesfree time - often, that's the only

chance a writer gets to experience the more personal encounters with a place and it's people.

Quotesa relaxed writer is a better writer –

if you're being frog matched from A to B at top speed then the best you can ever really come up with

are bullet points which may make for informative but very rarely entertaining copy. Information you can lift

from websites but personal experiences are vital.

Quotes“One of the most important things that comes up time & time again....is, don't set up a blog trip and then sit

back and wait for the bloggers to bring eyeballs.

Make sure that you and all your stakeholders are amplifying every tweet, every instagram, every post,

etc.”

Quotes“My advice would be for media and

organisers to work together on an angle that suits the individual publication

beforehand. Group trips serve a purpose, but they can also mean several publications have the exact same story.”

QuotesHaving a hashtag for the trip is

obviously a great thing. Not just for trending, but it also helps the

journalists connect with their fellow press trip attendees/organisers through social media via searching the hashtag.

TakeawaysFree time

Less group trips.More tailored trips.

More engagement, pre, post, during.

For Bloggers“-- Lads, that wee girl/guy from the tourist board has paid for everything all day -- for f***'s sake, put your hands in your pockets and stand a round at the end of the night --

he/she has a budget to observe.

For BloggersSay thank you.

We are talk, we all know each other.

For BloggersEvergreen.

“Share again and again and again, please.

Stats please, we’d love them.”

For Bloggers”Remember you're enjoying a privilege by being wined and

dined -- it's not a right.”

For Bloggers“The tour guide: when he/she eventually leaves you, pass the

hat around and stick 10 €$£ each in it to show your appreciation.”

For Bloggers“If the itinerary says 10am start, it doesn't

mean 10.15 or 10.25.

Be respectful to your hosts and your colleagues and have the good manners to

turn up on time.

The Perfect Blogger Trip“The perfect trip is one where

guests and hosts show each other respect, and allow

breathing space”

ahhhhhh

ummmmmmmm

7 P’s - #7PS• Proper• Prior• Planning• Prevents• Piss• Poor• Performance

7 P’s - #7ps• Proper• Prior• Planning• Prevents• Piss• Poor• Performance

7 P’s - #7ps• Proper• Prior• Planning• Prevents• Piss• Poor• Performance

Case Study 1 – Press Trips

Lessons• 7Ps.• Follow well in advance.• Engage well in advance – start the conversation

early.• Research handles and hashtags.• Tell venues, hotels, attractions media are coming.• Get WiFi access / passwords.

DMCs, PRs can do more.• They are now part of the conversation.• No longer passive bystanders.• Actively engaging, following, sharing,

RTs, Likes.• Write a blog from the trip.

Case Study 2 - EventsTravel Media Awards Trended no. 1 on Twitter

How to Trend on Twitter - blog#TMevents

Share Hashtags and Handles in Advance

Thank you to the media who helped me prep for today

• Brendan Harding @BrendanHarding• Tara Peavoy @TaraPeavoy• Laura Breslin @Mamma_Fairy• Alastair McKenzie @AlastairMcK• Tom Sweeney @ScottishTom• Pól O’Conghaile @PolOConghaile• Lucy White @LucyWhiteDublin• Ian Scott @DubaiTourism

@niamhywatersLastly, thank you to my colleague

Niamh Waters, back in Dublin, who got up at 5am

this morning to manage @travelmedia_ie during this

presentation (why?).

AMPLIFICATION