on the record ❖
On The Record How Can Special Events Bolster Tour Itineraries? FOLLOWING ARE ANSWERS from Leisure Group Travel readers who responded to the question: How have you successfully integrated special events into your tours? What big national events, city festivals or small-town fairs have captivated your groups?
Tall Stacks, Customized Ohio Travel Treasures has utilized big events as a backdrop to tours. We have found that creating special events within a national event is something that we can control. An example would be Tall Stacks in Cincinnati. Even though the event itself is a draw, with all the steamboats and their billowing smokestacks, it is just one component that we put into a customized itinerary. We bring in major shows, charter our own boats and have even had groups watch a major artist
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DIDIER HENSSEN
markt and offers group members a chance to experience a taste of Germany. On this event we partnered with the local CVB (DuBois County) and were able to procure a dinner function in the local monastery prior to opening-night events. This has been a huge hit with the group tour market since it is something that has never been done before. It takes a little creativity to make a huge impact and that is what Ohio Travel Treasures is noted for—taking something
On a smaller city scale, we take a look at the event and then decide if it is tour group-worthy. create Tall Stacks prints (which each group member receives as a remembrance gift). We can control the deposits on our own events and not have to follow the non-groupfriendly deposits and final payments that the bigger event demands. On a smaller city scale, we take a look at the event and then decide if it is tour group-worthy. An example is an ABA Top 100 event in Ferdinand, Ind. This is an authentic Christkindl12 April 2012
known and then adding a little sparkle and controllable features. Diane Sphar, President Ohio Travel Treasures LLC, Cincinnati, OH
Specializing in Events Travel For the past six years, Free Spirit Vacations has been moving in a new direction—namely, including special events in most if not all itineraries. Selected events may be big, stand-alone festivals and
KAY COLLINS
parades (like Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta or Tournament of Roses Parade) or a combination of several smaller events such as a holiday vacation to Arizona. Almost every community has activities taking place in December, and by combining several of the best, such as the Lake Havasu Boat Parade of Lights, Red Rock Fantasy in Sedona and Zoo Lights in Phoenix, a statewide five-day itinerary becomes attractive. Free Spirit Vacations and Events also partners with destinations to create new special events especially for tour operators. These are events planned by a tour operator for tour operators who have a loyal customer base and need to provide reasons for repeat guests to return to a destination. Events are fresh and add flavor, value, novelty and excitement to existing itineraries and previously-visited destinations. Several such events include Mesquite’s BransonFest Out West (Mesquite, NV), HOPEFest (Palm Springs area) and From Nashville to Memphis Festival (Nashville). Sue Arko Free Spirit Vacations & Events, Gilbert, AZ LeisureGroupTravel.com