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“Table of Eight” – HSMAI South Florida Chapter - July 2008

As you may know, our “Table of Eight” is usually a chatty recap of our monthly meetings including the latest inside scoop gleaned from attendees. My apologies, but since taking on the duties as our Chapter’s Managing Director, I haven’t had much chat time at our meetings.

In any case, I wanted to tell all of you who missed our July 16th luncheon at the Turnberry Isle Resort in Aventura how great a meeting we had. For once, I was happy for the last minute rain which meant that we had some no-shows, allowing us to seat all our additions for a completely packed house. Eighty people filled every seat available to hear speaker, Peggy Nordeen of Starmark outline ways to market travel in these trying economic times.

If you haven’t been to Turnberry in awhile, as I hadn’t been, you’ve certainly missed some amazing changes to the property. And it’s always a good thing to check out and know your competition.

One of the items in Ms. Nordeen’s presentation included a mention of a new opportunity for targeted advertising. It seems that in their desire to generate extra revenue, several of the major airlines are going to start publishing ads on the boarding passes that customers print at home. The ads and information listings will be based on the destination.

A recent newspaper article mentioned that this is just the start of a whole new way to tap a growing customer base. Some airlines are already putting ads on tray tables, overhead bins, airsickness bags, etc. And some airports are increasing their ads in various outlets and on baggage carousel conveyor belts. In addition, it has been reported that the TSA has approved the selling of ads on the bins used at security checkpoints. There’s no question that this will mean increased exposure for the advertisers. Its effectiveness in translating to sales, however, will still depend on the strength and relevance of your message.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday, August 20th at the Tropical Acres Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Make sure you register online by the deadline date (August 15) so you won’t be left out. Hope to see you there!