Vet Your Vendors
As far as I know, I was the first DMO professional that hung a shingle as a consultant dedicated exclusively to DMOs. Today, it seems like you can't traverse a city block without bumping into somebody who claims to be a DMO expert. And, some are…but, many are not.
I entered the consulting world because I felt that DMOs deserved a helping hand from somebody who had actually spent time in the DMO trenches. When I launched my firm in 1995, most (if not all) of the consultants doing DMO work had never actually worked in a DMO. And, I admit that continues to be my bias. I believe to truly know our world and to have lived it, is critical to the work we do.
That is a dilemma we all face in today's post-truth world. Once a small niche that was undeserving of attention from outside agencies, consultancies and individuals has become a target-rich environment as communities realize the importance of destination promotion for more than simply heads in beds. Companies claiming to be the answer to these destinations’ prayers are seemingly everywhere. Indeed, Destinations International boasts over 200 corporate partners...more than 50 new partners in the past year alone.
The most recent case in point (and one that a lot of people were talking about in Portland last month during the Annual Convention of Destinations International): College Park, Georgia, bordering Atlanta’s International Airport. For over a decade, the community has been promoted by the ATL Airport DMO. For a reason not clear, the City of College Park has decided to end its relationship with its long-term DMO and contract with an outside (and out-of-state) company to provide those services. Not unlike the dumpster fire following the outsourcing of the DMO contract in Duluth a few years ago (which the new Mayor has rectified), most DMO professionals we've talked to expect this experiment to also fail.
The first indication something didn’t smell right was that the College Park City Council chose to stage the meeting to review RFPs and select the new DMO in Savannah…four hours away and on a Sunday afternoon. Now, some City officials defended the move as being necessitated by the fact that they had to move fast, as the ATL Airport District DMO contract was set to expire within days, and most of the Council members were scheduled to be in Savannah that day for the Georgia Municipal Association Convention. Of course, anyone that understands how Destination Leadership works knows the former argument is disingenuous, as it would take any new contractor months to get up to speed. But…whatever.
City officials selected a company, apparently incorporated in May in Maryland, to be the new DMO, citing the new company’s deep experience with DMOs. The City Manager recommended a firm that claimed over 30 DMO clients as being the best positioned to take their destination to the next level. There was just one problem.
When contacted by the Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association, most of those DMOs that were listed on the company's website said they had no idea who this firm was. One actually had their corporate attorney serve the company with a cease and desist order to stop listing them as a client. As soon as the GHLA started asking questions, the client page on the company’s website was removed.
I pride myself as being pretty clued in to our sector and those who do good work on our behalf, as evidenced by the newsfeed in our monthly Z- News. And, I’ve never heard of any of these people. That doesn’t mean they aren’t talented…but lying about your client list is a red card in my book.
There's not a week that goes by that I don't see somebody that I've never heard of and isn't from our sector pontificating on the future of destination marketing on LinkedIn. Again, I'm not saying they're wrong; just asking for their bona fides.
Hey, I get that I'm one of the oldest guys in the room. And, I may not be aware of all the future thought leaders in our space that are scoring followers through appearances at tourism conferences and LinkedIn posts.
But, what I am saying is that those of us who are trusted to lead our communities need to be especially vigilant of the posers and wanna-bes out there. Vet their credentials. Talk to past clients listed on their websites or in their proposals.
Like I said, it's a post-truth world. None of us can evermore assume that a client list is real.
Till next time,
Bill
For the complete August edition of the Z-News, CLICK HERE.