Skutniks

It started in 1982. Roughly 200 years after George Washington initiated the annual practice of the State of the Union Address (called the SOTU by insiders), then-President Ronald Reagan did something that hadn’t been done before…and has been repeated almost every year since. He called out somebody from the audience that was a fairly ordinary person who had done a pretty extraordinary thing.

Those individuals who are called out from the podium are often referred to as Skutniks, after Larry Skutnik who was recognized by President Reagan for pulling a survivor out of the Potomac in the aftermath of an airliner crash into DC’s 14th Street Bridge. Today, it’s not uncommon for Presidents to call out three or four Skutniks during their SOTU.

And, as I watched the most recent SOTU, it dawned upon me that DMO pros that present before City Councils, County Boards or other bodies that may not fully believe our collective message that DMOs play a vital role in a community’s economic and cultural vitality could sensationally augment those presentations by doing the SOTU. And, here’s what I mean…

Those that have seen me present on Destination Advocacy have heard the true story of a florist in a third-tier community in the Heartland. The City Council in this particular town was contemplating slashing the DMO budget in half to pay for long overdue upgrades to their convention center. The “usual suspects” (DMO Director, Chamber CEO, hoteliers, and restauranteurs) lined up to speak against the proposal. Council members patiently waited for them to finish their completely anticipated comments, not even attempting to fein interest.

Until a local florist stepped up to the podium and began to speak. As if one, Council members looked up in surprise, cocking their heads in unison like dogs do when they hear a sound they don’t recognize. She patiently explained that without the work of the DMO in landing State and regional conferences at the convention center, she would have had to close her business years ago. You see, she had the contract for floral arrangements for the convention center and a DMO with half a budget would result in fewer conventions booked. Thus, fewer floral arrangements sold.

Council had ignored the “numbers” argument shared by industry experts. They had disregarded the logic offered by those who live in the world of tourism and hospitality. But, they could not ignore the story of a home grown entrepreneur that could very well lose the company she built from scratch if they were to vote to cut their investment in their DMO. The proposal was tabled, never to return.

It may be impractical to have your Skutnik(s) in the audience. Indeed, they may not want (or be able) to appear in public. But, at the least, you can include a picture (and maybe a short audio or video of them) in your presentation deck. Those who have seen my presentations know that I do just that when I tell the personal stories of individuals I’ve met across the country that aren’t immediately associated with the tourism industry but clearly benefit from the Visitor Economy. I use their picture; tell their story.

As we’ve said for years…the numbers only matter to us. Make time in your presentations to do the SOTU.

If it works for Presidents, I’m pretty sure it’ll work for you.

Til Next Time,

Bill