PowWow packs punch
By Carla Marie Rupp
More than 1,000 travel organizations from all over the U.S sent representatives to International Pow Wow 2010.
With 70,000 pre-scheduled business appointments and more than 70 countries represented, attending journalists met PR contacts both at the media marketplace and on the trade show floor. The 42nd International Pow Wow, featuring a myriad of networking interactions, was held in Orlando May 15-19 at the Orange County Convention Center.
According to exhibitor Sam Cook, owner of UncleSamsNewYork.com, "Pow-Wow 2010 was an extremely important event for us at Uncle Sam’s New York from a PR perspective. Our company’s ranking of 15 out of 819 on Tripadvisor.com for New York City Attractions speaks to the growing popularity of walking tours, pub crawls, fashion tours, and night club tours that focus on the social aspect of travel – I call it the 'last mile' of tourism. I found journalists very interested to cover a company like mine that is trying to bring niche tours to the mainstream travel trade across the United States.”
Cook was one of more than 5,000 people—a five percent increase from last year--from all over the world and across the United States connected to the travel industry registered for Pow Wow, the premier international marketplace for travel to the U.S. Of those participants, 450 were international journalists, with approximately 50 of them domestic.
Press conferences held throughout the day May 18 started with a morning briefing from Universal Studios Hollywood and continued with the Transportation Security Administration, the U.S. Travel Association. There was also news from 2011 Host City San Francisco and more from this year's host, the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The presence of the media provided plenty of publicity for destinations and attractions. Mike Gallagher, Co-CEO and Founder, CityPASS, Inc., sponsored the Media Marketplace sessions on May 17.
At the Media Marketplace Reception, travel writer Carsten Anderson of Denmark proudly posed for photos with Gallagher, Roger J. Dow, President and CEO, and Cathy Keefe, media relations manager, of Pow Wow's producer, the U.S. Travel Association. Carsten said he was ecstatic to be recognized for his writing and to receive his $1,000 cash prize for an article related to last year's International Pow Wow host city, Miami, in the Discover America Travel Writer Awards competition.
Silvio Cioffi of Sao Paulo, Brazil was the other winning journalist this year. He won $1,000 cash prize for his first prize article entitled, "Alaca," that appeared in Folha de S. Paulo, Brazil’s largest newspaper. It was a feature travel story about Cioffi's trip to Alaska. "I'm very happy that they liked it, and that I won for this," said Cioffi." This category was for the best judged article published in the past year on the topic any U.S. destination by a journalist attending last year's International Pow Wow.
The multi-faceted conference was packed not only with business opportunities—by some estimates over $3.5 billion in travel bookings to the U.S.--but also with exciting luncheon and outstanding and entertaining, lavish evening events (Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios and SeaWorld Orlando extravaganzas). Almost as important as the official functions are the relationships made or enhanced while walking and chatting on the vast showroom floor or at events, according to Roger Dow.
Gary Sain, President and CEO of the Orlando/Orange Couonty Convention & Visitors Bureau, promoted the campaign ‘Why 2010 Orlando Makes you Smile’ and told how the media can access information.
In the press room, drawings were held with prizes (i.e. a complimentary two-night stay at Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club or a comp package at Kennedy Space Center for four with lunch with an astronaut and a Close-up NASA Tour) related to the Orlando Smile promo and educating the reporters on learning more about the area and its attractions.
The host city invited reporters to a press brunch that included a chance to sample world-class cuisine and entertainment at the new Pointe Orlando, followed by a five-hour local tour.
TravMedia powered the official Pow Wow online pressroom. During the Media Marketplace, it was nearly impossible for journalists to chat with all of the publicists, so TravMedia made the press releases available to the journalists attending. Travel Weekly also provided daily printed wrapups each day.
NATJA members in attendance included Sandra Kennedy, Jeffrey Lehmann, Dan Schlossberg, Christine Tibbetts, and this columnist.
Carla Rupp is a freelance travel writer from Lower Manhattan. Her e.mail is rippcarla@hotmail.com.
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