Browsing Archive: September, 2010
Posted by AudioConexus on Thursday, September 30, 2010,
In :
Industry News
With Research in Motion's (RIM) unveiling of its PlayBook this week - a tablet set to compete against Apple's iPad, the proliferation of devices continues. Set to launch in the United States in early 2011, the PlayBook is a 7-inch tablet that offers front and rear cameras (both capable of HD video recording), a multi-touch display for multitasking and finger tapping and swiping.
From BlackBerry's Press Release:"PlayBook to provide users with true multitasking and a highly-responsive and fluid ... Continue reading ...
National Byways and scenic driving routes such as the Creole Nature Trail in Louisiana to the Rockies Scenic Byway in Colorado are tourism motivators for travelers seeking scenic adventure, new experiences, and learning. These scenic driving routes offer a rich history and vibrant culture amongst its people and communities - and they enrich people’s lives with memorable travel experiences.
But what is lost for many travelers who drive on these routes are the great untold stories that offer... Continue reading ...
Leading companies know that its imagination that leads to prosperity. Five years ago - the idea of the idea ecomomy was a hot topic. Many stood on soap boxes and screamed that ideas had become the new economic currency.
Were they right?
Lets ask the question: What happens to companies who are entrenched in business models and market strategies that made them successful or even wildly successful last year? Will these same models and strategies work for them tomorrow? What happens when companies ... Continue reading ...
Posted by AudioConexus on Monday, September 27, 2010,
In :
Storytelling
"Stories are the creative conversion of life itself into a more powerful, clearer, more meaningful experience. They are the currency of human contact." — Robert McKee
There have been research reports over the years regarding the benefits of audio visual learning. What do these studies say? In a study by Adobe for learning, the study showed that "when you explain visuals with words in text, you overload the visual centers of working memory. When you explain visuals with words in audio, you ba... Continue reading ...
The U.S. Department of Commerce today announced that international visitors spent an estimated $11.4 billion on travel to, and tourism-related activities within, the United States during the month of July-$1.5 billion more (16%) than was spent in July 2009-marking the seventh consecutive month of growth in U.S. travel and tourism exports. International visitor spending in the United States increased an average of $927 million a month in 2010.
"The travel and tourism industry's remarkable grow... Continue reading ...
We often get asked the question - how do we GPS trigger a safety announcement prior to each tour departure? Our systems are designed to provide safety announcements by using a push button switch. GPS automation means that the system does not require staff intervention on sightseeing tours. However, in boat tour applications safety announcements are mandatory at the dock.
Safety messages are simultaneously delivered over the Public Address system and wirelessly to foreign language passengers us... Continue reading ...
Have you read the book REWORK by 37 Signals? If not, it's a must read for anyone growing or starting a business. It's the boot camp for getting motivated with practical advice about growing a profitable business. But more than that - REWORK reminds us that every business is "governed by the same set of market forces and economic rules. Revenue in, expenses out." Be inspired and put your inspiration to work.
The book gets straight to the point with easy to read, digestible nuggets of wisdom tha... Continue reading ...
We've seen great tourism marketing and advertising campaigns yanked because they didn't provide quick results. Unfortunately, many of these campaigns were doomed to fail before they even began.
Why?
Because when it comes to marketing there are no quick fixes, no secret "success" plans, and no guarantees that all of your marketing activities will lead to accellerated sales and success.
Marketing works when there is a variety of well planned strategies that work well together. Not every marketi... Continue reading ...
Posted by AudioConexus on Monday, September 20, 2010,
In :
Storytelling
"Stories, including narratives, myths, and fables, constitute a uniquely powerful currency in human relationships. Stories speak to both parts of the human mind - its reason and emotion." Here are some highlights from her story:
Highlights - Stories are fundamental to the way people structure information.
- According to Peter Giuliano, "Usin...
What are you currently doing to support your sales and marketing objectives? Sales missions? Travel trade strategy? A study conducted by the Harvard Business Review sponsored by British Airways clearly shows that face to face meetings are essential to conducting business and investing in your relationships (both old and new). Here are some of the key points from this report for your consideration:
Highlights- 79% view in-person meetings as a highly effective way to meet new clients to sell busin...
Continue reading ...
OK - we admit it. We're big Seth Godin fans. So when this video was recently released on TED we had to share it with you. Do you have broken designs, processes, or procedures in your organization? If so, how are you going to fix them?
This video is a good conversation starter.
About this Talk
Why are so many things broken? In a hilarious talk from the 2006 Gel conference, Seth Godin gives a tour of things poorly designed, the 7 reasons why they are that way, and how to fix them.
Seth Godin ... Continue reading ...
Play PowerPoint presentations as MP2 files on your GPS tour.
Here is an online resource for providing PowerPoint presentations on your GPS Video System - How to Convert a PowerPoint File to MPEG2 Format.
Use the following settings when converting your presentations:
Video Resolution = 720 x 480, Expected Framerate = 30 (Frames per second) [*PAL]
(*All of your videos will need to be encoded for PAL)
Preferred video format = MPEG Video: MPEG2 @ 8000kbps, 29.97fps, original frame size, Audio: 224kb... Continue reading ...
The general rule of thumb for storage of an audio tour is:
For one minute of audio you'll require 1MB of storage. This is based on the assumption that your mp3 files are encoded at 128kbps, the industry standard for sound compression of audio files for media production and interpretation.
Using this model, you can quickly assess what your storage requirements are for any given project while forecasting what you may need for storage in the future. Lets look at the following example.
A Heritage S... Continue reading ...
Jay Rasulo, when President of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, (he is now the Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, The Walt Disney Company), spoke at a Keynote Address during The Marketing Outlook Forum for Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) in 2004. While this may seem like a long time ago - it's still relevant today. Rasulo's call for a national tourism marketing and communications corporation has finally materialized. With the recent appointment of Director...
Posted by AudioConexus on Friday, September 10, 2010,
In :
Industry News
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke appointed 11 travel and tourism industry leaders to serve on the Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP) Board of Directors today. Reported earlier this year, President Obama signed into law the first-ever national travel promotion program to attract more international travelers to the United States.
This new non-profit corporation (CTP) will promote travel to the U.S. while focusing on making improvements to the international visitor entry process so that vi... Continue reading ...
Posted by AudioConexus on Thursday, September 9, 2010,
In :
Storytelling
 Tourism is a fun industry and represents a multitude of remarkable experiences. It's also provides us with the opportunity to enrich people's lives by providing fun and entertainment, cultural enrichment and learning to thousands of travelers every day. Many of our stories are shared at key Points of Interest ("POI"s) along tour routes - delivered as guided or self-directed tours - indoors and outdoors.
When discussing new projects, we are sometimes asked the question "How do you craft storie... Continue reading ...
Alan Kay, when he was Vice President at Walt Disney, said: "Why was Solomon recognized as the wisest man in the world? Because he knew more stories (proverbs) than anyone else. Scratch the surface in a typical boardroom and we're all just cavemen (and women) with briefcases, hungry for a wise person to tell us stories."
We would add that it's also how these stories are told that attract your listeners' ears. One of the essential ingredients to developing your communication skills is passion.
T...
Continue reading ...
Posted by AudioConexus on Tuesday, September 7, 2010,
In :
Storytelling
Okay. So many organizations think they're providing a good enough sightseeing experience - you're selling tickets right? And making enough money to pay the bills and maintain the business. And you're investing in marketing and building new partnerships. But you're not getting the results you hoped for. You're tours are running with just enough capacity to cover the operating costs. You can't help but wonder how your competition is building their business.
Could it be that your tours aren't g... Continue reading ...
Posted by Blair Shakell on Monday, September 6, 2010,
In :
Storytelling
Guided tours that preoccupy themselves with describing the sequence of “points of interest” encountered along the way — what’s on the right, what’s on the left — make the fatal error of believing they are telling a story, when, in fact, they are simply announcing a route map. Dispensing facts and figures, however “interesting” those facts and figures may be deemed to be, should never be mistaken for weaving the threads of a mesmerizing plot. In the end, the information imparte... Continue reading ...
 "The best brands never start out with the intent of building a great brand. They focus on building a great - and profitable - product or service and an organization that can sustain it." - Scott Bedbury
Creating a great brand requires (in part) three essential approaches to supporting your brand's core identity. Firstly, a great brand starts with a remarkable product or service worth talking about. Capitalize on meaningful points of differentiation that are going to separate your organization ... Continue reading ...
There have been many studies done that show poor quality photographs turn people off. If you’re using poor quality photography on your website – you’re turning people away.
For example, consumers searching the Web for sightseeing activities may be considering two motor coach companies that offer deluxe city tours.
Both companies invested in Website development, SEO [Search Engine Optimization] and CPC [pay per click] campaigns to attract targeted audiences to their websites.
Both companie... Continue reading ...
We agree with Simon Sinek's golden circle principle. He says "People don't buy what you do - they buy why you do it." While some assumptions are made about history in this talk, the underlying theme offers a meaningful message - use these powerful principles in your work to inspire others to your cause . Communicating the why in your business has the potential to rally your team and disrupt your competitors. Far too many companies focus on what they do without asking the question why they do ... Continue reading ...
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AudioConexus Blog
Helping you learn more about tourism trends, storytelling and audio tours. Help, tips, advice, and techniques for better storytelling and tourism marketing. Our Higher Purpose is to captivate the imagination by creating exceptional entertainment experiences about our world - shared experiences that inspire the human spirit and unite us in discovery. |
