Are you Pinterested yet?

Pinterest just recently came onto my radar about a month ago. Since then it seems that not a day passes when I don’t hear about this new social media site. Reading a few articles today, it got me thinking…. are you using Pinterest to showcase your destination?

When I think of my favourite places in the world I instantly envision the beautiful scenery. When looking for new vacation destinations it’s most often photos that have me thinking, I need to go there and see that in real life. Pinterest is such a great tool to show off your city!

For those who have not had a chance to check out the site yet, Pinterest is a vision board-styled social photo sharing website and app where users can create and manage theme-based image collections. 

A recent article in the Entrepreneur states that Pinterest “registered more than 7 million unique visitors in December, up from 1.6 million in September. And it's driving more traffic to company websites and blogs than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined.”

Troy Thompson of Travel 2.0 Consulting recently sat down with the Interactive Marketing Strategist for Experience Columbus, Joe Vargo, and asked him 5 questions on how he is using Pinterest to promote his destination. 

(Read the full article here)

Vargo describes Pinterest as “a good blend of the visual emphasis of YouTube and Flickr combined with the social aspects of Facebook and Twitter” that “allows destinations to show their complex personalities – something that’s nearly impossible to write into web copy.”

He states that people are using Pinterest to share their aspirations, and “it’s really the best form of social marketing when someone takes an image of your destination and adds it to their aspirational life (endorsing the destination to their followers.)”

If you are active on Pinterest please share your handle with us so we can follow your picture updates. 

Book Review: We Are All Weird by Seth Godin

What’s your weirdness? Meetingmax’s book of the month for January was Seth Godin’s latest novel, We Are All Weird. 

The book reviews the need for mass marketing to be replaced with niche marketing – specifically to consumers “weirdness”; how the normal or the mass, is melting as consumers are connecting with others over their own quirky interests.

From Seth’s blog: “During the age of mass (mass marketing, mass manufacturing, mass schooling, mass movements) the key was normal. Normal was important because you needed (were required) to fit into your slot. Manufacturers insisted because profits depended on it.

Normal diets made it easier for mass food manufacturers to generate a profit. Normal driving habits made it easier for mass car manufacturers to reach their production minimums. Normal behavior made you easier to control.

But what happens when mass disappears? When we can connect everyone, customize and optimize--then what happens to normal?”

The Meetingmax team had mixed reviews on the book; some loved it while others were indifferent. Overall it scored a 7.6/10 on a scale where 1 equals a book with little value one would not wish to read again and 10 equals a fantastic book with the ability to grow an individual personally, professionally or both. Read it? Let us know what you thought. 

Meetingmax Slipper Story

Tourism Red Deer Signs Up with Meetingmax

Online housing reservation system to streamline management of group bookings

Red Deer, AB and Vancouver, BC: January 17, 2012 – Meetingmax Systems, provider of the travel industry’s most flexible online housing reservation system, today announced the signing of a contract with Tourism Red Deer. The system is being purchased by a group of ten local hotels and will be managed by Tourism Red Deer. The system will be used to manage group housing reservations for sports, convention, and leisure group travel.

“In Red Deer we are exploring ways of doing business differently,” says Liz Taylor, Executive Director, Tourism Red Deer. “Given the competitive nature of today’s marketplace, we need to not only offer meeting planners tools that will make their lives easier, but also be strategic with how we manage our group business.”

In the past, the Red Deer region did not have a consolidated approach to marketing itself. Planners would work directly with hotels to arrange housing for their events. This would result in multiple sports tournaments and events taking place during the same weekend, while other weekends would be quiet. 

The organization has begun proactively working with planners to attract them to the city and is using the Meetingmax system to streamline the housing process.

“Our goal is to increase occupancy rates, but also help even out some of the peaks and valleys,” continues Taylor. “With Meetingmax we have gained better visibility into events and bookings city-wide. We can now space out our bookings to increase overall occupancy and improve the guest experience.”

Another draw for Tourism Red Deer was the system’s ability to tie in other offerings across the city. As guests complete the hotel room reservation process, they can receive highly personal messages offering driving directions and coupons to local restaurants and attractions.

“Our system can easily be customized to meet each convention and visitors bureau’s needs,” says Jeff Duncan, COO, Meetingmax Systems. “The system can go beyond the hotel room and introduce guests to all the city has to offer. This allows Tourism Red Deer to strategically market the services of its non-hotel members.”

Red Deer and the surrounding region is a hub for tourism, culture, entertainment, heritage, and business for central Alberta. Located midway between Calgary and Edmonton, along the Highway 2 corridor, Red Deer's central location makes it an ideal event venue.

Book Review: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Better late than never! Meetingmax’s book of the month for December was The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

A summary from Pressfield’s website “What keeps so many of us from doing what we long to do? Why is there a naysayer within? How can we avoid the roadblocks of any creative endeavor—be it starting up a dream business venture, writing a novel, or painting a masterpiece?

The War of Art identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.

The War of Art emphasizes the resolve needed to recognize and overcome the obstacles of ambition and then effectively shows how to reach the highest level of creative discipline. Think of it as tough love . . . for yourself.” 

The Meetingmax team gave this book a score of 8.2/10 on a scale where 1 equals a book with little value one would not wish to read again and 10 equals a fantastic book with the ability to grow an individual personally, professionally or both.

This book will give you the ability to recognize resistance and provide you with the tools to overcome it. It will allow you to separate the important from the urgent and will help you focus on achieving your major goals. Overall, a great read.