One of the best parts of being in the Tourism industry for many years is the people I meet. Our industry has an endless list of talented, hardworking, fun-loving, and creative professionals. I decided to interview my friends and give you a peek into their lives and careers. Feel free to ask questions in the comments section, and I will follow-up with the guest interviewed. This week we hear from my friend ( and probably yours) Benjamin Maddy.
Tell us a bit about how you got started in the tourism industry.
My start in tourism began in Chicago working in Sales and Marketing in the early 90’s. I then moved to Boston, and continued in New York City, working for such amazing brands as Dave & Buster’s, Discovery Times Square, Madison Square Garden, Hershey’s Chocolate World, and Ripley’s Believe it or Not! , in both Domestic and International markets.
What is your current job and what are your primary responsibilities?
My most recent role was Director of Sales for Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Times Square. My main focus was to develop the Tourism Sales and Local Marketing Partnerships and Cross Promotional relationships.
What are some of the changes you have seen since you began your career?
The development of OTA’s[Online Travel Agencies], the importance of social media, and online marketing and communication.
What tourism trends are you seeing that will impact your job and how you work in the next 2 years?
The major changes that will shape our industry moving forward are an increased focus on individual experiences and how to create these within the industry and our existing products. How to integrate social distancing into our museum.
It’s vacation time – where do you go?
My planned trips in 2020 included Maui, Hawaii, Spain, and a cruise. Most likely we will be looking at U.S. destinations that I’ve missed!
What is your favorite app and tell us a bit about it.
I really enjoy LinkedIn, it’s a great way to connect and learn, as well as keep in contact with your professional contacts. There is always something new to learn! [Connect with Ben on Linkedin in here]
What is your favorite tradeshow and why?
That is a tough question!
What advice do you have for someone just getting started in the tourism industry?
Always listen and learn! You can learn something from everyone you meet! Be ready for anything! Be able to think on your feet and be flexible!
New question- What is one of the ways you are coping with being home from work and self-isolating?
Keep in touch with your industry family, it’s important to hear voices and see faces! We will get through this together! Also, getting creative and setting short and long term goals to improve yourself both personally and professionally.New question- What do you see as an opportunity that will come out of the current Coronovirus crisis?
How can I help you this month?
Have you checked out Tourism Pro Academy? There are free resources, online courses and more. Take some time to learn something new during our National “Pause”. I am adding new courses this month so check it out! Click here to access the site for free.
DMO’s – Are you looking for ways to provide some value to your members during this time? I am developing a series of 3 webinars called Take Action- Plan for Tomorrow that your organization can offer now. Reply to this email and we can set up a time to answer your questions about the Online Tourism Training Program.
New! Profile Sheet 911. We know that your profile sheet is your sales ambassador in the Group Tour market. Is yours doing it all it should? Is it effective in answering tour operator questions and making your business sound appealing? Get ready now for when group tours start picking back up. Get ready now for the upcoming trade show season! Sign up for the new Profile sheet 911 program. For only $69 you will get a customized review that is also recorded. Click here for more details. This will be fun!
My friend Jonathan Elkboubi has teamed up with some other Tourism Pros and created HTTA and asked me to share:
If you have recently joined the ranks of the unemployed and furloughed of the US Hospitality, Travel, Tourism and Activities Industries, we invite you to register now at www.HTTA.us. HTTA is a benevolent, confidential and secured database meant to allow you to remain connected to the Trade Associations and DMOs you were involved with, which are unaware of your current work status. We will be adding new functionalities to benefit you once recovery starts, such as industry job boards, a continuing education resource center, and a recovery information repository.
Check out Jonathan’s 2016 Tourism Pro Talk Interview here
Can I ask a favor?
I would love it if you would share this post with at least 2 people who would benefit from the information. And then they can sign up here to receive posts delivered straight to their inbox. Thank you! 😁