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 Jered Fournier of Broadway Inbound. Not only is Jered smart about tourism, but he is also a blast to hang out with!
Tell us a bit about how you got started in the tourism industry.
I came to love and learn tourism through my first love and biggest passion – Broadway! I’ve been at Broadway Inbound for seven and a half years, during which time I have worked various positions and have grown within the company. Through our partnerships with clients domestically and internationally, our ongoing sponsorship performances at IPW and NTA, and our deep relationship with NYC & Company, I’ve learned tourism through the lens of Broadway as the calling card to New York City.
My first love will always be the incredible live entertainment product we promote (I have a BFA in Musical Theatre with a background in performing!) My close second love is tour and travel. I am so fortunate being equally involved in both communities/industries.
What is your current job and what are your primary responsibilities?
My current position is Sales & Events Manager at Broadway Inbound, which is a division of The Shubert Organization. I lead the sales team, domestically and internationally – attending trade shows, participating on sales missions, overseeing our sales strategy and sales team including six international rep offices – helping to grow and service current accounts while also exploring new prospects and opportunities.
I also focus personally on some specialty markets, such as China and the LGBTQ+ market. Throughout the year, we organize many events – from pre-show client cocktail receptions, sponsorship performances and other things. In my “events” role, I also work on organizing, strategizing and executing these events along with our Vice President and Director of Sales.
What are some of the changes you have seen since you began your career?
What’s exciting about Broadway is that it is always changing. There are ALWAYS new shows, along with the long-running favorites. In terms of the tourism industry, like everyone else, I’ve witnessed an exponential growth in FIT travel. While group travel is still important, its less than a few years ago as FIT takes over.
The distribution channels have shifted significantly and the OTA’s[Online Travel Agencies], OAA’s[ Online Activity Aggregators], companies with mobile Apps, and online reservation technology companies have moved to the dominant position. API capabilities[the ability for companies booking software to speak to each other] and integration has become key.
Additionally, there has been a major interest in content, content, content – short videos (apps like TikTok, etc) and engaging rich content can help achieve the goals better than boring price lists and printed materials. And of course, on a Sally Berry blog, I would be crazy not to mention the increasing importance of WeChat for the Chinese market! In my years working in China, it has become the MOST important form of communication and information sharing.
What tourism trends are you seeing that will impact your job and how you work in the next 2 years?
It’s hard to say since there are so many trends from different aspects of the business. One thing that is going to start affecting the way we all market and sell our products or destinations is the younger traveler who wants an experience that is unique, “like a local,” off the beaten path… the standard everyday sights and attractions may not be enough to satisfy the curiosity and exploratory nature of the next wave of tourists.
Like the previous answer, there are also so many companies who are online/mobile focused that work in various markets, languages and currencies – the traditional “by market” tracking, sales team assignments, and trends may become harder to maintain as the larger “global” players take over the industry and reach everyone globally all from the same place.
It’s vacation time – where do you go?
Since I live in New York City, constantly surrounded by the hustle and bustle, I prefer to “get away from it all” in my downtime. Anywhere on the beach or in the mountains works for me! Cape Cod comes to mind immediately as a favorite summer spot.
What is your favorite app and tell us a bit about it.
Well, I play the game “TwoDots” way more than I should, I’m on level 1539.
As it relates to travel, I love the “GlobeConvert” app. It’s a great tool for easily converting anything quickly – currency, time zones, temperature, measurements, etc… and it keeps up-to-date with real-time currency exchange rates. When traveling internationally, it’s super helpful for quickly figuring out how much something costs, how far away someplace is, what the Fahrenheit temp is when all I see is Celsius and more. I love it!
What is your favorite tradeshow and why?
I love many trade shows for different reasons, but I would probably pick IPW as my favorite. I appreciate the format, having the chance to have so many 20-minute meetings pre-scheduled. And it’s an opportunity to connect with clients from all over the USA and the world. SO productive!
Plus, you can’t beat the incredible evening events they pull off. And the Tuesday NYC Center Stage luncheon with all the Broadway performances is one of the trade show highlights of the whole year.
What advice do you have for someone just getting started in the tourism industry?
Maybe goes without saying, but don’t take it for granted. We have awesome jobs. We get to do for work what most people pay to do for leisure. And not only do we get to do it, but we talk about it all day, think about how we can all work together to make travel even better.
I would caution that when traveling for business, be careful and remember: although it’s amazing and fun – we ARE still working hard! Don’t let your social media feed look too much like you’re on vacation and don’t get too carried away at the networking parties, or your boss may rethink who gets sent on the next trip.
Final thoughts from Sally: Are you interested in getting more Chinese visitors?
One of the best ways to build relationships with Chinese tour operators is by going to their offices and spending time getting to know the staff and decision makers. It can be intimidating if you are just trying to figure this market out.
I have developed a China Sales Mission Program that will help you get prepared for succeeding in this market. You will get access to videos that will help you learn WeChat and understand how to conduct business. I will work 1:1 with you to make sure your offerings are what visitors want to see and do. And once you are China market savvy, you can join me on 2 days of sales calls. We will spend a day in Flushing, and a day in Chinatown.
Send me an email and let me know if you would like me to send you more information. I will only take 7 people in mid-July – dates to be set once we get our group!