‘CUSTOMER IN CONTROL’ MESSAGE AT TRAVELCOM RES-EXPO
Thank you to everyone who participated in TravelCom Res-Expo 2007 in Las Vegas, NV. All who attended played a part in making the show a success. A special thanks goes to our 2007 Sponsors.

TravelCom Res-Expo 2007 in Las Vegas focused on consumer demands to drive their own travel experiences. "There is only one steering wheel and the driver, the customer, is not letting go" said keynote speaker Henry Harteveldt, Vice President and Principal Analyst, Forrester Research, Inc. during a Thursday morning session. He went on to explain that with 83 percent of travelers now online "Travelers get the control they want to buy exactly what they value. We're in an era when travelers have almost unlimited information" thanks to the Internet.

TIA's premier travel distribution and e-Commerce conference featured keynote addresses from other top players in online marketing and distribution who presented the latest, most relevant developments. Also included were thought leadership forums and some of the best networking opportunities for travel industry professionals in the online sphere.

Click here to view photo highlights from the conference. In the coming days we will also make the presentations available to this year's attendees, so keep an eye out for an email from us with directions. In the meantime, click here to view Henry Harteveldt's TravelCom 2007 keynote presentation.


....FAVORABLE FEEDBACK
Attendees at this year's TravelCom Res-Expo received a follow-up survey. TravelCom General Manager, Vickie Singer asks attendees to let her know how she can improve TravelCom next year. Among responses received thus far, Michael Thiel, Founder/Editor-in-Chief, Hideaways International, Inc. said "What we learned will certainly work its way into much of our general communications with our upscale traveler audience."

The latest phase of TIA's $3.9 million cooperative agreement with the US Department of Commerce to develop, market and maintain the first official U.S. travel and tourism websites for international inbound travelers is a request for proposals. We are in search of a partner or partners that can develop low-budget, creative marketing campaigns to drive traffic to the five DiscoverAmerica.com sites, and develop the advertising and content strategy for the sites. If you are interested in responding to the Online Marketing RFP and the Advertising and Content Strategy RFP , please send your proposals by May 7 to Lisa Lanna. Contact information is provided in the RFPs.

TRAVEL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT ENTERS SECOND YEAR
Following a great inaugural event in 2006, the Travel Leadership Summit (TLS) 2007 will be based in Washington, D.C.'s historic Sphinx Club, September 26-27. TIA is very excited to announce partnerships with the National Restaurant Association, National Tour Association, Southeast Tourism Society, and Western States Tourism Policy Council. Anyone interested in participating should contact their state tourism director. Click here for more information. TLS is a series of coordinated state-led dinners and receptions with Members of Congress on a single evening that amplifies the travel industry’s voice in Washington.

TIA and American Express recently released results of a landmark report, The Ideal American Vacation Trip, profiling what Americans actually do on vacation trips versus what they "want" to do. “While the American love affair with the vacation trip is still strong, this research reveals that the travel industry has the opportunity to do much more to enhance the vacation experience for travelers of all ages, family types, and motivations,” said Lisa Gregg, Vice President of Marketplace Development/North America for American Express. The report found that overall, rest and relaxation and spending time with significant others are the most important attributes of an ideal vacation trip. The study also found that ideal vacation destinations for American vacation travelers are those that offer an easy travel experience, a sense of fun and adventure, and local flavor.

More than 80 cities, states and travel-related businesses have indicated their participation in the all new and FREE National Tourism Week (NTW) promotion in partnership with AOL Travel®. Click here for details of the promotion. The web tile will be distributed by email in the next few days and the AOL landing page will go live on May 1. This is an exciting new opportunity to promote NTW. If you are interested in participating, contact Greg Staley.

The Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau invites you to the second annual TIA Foundation Sensation at International Pow Wow 2007 starring Andy Childs and the Memphis Soul All-Stars! This exciting fundraising event will support the TIA Foundation’s education and industry research. All proceeds will go to the TIA Foundation.

• Tickets are $55 per person (includes entry, two drink tickets & complimentary food)
• BONUS - Your Foundation Sensation ticket will also allow you to enter Disney’s California Adventure Park at 6:30pm for FREE! Explore the park before you head off to Stage 17 to party the night away!
• Tickets may be purchased at the TIA Information Booths in the main lounge or in the registration area. Tickets will also be sold at the Foundation Sensation desk outside the main entrance to Disney’s California Adventure Park or Click Here to download the form and purchase your tickets today!

U.S. Suppliers – Purchase multiple tickets and invite your favorite buyers to join you. Or, even better, purchase one of the limited number of reserved tables that are available for $500. Your table will be reserved with your organization’s name, and includes 10 Foundation Sensation entry tickets and 25 total drink tickets (that’s 5 extra drink tickets).

Click here for more information on International Pow Wow