ANGUILLA

I am passionate about the business of travel and do enjoy fact finding trips to all destinations I visit.

One such visit recently took me to the beautiful and picturesque Island of Anguilla. You can reach this Island via San Juan or better yet the Ferry from St. Maarten. Nothing like starting out on a boat ride to a romantic destination.

This Island with its spectacular views of the Caribbean at almost every angle, provides the perfect backdrop to a Caribbean destination wedding or honeymoon. The Islanders are proud of their destination, and go out of their way to be hospitable. Sailing is a national sport and it was amazing to see the festivities surrounding a local event of boat racing. Beach parties, cars following the boats around the Island, I am sure lots of betting, and serious celebration at the end of the race.

But I am ahead of myself. Having arrived on the Island, I was whisked off to the fabulous Malliouhana Hotel. There I was welcomed by the Resort Manager, Bart van Deventer. This is somewhat normal in my line of work, but I was amazed to see that this was not a 'special' greeting for me, but one that is extended to all guests. You are truly welcomed, at this property.

MALLIOUHANA HOTEL

The resort was opened in 1984 and since then have garnered a worldwide following and numerous awards. Upon arrival and seeing the layout, vista and hospitality of the staff you can fully understand why they are considered one of the finest resorts in the Caribbean. The hotel is perched on a cliff overlooking the bluest waters of the Caribbean and is situated on 26 acres.

My very large room was elegantly done, and the large terrace overlooked the Caribbean Sea. Upon visiting the rest of the hotel, I realised my room was 'ordinary' compared to the suites and villas. Each one was more beautiful than the other. A perfect place to host a destination wedding, have the honeymoon of your dreams or just a great place for a romantic retreat.

Malliouhana Hotel has a staff ratio of four per room, two per guest. In keeping with the resort's elegantly casual style, no jackets and ties are required in the main restaurant where guests enjoy French cuisine with Caribbean flair. And now the wine cellar!! The 25,000 bottle wine cellar is the largest in the Caribbean and hold the Wine Spectator Grand Award every year since 1999. I also visited the Spa, and again every amenity to soother mind, body and soul.

The planning and execution of weddings at this hotel, is like no other. Every attention to detail is observed, respected and done according to the wishes of the couple. The wedding coordinator is Ms. Chantelle Davis and her contact information is:chantal.davis@malliouhana.com (264-497-6111 xtn.407) And if you think this is out of your reach, try again as, like all Caribbean properties catering to this market, there are many pricing levels.

Next day was a very busy one, and I attended some local events as the guest of the Chief Minister. It was the weekend of the 43rd Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution and it was celebrated in style. I attended a luncheon of senior citizens (the Chief Minister hosts all senior citizens on the Island at a special luncheon - transportation provided to pick them up and take them back to their respective residences). Island music finished off this fabulous luncheon, and it was a joy to see senior citizens dance to the local beat. It was then off to prepare and attend the Service of Thanksgiving In observance of the Revolution at the St.Mary's Parish Church. This was fully attended and the young minister who spoke was riveting.

A visit to Anguilla should be a 'must' on your travel list. For more information on the beautiful island of Anguilla, visit http://www.MarryCaribbean.com.

News from eWedNews The Source for Wedding Industry News for 06/22/2010

News from eWedNews The Source for Wedding Industry News for 06/22/2010

ASSOCIATION OF TRAVEL MARKETING EXECUTIVES CONFERENCE

Just returned from attending the Association of Travel Marketing Executives Conference in Boston. The speakers at this year's event were phenomenal and the event was totally sold out. I would like to congratulate once again the HalfMoon Hotel in Jamaica, for being this year's winner of the Green Innovation Award. Accepting for HalfMoon was Mr. Whitfield General Manager of this famed five star property.

For information on the conference here is a link from a blogger who did a great job in articulating the highlights:http://www.rockcheetah.com/blog or see below for the highlights of what he wrote.

ATME Chairman Joel Chusid welcomed the audience, set the stage and wasted no time in getting straight into the program.

Forrester Research Vice President Henry Harteveldt provided his typical tsunami of insightful and statistically based observations and predictions:

• Europe will undergo huge social change due to austerity programs – fewer vacations, later retirement

• In the US, 2010 is the first year when Baby Boomers turn 65. A huge demographic shift is coming

• Leisure travelers say value, reliability & past experience are equally important to price

• Era of new frugality is named “neoFrugal chic.” Savings is a point of pride. Every purchase is highly researched. Travel is a reward, not an entitlement. However, seeing upturn in people willing to pay more on products that save them time & hassle

• US audiences reported spending almost as much time online as watching TV in 2009

• Mobile will become the most important gateway for travel marketers in the next 3-4 years. Mobile currently represents 5% of online travel marketing budgets

• More than 9,300 iPhone travel apps. 6% of total iPhone Apps. 1 in 10 iPhone users have downloaded a travel app.

• 72% of leisure travelers engaged in social media – same statistic in US & Europe

• 58% of travelers have Facebook accounts. Fastest growing aspect of Facebook is mobile

• 57% of US leisure travelers use general search engines like google to research travel online. 1 in 5 travelers are “booking baffled” when online

• 32% travelers follow / fan companies to get deals. Interested in a social media strategy? Remember one word – greed. People want deals.

• Splinternet means people will use different technologies & devices to connect, but expect same service & quality standards

• 52% of travelers don’t have a brand in mind when they start to research their vacation. Only 3 in 10 travelers say they’re loyal to a travel company

• Data is Everything

• Brand Marketing is functioning a lot like a Roman Orgy. Disciplines no longer black & white – lots of overlap

Susan Black Black & Wright Group Partner (later affectionately referred to as “The Ubiquitous Susan Black”) was up next to describe “Who is Making Money from Social Media?”:

• 4 in 10 wake up to their social circles to get news and information

• 56% check Facebook or social media sites several times a day

• Social media isn’t about broadcasting – it’s about honesty, responsiveness, conversation & transparancy

• People like doing business with people they know. They LOVE doing business with people they trust

• 4 E’s of social media: Educate, Excite, Engage & Evangelize

• Search engines striving to produce results that are relevant & authentic. Social media provides both

• 81% of marketers have extended reach of e-mail by incorporating social media

• 55,000+ people “Like” Travelocity – providing Facebook fans special offers (example $150 off )

• Expedia has 1/5 Facebook fans of Travelocity – Does not get social media (I would say Expedia’s ownership of social media savvy TripAdvisor helps balance this out)

• 4 in 10 people recommend products on social media sites, 46% recommend on Facebook, 44% on Twitter

• Stacy Small (@EliteTravelGal), Roger Smith Hotel (@RSHotel), Southwest (@SouthwestAir), Sandals (@sandals), Jetsetter (@JetSetter) “get” social media. Gary Leopold, CEO of ISM took the stage to discuss “What’s Next in Digital Advertising”:

• Per Pugh Research, consumers are exposed to 7,000 advertising messages every day (500 per waking hour)

• The future of marketing is NOT all Digital. Integration of paid, owned & earned media is a new challenge for travel marketers

• 5 billion phones compared with only 1 billion computers in the world. We are going mobile

• Do you know who the Mayor of your business is?

• The future of marketing is being generous. Greed is not good in consumers mind anymore

• The future of marketing is telling great stories. Leverage content.

• The Future of marketing is service – Can no longer rely on Operations & HR to provide service

• Have moved from Selling Travel to Selling Experience; from Selling Destinations to Selling Journeys

• My interest is in the future. I’m going to spend the rest of my life there The heavy hitters, with site traffic providing the street cred to back it up, then took the stage to share “5 things we don’t know about them” (Full disclosure – there were a lot more than 5 things people did not know about each)

Rob Torres, Head of Travel, Google:

• Four key internet trends: Mobile, Social, Local & Personal

• New Credo of Google is Mobile First

• 1 out of every 6 minutes spent online is on a social network

• 19% of tweets comment on a brand

• The web is local. 1 in 5 Google desktop searches are related to location

• Hotel Price Ads Beta – Making searching for hotels much easier – can enter dates & availability, link to book. Available to 10% of users. Prices do not impact PageRank

• Expedia.co.uk integrating maps & Google Street View

• Google Sitelinks – Provides sub-categories for direct linking into most relevant aspect of Ads

• Google Search Funnels – looks at keywords & where customer visited upstream BEFORE visiting site

• On average, over 20 sites are visited before people book their travel (Note: official Google stat specifies that this takes place across 9 isolated sessions.)

• Google Goggles – Mobile application turns a picture into a query – Returns information about product & translates

• Innovate – Test – Measure

Krista Pappas – Global Head of Business Development, Bing:

• Interesting Microsoft considers “Scale” 100 Million users – Facebook got there in 9 months. iPod 3 years

• 25% of cliack are “back”; 42% need refinement, 50% of time spent on long queries – Bing attacking these issues

• Visual search plays a big part of the future. Very important for destinations & hotels

• Bing has a million Facebook followers

• Bing connecting through social media – used Ryan Seacrest example – 1 tweet = 40,000 site visitors

• Know people searching for travel are starting with maps, but still learning about commercial intent

Christine Petersen – CMO, TripAdvisor:

• TripAdvisor is largest travel site in the world; Bigger than parent Expedia. Also it is larger than Travelocity, Orbitz & Priceline Combined

• New Facebook Trip Friends App: Wisdom of crowds is great, but wisdom of friends is better

• Facebook is the social graph

• TripAdvisor is most popular travel App on iPhoneTrip. Mobile site gets 1 million visits per month

• Offering free business listings to hotels threatened by Gulf oil spill

• In Fall, TripAdvisor will be testing integrated content project with major European hotel chain to monitor reviews

• TripAdvisor Office has a Kegerator (with its own Facebook page)

The closing session, moderated by John Peters VP, Tripology/Rand McNally with the topic of Social Media – Who’s Doing it Right?

Roseanne Landay Director, Strategy & Business Development, Pleasant Holidays:

• Pleasant Holidays claims highest ROI in social media – Roseanne is only one in company working on social media, with no other dollars invested

• Using Social Media for Speed – last minute travel deals achieved over $500 Thousand in sales over six months

• Social Media Best Practices: Listen, Engage, Monitor, Nurture, Share, Measure

• Social media also helps Pleasant Holidays maintain contact with customer, keep them from leaving to other competitors or booking channels

Meredith Hanrahan CMO, Cheapflights US:

• Cheapflights launching Zugu, a new meta-search experience

• Cheapflights for baragin hunters; launching new brand Zugu for need driven buyers

• Ran “What the Hell is Zugu?” contest. Prize is a Round the World Trip. Drove visitors to site from Twitter & Facebook with clues in search

• Zugu UK social media program led to 20% increase in followers, 50 million PR impressions

Michael Dalesandro CEO, WhereIveBeen:

• Where I’ve Been has 9.5MM members, social media site for travel

• $15,000 total marketing spend has yielded 9.5 Million visitors

• Focus on 3 things, open, social, relevant

• Twitter campaign recap: 18 tweets drove more than 600K followers

Rick Seaney CEO, FareCompare:

• Time, Money, Site Links & Speed – Requirements uccess for all online travel media cos

• Best part of social media is marketers can use it to package different aspects to make interesting

• New Google Timeliness feature makes continuous messaging a necessity – otherwise you disappear.

• FareCompare has 180 twitter accounts

• Best day of week and time to search airfares is Tuesdays at 3:00pm

• Best day of the week to fly is Wednesday

• FareCompare has “elves” who respond to questions he doesn’t have time to answer

• Favorite airlines in social media are @southwestair & @jetblue. If you have an issue & tweet, you will probably get an answer

Gary Leopold later commented that “A good marketing & media plan is like a well made stew.”

Overall it was a great learning experience coupled with the ability to network at the highest levels of business. But most important, these findings provide travel marketers across the board with updated information to help them in their marketing initiatives/planning. This also applies to those marketers who are looking at the changes in the wedding & honeymoon markets, and the importance of Social Networking.

JAMAICA: "OUT OF MANY ONE PEOPLE"

Jamaica, the land of wood and water is the third largest island in the Caribbean. With a strong global presence and a colorful history, settled first by the Arawak Indians, Caribs then 'discovered by Columbus in 1494', then taken over by the English in 1655 which contributed to the 'breakaway' of a group of its citizens who refused to be enslaved by the British. This 'breakaway group' known as the Jamaican Maroons fought with the British to relinquish their hold on the island. Of course the British stayed until Independence in 1962.

The above is a quick review of the history of Jamaica as I remember it. How it translates and why I write today is based on the media obsession with the events that are now playing out in Kingston, the Capital and business area of Jamaica.

Yes, negative news make good copy and good ratings. However, one must put things in perspective. What is happening is the pursuit of one man to bring him to face the American justice system for possible illegal activities. Bear in mind, that the niche market that this gentleman controls is fueled by demand from select consumers in the American Market. The revenue that has been derived from his operation, has also gone into reinforcing a neighborhood of questionable activities, thereby creating 'loyalties'. I do believe that without a strong consumer demand, certain illegal activities would certainly disappear.

By and far the citizens of this country are law abiding and like anywhere else in the world want peace and prosperity. The constant barrage of media cannot and does not differentiate a military operation in a select town within a country, and in effect tarnish the entire country with the events of what is taking place in a small area.

The resort areas and other parts of the Island, are totally unaffected by what is happening in one small area. Yes, there is an advisory: but like anything else common sense and understanding of advisories should be taken into account especially for those who write and claim to understand the travel industry.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of life, the negativity, the unfair reporting, the misunderstanding of a country by those who should know better, and the seemingly low profile of any Public Relations effort.

These are my thoughts and I am sure there are those who do have a different version of things. Yes, there is politics involved, but in every country and all manner of events, politics always take center stage. See the events of the major oil disaster in the United States that will certainly create havoc with the environment, the industries that depend on the ocean for a living, death of wildlife, etc.

Jamaica, with is lush vegetation, diverse topography, great beaches, hotels/resorts to suit every budget, waterfalls, great coffee, music, food, pulsating music offers the traveler a range of activities: if you are looking for relaxation - golf, weddings, honeymoons, family vacations, romantic jaunts: whatever your desire (legal) this is a great Caribbean destination to visit.

Caribbean Weddings & Honeymoons

The beauty of the Caribbean with all its offerings is the perfect environment to have your Caribbean destination wedding or celebrate your Caribbean Honeymoon.

The options are many as each of the 33 member countries that make up the Caribbean, offer something for everyone. Whether it is tying the knot on a cruise ship or a land based affair, you will certainly have memories to last a lifetime, in an environment that truly cannot be duplicated.

You can be as lavish as you would like your event to be or as simple as your budget dictates. Whatever your wish, it can be accomplished. Your choices of location and hotels are as varied as one can imagine.

Of course you can also visit http://www.MarryCaribbean.com to enter for a Free New York Wedding and a Caribbean Honeymoon. The honeymoon sponsored by the United States Virgin Islands, the wedding gown is compliments of the Bahamas, Procreation trip given by Starwoods, bridal cake by the British Virgin Islands, tuxedo by 1800.MyTuxes (MarryCaribbean.com)and other gifts that will be posted shortly. Also for further information visit http://www.MarryCaribbean.com

Do It Caribbean Wedding Celebration

In celebration of Caribbean Week, MarryCaribbean.com and the Caribbean Tourism Organization will select a lucky couple to get married at Lincoln Center and enjoy a fabulous Caribbean honeymoon in the United States Virgin Islands: FOR FREE

WHERE: Lincoln Center - Manhattan, New York

WHEN: Saturday June 12, 2010

TIME: Approximately 3:00pm

PRIZES:

Wedding Gown & Groom’s Tuxedo

His & Hers Wedding Band

Honeymoon in the United States Virgin Islands

Wedding Cake by the British Virgin Islands

Island Gifts and more

TO ENTER:

Write an essay, 300 words or less about your engagement – the place, the proposal, the ring, your reaction and more – and how a Caribbean honeymoon would be the icing on the cake. Submit your entry online at www.MarryCaribbean.com between March 20, 2010 and April 30, 2010 or by email: Jacqueline@MarryCaribbean.com

DoItCaribbean

WEDDING CELEBRATION

http://www.MarryCaribbean.com & Caribbean Tourism Organization Contest Official Rules

For more information please visit http://www.MarryCaribbean.com

BRIDES SEEK VALUE, PERSONAL CHEMISTRY FROM WEDDING PLANNERS

Received this article from Jeff Kear, Co-owner of MyWeddingWorkbook.com.

I am a big supporter of all things bridal, especially when there is information that can help you with your daily decisions. In addition to bringing you up to date bridal market information, I do provide a forum that will enable you to know the people in the industry and perhaps build alliances. If you find this information helpful, please do not hesitate to visit his site, and of course your comments are welcome.

Destination weddings & honeymoons, continue to deliver a recession proof, year round business. For the Caribbean, this is an important market segment that brings much needed revenue to the destination.

"Brides seek value, personal chemistry from wedding planners

Today's brides are more inclined to hire wedding planners who are value-driven, more willing to collaborate and who provide day-of-wedding packages, according to a survey conducted by My Wedding Workbook Pro - http://www.myweddingworkbookpro.com/ - the wedding planning software for bridal consultants.

When brides were asked about the top factors they would consider when hiring a wedding planner, 71.9% named cost as the leading factor. In addition, of the respondents who did not hire a consultant, 74.7% stated that they decided against hiring a planner because it was simply "too expensive."

"Most newly engaged brides assume that hiring a wedding planner will dramatically drive up the price of their wedding," said Jeff Kear, co-owner of My Wedding Workbook Pro and My Wedding Workbook - http://www.myweddingworkbook.com/ - the online wedding planner software for brides. "But consultants can actually reduce vendor costs in lots of ways and make sure couples get what they pay for. So consultants who can demonstrate the value they deliver - especially during a recession - can really put themselves at an advantage."

The current recession also has influenced what types of services brides want from consultants, with more than 90% of brides responding that they would only consider hiring a planner for day-of-wedding services. Another big expectation that brides have of planners is the ability to negotiate very favorable rates with vendors, with 55.6% of respondents listing this as a critical attribute.

Once you get beyond concerns of cost, what brides really want from their wedding planner is great personal chemistry and a collaborative relationship. Indeed, 56.9% of brides listed this as a top factor in choosing a consultant, and another 32.3% want a partner who can help relieve the stress of managing every detail.

"What we discovered is that a bride doesn't necessarily want someone who just comes in and takes over," said Kear. "She wants a partner who will listen to her, work with her and share her vision. She wants someone who will give her great advice and who will assume the responsibilities that she doesn't have the time or desire to shoulder. Any consultant who brings this kind of flexibility and sensitivity to the table is positioned for success."

However, there are still many brides who, regardless of the cost of hiring a planner, would prefer planning their wedding themselves. Of the brides surveyed, 44% listed themselves as being a "do-it-yourself type person," 33.1% did not anticipate needing much help and 25.2% said they were not comfortable handing over wedding planning responsibilities.

"When you get right down to it, hiring a wedding consultant is a very personal decision. Some brides have looked forward to planning their wedding for so long that for them it would be unconscionable to ask someone else to do it," said Kear. "Others place their main priority on getting married but would rather leave all the details up to someone else. And then there's a ton of brides who are somewhere in between. The wedding consultants who can serve all those in-betweeners are the ones who will have very busy practices."

For additional interesting data on brides’ attitudes and opinions, visit our blog at http://www.myweddingworkbookpro.com/blog/index.cfm.

--------------------------------------- About My Wedding Workbook http://www.myweddingworkbook.com/

My Wedding Workbook is comprehensive wedding software for do-it-yourself brides who want to stay organized throughout the entire wedding planning process. My Wedding Workbook’s user-friendly design is straightforward, simple to navigate and allows you to easily print information from any page. Its plethora of integrated tools allows for easy planning of every event from the engagement party to they honeymoon. A great alternative to the messy paper planner, My Wedding Workbook is web-based, secure and accessible from anywhere there’s an Internet connection.

About My Wedding Workbook Pro http://www.myweddingworkbookpro.com/

My Wedding Workbook Pro is the premier professional wedding planner software for consultants. It’s the “smart” way to manage your business with integrated tools to organize each client’s event details and the ability to collaborate with clients by providing them with access to designated areas of the software. My Wedding Workbook Pro is built to expand and change with your business and, best of all, its comprehensive Web-based software enables professionals to easily manage your business from anywhere you can access the Internet."

For more information on the Caribbean, visit http://www.MarryCaribbean.com