Haven Thorn

Having now spent upwards of 13 years helping DMOs with PR and marketing, one of my biggest tips for destinations is not to shy away from what makes your place special or unique. It's far too easy to jump on trends, or let "we've got something for everyone" turn into becoming indistinguishable from your competitive set. You can read my take on this in the #TravelIssue of O'Dwyer's Public Relations News! #travelpr #tourismpr #dmo #destinationmarketing

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My latest article for Hotels Above Par explores travel's hottest trend: 'destination dupes.' And to that tune, these are some of my favorites. Not only will you avoid crowds, but travel trends like 'destination dupes' encourage cost-effective exploration, leading to a broader range of destinations gaining popularity. This diversification can stimulate local economies and promote sustainable tourism by distributing travelers more evenly across different locations.

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What a treat to meet former United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz at IABC's World Conference this week in Chicago. AvGeek me barely held it together. Oscar led a session called "Leadership Is an Act of Extended Storytelling" and was gracious enough to give away copies of his book "Turnaround Time," sign copies, and take photos. Here were some of my takeaways from his session. 1. Bring people into the story with you so change communications can endure. Why is the thing you're communicating to people important to them? 2. Always have an opinion. You need to think for yourself and be able to critique situations and think critically. Having those opinions is what's going to get you noticed. 3. Accept bad things when they happen and accept responsibility when something bad happens. That's the burden of leadership. 4. There's always something you can easily find about a person that will spark a personal conversation. It can be a button on their shirt, the hat they're wearing, and so much more.

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Miami ranked #12 & Ft. Lauderdale ranked #19 on CVENT's top destinations for meetings and events. How do these South Florida cities stack up against the top 5 and top 10? Check out the top 50 destinations link in comments. While the Beaches tend to be the preferred 1st Tier Destination/Attraction, the downtown areas and micro cities within pull their weight in being either 1st Tier, 2nd Tier, and 3rd Tier options depending on what's important to you and your attendees. These 1st Tier destinations and micro destinations are supported by 3 International Airports and supplemented by a luxury private train system; MIA, FLL, PBI, and Brightline Trains. What's your take on the subject matter? Share your thoughts in comments. ✅️Are we connected? Happy to share ideas, information, and resources: junior.collins@conferencedirect.com Photo Credit - Vinyasawave #eventmanagement

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Thank you to David E. and HOTELS magazine for asking me to contribute to one of their latest articles on lodging and management companies choosing partnerships over M&A. Here is what I had to say about the highlights of these types of partnerships: "Consolidation endures in the lodging sector as hotel brand and/or management companies expand mass and distribution to remain competitive. There are many independent brands or smaller collections of brands that can scale by leveraging large brand family loyalty platforms." These partnerships provide significant financial benefits and opportunities for market expansion without substantial upfront investments. We will see more of it because everyone is under pressure to grow, and it is an easy way to do that. What do you think? Here's the link to the full article: https://lnkd.in/eNntY-c2 #hotelindustry #lodgingindustry

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The big hotel companies released earnings this week. Skift has the highlights: - U.S. hotel demand is softening. Marriott said its U.S. and Canadian hotels saw RevPAR rise only 1.5% YOY. IHG said U.S. room revenue growth was down 0.3% YOY. - U.S. hotel profits are normalizing. Truist Securities found an average gross oper profit margin of 35%. That's the same as 1Q 2023 — but it was down from the post-pandemic boom. - Asia Pacific is booming. Marriott saw a 16.5% spike in revenue-per-available room there thanks to strong economic winds, ongoing growth in leisure and business travel demand, and an uptick in cross-border demand, particularly from Mainland China. For more, here's Sean O'Neill's overview of the week that was for hotels.

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HOTELS spoke with BWH Hotels' CMO Joelle Park to learn how its latest media campaign, "Life's a Trip," came to life. Read the full story: #HOTELS #hotelnews #hospitality #hospitalityindustry #hotelindustry #hospitalitynews #marketingcampaign #bwhhotels

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Over the last 18 months we have grown the Marriott Bonvoy social team, we have retained an agency and completely redesigned and reimagined our strategy and our approach to storytelling. Huge thanks and appreciation to Annie Granatstein, Brian Povinelli and Tina Edmundson for supporting the vision and making it happen for us. Our focus has been on driving business objectives while doing so in a way that speaks to our audience, current and future members, and does so in a platform relevant way. Anyone who works in social media knows, social media is a huge challenge, a frequently changing set of rules and demands from the platforms, a world of real life circumstances impacting how, what and when you speak or present your storytelling and a lot of internal asks of the team, amongst many other things. With all that in mind, I am so incredibly proud of our team: Gwen McIntyre, Belinda Huffer, Marie Sessums, Marianna Eboli, Katie O'Neil, Morgan McKnight, MA, Kristen Brooks, Rachael Sulik (Blair), Annie Granatstein, Ana Oseguera, Bree Kupfer, Vivian Huang, Maire Kelly, Lindsey Soon, Morgan Hamilton (and all of our agency team and production team JACOB MEDIA) Not only did this team exceed every single business objective set in 2023 but we also are now starting to see the reaction from the marketing and advertising world as results and updates are coming in from award submissions. This team are finalists for Shorty Awards in SEVEN of the ten categories we submitted work for. Winning success is now dependent on public votes. Over the next week I am going to highlight each of the seven areas and ask that if you feel them worthy you support the work by voting. But if you can’t wait and want to have a sneak peek. Each of the finalists entries can be found here, and voting is allowed every day until April 30: 1 Point Drops: https://lnkd.in/eHF5jxMh How do you Say Marriott? https://lnkd.in/eRW7yQ9b Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Race Weekend Destination Guides: https://lnkd.in/eR5k2tW4 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team x Marriott Bonvoy - LinkedIn focus https://lnkd.in/emzg5PV7 Community Management Evolution https://lnkd.in/e86Q2qvv Rolling Stone Partnership - The Road to Beautiful https://lnkd.in/e9bveP76 Marriott Bonvoy Member Education https://lnkd.in/enqZgSHQ Thank you for your support and please join me in congratulating the team and those who support us across so many departments - the hard work is paying off with results in all areas.

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📢 Big News in the Tour Operator Space! 🌍 The Travel Corporation (TTC), a legacy brand in the travel industry, is set to embark on a new journey as it will be acquired by Apollo Private Equity, with the deal expected to close in Q4 2024. For the first time in its 104-year history, TTC will move away from the Tollman family's leadership. This significant transition includes most TTC brands like Uniworld, Contiki, and Insight, though Red Carnation Hotels will remain under the Tollman family's stewardship. TTC Chairman Brett Tollman shared, “Without a next generation to lead TTC, the time has come in our strategic succession plan to select a new owner. We are confident that Apollo will continue driving the business forward to meet growing global demand for touring, river cruising, and specialist and adventure travel.” Founded by Stanley Tollman, TTC has grown into an international travel powerhouse with over 40 brands and 10,000 employees across 70 countries. Apollo, an international asset manager with over $670 billion in assets, is enthusiastic about taking TTC to the next level. Michele Raba, a partner at Apollo, expressed gratitude for the Tollman family's trust and looks forward to an exciting new chapter for TTC. https://lnkd.in/evwak2mb #traveladvisor #travelagent #TravelIndustry #TTC #ApolloPrivateEquity #TravelNews #LegacyBrand #GlobalTravel #NewBeginnings

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Rev your engines, folks! The F1 Miami Grand Prix returns this weekend, and if there's one thing we PR pros know, it's how to seize a golden opportunity. We like to leverage big events like these to: - Expand our clients’ reach to a wider audience - Tap into the excitement and keep brands relevant - Develop creative promotions and activations to coincide with the event - Craft compelling media pitches, such as highlighting places to get your adrenaline fix or suggesting budget-friendly ways to enjoy Miami if you can’t afford Formula 1 tickets - Generate content for social media, e-blasts, websites, and more. It's all about getting creative and utilizing every tool in our PR toolbox. #F1Miami #PRStrategies #PublicRelations #ThinkOpposite

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We talked to Rebecca Cocchiola at Singerman Real Estate about investment opportunities in the Caribbean. #hotelinvestmenttoday #hotel #hospitalitynews #hotelnews #hospitalityindustry #hospitality 

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Today, we're diving into the dynamic world of hotel branding with Dean Winter from Swire Hotels. They're reimagining luxury with their East Hotel Miami, embracing a fresh "alt luxury" approach. Here's what's changing and why it matters: Evolution of East Hotels: Originally targeting corporate travelers, Swire Hotels recognized a shift in customer demographics and needs over their 14-year journey. Introducing Alt Luxury: Catering to a younger, well-traveled audience (25-40-year-olds), they're blending luxury with informality. Think high-quality service minus the fussiness. Connecting with Community: Emphasizing engagement and spontaneity, their hotels are becoming hubs for local activities like runs and cultural events. Environmental Responsibility: No plastic, water filtration systems, and waste reduction are central to their sustainability efforts. Future Expansion: Swire Hotels plans to expand across Asia-Pacific, aiming for 30+ properties under the East brand. This shift isn't just about luxury; it's about creating meaningful connections and experiences. Stay tuned for more updates as Swire Hotels continues to redefine hospitality!

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See how CEO pay amongst the highest-paid travel bosses in 2023 correlated to total shareholder return. #ceopay #bookingholdings #hilton #marriott #hosthotels #americanairlines #unitedairlines #royalcaribbean #deltaairlines #caesarsentertainment #uber #onlinetravel #airlines #hotels #gaming #cruise

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A powerful session addressing Project Travel Do’s and Don’ts!

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COMING SOON to the TOP CMO podcast channel. 😁 🙌 Featuring Nancy Mammana, CMO at New York City Tourism + Conventions. Nancy delves into how the organization's focus has shifted from shock and uncertainty of COVID-19 to finding new markets and diversifying approaches for reopening. Stay tuned to for more updates. #TOPCMO #NewYorkCityTourismConventions #Covid19 #podcast

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ARTICLE: Post-COVID-19 work changes have seen the rise of three- and four-day weekends for remote or hybrid workers looking to extend the leisure time they spend with their families. The “extra day” weekend trend is having a real impact across the hotel sector. Where a few years ago such travelers might have rented an Airbnb, the cooling relationship between short-term subleasing and regulators in many communities has driven business from the Airbnb operators and into the arms of select-service hoteliers.

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Experiences over items - that is the new luxury...   For hotels to stand out they must work to be more than just places to stay. They need to be portals to moments and memories.   In the post-pandemic landscape, investors are recognizing the pull of luxury hotels as a haven, amidst economic uncertainty, with yields soaring to new heights.   They're also not confining themselves to traditional markets, expanding into emerging destinations, embracing eco-tourism, and catering to a diverse and younger demographic. This evolution reflects a broader shift towards inclusivity and sustainability in the luxury travel landscape.   This podcast episode with our very own Zach Demuth and Marc Socker demonstrates the immense potential in luxury hotels...

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