Tag: TIAK

TIAK Board Spotlight

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Beyond the boardroom, there’s a lot of work that goes into keeping TIAK a well-respected and impeccably running association. While our staff, Natalie, Marlee, and Amy keep things going on a daily basis and surely make the board member roles easier, we want to give a big shout out to our board of directors for the tireless efforts and support they lend to this association, their own communities, and the tourism industry!

Let’s take a look at two of our board members who hail from tourism roles in Olathe and Coffeyville with this TIAK Board Q&A.

Be sure to check back monthly as we shine the spotlight on other members of the board throughout the year.

Allison Calvin, Destination Services Manager – Olathe Convention & Visitors Bureau

What do you love most about working in the tourism industry?

Traveling has always been a hobby of mine, so when I had the opportunity to promote Olathe, the KC metro, and our beautiful state, it was a dream come true!  I have really enjoyed taking my knowledge from my Travel, Tourism, & Hospitality Management degree and growing tourism in our state.

Tell us a little fun fact about yourself?

I played college soccer in Florida and professionally played the piano for 5 years!

Best tip for a new member of TIAK?

Make connections and don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Favorite book, movie, music, food or vacation?

Favorite food- sushi, favorite vacation- Disney World

Anything else you’d like to share?

I am the NEKS rep on the TIAK board and have enjoyed promoting NEKS and our beautiful state!

Amy Dollar, Tourism Director – Visit Coffeyville

What do you love most about working in the tourism industry?

The ability to learn, teach, promote and preserve history.

Tell us a little fun fact about yourself?

I love history!

Best tip for a new member of TIAK?

I am new myself, but everyone is welcoming and informative.

Favorite book, movie, music, food or vacation?

Favorite book – Rebecca

 

 

Make the Most of Destination Statehouse

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MAKE THE MOST OF DESTINATION STATEHOUSE

If you’ll be traveling to Topeka on February 9 for Destination Statehouse, be sure to make the most of your time for this jam-packed day of tourism lobbying and networking with elected officials and colleagues. Check out the tips below to make the most of your day at the Statehouse and learn more about the day’s agenda here.

  • Dress warm (or in layers) and wear comfy shoes. You’ll be doing A LOT of walking. Also, bring a mask just in case a specific area of the capitol or legislative office requires masking.
  • If you’ve never done it, be sure to take the state capitol tour. Tours take place every hour. If you’re interested, just meet at the Kansas Visitor Center at the Statehouse entrance at the top of the hour.
  • Schedule appointments with your legislators in advance. Click here for more tips on being an advocate for tourism.
  • TIAK members will deliver small bags of popcorn to each legislator. These bags will have a reminder about the evening event as well. Please stop by the registration area to deliver gifts to your legislators’ offices, and maybe take a few more to help with the delivery workload.
  • Plan to stop by the new offices of Kansas Tourism between 1:30-3:30 for an open house with the Department of Commerce (located at 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 100).
  • Bonus – if you have time before or after Destination Statehouse, try to take in a local attraction or grab a coffee and a snack for the drive home at a local bakery, coffee shop or restaurant. Explore https://www.visittopeka.com/ for a list of attractions, shops, restaurants and more!

–Karen Crane
TIAK Marketing Chair

Top 5 Ways to Maximize Your TIAK Membership This Year!

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Top 5 Ways to Maximize Your TIAK Membership This Year!

Whether you’re new to TIAK or have been a member for years, it’s always a good idea to take stock of just how involved you are and how you can maximize your membership investment in our state tourism association! Check out these five tips below on how to get the most out of your TIAK membership in 2022!

  • Attend functions – there’s no better way to meet new people, exchange ideas and seek input than to network with others. TIAK offers several face-to-face opportunities for you to do just that—from Destination Statehouse in February to the annual educational seminar in April to the tourism conference in October! Pick one or all and get involved!
  • Serve on a committee – do you have a passion for advocacy and legislative topics? Maybe you’re more drawn to sales or marketing. Or, your end goal is to serve on the board. Whatever your preference, TIAK can put your talent to work. The association is managed by professionals but cannot survive without volunteer committee and board members. Just ask—there’s always a need!
  • Keep informed via the TIAK monthly e-news and social media posts! Engage in the comments, reply and share. Great discussions begin when members start to work together toward common goals.
  • If you are new to TIAK, find a mentor! Reach out to someone who’s been a member for awhile and ask questions. If you don’t know who to ask, email the TIAK office and they’ll have a host of names to share with you.
  • Start working on or finish that KDS certification! Now is the time to add “Kansas Destination Specialist” to your professional achievements. It’s a fun and easy way to learn more about tourism, hospitality, leadership and explore Kansas in the process. Visit https://tiak.org/resources/kds/ to learn more! (Current KDS folks—it’s a renewal year, just a friendly reminder).

30 Ideas in 30 Minutes – Kansas Tourism Conference

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30 Ideas in 30 Minutes — Kansas Tourism Conference

Thanks to everyone for participating in the 30 ideas in 30 minutes session at the Kansas Tourism Conference! A lot of great ideas were shared, and a couple even won a prize! We’ve compiled them all, plus a few from the idea box. Please forgive any errors as it was quite a challenge jotting things down so quickly!

  1. Lucille, Mitchell County – In January, they visited the area schools and gave each 4th grader a copy of the Kansas Travel Guide. They also created a project page for classes to vote on their favorite “To the ________” for their class to post (in support of the To the Stars Kansas Day campaign).
  2. Holly, Lindsborg – Got a couple of grants during the pandemic, worked with the 4th graders outdoors to put a monarch garden along the trail in Lindsborg.
  3. Holly, Lindsborg – Half sheet of what the CVB is working on in the community went to all businesses to spread the word during the pandemic on how they were still promoting Lindsborg.
  4. Galena – Route 66, painted white stakes that separate the State line, then made a yellow brick road to let travelers know they were entering KS.
  5. Melissa, Hays – During shut down they designed a children’s placement/coloring activity sheet that promotes the Sternberg Museum of Natural History. 
  6. Sady, Dodge City – Boot Hill Conf Center – During the last 6 months, they marketed their conference center as “space friendly” for people to spread out.  Maps, etc.  no extra cost and booked five new pieces of business.
  7. Ally- Downtown Hays – Adding SNAP and double up food bucks to the Downtown Hays market helped attract new customers, support vendors, and serve low-income families.
  8. Susie, Concordia – Made pies on Sunday (personally) and invited people to come sit on the outdoor screened-in porch as people drove by and came to visit.
  9. Susie, Concordia – Visited cemeteries, documenting families, dates, etc. They are half done with those in their area.
  10. Christina, Great Bend – Giveaway – All grand prize winners are getting a free year subscription to KS Magazine.
  11. Alexis, Mahaffie – Only shut down for 6 weeks, so they let people write letters to the animals campaign.  Animals would write back! Over 225 letters from multiple states and they received a lot of local press coverage.
  12. Marcie, KS Sampler – Pancake flip on social media, everybody got to try. They couldn’t have the race due to the pandemic.
  13. Jill, Ark City – Festival last year didn’t happen, so they had a scarecrow contest downtown (from the light poles), “adopt a scarecrow”. Kids enjoy walking downtown seeing the scarecrows.
  14. Sara, Downtown Hays – Sweet treats for your teach! A gift card program to honor teachers and support local businesses Buy a $10 gift card and Downtown Hays matched it with popcorn and candy for FREE. Over 180 teachers were honored. Generated over $2,000 for the businesses plus buying popcorn and candy from the local businesses.
  15. Jim Z, Parsons – New chamber director works on Christmas floats and the normal parade was cancelled due to covid. Instead, they parked floats around the football field so people could drive around floats to create social distancing.
  16. Norton Chamber – Partnered with community foundation (anonymous 10,000 donation) to create a “bingo” game in the community. When you got BINGO you won $100 to spend within 30 days. Bingo campaign engaged 1,000 winners who spent 10,000 in the community within 30 days.
  17. Mahaffie- Drive live, visitors guide, website, list of events.  Encouraged people to keep coming back to the downtown area.
  18. Karen, Merriam — Created a coaster for local bars and restaurants to place on tables instead of the normal ones supplied by vendors. Coasters included the CVB website and list of summer/fall events in an attempt to encourage people to come back for those events.
  19. El Dorado – Foodie tour, helped restaurants locally. They came in for a special meal for one week; used a passport to promote the tour. 
  20. Kylie, Seneca – Partnered with the library to have a book walk. Double page spread of a children’s book to display in windows downtown. Walk through, read books through the storefront windows and end at the library. Participants were entered into a drawing for prizes.
  21. Wakeeney Travel and Tourism – Christmas city of high plains, metal trees, trees in front of historical homes that share history. This year they took eight of the trees to put in a concentrated area (1.4 mile block), and hosted a wine walk at this area serving wine at each house. The walk had  45 participants.
  22. Jessica, Visit Wichita – During pandemic they partnered with Threshold 360 to do virtual tours of attractions, restaurants and hotels for meeting planners.
  23. Lindsay, Visit Wichita – Wicked Brew tour (coffee and brewery). They also launched an attraction tour with a passport. Passports were entered to win an annual membership to each attraction and could be redeemed for a t-shirt. 
  24. Marcie, KS Sampler – Networking and bonding at the annual tourism conference (food trucks, air museum, etc.)
  25. Topeka – Attractions and restaurants donated to the Springfield community foundation to set up a fund for displayed workers in Springfield MO, so he brought the idea to Topeka  and helped create the program with the Greater Topeka Partnership.
  26. Holly, Finney County  – During December they were trying to get people to shop local in their downtown so they created Merry Monday and Wednesday specials. She would showcase Christmas items or gifts, and made videos for social media to promote it for shopping or curbside pickup.
  27. Jony, McPherson- Community building was restored right before pandemic and her job was to bring events to this facility. Due to the pandemic, not a lot of business was coming. She created a wine event which filled the center!
  28. Mandy, Liberal – Post on Facebook with restaurants, menus, delivery information.  Pinned post on the Facebook page.
  29. Melissa, Hays – Cross promotion at summer attractions: designed banners to advertise the Sternberg Museum, placed them at Hays Aquatic Park and vice versa. CVB paid for banners and both attractions benefited!
  30. Sara, Downtown Hays – 20 year anniversary celebration, hosted a “homecoming to Hays” event to admire how far our downtown has come and the tourist attraction that it is now. Included a kids fest, free cake, free concert and more!
  31. Melissa, Hays – Interactive art at seasonal art walks. Set up a sign that said “Chalk art station. Grab some chalk and have fun.” Provided tubs of sidewalk chalk for art walk attendees to get creative in public spaces.

5 First Timer Tips: How to get the most out of Kansas Tourism Conference

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Conferences are a great way to connect with people in your industry and learn from the best in the field.  The Kansas Tourism Conference (#KTC21) is THE conference to do just that and more!  You’ll love the motivational speakers, the free swag, networking with peers, awesome food and off-site experiences.   Here are some tips we’ve gathered to help make your first conference experience enjoyable and successful:

  1. Chart your course: It can be overwhelming and incredibly easy to get lost in the flow of events.  Before the conference, review the agenda in advance and pick out which sessions interest you the most focusing on areas of your role.  This will give you an idea how to structure your day and help you know where you need to be and when.  Find the tourism conference agenda here: Kansas Tourism Conference – Travel Industry Association of Kansas (tiak.org)
  2. Come prepared: Bring a small notebook, pen, business cards and your game face.  Throughout the conference you will get plenty of great ideas worth jotting down.  You’ll also meet many new people you may want to stay connected with after the conference.
  3. Be engaged: It’s hard to be fully engaged at the conference if you are constantly checking in with work and responding to email and phone calls.  Get the most out of the conference by minimizing “office work” and keeping non-conference activities to a minimum.  Focus and immerse yourself to gain from the session you are attending.
  4. Network: The whole point of a conference is communicating with people!  Don’t be afraid to attend social hour and off-site activities – hanging out and making conversations with complete strangers can be scary, however the majority of people at the conference are there to connect with like-minded individuals, too.  Many of these events also give you the opportunity to experience the conference host city like a VIP.
  5. Visit the vendors: Review the list of exhibitors before you arrive and highlight the vendors you need to meet. Seek out companies with opportunities that help improve your services.  This will help to use your exhibit time to your best advantage.  It’s also the best place to pick up some cool conference swag!

On your way to KDS? Five tips to help you get there by conference 2021!

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Are you just mere steps away from obtaining your Kansas Destination Specialist designation? Maybe you have a book report to complete, or need to visit an attraction and write a quick report—click here to see where you’re at in the KDS journey!

Make 2021 the year that you go from seeking your KDS to joining the ranks of others who have earned this state-wide designation for tourism professionals. Let’s take a peek at certification requirements as a quick refresher (keep in mind this is not a renewal year, so only new KDS seekers are being awarded in October).

  • Earn 25 points by attending education conferences, seminars, webinars, trainings, etc. Points accumulate as follows: half point for webinar or seminar; one point for half-day session; two points for full-day session; and three points for two or more days. TIAK events are automatically awarded credit. For all other educational events, candidate must submit the Education Session Follow-up Form within the same year as the event was conducted.
  • Read and complete three book reports – one from each category. Categories include: Kansas, Marketing and Leadership. Click here to see the approved reading list!
  • Visit a Kansas attraction, 50+ miles from home, and submit the visiting attraction form. Earn one point for each attraction.

Here’s five tips to help you finish up those last requirements so you can call yourself a Kansas Destination Specialist this year!

  • Know where you stand and what is left to complete your designation.
  • Set aside time each week to finish each task, or if you need to visit an attraction more than 50 miles away, plan the day you’ll go and make a day-trip out of it! Take notes while you’re visiting so writing your report is easier. And, write that report ASAP when everything is still familiar!
  • Now that in-person meetings and events are mostly back in person, seek out potential trainings or seminars that could count toward your designation.
  • While there are dozens of book titles on the approved reading list, if you see one that falls into any of the categories, but isn’t on the list, just send the title, a brief summary and ask if it can be considered. Most of the time, it will be approved!
  • You’d be surprised at how fast those points can add up if you take advantage of all the TIAK and state tourism offerings hosted throughout the year. Destination Statehouse and the annual conference automatically count if you attend those events. Find a few more training options in travel, tourism, leadership or Kansas-centered topics, and you’ll be well on your way to KDS!

TIAK Marketing Awards: Top 10 Tips for an Award-Winning Entry

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  1. Whether this is your first submission, or you have submitted for 10 years straight, these tips can help you create and submit the best TIAK marketing entry yet. We know you’ve got your eye on first place! Here’s a surefire way to make it happen…
    Start the process early!  You are already on the right track by reading these tips and starting to think about what you will submit this year.
  2. Check the basics before you submit. Be sure to read over the entry rules to submit into the correct categories.  The categories are separated by both budget and marketing project type.
  3. The more details the better. Include as many statistics in your reporting as possible.  (Examples: events- how many people attended? Websites- how many views?) When the judges have two entries with similar rankings and results, the more statistics on your project will possibly help you get ahead in the rankings.
  4. Partnerships are becoming so important; if you are working with someone local, don’t forget to include that! Whether it’s your local printer, museum, school, historical society, chamber, development cooperation, other communities, city/county or someone else, please include information on how they helped you and what monetary or voluntary aid/partnership you were provided.
  5. If the work was done by an internal team, REALLY emphasize that. If you are using an outside agency, describe your team’s input and direction in shaping the project you’ve entered. The judges like to see what you’ve contributed even when the work outsourced.
  6. Do not overlook something that has been done for years. The judges sometimes see important information being forgotten in the application.  The judges need to see all the details including partnerships being used, how resourceful the applicant was, photos, charts, testimonials, etc.
  7. Think outside of the box. There are so many possibilities for award submissions besides a website or visitor guide. Did you have a community festival that generated a ton of visitation? Maybe you had a great social media campaign that earned a lot of online traction? Consider everything from campaigns to printed publications, audio tours or profiles. With five categories, plus the people’s choice award, there’s surely something fitting for your marketing efforts!
  8. Make a report. Don’t just submit a few sentences in the text box.  Attach a document with project graphics, statistics, and how it positively impacted your community.
  9. Did you submit last year? Do not forget to go back and read the judges’ feedback. They give great information to help with future projects and submissions. Also, have another peer review your submission to give tips before you click send.
  10. You can’t win if you don’t submit! Be sure to get your entries in before the deadline of Friday, August 13. Click here for more information.

Registration is open for the 2021 Kansas Tourism Conference

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What a year! Get ready to celebrate the travel and tourism industry at the Kansas Tourism Conference in Liberal, October 18-20, 2021. Be a part of the Kansas tourism industry’s “don’t miss” conference of the year. Registration is now open! Enjoy inspiring speakers, valuable educational information and fun networking opportunities. Kansas has so much travel and tourism talent and we can’t wait for you to meet each other!

For more information, and to register, visit the Kansas Tourism Conference event page. Be sure to look around and see what this year’s conference has to offer: a dynamic lineup of speakers, a silent auction, marketing awards, and so much more. When you’re ready to sign up, simply click “Register Now” in the Conference Dates section and get ready to celebrate. Registration is easy and you may select to complete your payment by using either credit card or check. But don’t forget to make your hotel reservation – the link is on the KTC event page.

Think you can dazzle your tourism peers even more? Share your talent in the TIAK Marketing Awards! Join TIAK in highlighting your skills in conjunction with the Kansas Tourism Conference. Entries must be submitted by August 13th and each submission may only be entered once. One winner from each overall budget category will be presented at the Awards Banquet. For submission requirements and registration, please visit the Marketing Awards page.

We look forward to celebrating travel and tourism at the 2021 Kansas Tourism Conference! Register today.

Registration is open for the 2020 Kansas Tourism Conference

Posted on by TIAK

What a year! Get ready to celebrate the travel and tourism industry at the Kansas Tourism Conference in Liberal, October 19-21, 2020. Be a part of the Kansas tourism industry’s “don’t miss” conference of the year. Registration is now open! Enjoy inspiring speakers, valuable educational information and fun networking opportunities. Kansas has so much travel and tourism talent and we can’t wait for you to meet each other!

For more information, and to register, visit the Kansas Tourism Conference event page. Be sure to look around and see what this year’s conference has to offer: a dynamic lineup of speakers, a silent auction, marketing awards, and so much more. When you’re ready to sign up, simply click “Register Now” in the Conference Dates section and get ready to celebrate. Registration is easy and you may select to complete your payment by using either credit card or check. But don’t forget to make your hotel reservation – the link is on the KTC event page.

Think you can dazzle your tourism peers even more? Share your talent in the TIAK Marketing Awards! Join TIAK in highlighting your skills in conjunction with the 2020 Kansas Tourism Conference. Entries must be submitted by August 21st and each submission may only be entered once. One winner from each overall budget category will be presented at the Awards Banquet. For submission requirements and registration, please visit the Marketing Awards page.

We look forward to celebrating travel and tourism at the 2020 Kansas Tourism Conference! Register today.