Global Events Visionary: Mr. David Strang

A Visionary is a strategic thinker, envisioning new possibilities in a dynamic world.

David Strang is currently serving as Global Director of Sales at ConferenceDirect. David prides himself on being a trusted resource for securing the best hotel venues and hospitality services at the most favorable terms possible for his diverse group of clients. 

Prior to joining ConferenceDirect, David held the position of Director of Sales for Teneo Hospitality Group. Mr. Strang enjoyed a long career with the Jumeirah Hotel Group serving as Global Director of Sales, Americas. David established the Jumeirah Brand in the Americas, driving group business into Jumeirah’s global portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts. His numerous trips throughout Asia, Europe, and the Middles East has provided invaluable hotel and destination experience.

In the midst of holiday travel, David shared some of his thoughts with MarketID…

JN: The importance of strategic partnerships in our industry is key. What are some takeaways you’ve learned in the last year?
DS: With experience and longevity comes relationships – but you need to work at it.  I am very proud of the lifelong partnerships, fostered over 25 years in our industry.  And what it is especially true over the past year is how important my amazing stable of contacts has been to my success.  When building partnerships, it is key to always be professional, respectful, positive but also toss in a whole bunch of fun.   


JN: In selecting destinations, building relationships with key partners is crucial. How has this benefited your global events?
DS: My hospitality career has grown over the years from airport hotel in Chicago to repping hotels in 22 international destinations to now sourcing over 400 programs annually all over the globe.  Having the right trusted contacts in the right places is critical.   Destinations and industry partners also need to understand the value of building relationships. Much of what we do right now can be very transactional.  And with budgets and staffing levels tight, it is very easy to cancel and cut relationship building parts of the process.  Fundamentally it has never been more important to strengthen our partnerships – We will work with the partners we trust and who make life easy. 

One of best parts of my job is being able to give business back to these trusted partners.  Example – A DMC in London hosted a post IMEX Frankfurt FAM 5 years ago – They knocked it out of the ballpark and have continued to be positive collaborators ever since.  This DMC was the first and only one called for a 900-person group arriving in May 2022.  Relationships take time and require effort but are a crucial component to driving business into selected destinations and business partners.      

JN: You’ve worn different hats within our industry for over 20 years. What has each experience brought to your current role?
DS: There has always been a bit of naïveté in my career path – Always believing that my hotel or my destinations are the best until I realized they might not be.  I think this simplistic view of the world served me well at each stage of my career.  But I always remain curious and looking to know more about the people and places around me.  Each role built more experiences and understanding, allowing me to be more prepared and grow as a person. Having a better appreciation of the world around you, staying engaged and well informed and fostering positive relationships will impact every facet of life. 

JN: What are some key advices to share with other and future change agents/global innovators?
DS: Stay curious, stay engaged, stay kind and be professional! Foster those relationships in your life.

MarketID’s Kevin Ryan Awarded American Express Scholarship

On December 6th, the 10th Annual Business Travel Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. MarketID’s Kevin Ryan received the prestigious American Express Scholarship in recognition of his potential as a future business travel industry leader. In addition to recognizing future leaders, the event also recognizes the travel industry’s most influential executives who have helped shape today’s business travel landscape and created legacies of achievement.

Congratulations Kevin!

Kevin giving a speech to a room of business travel executives

Community-based Tourism Design in Panama

Panama is an example of a destination that is putting the ideals of community-based tourism into practice. The country’s ambitious Sustainable Master Tourism Plan aims to maximize direct benefits to communities and the environment from tourism and business travel to Panama.

One key aspect of this strategy is to involve local communities directly in tourism planning. The plan was designed to put Panamanians first, and 10 different indigenous or Afro-Panamanian groups were consulted in its creation, along with local NGOs.  In 2021, the government also formed an alliance called the Panamanian Alliance for Community Tourism, intended to prepare communities to manage tourism. The first criteria considered by the alliance is consent, or whether the community wishes to participate in tourism.

The Emberá is one example of an indigenous group in Panama that has embraced tourism and formed a community-focused tourism infrastructure. The Emberá people opted to establish a town entirely dedicated to welcoming visitors to learn about their culture and lifestyle. They have instituted their own regulations that guide the tourism activities and services that members of the community provide. A traditional government structure also ensures community wellbeing and the conservation of traditional traditions and practices.

Photo credit: Centro America

Another aspect of Panama’s support for community- based tourism is attracting conscientious travelers. The country’s new tourism campaign, Vive por más (Live for more), targets conscientious travelers, who are more inclined to travel to pursue cultural and natural interests, as well as make conscious decisions to support local communities. The Sustainable Master Tourism Plan facilitates the establishment of new tourism routes and clusters, and conscientious travelers are more likely to take a step off the beaten path to explore these new attractions.

The ongoing pandemic has presented a unique opportunity for destinations to reset and reopen their centers of tourism with a people-centered approach. In a time of extreme difficulty for the industry, this is a silver lining we can all appreciate.

Community-based Tourism Design

The tourism and hospitality industries have a massive impact on the communities they exist in. Although decimated by the Coronavirus pandemic, the travel industry is one of the world’s largest economic engines, and the largest contributor to global employment, with many facets and segments. Thus, the industry impacts communities in multiple ways– both positive and negative.

The latest episode of our World Lab podcast on Tourism and People-Centered Design features guest speaker Garance Choko, CEO of Coda Societies. Coda Societies shapes social and economic infrastructures to promote equity worldwide and drive the design and development of community-centered services. Garance adds “community-centered tourism is about being a beneficial part of the community ecosystem.”

Further, the structures of the tourism industry, from economic structures to physical spaces, must be people-centered. It is crucial to ensure that the local community is benefiting from tourism, economic benefits remain in the community and the culture is not adversely affected. Tourism infrastructure must be tailored to the specific community, considering local needs, priorities, and preferences.

Tourism can also support the local community by undertaking initiatives such as utilizing local vendors for events and opening spaces to community for educational opportunities, vaccination centers, workplaces, homeless shelters, just to name a few.

Check out our World Lab podcast to learn more!

MarketID; New Name, Same Team

Right before the onset of the pandemic, our team assembled upstate in the Fall of 2019 for a team retreat. We knew with a new decade ahead of us, some changes needed to be made. Knowing the instrumental role Marketing Challenges International has played in the global meetings and events industry, we knew we have offered a myriad of services tailored to each client’s demands yet to be shared, our team’s diverse skillset in digital strategy, project management, and analytics just to name a few.

As we unveil our new brand and services, hear what our team members have to say:

“Our re-brand is a testament to our commitment to evolve with our clients in the travel industry.” – Stephanie, Director of Strategy & Insights

“Despite the impact of the pandemic, we have been pushed to think outside the box and tap deeper into our strengths and capabilities. The rebrand is a great way to showcase that. I am excited for the new opportunities to grow as a team and support our clients..” – Nikki, Business Development Manager

“While the industry continues to experience a challenging time, it’s exhilarating to enter this new phase and express our dedication to adapting to the changing times to best serve our clients..” – Kevin, Account Coordinator

“During a time of uncertainty, we saw an opportunity for growth. The industry changed and so did we! Providing new services, creating more opportunities for our clients with the same attention to detail.”  – Austria, Business Development Manager

“Our team’s seamless ability to adapt to client’s needs makes us stand out from the rest. With a fresh perspective, our team is poised to deliver premium value to our client’s various needs.” – Jennifer, Creative Project Manager

Jacqueline and Michel, proud owners of Marketing Challenges Intl. Inc., are very excited with the rebrand: MarketID. A new venture after four decades of servicing the global business events industry is quite thrilling. Most importantly, they acknowledge the team members for their involvement in this project and their dedication to the industry. MarketID is the brainchild of a diverse, engaged, and cohesive team

Check out our new website!

Roadshows

Create experiential campaigns to market your product in person

Case: Dubai Business Events’ goals were to host a week-long series of events across North America to promote Dubai as a premier meetings destination. It was important to highlight key cultural elements while attracting the top prospects.

Action: DBE leveraged MarketID’s database of qualified international meeting planners for promotion of a six-month marketing campaign. The program highlighted critical statistics about Dubai while targeting clients in competitive markets like Chicago and Toronto.

Results:

  • Reached 2,410 clients in 4 cities across North America
  • Mailed personalized gifts to every confirmed attendee prior to the event
  • Hosted engging cultural activations such as re-created spice souks (markets), live hummus preparation by Chef CJ Jacobson (a Top Chef contenstant), and more.

In-Depth Research on Target Industries

Use data to drive your sales and marketing tactics.

Case: There are over 1.9 million associations operating throughout the world, and more than 1,700 organizations are global. Vienna Convention Bureau wanted to get its message to these organizations, but targeted to the industries most important to their ecosystem.

Action: MarketID conducted a targeted research study conducted on the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional organization. The association includes more than 400,000 members worldwide and generate an average of 1,900 meetings per year.

Results:

  • Deep insights of the international web of societies (39), technical councils (7), and technical communities (22) within the IEEE
  • Identified local contacts chairs
  • Generated leads on 51 potential programs that amount to 100,000 delegates
  • Potential economic impact value of $90 million.

Virtual Engagement Events

Reach your clients wherever they are.

Case: During the pandemic, Promtur Panama newly launched their DMO and sought to build relationships with the market, but virtually. They aimed to highlight the offerings of multiple stakeholders and create a memorable experience with key travel trade clients.

Action: MarketID developed, produced and promoted a “3-D” digital event. We helped ensure key decision makers and members of the press attended. Following the event, personalized notes were sent to each attendee encouraging specific calls to action.

Results:

Clients proved eager to participate in the engaging presentation, creating a truly interactive opportunity for Promtur Panama to share its newly launched DMO. Feedback included:

“I am definitely coming and sending clients!”
— Nancy, Sunshine Vacation Travel

“Thank you all for such a great and fun presentation!”
—Keith, Cruise Planners

“This was a great learning activity!”
—Tiffany, Trip With

Emirates Ramps Up U.S. flights from October to Meet Increasing Demand

Dubai has remained open throughout the start of the pandemic and as the world is seeing positive signs of reopening, Emirates is increasing flight frequencies from select US destinations next month. To coincide with the World Expo 2020 taking place in Dubai in October, Emirates will be operating 78 weekly flights to 12 destinations including Boston (BOS), Dallas (DFW), New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Seattle (SEA), and Washington DC (IAD).

To read more, click here.

Global Events Visionary: Mr. Terry Torok

A Visionary is a change agent. They find purpose in the work they do and continuously inspired by investing in a sustainable future. Terry is the definition of a Visionary.

Terry began his career in combining creativity and brand strategy to institute change globally. In his current role as the Chief Innovation Officer at Enactus, the world’s largest experiential learning platform dedicated to creating the next gen entrepreneurial leaders and social innovators, Terry brings a wealth of experience, passion, and innovation to his global events.

Terry believes in “passion on purpose.” So, we are delighted to induct Terry into our Global Events Visionary list of impactful global leaders. Amid a mountain hike and planning his next World Enactus Cup, Terry shared his thoughts on how he’s been able to adapt during these challenging times.

JN: The importance of strategic partnerships in our industry is key. What are some takeaways you’ve learned in the last year?

TT: Good and fun people that you want to be with and work with makes all the difference in partnerships. If we are not enjoying what we are doing in the world, then what in the world are we doing here?

In challenges that covid brought us, Marketing Challenges International remained an important strategic partner.  They were completely understanding and supportive as we all had to reimagine travel and the new hybrid events and opportunities we now have. I see MCIntl as an extension of my team- and reminds me of the Margaret Mead quote I live by – “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

JN: Thank you Terry! We are delighted to be of service. In selecting destinations, building relationships with key partners is crucial. How has this benefited your global events?

TT: I work on three parts of the travel spectrum, discreet individuals and families who are on philanthropic journeys, adventure filmmakers and young travelers who are seeking opportunities to experience deeper connections and explore more meaningful careers and lifestyles. At the center of this travel is earning and maintaining TRUST. No matter where I am in the world, I need to be a good neighbor and be amongst true and trusted friends. The earned values of Trust & Integrity, allow us to have fun and push ourselves to the far edges of exploring the planet and ourselves.

A good partnership is like a true friend, someone you would trust to take you somewhere new and exciting. Whether a small intimate event or a larger ideation destination, from trust, we can be wildly creative and design a memorable experience that can turn strangers into friends for life.

At our annual Enactus World Cup, young leaders present projects that change the world for good. It’s a global competition, collaboration and celebration of great work and passion on purpose!  If you are reading this, you should be our guest and register for free here.

JN: What were some advice you shared with your team as you navigated this crisis?

TT: Take the opportunity of Covid to be more Human Kind.  Don’t waste time descending into what divides. Get active, rise up and co-create something great together, turn an “event” into an “experience”. Explore more what unites us and makes us our own unique story. Explore sustainable travel that creates a positive impact for people, planet and prosperity.

JN: Other key advice to share with change agents/global innovators like yourself?

TT: I work with amazing innovators, creators, film-makers, global citizens and young rebels with a cause– taking a journey of passion on purpose is a great way to explore the far reaches of our world. Travel to the sweet places on earth where the cacao in your chocolate comes from or wake up to where the bean in your coffee originates from and everything will taste better.

The quiet corners of the planet holds the recipes for a more fulfilling life experience. Why hold to the “pursuit of happiness” when you can enjoy “the happiness of pursuit” right here right now ~ live from earth.