A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DONALD’S PRESENTATION ON…

The Business Side Of Tourism

how to grow your tourism business, turn visitors into ‘fans’
…and improve your bottom line!

The business side of tourism:

The tourism business is tough…and getting tougher.  We’re all faced with more demanding customers, more and stronger competition (locally, regionally and internationally)…and shrinking profit margins.  Great staff are hard to attract, inspire and keep…and that problem won’t go away any time soon.  On top of all that, the tourism business is seasonal and cyclical…and Mother Nature is our business partner.

For any tourism or hospitality business to be successful there must be a passionate commitment to create extraordinary customer value and experiences.  We must have the location, the products services and amenities, the physical facilities, operational excellence and staff commitment to consistently deliver what we promise.  Then, we must proactively market and promote like never before.   We must break through the competitive ‘clutter’ to make sure that our message is heard.  There’s no point in being the best if you’re also the best kept secret.

We are in the ‘business’ of tourism and we need to think more like business people.   Donald’s powerful ‘The Business Side of Tourism’ 90-minute Keynote, or half-day interactive Workshop, delivers the ‘straight goods’ on how to grow your tourism business, turn customers into ‘fans’…and improve your bottom line!

The real bottom-line value that Donald will deliver:

Donald has helped 1,000s of businesses and communities rethink, refocus and re-energize themselves.  Specifically, he will help your Tourism providers achieve extraordinary outcomes in 8 key areas…

1. Create compelling customer value and experiences that will ‘grab’ their target customers, clearly differentiate them from their competitors….and grow their bottom line.
2. Proactively market and promote more effectively on a tight budget. 
3. How to partner to create and promote compelling and seamless niche experiences that will attract more visitors, have them stay longer, spend more, come back more often…and tell their friends.
4. Become a world-class manager of your business by improving clarity, commitment and accountability. 
5. Create a clear Vision for the future your business…and an Action Plan to get there. 
6. How small improvements in key areas of your business will make a dramatic difference to your bottom line.
7. Attract, lead and retain a top-performing team…and how to deal effectively with non-performance.
8. Have a balanced and more extraordinary life!

Bonus take-away value:   Each of your attendees will have free access to Donald’s complete set of 54 ‘Business Assessment and Management Implementation Tools’…and an opportunity to sign up for his thought-provoking, helpful and semi-entertaining monthly Management E-Newsletter. 

Donald’s experience and credibility: 

Donald started his business career at the age of 6, sweeping the floor in the family business for 5 cents a day.  Long days and low pay…excellent early training for an entrepreneur!  He earned an MBA from the University of Western Ontario, followed by 18 years at Cooper Canada.  From humble beginnings Cooper Sporting Goods became a world-leading manufacturer of sports equipment and a Canadian Brand icon.

Then, Donald reinvented himself as an award-winning fashion retailer. In just 3 years he fundamentally redefined the customer experience for which he received 7 Awards of Excellence for marketing, service and business innovation.

For the past 20 years Donald has worked with business owners and managers in over 40 industries throughout the world.  He is respected by clients as a thought-leader, passionate visionary, realist and  clarifier of complex challenges.

For his unique and transformational business insights and compelling presentation style Donald has been awarded the prestigious Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, the highest earned designation in the competitive world of professional speaking.  He has also been inducted into the Canadian Speaking Hall of Fame.

Here’s what attendees say about Donald’s Tourism programs:

What really matters is what attendees say about the value delivered.  Below are real quotes from tourism operators who have attended Donald’s sessions:

• Fabulous presentation, uplifting, informative, challenging…and a real idea starter for me.
• Appreciated your real-life experiences and examples.  
• Thank you for doing your homework on our area.
• Donald was freakin’ awesome.  
• Real content, real stories, local examples.  You showed us the value of authenticity and the power of joy and gratitude.  Thank you!
• You have got me thinking about how to create an unforgettable tourism experience. Thank you for the ideas and the inspiration.
• Donald tells the truths that we all need to hear. 
• This was excellent.  Perfect timing as we are updating our Business Plan.
• We have much work ahead of us.
• Love the Handout.  It enables us to take away your incredible content and do something with it.  

The investment to bring Donald to your tourism group or community: 

Your investment  for ‘The Business Side of Tourism’ program is $5,800, plus travel expenses.  This includes all research, prep and Handout Masters.  This special ‘community rate’ is half of Donald’s normal speaking fee.   

Note:   To add Donald’s extraordinary ‘Partnering for Prosperity’ program (see our separate Info Sheet for a description of this bottom-line program) is an additional $2,000 for your choice of a Keynote or a half-day interactive Workshop.  

Plus, if you wish to offer Donald’s step-by-step 197-page ‘Tourism Development Idea Generator Guide’ to your attendees to facilitate implementation of this program, the cost is a licensing fee of $10 each, plus your local printing cost of about $10 per copy.  A local printer can usually be found to print the Guides for free, or at a very much reduced price as a Platinum Sponsor.  Also, selling ads in the Guide can be an excellent source of revenue for your event.