This past August, I attended the Travel Industry Association of America's ESTO (Educational Seminars for Tourism Organizations) Conference in Minneapolis, where speakers addressed cutting-edge technology and how it can be used to target a new generation of travelers.

Particularly enlightening was a panel discussion entitled “Download What?! Targeting Younger Travelers,” featuring representatives from organizations like VFM Interactive Inc. and Lonely Planet. Since the target market for travel tends to skew older, 18-34 year-olds (Generations X and Y) can often be overlooked. The key to interacting with this demographic is to stay ahead of the curve on new communications technologies, as this can sometimes be the only way to reach younger travelers who engage with traditional media sources less frequently than other consumers.

As a follow-up to this presentation, we asked our colleagues at our public relations firm Edelman, to look more closely at how to appeal to this younger demographic and how to work within this new world of technology. Rick Murray is the executive vice president and general manager of an Edelman division that identifies new forms of communication that get consumers talking across new platforms and channels. The global practice, called Me2Revolution, is focused on helping Edelman’s account teams (including the IBOT team) incorporate emerging technologies and communications platforms into client programs.

Murray and his colleagues shared some fascinating findings. For instance, when seeking advice, 68 percent of Gen Xers responded that they would sooner trust “a person like themselves or their peer” than any sort of authority figure. Brand loyalty is nearly extinct, and media consumption has become more specialized and personalized than ever. Consumers can now get their information whenever they want, however they want and wherever they want. Continued >

Success Story

Every month, ITN profiles a tourism industry leader whose success can be used as examples of how to develop fresh ideas to promote Illinois. This month, we introduce Eileen LaCario, vice president of Broadway in Chicago.

Eileen LaCario has been in show business for over 25 years in many facets of live theatre in both regional and touring houses. She has held the positions of vice president of sales for Livent, vice president of sales and marketing for Fox Theatricals and currently is vice president of Broadway In Chicago, a joint venture between the Nederlander Organization and Live Nation. 
 
Broadway In Chicago is the managing force of the Chicago Downtown Theatre District which include the LaSalle Bank Theatre, the Cadillac Palace Theatre, and the Ford Center for the Performing Arts - Oriental Theatre; as well as booking the Broadway shows at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University and presenting the current long run at the Drury Lane Theatre Water Tower Place.
 
LaCario, with her seasoned team at Broadway In Chicago, has led the Chicago marketing initiatives behind several World Premiere Pre-Broadway engagements including The Producers, Movin’ Out, Monty Python’s Spamalot, and currently The Pirate Queen; as well as the long engagements of Disney’s The Lion King, Wicked and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Continued >