Courier June Courier | Page 19

NTA WORKING FOR YOU 3 questions with Jay Smith NTA chair issues challenge to Just Bring One WHEN JAY SMITH was introduced as NTA chair at Travel Exchange ’17 in St. Louis, his incoming remarks included a battle cry for 2017: Just Bring One! What exactly does he want you to bring? We caught up with the Sports Travel and Tours owner at Destination Capitol Hill and asked him to share his vision. Q: How did Just Bring One get started? A: I was looking over my notes from the board meeting in Québec City last summer before Contact, and at some point I wrote at the top of my notes, “Just Bring One.” I can’t tell you exactly why I wrote it, but I thought to myself that if every member just brought one more new member to NTA or if they got just one colleague to attend Travel Exchange and experi- ence the show, the possibilities for everyone involved in NTA would be so much greater. Q: What do you want to accomplish with this campaign? A: Of course, just from a numbers standpoint, I want to grow the membership and increase convention attendance because that would make us a stronger, healthier organization and open up new business lines. But I really want to keep the buzz going. We had a strong, positive vibe coming out of St. Louis, and I want to maintain that energy, that enthusiasm, going into San Antonio in December. And by bringing a new member into NTA or to Travel Exchange, we can show who we are, what we’re about and how together, we really can go fur- ther. So yes, it’s a membership campaign, but it’s also about sharing and introducing the NTA brand to as many folks as we can to ensure sustained success. Q: How will Just Bring One help NTA members? A: Every NTA member at Travel Exchange represents a unique experience. The more connections we make, the more hands we shake, the more product options there are and the more market experts we have, the better it is for each of us and our travelers. So Just Bring One ... bring a new member to NTA and to Travel Exchange. Don’t be afraid to tell your story and share how NTA has benefited you and your business. NTA is about relationships, and building on our already strong, diverse membership encourages more collaboration, new markets and fresh ideas for everyone. NTA is making it worth your while to Just Bring One. Refer a prospect who joins NTA between now and Oct. 1, and you’ll get $50 per new member. Plus, you’ll get an additional $50 for each one who signs up for Travel Exchange ’17 in the same time frame. Just Bring One for an easy $100 in your pocket! (Or NTA can credit you $100.) Send your member referrals to NTA’s Debbi Alley at [email protected] or call +1.859.264.6544. “I was able to have one-on-one appointments with actual decision makers, which was very important to me. I believe that you have to get out there, network and be seen or you run the risk of being forgotten.” —Portia Conerly, Arlington (Virginia) Convention & Visitors Service, Travel Exchange ’17 St. Louis attendee Deadline for deep discounts nears Circle July 14 on your calendar. If you’re a tour supplier or DMO who didn’t attend in St. Louis, you have until July 14 to receive a $300 early-bird discount when register for Travel Exchange ’17 in San Antonio (Dec. 14–18). And if you attended Travel Exchange in St. Louis, July 14 is the last day you can receive half-off registration fees for the San Antonio convention. Visit NTAonline.com/convention and sign up today to experience the one show where 80 percent of NTA tour operators can only be found—Travel Exchange. TREX Checks What: Travel Exchange ’17 Where: San Antonio, Texas When: Dec. 14–18 Web: NTAonline.com/convention NTAonline.com 17