The Vote Travel 2.0 campaign was launched in January of this year and is aimed at building support for travel industry policy and advocacy among policymakers and the general electorate. By tying into the Democratic and Republican conventions that will be held in the following weeks, the U.S. Travel Association hopes to demonstrate the critical importance of meetings and conventions. The campaign comprises media outreach, grassroots efforts, and social media platforms.
“Our main point in doing all of this is to reinforce that it’s the travel industry that makes the meetings and conventions industry possible,” says Rethmeier.
At both conventions, the U.S. Travel Association will be strategic and selective in terms of utilizing its resources and working with its local travel and hospitality partners, including Kelly M. Miller, chief executive of Tampa Bay and Company, and Tom Murray, CEO of Visit Charlotte.
“We’re going to embrace a presence at these conventions,” Rethmeier says, adding that U.S. Travel was also making every effort to “leverage the assets of our industry. We may not have an enormous amount of resources to throw at a big party or event [during these conventions],” Rethmeier adds, but whatever available resources there are will be venues for promotion of the Vote Travel 2.0 campaign.
Visibility
A major part of the Vote Travel 2.0 strategy places emphasis on visibility and raising awareness. The U.S. Travel Association has partnered with Marriott so that attendees staying at any Marriott hotel during each convention will see the “Vote Travel” logo and branding on the back of their room key cards. U.S. Travel has also given “Vote Travel”-branded air fresheners to taxicab drivers in both cities.
“So, not only will [attendees] be greeted by a pleasant smell but they’ll have the opportunity to recognize that taxicab service is also a part of the travel industry,” says Rethmeier.
Likewise, bus drivers shuttling attendees at both conventions will be given “Vote Travel” pins to wear as yet another reminder of the reach of the travel industry.
Attendees who rent cars will also receive a DigiWIPE, a microfiber screen cleaner for smartphones and iPhones, that will be attached to a postcard that contains vital travel industry statistics. Street teams in Tampa and in Charlotte will also be out in force to conduct guerrilla marketing and handing out promotional items branded with the Travel 2.0 campaign logo.
Inviting Participation
The U.S. Travel Association has also partnered with various corporate hoteliers who are scheduling back-of-house tours with delegates to let them see, firsthand, what goes into making each convention possible.
Both delegates and the general public can also enter a special Vote Travel code when using the Uber sedan service app on their smartphone to receive a $20 discount on their first ride.
Throughout both conventions, the U.S. Travel Association will be hosting a Twitter travel trivia contest for all delegates. The contest involves trivia questions meant to drive delegates to the association’s Web properties, as well as the use of hashtags to raise awareness. Full details on the contest will be posted on VoteTravel.org on august 27. To participate, delegates should follow @USTravel on Twitter and correctly respond to daily trivia questions, using the hastags #VoteTravel and #DNC2012 or #RNC2012 during the respective conventions. The contest winner will receive a two-night stay at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, a $300 food-and-beverage credit, two tickets to Cirque du Soleil, and a $1,000 American Express credit.
The U.S. Travel Association is also partnering with the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the National Restaurant Association to host a Toast to Charlotte and a Toast to Tampa reception during both political conventions.
Looking Ahead to November
After both conventions wrap up, the U.S. Travel Association will continue in its promotion of the Vote Travel 2.0 campaign, combined with its ongoing Power or Travel initiative.
Candice Knezevic, director, grassroots and industry relations for the U.S. Travel Association, said that voter education will remain a key component of the organization’s overall strategy to promote the travel industry. Knezevic says that the organization is heavily invested in educating U.S. travel employees — all 14.4 million — in the industry to “think more politically about their jobs, be more politically active, and most importantly, register to vote.”
She says that the U.S. Travel Association will debut a voter resource on the Vote Travel website that will allow coalition members to search for candidates, based on their zip codes, to find out each candidates’ positions on certain issues related to the travel industry. “It’s really a resource that we want to provide to employees in the industry and to get them thinking about the industry and to encourage them to be politically active and to cast a vote for candidates who are supportive of travel,” Knezevic explains. She says that a “Get Out to Vote” tool kit will also be sent out to industry partners with tips and resources to make sure their employees have the info they need to vote on November 6.
For more information on policymakers who are making a difference when it comes to supporting travel industry legislation, you can visit the USTravel.org website and search for “travel champions.”
The U.S. Travel Association will also be sending questionnaires to both President Obama and Republican candidate Romney to gauge each candidate’s stance on issues related to the travel industry.