Feature Stories - November 2000

Managing Change in the New E-conomy

A Sneak Peek at the 17th Annual Governor's Conference on Travel and Tourism

by Cindie Geddes

Nevada's tourism still leads the pack. The state is a worldwide tourism destination, adding new attractions and new spin on a near-daily basis. But no one in the industry is resting easy - not in today's global village, not in a world where technology is replacing geography, where the mouse is replacing the map, where the Internet is replacing the ticket counter. In order for Nevada (and all other tourism destination spots) to stay in the game, it is not enough to simply embrace the rampant growth of technology. We must stay at least one step ahead of it.

The 17th Annual Governor's Conference on Travel and Tourism, produced by the Nevada Commission on Tourism, is designed to allow all those in the travel, gaming and hospitality industries to come together and explore the advantages and challenges of today's rapidly changing technology. From Dec. 4 through Dec. 6, the Silver Legacy Resort Casino and the Eldorado Hotel/Casino will be abuzz with talk of all things "e" - electronic, entertaining and economic. Over 1,000 delegates from around the world are expected to converge upon Reno in hopes of finding new ways to manage the dizzying changes in today's fast-paced business economy, identifying trends, understanding technology and increasing those ever-popular tourism dollars.

It all began in 1983 with the inauguration of the Nevada Commission on Tourism (NCOT), which was designed to hedge against expected competition from Atlantic City. During that time, according to Tom Tait, executive director of the NCOT, gaming was being pushed to the forefront of local economies across the country as a cure to all the ills cities were facing. A soft economy due to oil embargoes and other economic factors was making communities desperate, and gaming was seen as the panacea, an artificial cure-all promising lots of money for infrastructure, education, and healthcare; the savior of tax bases and the killer of unemployment. It sounded great outside Nevada. It sounded like a threat inside Nevada. Then-Governor Richard Bryan and the state legislature took action, forming the NCOT and establishing the Governor's Conference, which brought together over 300 delegates in its first year (1984).

Since those panicky days, gaming has popped up in 48 states and Nevada is still on top. "Atlantic City never had the ripple effect expected," says Tait. But all Nevada's preparations were not in vain. Just when Nevada began to think it would weather the storm of competition unscathed, California jumped on the gaming wagon with Proposition 1A, legalizing a broad range of casino-style gambling in the state through Indian gaming. "Never has the threat of competition been so great," says Tait of Prop 1A (passed on March 7). "All 17 years, we were building to this day."

The state's economy will certainly survive California gaming just as it has every other threat to come its way, due in no small part to the kind of forethought that brought about the NCOT. But it will not happen without innovation and technology. Once again, the Governor's Conference is standing at the forefront of the defense. "This year's Governor's Conference, like no other," says Lieutenant Governor Lorraine Hunt, chair of NCOT, "will be fully focused on up-to-the-minute technological trends and tips on managing change, not only for success, but also for survival."

Tait says the conference has grown from a mechanism to observe what's going on in other places, to being a premier tourism forum for dealing with industry concerns in timely manner. The question on everyone’s mind at the conference will be, "How do we do it better?" How do we use technology to make ourselves and our work more efficient, using Web-based technology, telemarketing and teleconferencing to appeal to a wider base and stay ahead of major competitors?

Over the course of three December days, the conference will look proactively at a variety of aspects of the industry. Sessions are designed to appeal to professionals in all areas of the tourism and travel industry, including those in outdoor recreation, cultural and historic sites and events, hotels, casino industry and dining, as well as all the support industries, such as bus tours, involved in delivering travelers, buyers and suppliers.

The conference will attract participants from all areas of Nevada, both urban and rural, each with their own special areas of interest. According to Governor Kenny Guinn, "Tourism is not only important to the metropolitan areas, but it is also critical to rural areas. Tour buses crisscross the state bringing visitors who want to see the Eureka Opera House, the ghost towns and mines and the natural beauty of our parks. To realize the importance of tourism to rural areas, all you have to do is count all the out-of-state license plates on any state highway or country road."

For Reno delegates in particular, one area of interest at the conference will be diversification in the type of travelers brought to the area. Reno has relied on the leisure traveler for its tourism base for decades, but this has become an outdated strategy in the new millennium. Now is the time to go after both leisure travelers and business travelers alike. The conference promises strategies for such diversification.

Reno delegates (as well as others) will also be looking for tips on how to lure international travelers. The conference will feature global travel experts who will explore the current and future economic impact of international tourism markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Leading speakers will present marketing strategies, information, economic data and customer information. They will detail how to gain entry into new markets without overspending.

Other panel discussions will include Internet-based meeting management, on-line marketing strategies, and the key to reaching the $300 million gen X and gen Y tourism market, as well as practical ideas for managing one's self, office and life more productively.

Panel moderators include John Ramos, president of Ten-On Line of Santa Cruz, Calif., leading a discussion of on-line booking systems; Donica Mensing of the University of Nevada, Reno, on working with the new electronic media; Leah Woolford, president and CEO of USDM Marketing, on taking one's Web site to the next level; and Scott Montana, president of Planet Electric, on the effect on recreation travel of non-polluting state-of-the-science electric motor vehicles.

The speaker lineup also includes keynoters Glenn Schaeffer, president and chief financial officer of Mandalay Resort Group, discussing the impact of mergers and acquisitions on the tourism industry; Baltimore developer David Cordish speaking on how to reshape a destination's image; gaming expert Frank Fahrenkopf with the annual "State of the Gaming Industry" report, and economist Howard Roth presenting the yearly "State of the Economy." Gary Loveman, COO of Harrah's Entertainment, will discuss the competitive advantages and profitability of customer loyalty and satisfaction; and Polly LaBarre, senior editor of Fast Company Magazine will present the new business culture and the future of working, competing and living.

A relatively new offering, implemented over the last five years, is the customer-based part of the program. Top customers are invited from the leisure fields, business fields and incentive markets to appear as speakers and be part of roundtable discussions. This gives delegates a chance to find out what they are doing right and wrong with customers who book large groups throughout the United States. "We expect hundreds of representatives from these three markets," says Tait. Those numbers are up from 30 the first year and approaching a hundred the last few years. "This gives us a whole different level compared to other conferences," he says, "by introducing customers who can learn about the different markets, giving the delegate direct access to people who can book with them." A new evaluation process will be initiated this year to track how much business is booked due to this interaction.

This year's conference is unique in one other way: synergy. Two other agencies the National Association of State Development Agencies and the Western States Tourism Policy Council (of which Tait is founding president and a current board member), will be holding meetings at the conference. "We are all going to have some meetings together," says Chris Chrystal, media relations manager and spokesperson for NCOT. "We're meeting here at the same time with the same concerns, which will not only allow a good cross-pollination of ideas, but also provide a chance for all three groups to get on the same page in regards to their individual and combined tourism efforts."

By having the conference in Reno (the venue rotates each year from the Reno/Sparks/Tahoe area to the Las Vegas area), Reno delegates are getting a chance to show off their city. Chrystal says she expects delegates to be impressed with the area. People who have been to the city before will be surprised by all the changes, and those new to the area should be wowed by all the area offers not only in gaming and entertainment, but in the natural winter wonder of the high desert.

Delegates will stay at the Silver Legacy and the adjoining Eldorado Hotel/Casino in downtown Reno. More information is available at travelnevada.com by clicking on the conference icon, "Managing Change in the New E-conomy;" by e-mailing ncot@travelnevada.com; telephoning 1-800-237-0774 or 775-687-4322, or writing to the Governor's Conference, c/o Nevada Commission on Tourism, 401 North Carson Street, Carson City, NV, 89701.