I personally wanted to thank everybody - speakers, sponsors, volunteers, attendees, the Canadian e-Tourism Council, my staff, and my personal advisors and mental support (you know who you are) - for making Canada-e-Connect and the Canadian e-Tourism Awards a big success. Thank you to all of you for the many emails congratulating me and my team about the conference. I have created a Canada-e-Connect Group on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8560151146). Please join, share your pictures and videos, as well as post your thoughts about the events on the wall.
This was certainly an interesting an intense experience. But I learned a lot…
Here are my Top 10 learnings (in no particular order):
1. Stick to your vision
2. Know your true friends
3. It’s all about focus
4. In the end, the devil is in the detail
5. Content is King
6. Life’s a party
7. Surround yourself with great people you can trust
8. Integrity is the most important thing
9. Nothing is impossible
10. Always remember your customer
November 23rd, 2007 at 7:29 pm
Congratulations to Jens, Mimi, Trevor and all e-Tourism Council members for a successful e-Tourism conference.
The idea of an e-tourism conference is great and I think puts Canada at the forefront of bringing the tourism industry together to look at how the internet is shaping not only tourism marketing but all aspects of business and personal life.
I am always keen to come away from these gatherings with some insight into the next “big” thing. So what is the next big thing in interactivity? Well I guess almost everything- from mobile, out-of-home digital, Wi-Fi coverage, RSS to social media, WiMAX coverage and even established avenues like online display advertising and e-mail. Everything is connected to everything.
There is no question that we are spending more time online and marketers are spending more online, but it is also evident that the key to smart marketing is engaging consumers across all portal networks that are relevant – vertical, social and personal- and finding the right synergy between off and online.
I look forward to the next e-conference! Thank you.