Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism for 2020 focused on importance of defining our own location brand

Budget line-item vetoes by Governor Gretchen Whitmer that included fund allocations for Pure Michigan rippled through the latest Governor’s Conference on Tourism that wrapped up earlier today. [1-5]

“‘Michigan is like Alaska …,'” said Vice President of Travel Michigan, Dave Lorenz, generically quoting no one in particular for one of his openings from the main stage for speaker presentations during the event at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids. [6,7]

“‘… only closer.'”

The meaning and tie to his argument for reliable ongoing funding to support Pure Michigan initiatives was clear. It effectively connected to a fundamental tenet of marketing. Tell your own story or someone else will, and not likely as you would have it told. [8]

Underpinning position of travel and tourism brand for our state, the 2020 Governor’s Conference addressed a number of substance issues key to successful destinations. Among these, accessibility. According to the United States Department of Transportation Bureau, an estimated 13.4 million Americans aged 18 to 64 “have disabilities that make traveling outside the home difficult.” [9]

Separately, a 2015 study found that adults with disabilities spend $17.3 billion each year on their own travel. “Since these individuals typically travel with one or more other adults, the economic impact is actually double, or $34.6 billion.” [10-12]

The arguments in favor of making commitments to inclusion here were consistent with an apparent thematic message this week. This morning, Rick Wade, United States Chamber of Commerce Vice President, Strategic Alliances and Outreach, characterized this as part of “a moral imperative that our country was built on. [13,14]

“But an equally strong =business case= can be made for it as well,” he emphasized, citing recent findings from right here in Michigan. [15-18]

According to a revealing study from the WK Kellogg Foundation, the American economy stands to gain $8 trillion by 2050 simply by closing the racial equity gap. Moreover, businesses that recognize and embrace the value of inclusion consistently perform better across multiple financial metrics.

Research shows, for example, a strong correlation between diversity in leadership and quarterly earnings. For every 10% increase in racial and ethnic diversity on a company’s senior executive team, earnings before interest and taxes rise 0.8″ percent.

Looking inward to recognize excellence in travelism leadership from among those responsible Great Lakes State venues, it was particularly gratifying to see =Destination Ann Arbor= recognized with a “2020 Governor’s Award for Innovative Tourism Collaboration.” A Governor’s Conference release stated that this was given “for their collaboration with Washtenaw Community College to create a Workforce Development program for the hospitality and tourism industry in Ann Arbor. [19-21]

The collaboration also generates positive messaging about careers in the hospitality industry and helps hospitality industry employers improve their ability to attract, train and retain qualified staff members. Fourteen Destination Ann Arbor scholars began the program in September.

Looking outward, of course, is the only way to grow the pie — and the fundamental mission here.

To that end, Dave Lorenz closed this Governor’s Conference on Tourism with a mix of both creative review and numbers to back results that were realized in 2019. He began with “Meanwhile in Michigan,” elsewhere described as a $2.5 million campaign targeting Midwestern markets including Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, and Kentucky, and describing our state “as a peaceful and scenic getaway from hectic daily routines,” highlighting “off-the-beaten path destinations such as Silver Lake Sand Dunes ….” [22,23]

Moving on from his opening reference to Alaska, Mr Lorenz added, “I’ve also been told that parts of Michigan remind people of Jamaica — though probably not this time of year.

Our job is to provide the opportunity to make all of the connections are there to make, so that people will know what Michigan has to offer when making their travel decisions. That’s what having a full budget restored for Pure Michigan will make possible.

The data shows that what we’ve done is working. We need to keep doing it.

In 2021, the Governor’s Conference on Tourism will return to Detroit, at the TCF Center (formerly Cobo Center). Dates will be announced in the near future.

References

1. “Loss of funding for Pure Michigan ‘devastating,’ tourism officials say” Caroline Llanes (December 10, 2019) Michigan Radio, NPR.
2. “Whitmer budget revives Pure Michigan, boosts schools and environment” Paul Egan and Kathleen Gray (February 6, 2020) Detroit Free Press.
3. “Michigan lawmakers, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer say some Pure Michigan funding in current budget year is ‘very possible’” Lauren Gibbons (February 17, 2020) mLive.
4. Pure Michigan (home page).
5. 2020 Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism (home page).
6. David Lorenz (LinkedIn Profile).
7. Amway Grand Plaza (home page).
8. “Leaders, Own Your Story Or Someone Else Will” Carmine Gallo (March 1, 2018) Forbes.
9. “Travel Patterns of American Adults with Disabilities” (December 11, 2018) Bureau of Trsnportation Statistics (BTS), United States Department of Transportation (DOT).
10. “Disability Inclusion” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States Department of Health and Human Services.
11. “How to Make Professional Conferences More Accessible for Disabled People: Guidance from Actual Disabled Scientists” Gabi Serrato Marks (November 18, 2018) Union of Concerned Scientists.
12. “Disability Travel Generates $17.3 billion in Annual Spending” Eric Lipp (July 31, 2015) Open Doors Organization.
13. “Rick Wade” US Chamber of Commerce.
14. US Chamber of Commerce (home page).
15. “How Diversity Unlocks Business Potential” Thomas J Donohue (September 16, 2019) US Chamber of Commerce.
16. WK Kellogg Foundation (home page).
17. “Taking the lead for inclusion” Sandra Sancier-Sultan and Julia Sperling-Magro (November 2019) McKinsey & Company.
18. “Confronting the early-career gender gap” Kevin Sneader and Lareina Yee (January 2020) McKinsey Quarterly.
19. Destination Ann Arbor (home page).
20. Washtenaw Community College (home page).
21. “Workforce Development” Washtenaw Community College.
22. “Meanwhile In Michigan” Pure Michigan.
23. “$2.5 million ‘Meanwhile in Michigan’ tourism campaign touts summer escapes, adventures” Associated Press (June 2, 2019) Crain’s Detroit Business.
24. TCF Center (home page).