Todd Schuetz Todd Schuetz

For many of us in the travel PR world, press trips dominate our focus. Securing top tier national newspapers and travel magazines are the cream of the crop, with the occasional TV win thrown into the mix.

Having worked in the industry for over 25 years, a lot of things have changed. What hasn’t changed, however, is that securing TV interviews for clients still reigns supreme. Whether it’s a segment on a destination, resort, cultural activity or the latest must-have travel gadgets, clients weigh your success heavily on what local and national TV segments you’re able to secure.

O'Dwyer's July '17 Travel & Tourism PR MagazineThis article is featured in O'Dwyer's Jul. '17 Travel & Tourism PR Magazine

Within the last few years, I’ve come across another way to get some great coverage for my travel industry clients: exhibiting at the largest consumer travel show series in the United States, the Travel & Adventure Show. For those of you who are not familiar with the show, the Travel & Adventure Show is a series of eight shows in the US in the Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Denver markets.

Each show happens on a weekend and is like a mini world vacation. Consumers who love to travel come to the show to tour the global sights, sounds, aromas, cultural experiences, and insights from well-traveled speakers and experts from around the globe.

For the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to work directly with the Travel & Adventure Show in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area, promoting and handling the public relations around each show including pre, during and post coverage. Working with the show management, exhibitors, and sponsors, the team secured top tier national and local press for each market including morning show TV segments and standalone TV feature pieces.

In each market, the PR team hosts a media broadcast morning that airs live from the show room floor the Friday before the show opens. The purpose of the event is to give the media a preview of what’s at this year’s show and features spokespersons, talent, live demonstrations and exhibitors. For example, some of the morning shows feature top travel destinations, while others feature cultural activities, food, and family activities like rock climbing, bungee jumping, and diving. Show sponsors and top exhibitors are included in press segments when available and are tapped for interviews with top tier press.

If your client is one of the sponsors of the show, you can work directly with the PR team to be included in TV, online, and print articles. Sponsors receive access to the over 200 media contacts covering the show, and are provided with assistance in coordinating interviews. In addition, exhibitors may put press information in the pressroom and have access to an on-site interview room.

In Los Angeles alone, over 38,000 people attended the 2017 Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show. For more information about the show, please visit www.travelshows.com. In 2018, the PR team will see you at the San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Shows.

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Todd Schuetz leads Marketing Maven’s travel and tourism practice in LA.