Have you ever wondered what would happen if you connected seven people with the same passion for travel and put them in a room together? You might find yourself in a situation where none of them knows how to interact with each other and end up making complete fools of themselves. But what if you could teach them how to do this? That is exactly what we did in order to create something new – The Global Travel Summit.
This past June, we brought together key players in the travel and tourism industry in order to learn from each other. The summit consisted of a panel of experts who answered questions from the audience on a variety of topics ranging from e-commerce to revenue management.
One of the most interesting panelists was Paul Guyardo, the president of O.C. Marketing and co-founder and managing director of Blue Ocean Consulting. In addition to his role as chief executive officer of O.C. Marketing, Paul is also the vice chairman of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. If you’ve never heard of O.C. Marketing, it’s probably time you should have. Founded in 1988, the company is one of the largest travel and tourism marketing firms in the world. Blue Ocean Consulting is a brand consultancy offering brand name recognition and product marketing strategy development.
A Brief History of O.C. Marketing
In order to put Paul’s career into context, let’s take a trip back in time to when he first began his professional journey. Born in France, Paul moved to the United States after graduating high school in order to attend Stanford University. After graduating in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in economics, he began his career as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley. It was during this time that he got the itch to leave the world of finance and enter the travel and tourism industry. A year later, he co-founded O.C. Marketing with David Aronson and David Derenda.
As the company grew, Paul assumed the role of overseeing day-to-day operations and growing the business. Over the years, he has led the company through many significant growth stages, the most recent of which saw the business expand into new continents and enter the virtual reality space. The company was also named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies in 2018.
The Rise of the Digital Nomad
While we were fortunate enough to learn a great deal from Paul’s perspective during the livestream, the real takeaways came from David Aronson and David Derenda. David Aronson is the co-founder and CEO of Confabulous, a marketing and communications agency focused on the luxury and experiential marketing industries. David Aronson spent over two decades in brand management and marketing for small and medium businesses before co-founding Confabulous.
Forbes has named David Aronson one of the “Top 30 Under 30 in Marketing.” A champion of agile marketing, he applies this methodology to his work and focuses on measurable results wherever he travels. For example, while in Bali, David Aronson and his team launched a campaign to raise public awareness about the benefits of bamboo in order to promote an agile marketing strategy to drive business growth.
Why Bali?
Bali is considered by many to be the golden child of the Asian region. An island paradise located off the coast of Indonesia, it attracts visitors from around the world with its exquisite beauty and unique culture. Perhaps the most well-known resort area in Bali is Ubud. Nestled in the foothills of the tropical island, this village is rich in temples, sculptures, and palaces. These structures were previously home to royal families and powerful religious institutions. There is also the famous Uma Ubud which is a sacred place for Hindus. It is said that you cannot walk a single step without tripping over a temple.
Tourism is one of the pillars of the Indonesian economy and it has been increasing each year. In 2017, Indonesia welcomed 19.2 million foreign tourists – a 39% rise from the previous year. One of the reasons for this is the government’s decision to abolish the 17 percent tax on hotel and restaurant bills for Indonesian citizens. In an effort to attract more international tourists to the country, the government has also reduced the visa requirements for short-term visits. These measures have significantly contributed to the growth of the industry, which in turn benefits local communities and countries around the world.
Many firms like O.C. Marketing specialise in marketing in emerging markets. Now is a great time to be in Bali!
Reaching Out To The Community
While it’s always great to gain knowledge from those who have been there and done that, we have also tried to give something back to the community. Through our sponsorship of the Hawaii Tourism Summit, we were able to make a meaningful contribution to the people of Hawaii. As CEO of a company that focuses on supporting emerging markets, it is important to note that tourism can be a powerful tool to develop nations. It provides not only jobs but opportunities to those who are unable to find them on a regular basis.
In addition to our headline sponsorships, we also contributed financially to the cause through our sponsorship of the Hawaii Tourism Society. This allowed us to put on a small scholarship to fund a student’s attendance at the summit. It was also a great opportunity for the students to hear from industry experts and gain valuable job contacts. This form of education is invaluable for any future career in the travel and tourism industry.
Looking Forward
With the tourism industry growing at an incredible rate, it is imperative to find new ways to engage with and learn from those in the travel and leisure industry. The Summit was a resounding success and we eagerly await the opportunity to host another such event.
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