Greetings from Atlanta!!

The 2011 ITMI Symposium in Atlanta has just come to an end and I am pleased to share some of the highlights of this extraordinary event with you.

Pre-Symposium FAM tours sponsored by the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau and PDJ Global motorcoaches provided an opportunity to tour the Atlanta History Center, the Georgia Aquarium, the world headquarters of the CNN Studios and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Center.

Hilmar Cheese delivered mountains of cheese for a wine and cheese tasting event and movie night on Sunday evening.

On Monday evening, the beautiful Crowne Plaza Hotel Ravinia welcomed attendees with a delicious array of food and beverages at an elegant opening night reception.

Symposium speakers offered participants a variety of useful tools and insights. Paul Davis, CEO of MyTourGuide.com explained how mobile technology is revolutionizing the travel and tourism industry. He also invited tour directors to use his free technology platform to earn passive income by developing their own mobile tours.

Using Civil War figures as an example, Tim Lowry helped tour directors refine the art of storytelling, to ensure an optimal experience for their tour groups.

Catherine Heeg used case histories to help attendees understand how to leverage the power of social media to increase their visibility and search engine ranking, so that they can attract customers and prospects via the Internet.

In “Thinking Like a Magician,” Joe Turner entertained the audience with highly creative and useful problem solving techniques. Joe also presented “Memory Mojo,” a session designed to instantly improve one’s memory.

Dr. Patrick Allitt from Emory University got a standing ovation when he humorously addressed the historical significance of tourism and its impact upon the consciousness of travelers.

Symposium included lively interactive discussions wherein tour directors shared their first-hand knowledge with tour operators, so that they can more effectively design offerings and programs that appeal to the ever-changing tastes and expectations of travelers.

An insightful presentation was given by Paul Cronin, a respected travel attorney and Greg Takehara, Sr. V.P of the Berkley group. They addressed licensing, immigration, insurance and health as well as liability coverage issues for tour operators and tour directors.

Student tour operators and tour directors met to discuss how to work together to cultivate this explosive market.

Keith Baron, founding partner of the Cragmont Baron Group, helped tour directors and tour operators think outside the box, to creatively leverage their expertise in other areas of tourism development and marketing.

While the Dunwoody CVB helped tour directors enjoy an Atlanta dine-around, tour operators were treated to traditional southern cooking at Mary Mac’s Tea Room, a famous landmark, which has served dinner to the Dalai Lama, Richard Gere, President Jimmy Carter and many other famous and infamous personalities since 1940.

Sandy Dhuyvetter, producer and host of TravelTalkMEDIA captured many video and audio interviews with tour directors and tour operators throughout Symposium. Sandy is the foremost travel broadcaster, with an audience of several million viewers and listeners throughout the world. We look forward to featuring links to the edited programs on the ITMI website in the near future.

A memorable closing night gala at the dazzling new World of Coca-Cola won rave reviews. The evening included cocktails, wine and a culinary feast, featuring freshly prepared dishes from around the world. The World of Coca-Cola is a spectacular new structure, featuring memorabilia dating back to the late 1800s, when pharmacist John Pemberton first developed his world-renowned recipe. Attendees enjoyed the many facets of this unique multi-sensory, multi-media attraction, along with a breathtaking view of the city.

Lamplighter Tours of Atlanta and PDJ Global, provided FAM tours on Thursday, with a trips to Stone Mountain and to the famous college town of Athens or a visit to Clayton County, official home of “Gone with the Wind,” with Stately Oakes Plantation and the “Road to Tara Museum.” Peter Bonner, of Historical and Hysterical Tours entertained participants with wit and humor.

It is fair to say that Symposium 2011 was one of the best in ITMI’s history. Aside from the many excellent presentations and attractions, we enjoyed the participation of a record number of outstanding sponsors and exhibitors. Elegant tote bags provided by Samsonite were distributed to all attendees. Samsonite was so enthusiastic about Symposium that they have already agreed to sponsor our next event. Please remember to support our generous sponsors and exhibitors whenever possible.

For those who attended, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks for helping to make this a highly successful and exciting event. We look forward to sustaining the connections and the momentum that was developed in Atlanta and to supporting one another in our mutual desire to be the gold standard in the tourism industry.

With warm regards,

Ted Bravos & the ITMI Staff