Consumer Trends Expert at MT Tourism Conference

The Avant Guide Institute’s Daniel Levine http://www.avantguide.com/daniel-levine will open this year’s Montana Tourism Conference in Helena, March 25, with a keynote presentation positively titled "A Bright Future for Big Sky Country: How Montana Will Thrive in 2013 and Beyond."

We asked Daniel to share with us a little bit about his background and the expertise he’ll bring to Montana from his New York offices and what key "take aways" he’ll provide us.

First – his background and expertise:

"I have been intimately involved in travel and tourism for 25 years and developed a unique perspective on the industry from both the travelers’ perspective and sellers’ side. My first job out of college was writing substantial portions of Frommer’s best-selling, iconic guide to Europe… I went on to research and write another nine books for them… As the head of the Avant-Guide Institute for the past eight years, I am now the leader of a huge team of "trend hunters" – some 10,000 passionate expert consumers who keep us updated on the new ideas, products and experiences in America and around the globe."

Described as "a leading trends consultancy specializing in travel and consumer marketing," Daniel says the Avant Guide Institute works with destinations and businesses around the world "to help them understand what motivates people to travel and buy things" and then "create innovative answers to these trends that will attract visitors and increase sales."

Now, what’s his message for Montana Tourism?

"While we also work with major destinations and travel brands, the majority of tourism professionals in the United States and abroad are small businesses with limited time and budgets. One of the main reasons I am looking forward to presenting in Montana is exactly because the state is very rural with relatively undeveloped tourism areas. From what we are seeing regarding travel trends, Montana is perfectly positioned to benefit from these current trends by offering unique, exotic and "braggable" experiences, all relatively close to home".

The Institute is currently canvassing its "trend hunters" so Daniel hasn’t identified the specific trends he’ll share with us in Helena, but he does say "there are some major directions in travel that Montana tourism is well-placed to take advantage of, including:

Appealing to travelers looking for shorter itineraries
Promoting yourself as an exotic location with modern amenities
Creating opportunities to capture the growing multi-generational travel market
Promoting a unique "sense of place" and Montana-only local color
Offer customized travel options that emphasize individuality for the types of travelers who are naturally attracted to Montana and have no interest in being with "a group."

"I don’t presume to know more about Montana tourism than the professionals attending the 2013 Montana Governor’s Conference on Tourism and Recreation. What I do know more about is your customers; what is motivating them to travel, and what you can do to attract them to your business."

We’ll hear more from Daniel Levine when he opens the 2013 MT Tourism Conference in Helena, Monday, March 25, at the Helena Colonial Hotel-Red Lion.

Click Here http://www.travelmontana.org/conference/2013_files/index.asp to see more details on the 2013 MT Tourism Conference agenda and exhibitor/sponsorship options.

If you have any conference questions, give us a call or email:

406-841-2795, [email protected]. or 406-443-1160, [email protected].

Get registered and we’ll see you in Helena!