POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – Dutchess Tourism, Inc. (DTI) will host four Lunch & Learn Seminars on Wednesdays from 12:00 - 1:30 p.m., March 4, 11, 18, 25. These free seminars are geared toward tourism-related businesses but are open to all. Participants are encouraged to bring their lunches to eat while they listen to the presentations. There will also be time for networking with other participants and the speakers.
Wednesday, March 4: The Ins & Outs of Working with Film & Television Productions
With an increasing number of television and film productions discovering the many benefits of filming in Dutchess County, now is the ideal time to learn the ins and outs of working with the film industry. Hudson Valley Film Commission Founder & Director Laurent Retjo will be on hand to discuss the many ways the film commission assists productions and how local people and area businesses can get involved. This first seminar in the series will take place at The CineHub in Beacon.
Wednesday, March 11: Photography and Brand Storytelling
Le Chambord at Curry Estates in Hopewell Junction will host Madeline Krause of Downstate Photo. Krause, who was one of Dutchess Tourism’s Featured Photographers, will share her expertise in photography along with user and brand experience knowledge to help businesses boost their websites and social media content. Key mobile phone photography basics will also be covered.
Wednesday, March 18: The Destination Accessible Experience
Within the past two years, 26 million Americans with disabilities took 73 million trips for business and pleasure, spent $17.3 billion while traveling, and contributed to $34.6 billion in total economic impact. Dutchess Tourism
Consumer Services & Special Events Manager Susanne O’Neil, B.A., MSW, will moderate a panel discussion with Q&A to provide a brief overview on Accessible Tourism and how this market is steadily on the rise. Hear testimonials from families on traveling with a person with either a physical, cognitive or developmental disability. They’ll share first-hand experiences of what they looked for prior to travel, lodging accommodations, transportation needs and how good customer service is key for repeat business. Local attractions will also share strategies for providing excellent service. This seminar will take place at the Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library & Museum Franklin in Hyde Park.
Wednesday, March 25: Punch Above Your Weight - Maximizing Your Attraction’s Marketing Budget
The final seminar in the series will take place at CO. in Rhinebeck. Thomas Mooney, CEO & executive creative director of FourthIdea will help businesses learn how to create a heavyweight marketing campaign with an undersized budget. This seminar covers four techniques that will give any attraction the marketing punch needed to deliver a knockout when fighting for visitation or additional business. Whether it’s media, branding or creative—everything must be driven by a strong brand strategy. This session will remind marketers of the fundamentals and introduce non-marketing businesspeople to key marketing principles needed to build sales.
To learn more about DTI’s Lunch & Learn series, visit DutchessTourism.com/tourism-business-events. Registration is required at http://bit.ly/2020LunchLearn. Those interested do not have to attend all four presentations in order to participate.
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About Dutchess Tourism
Dutchess Tourism, Inc. is the officially designated destination marketing organization for Dutchess County and is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of Destinations International. It is a 501c6 non-profit organization that works to bring tourism dollars to area businesses and our community by marketing and promoting the assets of Dutchess County to the nation and the world. The office is located at 3 Neptune Road in the Town of Poughkeepsie with 17 Tourist Information Centers located around Dutchess County. The website is DutchessTourism.com and they can be reached at 845-463-4000. Dutchess Tourism, Inc. is partially funded by monies received from the County of Dutchess.
Dutchess Tourism, Inc., operating as Film Dutchess in the industry, offers various support efforts to all manner of productions looking to film in the county. For more information, visit DutchessTourism.com/film-in-dutchess
