I pulled out my calendar tonight to take a look at the coming weeks. I don’t know what was scarier: The act of pulling a calendar out or seeing it chock-full. When I was walking to the beach every day for sunset in Central America last year at this time, I didn’t exactly need a calendar. “Pura vida” as it’s called in Costa Rica. However, amidst being a full-time writer and launching a new business, the first couple weeks of 2012 have been an adventure in and of themselves without even stepping foot onto a plane. Nonetheless, 2012 travel is off and away this week as I’m down in Southern California for the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show in Long Beach. It’s one of a few trade shows I’m attending over the next couple months.
Last year's travel show
The Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show is the largest travel show in the west, bringing travelers, tourism boards, tour operators, travel personalities, and intrepid travelers together for a weekend of travel inspiration. Travel personalities headlining this year’s show include the Travel Channel’s Samantha Brown and Andrew Zimmerman, travel expert Peter Greenberg, and celebrity chef Mark DeCarlo, just to name a few. Some of the exhibitors that I’m especially interested in, as they represent places I want to travel to, include the Belize Tourism Board, Honduras Tourism Board, Mexico Tourism Board, and Yosemite Tourism Bureau. You can visit the full list of exhibitors here.
Last year was my first travel trade show, attending the Los Angeles Times Show. It was a great opportunity to connect with friends and colleagues, make new friends, and learn about destinations from around the world. It provides face-to-face time you just can’t get from an article, blog post, or email. For example, representatives from Egypt were there discussing the state of travel after the Egypt uprising.
However, it was a time of transition for me. I had just landed back on U.S. soil the day prior after my own travels and adventures in Central America for several months. I’m even more excited for this year’s show as I’ve continued to grow my travel writing since last year and have launched a new media consulting company. As I’ve talked to entrepreneurs and executives in the travel industry this week, I’ve noticed a positive wave of momentum as travel continues to show growth. I talked to one hotel owner who said that January saw slim bookings last year, but is at 100% capacity this month.
Even more exciting, is that I’m thrilled to be a part of a great speaker lineup for this weekend. I’ll be on a panel Saturday at 1:30, discussing the best travel apps. I’ll be joined by other writers, Jill Robinson, Jennifer Miner, and Kim Lachance Shandrow. Some of my favorite travel apps have saved me a lot of time and money throughout the entire process, from researching to planning to booking to traveling. A few of my favorite apps include….Actually you’ll just have to come on Saturday.
Finally, if you’ll be at the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show on Saturday, I invite you afterward to Congregation Ale House for drinks between 5-7 p.m. Congregation Ale House is just a couple blocks from the Long Beach Convention Center. Stop by to say hello to other intrepid travelers like yourself, because wherever there’s a congregation of travelers, drinks aren’t far behind.
First two photos courtesy of the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show and photo of me a tweetin’ from Kirsten Alana.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Interesting news from CA, Spencer. Glad your new year is going productively, hope you’ll follow up in another blog on what you found most useful/intriguing/engaging at that L.A. Travel & Adventure Show from a travel media standpoint? I haven’t checked the website, but assume they’ve been adding some features to the event aimed at writers and bloggers. Anyway, enjoy…there’s always those beautiful oil rigs out in Long Beach harbor to capture on camera for posterity:)
Hal! Long time no talk to. Yes, the plan is to follow up with a post about how travel media can make the most of these events. Last year I was going into it pretty broad since I was still figuring out what the coming months held for me. Now I’m much more focused and have a much better elevator speech and have somewhat of a travel schedule for 2012. That’s what I learned last year was that you really need some kind of game plan going into these events. Meanwhile, I’ll make sure to get some sunset oil rig shots!
I really wanted to attend this. I look forward to reading your follow up posts about the show
I actually came down sick and wasn’t there, but I will be at the LA Times Show in a week. Will you be there?
Awww that’s too bad
Nope I wanted to do a few tradeshows myself during this time but I’m still traveling around Central America. I don’t think I’ll be back in LA until April or even June?
Where else are you going for travel shows? I would love to attend one! My business is just getting started and I’m feeling rather lost – what comes next after starting a blog, posting frequently, and e-mailing editors with ideas for articles and columns??
Lynn – one portal you may want to start checking out is http://www.adventureexpo.com – which lists not only the L.A. event that Spencer’s attending this weekend but others in several other major cities around the country. But there are many, many events aimed at or intended for travel writers and/or bloggers, if that’s what you mean by “my business”.
Darn I missed this one. What other shows are you heading to – would love to check some of them out as potentials to attend.
http://www.adventureexpo.com/ gives you the full rundown of some of their upcoming events. The real big one is in NYC in March, which I’ll be at: The New York Times Travel Show. And then I’m going down in a week and a half to L.A. for the Los Angeles Times Travel Show.