Laura Schwartz headlines seminar slate
Sometimes a Super Session presenter is just that — super.
That was the case on February 7, when Laura Schwartz officially kicked off the educational component of the 2012 BankTravel Conference in Memphis, Tennessee.
Schwartz, a former director of special events in the Clinton White House and now an accomplished author and television commentator, shared insights from her highly regarded book “Eat, Drink and Succeed” with nearly 200 bankers in attendance.
“Your job may be 9 to 5, but your career is 24/7,” she told the group. “In any social situation, whether it be for your bank or any other occasion, your attitude should be ‘What
can I do for you?’ not ‘What can you do for me?’ Once you master this form of interpersonal communication, your career will kick into high gear.
“People take their money personally,” said Schwartz. “You are the bank’s ambassador
for many of its best clients, and that makes you very important. And the more important you make those customers feel, the more valuable you are to your bank.”
Before Schwartz’s session, bankers attended one of two breakout sessions that were run
by volunteers. Bankers chose from a veterans session and a session for first-time attendees.
“The turnout in our veterans breakout was huge,” said BankTravel partner Mac Lacy.
“That room was set for 120, and it was absolutely full. When they broke an hour and a
half later, everyone was talking about how valuable the session was. That’s a tribute to
our volunteer moderators.”
The first-time attendee session also had a good turnout, as several dozen first-year-ornewer delegates learned the fundamentals for this conference that covers so much
ground in just two and a half days.
On February 8, a banker panel discussion kicked off the morning’s activities after breakfast. Three bankers agreed to address several trends in the industry, among them the
buy-local/bank-local movement, experiential travel offerings for newer groups, social
marketing for banks and bank travel groups, and new means of measuring and reporting the worth of loyalty programs to upper management.
That afternoon, the final educational seminar took place as Maria McCall of Our Gang
Travel of Santa Barbara Bank and Trust and her associate, Joel Scolavino, a security expert, discussed how banks can protect their older customers from financial fraud. They
shared many tips about how to protect customers from identity theft involving their
credit cards, checking accounts and online accounts.
“I always enjoy the BankTravel seminars,” said Nadean Meredith of Commercial Bank
in Middlesboro, Kentucky. “Laura Schwartz was very good — she obviously had very
impressive credentials, and I thought her information was excellent. I love the breakouts
every year; and this year we were late getting registered, so I missed mine, and I hated
to miss it.
“The bankers on the panel did a really good job,” said Meredith. “It’s very helpful to
hear what other banks are doing — that’s one of the best things about the conference.
And Maria McCall’s seminar on fraud prevention was something every bank should be
familiar with.”
The spirit of Elvis Presley has not left Memphis, as the attendees to the 2012 BankTravel
Conference discovered. The legendary Graceland opened its doors to attendees to tour
the King of Rock ’n’ Roll’s famous home during the conference’s first evening event.
The Shreveport/Bossier Convention and Visitors Bureau entertained guests on the way
to the event with games, beverages and prizes. Once there, attendees learned that they
had the place to themselves to explore and dine at their leisure.
“I’d never been to Graceland before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect,” said Barbara
Moore-Ray, community development officer for First Century Bank in Bluefield, West
Virginia. “Graceland was certainly one of the highlights.”
Attendees could choose what to visit first; choices included the Elvis Presley Car Museum, the Chrome Grill Dinner and the gift shop. Delegates could tour Presley’s beloved
Graceland mansion with an audio tour guiding the way through the home’s original
furniture and exhibits.
Some exhibits highlighted Presley’s numerous accolades throughout his career by displaying his elaborate costumes, clips from concerts and extensive hit records. But the
King’s more personal side is also revealed at the mansion with tours through his living
room, kitchen and colorfully decorated Jungle Room.
“Graceland was superb,” said Gerri Broyles, assistant tour director for First Century
Bank in Bluefield. “No matter how many times you’ve been to Graceland, it’s always a
new experience.”
One treat for fans was a new exhibit “Elvis Through His Daughter’s Eyes,” from the perspective of his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. For the exhibit, videos showed Lisa Presley
recalling specific memories of her father from her days in Graceland, as well as some of
her personal memorabilia.
After touring, delegates danced much of the night away with the help of a local rock
band.
At breakfast the next morning, the Branson Convention and Visitors Bureau treated
guests to one of their city’s many stars. Barry Williams, who played Greg Brady in “The
Brady Bunch,” was joined by musical performers singing songs from the 1960s. The
Branson performers called attendees up to the stage with them for some early morning
’60s-inspired dancing.
Music was the theme of the day as Collette Vacations and Switzerland Tourism teamed
up to present another Memphis rock band for lunch. The energizing music illustrated
the lively sound of Memphis and had several delegates dancing in their seats.
For dinner, the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted a meal of crab
cakes along with a discussion about the upcoming 2013 conference there. Afterward,
guests enjoyed a live jazz band from Memphis.
The next morning, a “kangaroo” and a “koala” met delegates to the breakfast sponsored
by Trips. The two costumed attendees took pictures with seated guests to help showcase
Trips’ Australia offerings. The fun presentation unveiled the two costumed helpers, one
of which was revealed to be conference chairman Charlie Presley.
At the final lunch event, Globus and the Canadian Rockies partnered to sponsor a presentation from Canada’s First Nations people. Dressed in traditional attire, two women
danced a First Nations dance while moving through the crowd.
In the end, delegates left the conference having learned something about Memphis cuisine and music just from having attended the many events.
“I liked Memphis as a destination,” said Valerie Drouin, senior vice president of the Laconia Savings Bank in Laconia, New Hampshire. “That’s what drew me here. I’d never
been before, and it blew me away with its culture, music and food.”
Travel ideas ranging from Branson, Missouri, to Australia gave bank delegates a plethora of travel ideas to take back with them from the 2012 BankTravel Conference in Memphis.
“I think this conference kick-starts my year,” said Barbara Moore-Ray, community development officer for First Century Bank in Bluefield, West Virginia. “I meet with travel
vendors and share ideas with fellow bankers. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I feel this
is an integral part of my travel club.”
Feb. 7-9 conference hosted three Meet the Bankers Marketplaces, where each bank travel
delegate met with travel industry members to discuss potential upcoming trips. The
prescheduled appointments lasted six minutes each.
“We are first-timers, and it has been a very exciting and very enthusiastic conference,”
said Betty Sue Tatum, business development officer for Atlantic Coast Bank in Waycross, Georgia. “We’ve got some really good trip ideas, including a lot of local tour ideas
within the United States.
“I’ve learned a lot about the states. You can look on the Internet, but being able to talk
with a person from that location personalizes it, so you know exactly what you’re getting and where you’re going.”
Destinations, tour operators and other travel vendors, such as Cracker Barrel restaurants, were represented at these appointments. Many of the travel industry members re-
ported positive interactions with the bank members.
“I was pleased to see that the conference has new bank members, and I hope they can
continue to attract more in the future,” said Lamar Hadley, group sales representative
for Cracker Barrel. “I’ve been to a lot of BankTravel conferences, so it’s exciting to see
that.”
Travel industry members worked hard to find ways to help bank delegates remember
their companies, with giveaways and matching gear. The 14 Arkansas members all
wore matching outfits with Arkansas Tourism logos to help make a lasting impact on
the delegates.
One member of Arkansas Tourism found the bank delegates to be travel savvy enough
to be already familiar with the new Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville.
“People have already heard about our new Crystal Bridges Museum, so that’s been the
icebreaker I’ve used,” said John Lamparski, group tours sales manager for Bentonville
Convention and Visitors Bureau. “From there I go into our other offerings, like the Walton Five and Dime store and the Native American Museum.”
Staff from the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau also found encouragement as they met with bankers and talked about next year’s BankTravel Conference in
Virginia Beach.
“People have been saying they are excited to come next year because they have never
been to Virginia Beach,” said Jim Coggin, tourism sales manager for the CVB. “It’s a
good fit for Virginia Beach because it’s where bankers haven’t been before. It shows Virginia Beach to a new audience.”
The host city, Memphis, found conference attendees receptive to the idea of bringing future groups back to the land of the Delta Blues.
“It took me about 10 years to get BankTravel here, and it was well worth it,” said Lisa
Catron, national sales manager for the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“BankTravel has always been dear to me with their loyalty, and they are loyal to their
destinations.
“From booking Graceland to fam tours and the showroom floor, I have been bringing
back business to my hometown.”