BMTC18: Tour Operators: Creating the International Beer Tour Operators Association

After the 2017 Beer Marketing & Tourism Conference, a group of beer tour operators started communicating on Facebook about creating the International Beer Tour Operators Association. We’ll hear an update on current progress as well as discuss steps still to be taken. Presenters: Dave Phillips, Dave Grandmaison

Transcript

1. Enabling and Creating Professional Beer Tour Operators
2. What is it International Beer Tour Operators Alliance An organised Alliance of Operators charged with the development of Beer Tourism Internationally
3. Why • Recognizes an industry • Define Best Practices through creating standards • Lift the “average” across our industry • Create a bridge between the Beer and Tourism Industries • Become a leading voice of beer tourism • Generates a premium for business valuations (market sentiment)
4. Where it started • BMTC17 • Operators got together and discovered commonalities • Members seeing value in sharing information and aligning efforts • A shared interest in understanding the state of the industry
5. What we’ve done so far • Created a members only Facebook group • Generated a positive and constructive series of communications • Got IBTOA on the RADAR with booking system companies • Conducted an initial member survey
6. Wins • Attracted membership interest • Grown membership by 35% in 6 months • Conducted member survey and provided an outline of next steps to members • Arranged two sponsored dinners for members at BMTC18 • Contributed to BMTC18 conference through steering committee inputs • Created a community
7. Not so Wins • Have not achieved formalisation within 12 months • Not established a brand mark • Not established back-end resources or systems • Not actively recruited members
8. Why Not? • Volunteer basis, run by 2 business owners on either side of the globe • Limited resources • Have not asked the hard questions (paid membership) and pushed for formalisation
9. Reasons to Be • Establishes an operator’s credibility and professionalism • Creates a barrier to entry • Advocates for members • Provides an authoritative body “stamp” or “seal of approval” • Support from like-minded operators • Opportunities to collaborate on travel products • Be part of a community that cares about you and your business
10. Next Steps • Form a Steering Committee • Call for membership and membership fees • Establish our constitution • Build our eco-system • Grow membership
11. What could that look like out of the gate • Financial resource base to work from • WWW • What and Why IBTOA exists • Member directory • Stakeholder benefits from working with IBTOA member organisations • Customer Database Drive • Email based strategy • Coordinated information and training sessions • Member discounts • IBTOA representation at cornerstone Beer and Tourism Industry conferences and events
12. Over to You
13. Enabling and Creating Professional Beer Tour Operators