2010 Professional Peeps: Travel Edition

04

Jan

These are the folks who made my work year rock. Whether they were HR Pros who gave of their time, Travel Genii who welcomed me with open arms, or Marketing Minds who gave opinions freely, these are the cream of the crop in their fields:

Here goes, the travel edition:

@kimmance- Kim Mance has taken the travel world by storm, effectively creating an online magazine, a web series and a conference franchise in just a few short years. She’s also a really good friend, writer and electronic bull rider, in case you didn’t know. The time I spent full time with Galavanting Productions were amazing and chaotic, intense and just plain fun. It takes a special person to let someone else take the reins of their baby, even for a little while and Kim has the humility and intelligence to recognize how and when to do it.

@courtneyisneato- Courtney is my sister and friend. And technically, she was full time in the space before I was. I’ve never seen anyone learn so quickly or make friends so fast as my little sister. Not only does she work tirelessly, she’s happy to give credit to those “in front of the curtain”. Her only goal is to get the job done and have fun doing it. As a young person building her own career, she has a unique ability to take direction, follow it to the T, and then take it the extra mile. It’s tremendously rare to find those things in one person.

@shannaquinn- Shanna has been with Galavanting for years now, even before I started consulting in December of 2007. She is completely gracious and has unflagging optimism. In an industry not necessarily known for it’s planning and organization, Shanna is a star. Not only does she ask the questions no one else does, but she does it with a flower in her hair!

@nerdseyeview- Pam is, in my mind, the resident sage. Her wit and wisdom have made me both snort my milk and think. Running a community of travel bloggers means that you read a lot of blog posts, but I always took the time to go read Pam’s. She is wickedly smart and will say whatever she wants to. I love that about her. Not to mention that she was one of the first people to make me feel welcome in the travel world.

@joeybear85- Ah Joey, our beloved intern turned amazing managing editor. His intelligence is only succeeded by his one line zingers! A voracious writer and editor, he never lets a detail slip his virtual red pen. One of my favorite things about Joey is that he pays attention: to people, to stories and to what’s happening around him. The perfect blend of professionalism and fun, he’s not only a blast to be around, he cares about the people he meets.

@NVRguys- A genuine travel twofer. Kent and Canaan are my favoritest couple in the travelsphere PERIOD. Hilarious, warm, funny and smart enough to build a life that can support their dreams, I both envy them and hope to emulate them (except for the hairy chest part). Of all the people I’d want to travel with, these are the two with whom I will MAKE it happen someday. Plus, they are wicked smart work/life coaches who share their expertise with you (if you’re nice).

@adventureswben- I have never seen someone so dedicated to making something happen if he believes in it. Ben knew what he wanted to do as a child and today he’s doing it. One of TBEX’s most active and effective chapter leaders, he’s traveled with a capital T. All this, plus he is FIRE burning on the dance floor. I simply adore him.

@nomadicmatt- Matt is the person who not only preaches consistency, he brings it home (wherever that may be). Despite the fact that he’s one of the youngest of the BIG travel writers, he’s always looking for ways to make what he does better. He answers questions simply, without a lot of fanfare and is honest about who he is, where he wants to go and how he intends to get there. I really appreciate his contribution to the space and always have.

@abbytegnelia-Abby is the rarest of the rare. Someone who is very important, very cool and still comes through in any and all situations. From her I’ve learned style, panache and how to just be plain helpful. It would be so easy for her to be snooty and rude with how tremendously cool her life is, but she never is. She makes everyone she meets feel like a rockstar. And she is my very favorite person in Vegas.

@everywheretrip- Gary is a fountain of ideas. He never stops having them, he never stops talking about them. Also? He’s a tremendously good writer and researcher. Some of the best advice my mom ever gave me was “Just keep putting one foot in front of the other” and I think that’s what Gary does with travel. Does he plan for the future? Absolutely. Does he work on deals to support his nomadic lifestyle? Sure! But he never stops traveling, learning and most of all, he always stays plugged into the issues in his industry.

@kararosner- Brand new mama Kara has always impressed me with her professionalism (and her hair but that’s another post). A VP at Diamond Public Relations, she’s been involved with both Galavanting and TBEX for some time now. An avid runner, a fun travel companion and a champion downer of mojitos, when it’s time to talk business, she becomes one of the easiest people in the world to deal with. Why? She asks for what she wants and candidly, efficiently finds a way to get there. It’s impressive for someone so young. Plus her little Miles is ADORABLE!

@skeener- Sean Keener is smart as a whip. The founder of Boots N All always has time to talk with folks and make them feel important, even if they aren’t. He understands the business of travel communities in a very real way and probably never realized how much advice I was gleaning from our conversations. He’s a great negotiator and puts his company and employees first, which I respect.

@vailresorts- It’s hard to pick just one of the Vail Resorts team, because I love them all. From the strategic, analytical Amy to the bubbly, tough as nails May, to the sweet, friendly and thorough Kate, I love em all! It’s rare to find a company where you literally like every single person on the team (looking at you Ryan, Kelly and Pat!). I always relax a little when I know that Vail Resorts people are around because I know I’m amongst friends.

@spencerspellman- Sometimes when I think of Spencer, I imagine him a white suit (a la Colonel Sanders). I think it’s because he’s such a gentleman in my mind (save your KFC rants for another blog, this one don’t care) and he’s done such a good job of unearthing important issues with decorum and grace. He rarely asks for favors or press, they just come to him because he writes well, works hard and pitches in without being asked. Spencer cares about the world of travel writing, and it shows.

@craventravels- There are not a whole lot of people who would let you get their name wrong about 27 times. But James Craven (AKA @notwescraven) took it all in stride. An advertising sales exec who’s been around the block a time or two, he represents a business savvy and an eye for what’s next like few I’ve met in the travel world. I’ve learned a lot from him and bounced a lot of ideas off him. He listens, guides and has an impressive amount of wisdom about where travel blogging and writing should go next. Smart travel bloggers will be paying attention to him right now.

@kevinlukemay- Kevin and I haven’t had a ton of conversations but his writing and site have influenced me quite a bit in the few months I’ve been immersed in travel. Frankly, I’ve never seen such fast and good journalism in such a small organization focused on such a tiny niche of an industry. It’s impressive to say the least. The fact that an obviously busy man would take the time to speak with a relative newcomer was both gracious and kind.

@simonpilkington- Simon works for TTG and despite his likely not wanting to, he hosted me during my first (and slightly traumatic) World Travel Market. The largest and most intimidating conference I’ve ever been to or even SEEN was made a little better by Simon and his cohorts, who invited me to parties, pointed out the players and helped me find breakfast on a freezing London (early) morning.

@travelingeditor- WOOHOO! Sometimes I feel young, and then I meet someone like Dylan, who shows me that there is a big difference between 20 and 30. However, there are some things that remain the same no matter your age. Both Dylan and I love karaoke, climbing on random statues and enjoying a place to its absolute fullest. We do NOT both enjoy getting lost. Cheers to one of my favorite travel companions

@momondo- The team at Momondo made TBEX Europe possible. They also put themselves completely at our disposal while we explored and held a conference in a completely foreign (to us) location. I want to especially point out David Rich, who was the most gracious and wonderful host and walked us three extra blocks just to have the finest pizza in the city (it was the size of a legal sheet of paper and I’ve never tasted its equal) and who stood up for a lady in distress, just because I asked him to.

@roritravel- I don’t know her, but her cheery demeanor and conversation starters make the twitter travelsphere a much more welcoming place for me. I appreciate that and hope to get to know her better in the future.

@irishpolyglot- My husband studies languages and has for some time, which is why what Benny has done is so impressive to me (and I’m not the only one). A blast to hang out with and even more fun on the dance floor (he brings his own laser) I enjoyed the time we spent together. He asks intelligent questions and fights for what he believes in. Plus, an irish accent never hurt ANYONE.

@allaboutmexico- Meeting Cara and her mother was one of the highlights of several conferences for me. Both beautiful and intelligent, this mother-daughter teams has taken travel media and combined it with travel agency business (a model I think a few will emulate sooner rather than later). It’s smart and it’s way before its time. Not to mention they are lovely to converse with and more than a few notable gentlemen in the travel world fell for their bright smiles!

@travelinganna- Where to start with AnneMarie? I will start with, she had a cocktail named after her and she still helped us organize name tags at TBEX. She’s brilliant and smart and funny and always makes me laugh with her comments on Twitter and Facebook. Moreover, she’s very hip and I always feel honored when hip people agree to be within 100 yards of me.

@abweir- Toronto tourism guru, this is another gentleman who went out of his way to make me feel welcome. Not only that but we were able to sit down and geek out about business topics all night. His grasp of how the industry works is impressive because he juxtaposes it with other industries and sees the similarities. I like that kind of long-term thinking. And gosh darn it, I like it when someone fights a crowd of people to get me another drink from the bar. I’m in heels over here!

@KCKiwigirl- When I’m “a-conferencin’” there are not so many people who can outrun me. Casey most certainly can. She of friendly smiles, industry knowledge, glowing skin and never ending enthusiasm, she is who I want to be when I grow up (although I am pretty sure she’s younger than me). She invites everyone along, makes people feel welcome and included and get up early and do it all again the next day.

@thomaswingham- Head of PR for Doubletree, Tom is just a great guy. Another of our London Breakfast Club, Thomas is a tremendous conversationalist and draws out the opinion in everyone. He tweets like a champ and creates an atmosphere (with his events) that draws everyone in. Plus there were cookies

@Cailinoneil- I met Cailin in Dylan’s flat in London after fawning all over her online videos. One of a group of us, she immediately made me feel like “one of the bunch” even though I outranked them all in age, number of children and stretch marks. Plus she flew over just to hang with us for the evening! How blisteringly COOL is that??

@jenniferminer- People who take time out their busy, important lives to show they care about others make an impression on me. Jen did that and I still remember it. Of course, I thought she was very cool before that, but this cemented her as someone who made a clear and lasting impression on me in 2010.

@journeywoman- I like Evelyn. She’s smart and has been in the game for quite some time. I enjoy my conversations with her and will continue to watch she is doing and has done. A true entrepreneur, she saw a hole in the market and went ahead and filled it, paving the way for others in her wake.

@amywiddowson- Amy works for Nile Guide and has always been very nice to me. Her friendly face on twitter and kind words the few times we’ve had a chance to work together have made it a pleasure to be in the travel blogosphere this year.

@candacerardon- I really cannot forget the girl with whom I did handstands in a Copenhagen parking lot. We (fake) grafitti’d bathroom walls and danced the night away. I enjoy hanging out with people who never nag or whine or complain, even when it’s cold or far or exhausting. Candace is like this. A little beam of sunshine when she’s with you, you just never stop having fun! Plus, she’s a really great writer.

@flyingphotog- Paul from Southwest. I first met him at TBEX NYC and went on the hang out with him more at BlogWorld. While he’s fun to hang with in person, he makes Twitter a lot of fun because despite the big company name, he always engages and understands conversing online. Southwest are you paying attention?

@jm_deluxe- I love this guy. He’s fun and let’s me make fun of his Australian accent whenever I want. He has a day job but is as committed to his travel writing as  anyone I’ve met and has a genuine hook and idea behind every piece he writes. Plus he let me say “Foster’s. Australian for Beer” and “Put another shrimp on the barbie!” like 100 times and didn’t slap me.

@cruiseradio- Doug and I spent a lot of time together in Orlando and he was pretty quiet at first. But then when everyone else had left and we were just waiting for our planes to take off, we got to know each other better. I learned about his business plan, the experience and forethought that went into it and the planning and ideas he had for the next stages. I realized that his relatively “overnight” success was no accident, just the result of hard, dedicated work of a trained radio professional. Also, we ate an entire meal of food in stick form…

@insiderperks- Brian is a business person. He really does understand that it’s about making a living and keeping your promises. He works really hard to ensure that the deals he makes not only support him but showcase/expose his sponsors as well. He’s also the only one on this list who’s passed through Omaha (sans Kim and Courtney who both live/lived here). Brian took me on my only (safe and legal) para-sailing adventure. Thanks Brian

There’s a chance I might have forgotten you or not included you. If so, I’m sorry. It has been a whirlwind of a year and these are but a few of the folks I owe thanks to. I hope to get to know you better in 2011. Happy New Year!!

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