1. KINDRED SPIRITS:
Building Community and Bottom Line
Through Memorable Food & Wine Events
A Presentation by
J. Gary Ellis – President, Compass Marketing
International Culinary Tourism Association
2008 Southeast Symposium
April 2 – 4, 2008
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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2. Good afternoon. I am reminded today of a story I heard of a farmer herding his flock in a remote
pasture when suddenly a brand new BMW appears out of a dust cloud before him. The driver
leaned out the window and asked the farmer, “If I tell you exactly how many sheep you have in
your flock, will you give me one?” The farmer looked at this man, obviously not a local, then
looked across his flock and calmly answered, “Sure. Why not?” The guy parked his car, whipped
out his notebook computer, connected it to his cell phone, surfed to a NASA page on the internet
where he pulled up a GPS satellite navigation system to get an exact fix on his location, which he
then fed to another NASA satellite that scanned the area in an ultra-high resolution photo. The guy
then e-mailed it to an image processing facility in Hamburg, Germany. Within seconds, he received
a message that the image has been processed and the data stored. He then accessed a database with
hundreds of complex formulas. He uploaded all of this data and, after a few minutes, received a
response. Finally, he printed out a full-color, 150-page report on his hi-tech, miniaturized laserjet
printer and finally turned to the farmer and said, “You have 1,586 sheep.” “That’s right,” said the
farmer, “so I guess you can take one.” He watched the guy select one of the animals and looked on
amused as he stuffed it into the trunk of his car. Then the farmer said to the young man, “Hey, if I
can tell you exactly what you do for a living, will you give me back my sheep?” The guy thought
about it for a second, and said and then said, “Okay, why not?” “You’re a consultant,” said the
farmer. “Wow! That’s correct,” said the guy, “but how did you guess that?” “No guessing
required,” said the farmer. “You showed up here even though nobody called you. You want to get
paid for an answer I already knew – to a question I never asked. And you don’t know anything
about my business. . . .Now, give me back my dog.”
While it’s true that I am here today to help you grow your business, I can assure you that I am just a
bit more familiar with it than the “consultant” I just mentioned. Compass Marketing has been
helping people just like you to improve market share for 19 years. And I promise not only to leave
you with all your sheep, but to show you ways to grow your flock.
What an exciting time to be in the hospitality business! To be on the cusp of a movement destined
for phenomenal growth. Culinary tourism has been described as the intersection of food, culture and
tourism. Our own Erik Wolf compares today's culinary travel with ecotourism 20 years ago.
"Culinary travel is starting to achieve the same level of importance," he says. It's becoming part of
national tourism marketing plans. And its appeal, he thinks, is universal: "Not everyone shops, plays
golf or goes to museums. But food and drink are products everyone seeks out three times a day." I
agree.
We know that food gives us sustenance. Physically, of course, but also psychologically and
spiritually. And that sustenance is magnified - it’s compounded and enhanced - when shared with
like-minded people in a memorable setting. Think of it. One of the oldest and most well known
stories about food and wine dates back to the Bible. Who doesn’t know the story of Jesus turning
water into wine so that the celebration of a marriage would not be cut short. This story to me is
illustrative of just how deeply the community bond of food and drink is embedded in our human
history.
People crave community. Even in this technological age – especially in this technological age. For
proof, just look to social networking sites. Did you know that if myspace were a country, it would
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3. be the 8th largest in the world? Two years ago, it was the 11th largest, and I’m convinced that in the
near future, it will be the largest. Why? We crave connection. We long for kindred spirits.
Our love of food is primal. True, we need it for our very survival, but our survival has nothing to do
with the unbridled creativity we devote to its preparation and consumption. We could survive on a
handful of nuts, some fruits and vegetables, and maybe an egg or two. By the way, those who
subscribe to such a diet insist it helps you live longer. I maintain that it only seems that way.
Good food - and the fellowship associated with sharing good food - enriches us. It adds to our
enjoyment of life. Quite simply, it makes us happy. When you market to the culinary tourist, you
are packaging that happiness. You are generating memories that will last, perhaps for a lifetime.
Quick, try to remember what you got for Christmas when you were 10 years old. I bet you can’t.
But if I asked you to tell me about Christmas dinners, I’ll bet you could share some stories,
especially if yours were anything like this.
See, we don’t remember things. We remember experiences. Why do we buy souvenirs on vacation?
Because we need another widjet to dust around? No, it’s because we want to remember the feeling
we’re experiencing right then. Do you think it’s a coincidence that Disney – arguably the master of
marketing - has souvenir shops at the end of its rides? It’s not. They know you’ll buy while you’re
still feeling the “wow.”
Today, I hope to show you how you can package your destination to generate the “wow.” To draw
the culinary traveler to you, to encourage his spending, to make that traveler part of your marketing
team, and to encourage his return.
What is it about culinary tourism that offers such enormous potential? What is the culinary tourist
looking for? What options are available to you in getting started? And why do I and many others
believe this is a largely untapped market? Good questions, but before we answer those, let’s answer
this essential one: Who is the culinary tourist?
In January of last year, the Travel Industry Association released the results of the first-ever
qualitative survey of culinary travelers. They surveyed nearly 2400 leisure travelers to gauge their
behaviors and attitudes toward culinary travel. Unless I state otherwise, the facts and figures that I
use today will be taken from the results of that study. I believe it offers great insight into the
potential of culinary tourism. Here’s what they found.
Overall, 17% engaged in some type of culinary or wine-related activity while traveling within the
past three years. This equates to just over 27 million travelers.
These 27 million are further divided into 3 groups:
Deliberate culinary travelers took one or more trips where the availability of food & wine-related
activities was either a key reason to take the trip or a factor in choosing between potential
destinations. The food was the reason.
Opportunistic culinary travelers took one or more trips where they sought out food- and wine-
related activities, but these were not a factor in choosing their destination The place was the reason,
but the food was important.
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4. Accidental culinary travelers took one or more trips where they participated in food- and wine-
related activities simply because they were available. The food was simply there.
As you can imagine, the biggest bang comes from targeting Deliberate and Opportunistic culinary
travelers. And you should direct your marketing efforts toward them. Let’s talk about how to do
that.
At Southern Breeze Wine & Culinary Festivals, we invite our guests to “uncork an experience.”
Today, I want to encourage you to “uncork” the potential of culinary tourism as it relates to your
bottom line.
Offer an experience that is UNIQUE & memorable
Recognize events as business NETWORKING opportunities
Develop CROSS-PROMOTION tie-ins with other local attractions
OFFER products for sale at the event
REACH the culinary tourist effectively
And finally, promote the connectedness of KINDRED spirits
The TIA study found that nearly all wine and culinary travelers – over 90% - are looking for unique
experiences For most, culinary travel is clearly related to the need to have unique culinary
experiences that are not available in one’s home area.
Unique is a word that certainly describes Michael Scott from The Office, if not his choice in New
York pizza places. And nothing against restaurant chains; they certainly have their place. Just not
within the culinary tourist market.
Culinary tourists specifically want:
Flavors and/or foods that are not available in their home area
A restaurant atmosphere that is unique
Food that is unique and different
Please keep in mind that “unique and different” does not have to mean formal and expensive. In
fact, the study defines culinary travel as travel to learn about or enjoy unique and memorable eating
and drinking experiences – not necessarily just those that are exclusive or highly acclaimed, but
all memorable eating and drinking experiences.
Also, please, not so unique as to be exotic. One Andrew Zimmern is enough. If you’ve ever seen his
show, Bizarre Foods on the Travel Channel, you know that his definition of food is, shall we say,
loosely defined. When you’re touted as having a stomach of steel, I think it’s safe to say, you’ll be
eating alone a lot. It’s best to stick with foods most of us consider not just edible, but desirable.
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5. The local rib joint, the diner known for fabulous biscuits, the local pie baker can all be just as
appealing to the culinary tourist as the renowned 5-star restaurant, and all can have their place in
your marketing efforts.
In fact, fourth on the list for Deliberate and Opportunistic culinary travelers was low prices and
discounts. Just last Tuesday an article in the St. Petersburg Times noted that worries over the
economy are causing middle-class travelers to look at ways to make their vacations shorter, less
frequent and not as fancy. A survey by Ypartnership, on Orlando marketing and advertising firm
specializing in travel, found that nearly a third of travelers took fewer trips in the last half of 2007
due to money concerns. They noted, though, that roughly the same percentage of people were still
planning to travel.
The same article cites another survey by AIG Travel Guard reporting that nearly half of all travelers
expected to change their vacation plans for 2008 to save money. Their most popular choices:
Eating at cheaper restaurants
Traveling closer to home
Staying at less expensive hotels
Those of you with more upscale offerings have no need to panic. Also noted was that concerns
about the economy haven’t slowed down high-income travelers at all, and that their very pricey
exotic tour business is taking bookings for 2009. These 4 & 5-star diners are still very much in the
picture. We’ll discuss some other options for unique and different in a moment.
For many years, when you thought of networking in business, you often thought of the golf course.
But even that is starting to change.
An article in the February 21, 2008 edition of the New York Times notes that “over the past decade,
the leisure activity most closely associated with corporate success in America has been in a kind of
recession,” with the number of people who play declining from 30 million to 26 million (even now,
the number of culinary travelers already exceeds this!) and the number who play 8 times or
more per year had fallen from 17.7 million to 15 million.
The “old boys clubs” made many deals made on the course. The problem is that there are quite a
few women in the “old boys club” of business these days. But even that does not entirely explain
the decline in golf’s appeal.
While the experts debate time versus expense, I’ll submit this: much of the networking that occurs
within golf happens at the 19th hole. God knows most of us need a cocktail to shake off the game’s
inherent frustrations. Then there’s the dilemma of making sure the boss wins, or the client wins. Of
knowing how well or how “less well” to play. And, yes, the expense can be high. The cost of a good
set of clubs, of membership dues, of green fees and cart fees, really adds up. And all this was a
becoming a problem even before recent economic conditions. But to me the ultimate problem with
golf is one I just mentioned. It’s a competitive game. Someone wins and someone loses. To me,
that’s not the best environment to generate good will.
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6. Wouldn’t it be far easier, more pleasant, to network with prospective clients or colleagues over a
leisurely dinner or wine tasting? Enjoy a great meal or nice wine in a setting conducive to
relaxation? Where no one is keeping score? No one loses. Everyone wins.
To illustrate this point [Wine festival dinner with Ark. Physicians]
Please keep in mind, too, that the culinary “tourist” may be local. Cooking classes, wine tastings
and other events offer excellent networking opportunities for local business people, who should not
be overlooked in their promotion.
Restaurants may be the obvious draw for the culinary tourist. But they’re by no means the only
attraction.
While going to restaurants for unique and memorable experiences topped the list, at least 70% of
these travelers were also interested in:
Visiting farmers markets (29%)
Sampling traditional artisan products (27%)
Attending culinary festivals (24%)
Touring wineries and tasting locally made wines (21%)
Touring local breweries and tasting local beers (20%)
Driving a wine trail (13%)
Attending wine festivals (11%)
As you can see by this list, you have much more to offer the culinary tourist than simply area
restaurants.
Because culinary tourists are active travelers, they are also more likely to:
Participate in cultural activities such as concerts and museums
Enjoy spa services
Visit state and/or national parks and historic sites
Participate in a variety of outdoor activities
The common interests of wine and culinary travelers and the overlap in their demographics and
travel behaviors suggest there are many opportunities for cross-selling to these visitors. You can
combine food and wine experiences with any of the above activities. How about a spa weekend
featuring a wine tasting? An informal yet upscale luncheon at a popular shopping venue. The
Scottsdale Culinary Festival hosts a champagne tasting at the Museum of Modern Art. The Tucson
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7. Culinary Festival features signings by notable cookbook authors at their Grand Tasting event,
sponsored by Barnes & Noble.
Cross-promotion can also help extend the culinary traveler’s length of trip, resulting in higher
spending by the travel party. More heads and beds. Plus, by combining activities into a package,
you can help ease the travel “hassle” for these visitors by offering them a long weekend full of
exciting activities.
This is precisely what we do with our Southern Breeze Wine+Culinary Festivals. As you may
know, our next event begins tomorrow on the grounds of the old Louisiana state capitol, a beautiful
location with cultural and historical significance. After five years of hosting these festivals, we’ve
learned much about the event and the travelers who attend. Let’s take some time now to discuss the
details about our festivals, including how they’ve evolved over time.
[Case study here]
Contributing to our guests’ satisfaction is the fact that we have the wines they’ve sampled available
for sale at the event. This saves them the trouble of trying to locate the label when they return home.
The TIA study results bear this out, which brings me to my next point. Offer your unique products
for sale at the event.
Culinary travelers are very likely to take local foods and wines back home to share with family and
friends. Not only does this increase spending at your destination, but it also presents a secondary
opportunity for you to spread the word about your unique offerings. The product creates a much
more powerful marketing tool than word-of-mouth alone. These tangible examples of what you
have to offer can not only add to your bottom line at the time of purchase, but also draw additional
visitors to you. When a visitor shares your local fare with friends and family back home, your
marketing network expands and you are more likely to attract additional visitors.
In addition to wines, artisanal breads and cheeses are currently very popular. As are honeys, and
other baked goods. Products need not be limited to food and wine, but could be related to the place
or event. If you have a locally made product in keeping with the theme of your event, make it
available to your guests – subtly please. Remember, event posters and other artwork make great
year-round advertising!
Okay, Gary, you’re thinking, I’ve got great restaurants. I’ve got great attractions. I’ve packaged a
great trip. I’ve got the product. How do I get these people here? Which brings us to how to
effectively reach the culinary tourist.
The good news is that culinary travelers are readers. They read a lot, both print and online. Culinary
travelers are significantly more likely than leisure travelers in general to:
Read print materials, including specialty newspaper sections
Read “official” materials like vacation guides
Read culinary publications
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8. Read travel magazines
Use online resources for trip research and planning
These people are active information seekers. The fact that serious culinary travelers read highly
specialized publications that cater to their interests confirms that magazines remain a viable channel
for reaching this travel segment. However, keep in mind that large percentages also rely on
recommendations from friends and family, as well as online resources. Your best bet for reaching
this market is a multi-facteted, yet integrated marketing campaign to reach this market.
[Compass “guide plus interactive” here?]
Finally, keep in mind what that pioneer foodie James Beard famously said. “Food is our common
ground, a universal experience.”
He was right. Food unites us. It brings more than physical sustenance to our lives. It enriches us
emotionally and spiritually, too. And for those of us in the hospitality industry, food will continue to
grow into our “universal experience,” as well. It will be our common ground in filling beds, in
attracting tourists and growing market share, and ultimately in growing profits.
Overall, about 60% of American leisure travelers surveyed said that they are at least somewhat
interested in taking a culinary-related trip with the next year. That’s a big number. By my math
that’s about 96 million travelers. I hope you can see the benefit of capturing a share of that market.
The bottom line is that those interested in culinary travel in the near future is significantly larger
than current numbers, offering you a tremendous opportunity to develop new business in an
increasingly competitive travel environment.
There’s an old story that says when NASA first started sending astronauts into space, they quickly
discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA
scientists spent a decade and millions of dollars to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside
down, underwater, on almost any surface, and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300
degrees centigrade.
The Russians simply used a pencil.
You don’t need a million dollar pen to grab a bigger share of this market. You just need to sharpen
your pencil. Your greatest investment in this will be your creativity. In large part, these resources
already exist at your destination. It’s simply a matter of creative packaging and effective marketing.
Join the culinary travel revolution! Enjoy the success of kindred spirits.
I’ll leave you with scenes from one of our Southern Breeze Wine+Culinary Festivals, after which
I’ll be happy to take your questions.
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