Top Convention for Professional Travel Media to Highlight Video Production, Best Practices
For immediate release: Dallas, Texas, November 1, 2012 – Despite the travel disruptions caused by Hurricane Sandy, family travel professionals will convene at the second Family Travel Conference to be held at the Omni Dallas Hotel at the Convention Center Nov. 9-11, 2012.
The sold out conference features a dynamic list of workshops aimed at improving the quality of writing and video production among family travels bloggers and reviewers.
This two-day conference has been organized by Eileen Ogintz, syndicated columnist and creator of Taking The Kids; Kyle McCarthy, creator of FamilyTravelForum.com; Kim Orlando, founder of TravelingMom.com and JoAnne Vero, who produces Travel Media Showcase every year. A select group of A-list family travel bloggers and writers will participate in workshops on how they can hone their craft in this 21st Century media marketplace and discuss the latest family travel trends.
Family travel now accounts for well over 100 million trips a year and is one of the fastest growing segments of the leisure travel market with hotels, cruise lines, even adventure companies offering an ever growing array of programs and amenities for families. More than a million children now cruise each year; Baby Boomer grandparents increasingly are part of the equation. No parent or grandparent any longer apologizes for bringing a child, even to the toniest hotel. On the contrary, today’s family travelers expect the travel industry to cater to them and their children.
The conference builds on the success of the inaugural FTC event in New York last February. In a review of that conference on Technorati, Kaleel Sakakeeny, wrote: “Used to be they were called ‘mommy bloggers,’ but that was before their Klout scores soared and corporations avidly courted them. And while I may be exaggerating, I’m not by much. This group of bright, engaged mothers (and some dads) who travel with their kids and run homes and blogs, now run the family travel market and drive some of the most exciting conversations on line."
"We are thrilled that Dallas was selected to host the Family Travel Writers Conference," said Phillip Jones, President/CEO of the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau. "This top tier of family travel influencers will be some of the first to experience the brand new, state-of-the-art venues and attractions that Dallas offers thanks to our $15billion in new developments in the downtown area."
Today, scores of writers and bloggers are turning their attention to family travel as the travel industry works to please increasingly sophisticated young travelers with everything from junior gourmet menus to cooking and language lessons to multi-million dollar kids’ and teen clubs. Despite this economy, families still put a high priority on vacationing together.
FTC Workshops will focus on a variety of subjects, including video editing, use of social media and monetizing brands. FTC Speakers include Genevieve Shaw Brown of ABCnews.com; Wendy Perrin, director of Conde Nast’s Consumer News and Digital Community, and many other industry leaders.
Major sponsors include Disney Parks, The Dallas Zoo, Omni Hotels and Resorts, Southwest Airlines, CityPass and Park City Mountain Resort. While in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area, conference attendees will be making many trips to local attractions, including the Dallas Zoo.
“Zoo trips provide a wonderful way for parents to connect with children as they talk about wildlife and the world around them,” said Gregg Hudson, president and CEO of Dallas Zoo Management Inc., which oversees operations at the Dallas Zoo and at the Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park. “The Dallas Zoo and Dallas Zoo Catering are pleased to host the Family Travel Conference and look forward to sharing a special evening adventure with these writers and their families.”
Image caption: Families making memories at Dallas Zoo. Image hi-rez
For more information:
Joanne Vero 877-868-9501/ cell 732 904-8662/ [email protected]
Kyle McCarthy, 212-595-6074/ cell 917 968-5025 / [email protected]
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