KICK-OFF
A Great Start to DestinationCAMP
DestinationCamp 2012 got off to a spectacular start: with a new venue for the first evening’s program—the 25hours Hotel HafenCity—it served as the hub for accreditation and the get-together.
I had the pleasure of opening this year’s DestinationCamp as well, before Ute Dallmaier, associate dean and host from the International School of Management (ISM), set the tone for the participants with the latest figures: “Tourism is more important than the automotive, mechanical engineering, and construction industries!” Given its significant share of gross value added, we certainly have every reason to be confident.
The moderators and mind-mappers then gave a very entertaining presentation on the six different topics and guiding principles of the sessions, which will be the focus of intensive work at today’s Creative and Future Workshop.
The highlight of the evening was the keynote address by Hasso von Düring, the outgoing head of sales for Germany. In his entertaining speech—whose title, “Who Has the Power?,” had already sparked much speculation in the run-up to the event—he candidly shared his perspective on the roles of market participants along the value chain: Developments in recent years have led to a breakdown of traditional event organizer dynamics and the collapse of the old monopolies. Today, it’s almost like a swingers’ club—everyone with everyone else, completely uninhibited.
It was clear that von Düring wanted to leave the audience with some food for thought:
- Thematic leadership. Don't try to do everything haphazardly—instead, focus on one topic.
- Lead Management: Engage Customers Effectively and Keep Them Coming Back
- Customer focus. Total and unconditional!
Ultimately, this last point also answers the question: Who holds the power? Power lies with those who manage to adapt flexibly and agilely to customer needs—in other words, those who can change the fastest. In his experience, this is becoming increasingly difficult for a large tourism conglomerate.
The key to this lies in the online sphere. The internet, along with social media, enables companies to establish direct contact with customers and learn about their real needs.
We're all looking forward to two exciting, creative, and results-oriented days on the ISM campus—we'll keep you posted!