Online Revealed

I am really getting excited! Next years conference will take place May 12-14, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency in Calgary. We are pleased to announce our strategic production partner for the 2008 conference is Yahoo! Canada.

What makes Online Revealed unique? This grass roots effort has a vision to bring quality education and practical hands on learning experiences for the Canadian Tourism Community. Based on feedback from the past two years and this years regional events, we have some exciting changes to announce regarding the workshop portion of the conference. In 2008 the 16 workshop tracks will be categorized as Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced and Strategy Development. The three level learning tracks will include SEO, SEM, New Media and “toolkit” tracks featuring a site clinic, analytics and technology.

The exciting new track, “Strategy Development”, will bring together all the tools necessary for the Canadian Tourism Professional to market their product online. Tracks will include how to integrate your offline and online marketing efforts, creating a social media site and how to choose an outside SEO or SEM Vendor.

This year’s Co-Chair is Martin Byrne, Yahoo! Canada. Look for upcoming announcments regarding the ORC 08 Advisory Board, Keynote Speakers, Premier Sponsors and information on the 2nd annual Stident Contest.

We may be a small team but we are passionate about bringing relevant and current content to the Canadian Tourism Community. We have established ourselves as the first and only online “educational” event for Canadian Tourism.
The success of Online Revealed Canada could not be possible without the support and input from the Canadian Tourism Community.

Please let me know if you would like to get invovled in the planning of the 08 Conference or the hands on running of the conference. We love volunteers!!

I am not sure if you heard the latest buzz regarding Facebook’s advertising program called Facebook Beacon. I first heard about this a week ago while reading an article in The Globe and Mail- Creepy, genius or creepy genius? My inital thought was this is creepy and like most things thought if I just ignored it , it might go away.

However, a second article in the Globe and Mail came out Wednesday that reinforced this is not just a futuristic idea, but one that is happening now. In fact a number of people are worried that Facebook Beacon will ruin their surprise gifts for others at Christmas.

For those not familar with what I am talking about I have cut and pasted part of the article by MATT HARTLEY Matt writes:

Facebook users complain of new tracking
MATT HARTLEY

Globe and Mail Update

November 21, 2007 at 8:41 PM EST

If you’re doing your holiday shopping online, there’s a chance Facebook knows what you’re buying for your friends, and it’s telling them too.

A controversial new advertising strategy from the social networking website has raised the ire of privacy watchdogs in the United States after a number of users had their online purchases revealed to their friends via the site’s “news feed” message board.

The uproar stems from a new advertising program called Facebook Beacon, which can be used by online retailers to track the spending habits of Facebook users on their sites. When a Facebook user makes a purchase, a message is sent to the news feeds of their friends, telling them what they bought. About 40 companies, including Overstock.com and movie ticket retailer Fandango, have installed the free tool.

A U.S. public advocacy group, MoveOn.org, has launched a campaign to force Facebook to change the policy, calling it a “huge privacy violation.”

When Facebook users make a purchase at one of the sites using Beacon, a small box pops up in the corner of their Web browser, informing them that their data will be shared with Facebook unless the user clicks “No Thanks.” The next time the user signs into Facebook, a second confirmation notice pops up. If the user simply ignores the two notices without “opting out” then consent is inferred - Read full article

How might this affect the travel industry? I wouldn’t put it past Online Travel Sites, such as Expedia, Travelocity or Priceline to adapt to Beacon Advertising. Which makes me wonder, do I really want a notification sent out to all my friends on facebook where and when I have booked my travel? I can see these sites might find it a useful marketing tool, as a subtle way of “word of mouth marketing”

Example, if all my friends are booking on Expedia maybe I should try it. Facebook started off as a social networking site that was fun! The amounts of apps are becoming annoying…who cares if I want to be a pirate? Now banner ads are cluttering the space…and with Beacon Do I really care to read about what eveyone has bought online?

Personally I think it is getting out of hand, but would love to hear your comments regarding Facebook Beacon.

If these topics interest you, please consider attending an Online Revealed Educational Exchange in your area or the 3rd Annual Conference in Calgary May 2008.

Online Revealed’s annual Conference presents 16 unique workshops over two days covering- SEO, SEM, Social Media, Revenue Management and Technology

Our great friends and partners at Yahoo produced this great video from their party. Say Yahoo! Party 2007

Yahoo sure knows how to throw a party! Look for a Yahoo! Party at the 2008 Online Revealed Canada Event in Calgary!

I have just returned from yet another conference with a bag I probably won’t use and filled with a number of items I have just thrown out. This got me to wondering what are people’s opinions of conference bags and handouts?

Every Tourism Conference lately makes the statement that as an industry we need to take the lead in being green. Yet I have never seen so much waste as I do at these conferences. Now those who know me, realize I am not what most people would think of as green, so it must be bad if it is bothering me.

As Martin Byrne, from Yahoo!, my 2008 Co-Chair and I prepare for our conference in

My thought was to produce E-Friendly shopping bags for attendees to pick up at the conference. ( As many as they want because grocery stores charging me for these is another pet peeve) Then lay all the materials out and ask the attendees to choose what is relevant to them. I know for me, if something is what I am interested in, I want more than one so I can share with my collegues.

This may also put pressure on the sponsors providing material to come up with compelling handouts/products or giveaways.

Please express your opinion, share it here join the Online Revealed Group at www.wiwih.com or send me an email at pbrusha@acoupleofchicks.com