Booking Agencies and Their Destinations

By Scott Marvin:

Here is a personal story. In 2007 before I bought a franchise with Outdoor Connection, I did my due diligence on this company just like all of you did. In that process, one thing that really caught my eye was the procedure in place for approving an Outdoor Connection destination. Enough so that it was a tipping point in my decision making. I had personal experiences with other booking agencies pre-OC so I had something to compare it to. In that process, I had found out that not all booking agencies inspect their destinations. In fact, often times, they sell the product using destination brochures and destination information given to them by owner operators….not information they 

personally gathered. Seems odd doesn’t it? It is true however and it should be known that we are talking about some of the biggest booking company names in the business right down to mom and pop operations. I know this because I had used their services and found out first hand how they represented their destinations. 

Knowing the above and knowing how Outdoor Connection approves and represents our destinations should prove to be invaluable to you. Think about it….could you sell a house that you have never seen? Could you market a destination you have never been to? More importantly, will your client recognize that you do not have accurate first hand knowledge? Of course you can’t and of course they will. The purpose of the above is to clearly point out that we are not all equal. Use that to your advantage!