Lifestyle Addict

How Social Media is Changing the NFL

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:00:00 +0000

This week I have chosen to write on a current and future trend in the entertainment business. We all know that the NFL makes up a good portion of the entertainment industry in the United States. This week’s topic covers How Social Media is Changing the NFL.

Mashable.com’s, Jennifer Van Grove, takes a look at how social media is altering the NFL. She says that the sport has undergone a radical change in the past two years because of social media. All 32 teams including the NFL itself use social media as a platform.

The manager of Internet Services for the San Diego Chargers says he wakes up everyday to check the pulse of the fans, players and organizations on Twitter. Discussions on Twitter turn into discussions on ESPN or Fox Sports. The trends are coming from fans and players and are starting more conversation pieces.

“The NFL recently signed an agreement with brand marketing and management company Buddy Media to give all 32 teams access to better tools for making their Facebook campaigns more successful.” This is making it so that every time has buzz on every social media outlet.

The article explains that most players have a social media account for personal branding. Before most teams advised the players to not participate, but now they are encouraged as long as they do not share confidential information.

“…if a team-related story pops on Twitter, the organization feels compelled to address it within five to ten minutes, simply because of how fast information travels.” This is true, social media cause news and gossip to travel ten times fast then it used to.

Social media outlets also create more a fan base for teams and causing more camaraderie. Followers can know everything from what the player had for breakfast to who got slammed at practice. Social media is quite addictive and this case provides the fan with all around coverage.

Everyone has agreed that social media will only keep growing and playing a crucial role in everyone involved in the NFL’s lives.

Not only can we take this example of social media involvement with the NFL and see the current trend, but you can also use this on any big industry. We also see this in the entertainment industry or educational industry. Social media has only brushed the surface of its potential. In the future, social media will be the means of every news piece and every personal conversation.

http://mashable.com/2011/08/20/nfl-social-media/

Alternative Funding Sources

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:10:00 +0000

This week we are looking at other ways to fund a business. I have decided to take an in depth look at the EDA or the U.S. Economic Development Administration. EDA is an agency inside the U.S. Department of Commerce that associates with distrait neighborhoods all over the United States to promote job establishment, partnership and origination. EDA support is obtainable to country and city regions of the Nation suffering extreme joblessness, little revenue, or additional harsh financial suffering.

The U.S. Department of Commerce provides several different investment programs, such as:

Public Works and Economic Development:

-They support the upgrade and expansion of crucial communal facilities or infrastructures.

Economic Adjustment Assistance:

-Delivers a extensive series of public works, technical, and planning and infrastructure support in areas suffering unfavorable economic transformations.

Research and National Technical Assistance:

- Funds exploration of current economic expansion practices, as well as material distribution struggles to nationwide watchers.

Local Technical Assistance:

-Attentive support offered to communal and public heads to aid in economic progress decision making.

Planning Program:

- Assists local and regional organizations (District Organizations, Indian Tribes, and other eligible entities) with their short‐ and long‐term planning efforts.

University Center Economic Development:

- Makes the properties of universities accessible to the economic improvement community.

Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms:

- Supports a national network of eleven Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers that assists U.S. small and medium‐sized businesses impacted by increased imports with the development and implementation of business recovery and global competitiveness strategies to retain and create jobs.

There are some requirements in order to obtain funding from the EDA. EDA assesses every submission file on the foundation of its conformance with the asset program procedures, backing precedence concerns, and entitlement requests recognized in the applicable Federal Funding Opportunity. The applications are available on www.grants.gov. You can either submit a hard copy or an online copy to the EDA.

There is other information that is offered on the EDA website. They provide their participants with economic initiatives and current economic activity. The EDA also share pictures and stories of recent successes. I personally like how they show you that even through this terrible time, that money can be found in this economy and that it can be used to build and create something great. They also have a resources tab on their page so that any questions you might have will be answered by glancing at this portion. The EDA also provide past reports of economic growth.

I think there are advantages and disadvantages to alternative financing. Some programs that people put money into, they never get back out. And then there are the other programs that create success and accomplishment. Alternative financing can also get tricky if you do not do all the research. Some of the programs are not as stable as others. But there are a good number of programs with a good work history.

http://www.eda.gov/

Bobby Flay's Business Plan and the Food Through Culture Business Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 18:44:00 +0000

Looking at Bobby Flay and his expertise on business plans, I have made note of his techniques. I have learned that I need to have industry experience before I launch my business. Bobby Flay started out by working a restaurant with his father. It was there that he learned that he needed to further his education in culinary arts. After he graduated from culinary school he opened up more restaurants, wrote cookbooks and became a television personality.

I intend to incorporate what I learned from Bobby Flay by gaining experience in my field, which is travel, food and entertainment. I am already receiving my education from Full Sail University, where I graduate in September with a Master’s Degree in Entertainment Business. After I graduate I intend to start blogging or write free-lance pieces that will eventually lead to a book. I am also hoping that the book will turn into a television series on the Food Network, Travel Channel, Cooking Channel or Discovery Channel.

I have not made in specific changes to my plan. I have changed my plan compared to Bobby Flay’s. He owned a restaurant, then got his education, then launched the rest of his business plan. I am getting me education, then I am going to gain experience and then from there I will launch the rest of my business plan. Before I read about Bobby Flay’s business plan, I really had no direction of how I should execute my own business plan. By using him as a model, I have created a distinct and precise business plan that I can follow through with.

The section of the business plan that I believe is most important is the experience portion. By gaining experience, I gain insight on the industry that I wish to become a part of. The experience will prepare me for obstacles that I may run into when I start my own business. Another important aspect of my business plan is developing the product, which will be the book. I need to do the research in order to produce the book.

Recognized Experts

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 03:43:00 +0000

This topic is on recognized experts in the field of business plans. The first expert that I would like to point out is Bobby Flay. He represents food and culture, just like Food Through Culture plans to. He uses foods from several different cultures in order to make culinary masterpieces.

Bobby Flay has 11 cookbooks and 11 restaurants and not to mention several shows on the Food Network and the Cooking Channel. Next year he plans to venture into household goods and cooking supplies.

Bobby Flay was a High School dropout that partnered with his Dad on a restaurant. He also sent himself to culinary school.

It seems that Mr. Flay’s point of view on success came from culinary incentive and creativeness. He has intricate business plans. He first started as a chef, turned into a restaurateur, to an author and most commonly known as a television host. He is a chef-preneur who made a game plan that would be sure of success.

The second acknowledgeable expert is Kim Kardashian. She is a reality television star that took advantage of the spotlight. Her family name was infamous for winning the O.J. Simpson trial. She was also great friend of Paris Hilton. She is most famous for her show Keeping Up With the Kardashians, her boutique and her scandal.

From her reality show Kim Kardashian posed for Playboy, expanded her boutique, created a fragrance line and launched a shoe-of-the-month club.

I recognize her because she took her sleazy fame and turned it into a career. She created an indestructible business plan by providing girls and women with entertainment, fashion and beauty. She has conquered all three of these realms.

When investors are looking for key components in a plan they look for stability, creativity and security. They look at the stability of the client in order to make sure that their product or service is established enough to last. Another thing they look for is creativity, without a unique idea, you have no following or interest. The last thing they look at is security. They check to see if their client has the funds to back up the venture.

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/smallbusiness/1106/gallery.celebrity_chefs_business/4.html

http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/kimkardashian.html

http://www.wetpaint.com/kourtney-and-kim-take-new-york/articles/kim-kardashian-named-entrepreneur-of-the-year-at-glamour-awards

Surveys and Social Media

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:32:00 +0000

Surveys and Social Media

This week we learned that social media includes much more than just blogs and Facebooks. I learned that it could include surveys and feedback from visitors or customers as well. Starbucks has one of the best social media outlets due to their My Starbucks Idea webpage.

“The site allows users to submit suggestions to be voted on by Starbucks consumers, and the most popular suggestions are highlighted and reviewed. Starbucks then took it a step further and added an “Ideas in Action” blog that gives updates to users on the status of changes suggested.”

It’s kind of like a mini share site that allows customers to rant or rave. Starbucks gets the feedback that they want, while also comforting the customer. The ideas include anything from drink ideas to company efficiency.

I actually work for Starbucks and if there is one thing the company is good at, it is listening to its customers and employees. They created community service outlets for the employees, applications for the customers, feedback comment cards in-store and my Starbucks idea webpage.

I think that Starbucks efficiently uses the feedback aspect of social media in order to gain the following and growth of customers. Sometimes there might not be good feedback, but you will always know what the customers are expecting and how to change your business.

This week I also created a survey for my blog. This way I can learn how others feel about my blog and how to improve it. I appreciate this tool because I now use it on my other blog that correlates more to my company, Food Through Culture. The survey asks what viewers think of my blog and what they think of the company. I asked them what they think about the company because it is a brand new company and their feedback would help determine whether my venture is wanted and possible.

Most people see social media as social networking sites, but it can include communications between employees and customers too. A company can learn a lot about its customers by letting them share their piece of mind.

http://mashable.com/2009/02/06/social-media-smartest-brands/

Deal Sites

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 16:42:00 +0000

Everyone has heard of the deal sites like Groupon and Living Social. These sites have everything to do with digital marketing because all of their marketing is done via website, e-mail or phone application. The deal sites are also connected to the travel industry because some people travel to use the deals and some of the deals are vacations or getaways.

I found an article from the Associated Press that demonstrates just how successful this form of digital marketing really is. The article starts off by revealing how fast the deal sites are growing and they are growing at such a fast pace that their offices have not been able to keep up.

“In just three years, the business model has changed local advertising, delivering faster results than other marketing methods. Store owners get immediate revenue and can see exactly how many customers an offer brings in.”

This form of marketing creates an immediate effect on shopping. Companies advertise the deals and the customers flock to buy. This is a new form of commerce that changed the way companies market their products.

The deal sites have more than doubled and have expected to generate $2.7 billion in revenue this year and it is said that the daily market could reach $4 billion by 2015.

Social networking sites are hopping on board with the deals and so have other shopper sites. Everyone is out to grab a piece of this new marketing method. There are two different types of deal sites, group buying sites and flash sale sites. The group buying sites are the ones like Groupon and Living Social that partner with local businesses for special offer. Flash sale sites like Ruelala and Gilt, host limited-time sales for members only.

Some merchants are so quick to create a deal that they end up getting burned. The deal takes too much from the company and the consumers make out with an even better deal than they thought. This tool has also created awareness for customers. It allows customers to find companies that they never could have before.

I personally have used Groupon and can honestly say that this form of digital marketing is remarkable. I see deal sites staying for a long time. I think that this is a form of digital marketing that has just started and over time will develop into something bigger than we can even imagine. Maybe even paper coupons and advertisements will be eliminated all because of this type of marketing.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i6_d0K1kZvj0ndrYvZgULNtZP1Lw?docId=9cd3fe4949cc49a382221d936ce9a1e8

Travel Journalism and Applications

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Sun, 22 May 2011 14:16:00 +0000

It’s a hard market for travel writers now, especially with everything being online. One innovative tactic that has recently come to my attention is mobile applications. Travel writers are now creating mobile apps to release their work.

In the article, “Apps-the Future of Travel Journalism”, Lee Foster explains how he makes more money off of applications than he did books. Foster says, “Royalty rates for authors of apps are much higher than for authors of books, and for good reason.” Now we see that royalties are larger than books, so it might be easier to create an application and submit your work through there.

He also points out that the low price point will build a new market. For applications you can set your own price, which can help by determining worth and profit. The applications are also available everywhere. You can supply applications for all types of phones, like Android or Apple. People can also access the application at anytime, unlike a phone where you have to carry it with you wherever you go.

Articles and books are also available on many other formats now. Books and articles can be found on Kindles, Nooks, phones, tablets or iPads. Text be can be accessed everywhere at any given time. If you are a travel writer that does not have a book out, well magazines, articles and blogs can all be accessed on these devices. I suggest that you release your work on every platform possible. That you have more of a chance of reaching the most amount of people.

It seems to me that travel writing is becoming technologically advanced like the rest of the world. I think it is a great thing because before travel writers were down on how they could make a profit since everything relates to phones and Internet now. I feel like travel journalism now requires the author to be creative in ways he or she has never imagined.

http://www.fostertravel.com/apps-the-future-of-travel-journalism/?utm_source=Foster+Travel+Publishing&utm_campaign=017f183bcc-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email

How to Get Your Travel Writing Published Everywhere

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Fri, 20 May 2011 13:25:00 +0000

I found an amazing post on how to get your travel writings published. Todd Lappin wrote the post from The Everywhere blog. The post details how a freelance travel journalist should go about publishing their work.

The first piece of advice Lappin offers is to observe the magazine architecture. By that he means that the writer has to know where his or her piece will fit. Lappin says is perfectly, “To get published, it helps to notice how a magazine is structured, and to tailor your piece to fit within a specific section.”

The second tip is to write for specific sections. Writing for specific sections can limit you writing abilities, but it can also narrow down your topic choices. This can also cause a greater competition between you and other writers because the topics are so defined.

The third topic is to focus on the particular. Magazines like more distinct pieces rather than a survey of topics. When telling a story, most people tell them with difference and by being particular already.

Another thing to do is to think graphically. People love pictures. Pictures can describe a thousand words. It is perfectly fine to include pictures, but just make sure that the pictures match the story and act like a piece to the puzzle.

The last piece of advice is to tell more, not less. Writers should include high detail and try not to leave any aspect of the story out. It is always easier to shorten a story than it is to lengthen it.

I can personally say that these tips have helped me understand how to get a travel piece published. I know that the travel journalism business is extremely competitive, but by knowing a few tips that can help you stand apart really helps a lot.

http://www.everywheremag.com/blog/2008/02/how-to-get-your-prose-publishe.html

Review of Podcasts

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 14:15:00 +0000

Episode 13 of the Entertainment Law Update podcast discusses Justin Bieber and his soon to be lawsuit. The lawsuit comes from a kid from Illinois, one of Justin Bieber’s enemies. Bieber revealed the kid’s phone number on twitter and has received 26,000 texts. The podcast also includes a mention of the Tenenbaum v. Sony case and how the award from the case was cut 90% on constitutional grounds. The update also talks about Kate Plus 8. The issue at hand is whether the children should be allowed to film because they are under the age of 7 and are not allowed to work on television. They then talk about Jay-Z and his lawsuit against Ahab Joseph Nafal, which involves Nafal infringing copyright on “Big Pimpin”.
There are so many issues on the entertainment law update podcasts that I could only pick a few. But the ones that I have mentioned are all quite recent. It shows that stars are not invincible. I also believe that the Kate Plus 8 court case should be reviewed because the work of children should be monitored. The issue with Jay-Z shows us that even if you live in another country, use another language and use someone else’s tune, you can still be charged with copyright.

The second podcast discusses Lady Gaga and Madonna. Lady Gaga was said to have stolen a song from Madonna. The song they are talking about is “Born This Way”, which is supposed to be Madonna’s “Express Yourself”. Another issue that was talked about was about Subway and their “foot long”. Casey’s General Store, Inc. claims that Subway told them to desist from using the term “foot long”. CGS, Inc. came back saying that the word “foot long” is not copyrighted. Another issue talks about Super Bowl fans and how during the 2011 Super Bowl, ticket holders were denied their tickets to the game.
This issues that were brought up in this podcast were very entertaining. I enjoyed hearing about the popular Gaga and Madonna case. I also believe that Subway should not be able to copyright the word “foot long”. And lastly the case with the Super Bowl Fans, well I hope they get their money’s worth.

The last podcast talks about the book Hollywood on Strike by Jonathan Handel. The book covers the 2007-2008 Writer’s Guild strike and the stalemate from the Screen Actors, which lasted through 2009. The book discusses how the strike got started and why the writers thought they were not being paid enough money.
I found this podcast interesting because I remember hearing about the strike, but I never really followed why it happened. Hearing this podcast made me realize how much money actors were making compared to writers.

www.entertainmentlawupdate.com

Industry Liabilities

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:42:00 +0000

Today’s topic is industry liabilities. Every industry has them, including the television industry. There are three articles that relate to industry liabilities. The first industry liability article comes from Bloomberg.com and concerns Sam Zell and his desires to buy Fortune.

Sam Zell, a real estate entrepreneur, wanted to buyout the private media conglomerate, Tribune. Tribune consisted of newspapers and television. He was going to buy the company for $8.2 billion, but now calls the deal, “the deal from hell”. The lawsuit was set against him by creditors and blames him for the company’s inability to pay $13 billion from the buyout in 2007.Two hedge funds were set up in order to reorganize the billions of dollars in legal claims. Tribune filed bankruptcy in 2008. Tribune has 23 television stations and eight newspapers.

People must take severe caution when buying a company. Buying a company is nothing but legal work. I suggest that Sam Zell should have taken small steps in order to buy the company. Buying the company all at once and quite fast proved to cause him billions of dollars in legal fees.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-23/billionaire-sam-zell-fights-to-avoid-legal-claims-over-tribune.html

The second article is about the Supreme Court decision on Internet content distribution. Mediacaster.com has an article on how the Supreme Court of Canada is deciding on how Internet service providers are broadcasters when they submit media and video online. In terms of their legal and copyright obligations, mobile providers are being seen as conventional broadcasters. If the Supreme Court rules that is it considered broadcasting, then the Canadian Radio-television and communications commission under the broadcasting act of 1991 will view the content.

This issue opens up a whole other legal door for the Internet and its contact with media. The Internet is nothing but media and videos, placing a constraint and attaching fees is only going to make the Internet a nightmare for those who are posting media.

http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/issues/story.aspx?aid=1000405845

The last article is from nzherald.co.nz. The article covers the right to express opinion in newspapers. The Press Council has discarded a criticism from a previous Feltex administrator concerning an article by Brian Gaynor. Peter Thomas objected to an article in the New Zealand Herald that was written by Brian Gaynor and stated that it violated Press Council principles connecting to balance, accuracy and fairness. Thomas also complained that the article was misleading. “The charges were that the directors had failed to disclose a breach of a loan agreement (a debt facility provided by the ANZ Bank); and that this loan had been classified as a "non-current" liability when it should have been "current".”

The issue at hand involves revealing news in public media sources. The newspaper is a common piece of literature and legal forms must be followed before the copies are issued.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10711788

Current Events and their Effects on the Travel Industry

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 02:17:00 +0000

The recent issue in the travel industry has to do with all of the world’s current events, like the Japanese Tsunami, the war in Iraq, the tension in Egypt, the list can go on and on. The tension created between countries causes travelers to stop traveling. When feuds exist, travelers do not like to take the chance to travel to certain countries.

An article from UPI.com points out that one of the reasons why travelers are waiting to travel is because of the recent increase in fuel prices. The recent increase in fuel prices has reflected on plane tickets, food prices and total transportation.

Two large travel corporations, Delta and Carnival are reporting the numbers. Millions of travelers are hesitant about traveling. The two companies have reported that the recent crises are affecting their business and the travel industry as a whole.

“Delta has cut back on flights to Japan's Tokyo Narita International Airport by 15 percent to 20 percent since the March 11 9-magnitude earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis, Ed Bastian, Delta president said Tuesday at the J.P. Morgan Aviation Transportation and Defense Conference in New York. The Tokyo run is a hub for Delta, bringing in more than $2 billion a year, and the service disruption could cost the airline as much as $400 million, Bastian said.”

The political issues in the Middle East and North Africa have caused Carnival Cruise lines to lose business. So much so that $44 million dollars has recently been lost. The cruise line had to remove all of the stops in the Middle East and North Africa.

Current world events really take a toll on every industry, but the travel industry is always affected when severe events occur. People like to keep it safe and stay close to home when they see a disaster.

Between the economy the way it is and the recent crises around the world, it is going to take a while for the travel industry to pick back up. People have to feel secure and they have to have the money to travel.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/03/23/Crises-hit-travel-industry-hard/UPI-99031300928394/

The Internet is Ruining Travel Journalism

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 21:59:00 +0000

It seems that every travel journalist that I have interviewed or talked to has warned me about the field. They admit that the field used to be quite prosperous, but now they make close to nothing because of the Internet. I personally do not look at this as a road stop, but more of a challenge. I understand the Internet is my main competitor and that it is extremely hard to get works published in magazines, but my route has to do with vlogging and television.

On the topic, I currently read an article by Jeremy Head, which is a writer for tnooz (a talking travel tech website). Head points out that the Internet is beating travel journalism. He first explains how the newspaper industry is fading fast and how newspapers were an outlet where travel journalism was harvested and read. Head also discusses how travel itself is declining. People aren’t traveling because they do not have money from the current economy. I know that the travel will start to pick up as soon as the economy does. It is sad to see such an interesting field diminish and be taken over by sights such as yelp and Trip Advisor. Travel journalism is an art and has a flowing type of writing, while travel sites are direct and show no passion towards the location.

My plan is to travel and reveal why certain cultures eat the foods that they do. This will include what economic, religious and regional effects have on the food. The title is Food Through Culture and hopefully people will be interested in knowing why they are eating some of the foods that they do. I promise not to give up travel journalism and I hope to restore passion in the travel industry. By showing viewers that travel is important, broadens the senses and captivates cultures they will be inspired to travel and to read travel journalism.

http://www.tnooz.com/2009/10/01/news/the-internet-is-ruining-travel-journalism/

Interviews with Travel Journalists on Negotiations

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:40:00 +0000

I currently interviewed four travel journalists on certain aspects of making negotiations. There were several topics to choose from, but the best possible questions were chosen. The four questions are as follows:

What negotiations are involved in travel journalism?
How many negotiations are involved in one piece?
Do you take the leading role in the negotiation?
How do you reach a mutual benefit?

The first person I interviewed was Jules Older, a freelance travel journalist. I presented her with the four questions and she responded with:

“If the editor buys your piece, he offers you a price, and you say one of three things:
1. No. Too low
2. Yes. Thanks
3. I was expecting more.”

I greatly appreciate her giving me such great advice. These three responses are the replies used in negotiation. If the negotiator gives too low of a price, then I take my piece to another company.

Sally McKinney was the next travel journalist that I interviewed. She was given the same four questions. She responded as follows:

“Previously, I've used negotiation skills to purchase equipment and supplies; to get press trips, article assignments and book contracts; to set up book signings, or an occasional TV appearance or radio interview.

You can see that each situation is unique, so the negotiations are never quite the same. A road trip from southern Indiana to Columbus, Ohio, for example, is a different experience from the series of flights that took me to Kampala, Uganda.

Although I've occasionally taken a leading role in planning travel with a photographer, I’m usually coping with travel plans alone (so I take a leading role).

There are many ways to reach a mutual benefit. It's important to listen and to learn, to be aware of what others want, to ask myself what the others might want that’s not being said.”

This was the most valuable interview that I had. She provided me with examples and pointed out to me what to do in certain situations. It is tricky to negotiate with travel journalism because you are personally negotiating your artwork.

The third travel journalist that I interviewed was with Garry Marchant. I presented him with the four negotiation questions and he responded with:

What negotiations are involved in travel journalism?

"Usually, none. Publications have a set fee, either per word or per article, and they usually don't deviate from that.”

How many negotiations are involved in one piece?

“Normally, the writer approaches a publication with an idea (although sometimes an editor will approach a writer he or she likes) and a flat fee is offered. A writer will only deal with the assignment editor (or main editor).”

Do you take the leading role in the negotiation?

"As I said, there is usually no negotiation."

How do you reach a mutual benefit?

“If you like writing for a publication, and feel the fee is fare, then the writer will accept it.

However, I once found out that a major publication that I have written for years pays a higher rate for longer serving freelancers, so I asked them for the higher rate. They just immediately agreed. I have asked several other regular publication for an increase in fees, because of inflation and the falling American dollar, and all I get is "We are looking into our fees."”

Garry Marchant supplied me with an outlook on personal experience with negotiations. I appreciate him telling me about the rates and how to handle company’s responses.

The last travel journalist interviewed was Michael Ventura. He responded to my questions with:

What negotiations are involved in travel journalism?

“There really isn't all that much. For the most part you accept the terms the media outlet offers or you don't work with them. Yes, you can scratch out a term here and there but too many and they will move on to someone else. There are many talented people willing to work for very little and willing to give away too many rights. Most just sign and do the work.”

How many negotiations are involved in one piece?

“One if any.”

Do you take the leading role in the negotiation?

“Usually the media outlet has a contract and you can either sign or not. If you want to change something than yes, you take the leading role at that point.”

How do you reach a mutual benefit?

“The benefit seems to be weighted in the favor of the buyer, as, it seems, no writers or photographers are getting rich (and far from it) from travel journalism. You must love what you do and have other sources of income.”

Mr. Ventura helped me understand the negotiation process when it comes to taking leading roles and positions.

I really appreciate all of the travel journalists that took their busy, travel-filled time to answer my questions on negotiating.

Leisure Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 20:34:00 +0000

This week’s topic involves the leisure travel industry. The travel industry as a whole has seen better days, but recently there has been an incremental rise. The reason why people have not bee leisure traveling is because of money. Instead of traveling they have been looking for leisure activities around their own cities. Leisure traveling costs a good deal of money and everyone is doing whatever he or she can to save at this time.

In the Reuters article, “Leisure Travel is Recovering, But Slowly” Helen Chernikoff writes that the leisure business is slowly starting to improve, but is not completely back to its normal state. Chernikoff states that leisure reservations went up 23% in May of 2010. That is a big number for 2010 considering there was barely any leisure travel at all. She also claims that corporate reservations also went up 40% in May. So as you can see the business travel industry is still doing better than leisure.

The reason why the business travel industry is currently more successful than the leisure travel industry is because no matter what the price most businesses will fork over the money for business travel in hopes that the negotiations made on the trip will bring them more money. The companies are also paying for the travel, so the money is not coming straight from people’s pockets.

According to Pegasus Solutions Inc. the monthly profits made from leisure hotel reservations through June 2011 will increase a standard of 14% from the previous year.

Corporate travel is still on the rise, the amount of travel will raise 59% over the same time period that leisure travel.

Leisure travelers are also staying at cheaper hotels than corporate travelers. The corporations are putting their employees up at expensive corporate hotels, where the leisure travelers are staying in budget hotels so they can save their money.

The increase in demand of reservations will increase the room rates. So a heads up to those leisure travelers, try to stay away from corporate hotels and to fund the better deal, stick to the budget hotels.

It is good to see that the leisure travel industry is starting to increase. The company that I want to launch revolves around leisure travel and will want to promote people to travel. Hopefully the travel industry will return to normal or become better than it ever was in the next two years so that my company will be able to thrive.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2025332620110120

Food and Finance

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 17:24:00 +0000

I just recently read an article that compares the evolution of finance with the evolution of food. The relationship between the two is remarkable. In the article “Food and Finance” by James Kwak, the two comparisons are surfaced and explained.

The article starts off by explaining nutrionalism, which is “the idea that food should be thought of in terms of its component nutrients”. Kwak then goes into detail on how foods are highly processed and not nutritional whatsoever, but the package could still say that the product is healthy. He also explains that most labels will provide a simple sentence on how the product is healthy, but then the FDA will also have a disclaimer that will say that there is very little evidence to support the claim.

Overall, Kwak states that nutritionalism is a sham. Then he compares the bogus nutrionalism to finance and how they are both industries that produces income from persuading people to do things that are not in their continuing benefits and will later create damaging occurrences for others all over the world. The industries protect themselves by claiming that they are merely providing the customer with their wants and needs. Both industries also state that if they can’t continue their regular processes, that the economy will end up suffering.

I find it very interesting that food and finance can be remotely related, but when the two markets are compared there are some qualities that prove to be tremendously similar. I think that there are good perspectives within food and finance as well. This article tends to shed light on a certain sector of food and finance and also creates a bridge between two topics that are rarely compared. It would be interesting to see the similarity between food and finance in a positive perspective.

http://baselinescenario.com/2010/10/24/food-and-finance/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+BaselineScenario+%28The+Baseline+Scenario%29

Inspirational Speaker: Carolyn Steel

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 17:36:00 +0000

I chose one speaker from TED.com that has inspired me and has similar views. Her name is Carolyn Steel and in this talk she covers How Food Shapes Our Cities. This topic is one side idea to my business proposal about Food Through Culture.

She starts by asking the audience where they think the food on their plate comes from. She also talks about how the food is transported, bought and sold, produced, cooked, eaten and disposed of and how this repetition of events happens everyday in every city. She discusses how ancient food routes shaped the modern world and how as the years go on the demand for meat and dairy will double. Carolyn claims that half of the food that is in the United States is thrown away and the planet is not even being fed properly. She educates the viewer on how 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, agricultural and urbanism combined. Rome shaped it’s inter-land through its appetite. You could also determine where food was located and provided within a city by looking at street and town names. Cities used to be constrained by geography, but once the train was created, cities could grow to any shape. People used to cook and now we add water. She explains how no one values food anymore and now we are dependable on huge corporations to provide food for us. She points out a very interesting word, sitopia, which means food place and she says that we do live in a place that is shaped by food. She proposes that we bring food back to the center of life. She also re-conceptualizes the way that food shapes our lives.

Carolyn Steel has inspired me to think of food and how important it is for socialization, nature and sustenance. I believe that if people become more aware of the food they eat and why they eat it, that they will start caring about the environment and what our bodies are consuming. She also points out that by creating a sitopia people will become more centered. People will start cooking their own food again, going to farmer’s markets and buying food from trustworthy and worthy sources. The family will also become more united through the effort it takes to prepare the food.

This speech is so close to my idea of Food Through Culture. The difference here was that Carolyn Steel was warning the people of how food can shape a city and the harmful effects that happen when we allow it get out of control.

She has inspired me to work harder on making all of my own meals, buying from farmers and spreading the word and the sitopia.

North American Travel Journalists Association

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 17:51:00 +0000

One professional association that relates to my industry is the NATJA or the North American Travel Journalists Association. My industry revolves around travel journalism and broadcasting.

“The North American Travel Journalists Association is the premier professional association of writers, photographers, editors, and tourism professionals dedicated to redefining professional development for the travel industry.”

“NATJA’s mission is to support the professional development of its members, provide exceptional benefits and valuable resources, support high quality professional journalism, promote travel and leisure activities to the public, and honor the excellence of journalism throughout the world.”

NATJA was founded in 1991 by New Jersey travel writers Bob Nesoff and Dan Schlossberg as a non-political organization. Nesoff was elected its first president, with Schlossberg as vice president. In 1994, when other responsibilities called him away, Nesoff resigned and was succeeded by Schlossberg.

To join NATJA, applicants must prove only that they are legitimate working travel journalists but do not need "sponsorship" from incumbent members. NATJA’s paid staff includes a full-time Executive Director, part-time Conference and Marketplace Director, and professional management agency. NATJA’s programming and services include the annual Conference & Marketplace focusing on professional development, the annual NATJA Awards travel journalism competition, Travelworld Magazine, which is affiliated with MSNBC Travel and features stories from NATJA members, and in-depth media intelligence found in the member extranet. NATJA’s inclusiveness and focus on meeting the demands of the changing travel industry have enabled the organization to grow to more than 500 members. Today, NATJA is the second largest association of writers, photographers, editors, and tourism professionals dedicated to redefining professional development for the travel industry.

The NATJA effects the travel industry by providing travel journalists with a List Serve, Resource Center, annual Professional Development programs, eWire services, Member and Associate Databases, access to Travelworld International Magazine and the Wayfarer newsletter, media trips information, industry news, activation of a personal website, a NATJA media ID and access to the NATJA annual conference and marketplace.

NATJA is a professionally managed association consisting of full-time paid staff and part-time Advisory Board. Our officers are appointed and we do not have non-profit status. Dues and fees paid to NATJA may be tax deductible for media who use NATJA for professional development.

The North American Travel Journalists Association provides a support line for the dedicated travel journalists. It provides the journalists with networking in order to find buyers, sellers or employees. It also presents the members with sources, which aid in research in development of their journalism.

The NATJA is important to the industry because it helps the national members stay in touch no matter what country or continent they are currently traveling to.

http://natja.org/node/247

Interview With A Travel Journalist

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:34:00 +0000

Roy Heale

This week I interviewed Roy Heale, a freelance travel journalist and photographer that frequently travels between Calgary, Argentina, Canada and Buenos Aires. He was born and raised and educated in London, England but has spent the last forty years in Canada. He is an active member of the Travel Media Association of Canada, IGLTA and Travelwriters.com. He has stories published around the globe. He has 35 years of experience in marketing/public relations and was the founder and publisher of Outlooks Magazine in Canada for over 11 years. He owned a marketing agency called SuperMarketing for twenty-five years. He also spent four years as the Promotion Manager for an independent television station in Canada.

He has done work for: Outlooks Magazine, Windy City Times, Resorts Magazine, Condo Living, conxity.com, IGLTA.org, gaytravel.org, ViaG Magazine Brazil, GMAPS360 Buenos Aires and LAN Airlines Diversity website

Here is the link to his blog:www.royheale.blogspot.com

I asked Roy about project managing and how it is used in travel journalism.

1. How do you plan your trips and journalism? And where do you get your points of interest?

I now live in Buenos Aires so I focus mostly on South America and Central America. Most of my research is done at Travel Fairs and online.

2. How do you budget your trips? How do you know how much your material is worth?

Most of my expenses are covered by the Tourism Department of the city I am going to visit. Unfortunately the material is only worth what somebody else is willing to pay! It is very competitive and clients pay very little for the material these days.

3. How do you execute your trips and content?

I am semi-retired so I only travel when I want to and submit stories, which do not require deadlines.

4. How do you control your project?

I manage each project individually depending on where I am hoping to sell the story.

5. What are the managing stakeholders?

I am freelance so there are no stakeholders in my projects.

Roy is a text travel journalist, which is similar to what I aspire to do, except, I hope to have a series of shows dedicated to my dream of revealing the connection between food and culture.

*Source: Roy Heale

Team Work

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 15:02:00 +0000

My industry deals with television and mostly television journalism. The format is similar to that of The Travel Channel stars like Anthony Bourdain and Sam Brown.

A team is extremely important in television journalism because you travel all over with your team. There are the hosts, the cameramen, the producers, the assistants, the hair and make up artists, etc. Without the team the show will never come together. Each person has a certain role and they all come together to create the segment.

In order to put together an efficient team, I would need backup writers, assistants, cameramen, producers, hair, make up and wardrobe artists and travel experts. These people would have to be able to travel together and handle each other for long periods of time. They would also have to be able to adapt in certain surroundings and expect the unexpected.

In order to communicate with the team, I would have each member understand his or her role and how it helps to create the whole segment. They will know that the rest of the team depends on them and without them there is no show. The team will know each other very well, so when issues arise dilemmas will have to be worked out as soon as possible.

Travel journalists have their team on the road and they also have their road back at home. They have their clients, managers and they studios at home.

The travel journalists usually film half of the year and are on the road with their team. For this half of a year they are dedicated to developing the show efficiently. The team members do their best in order to get the show filmed so that they can go home to their families and friends after the season. Not only do they have motivation to return home, but also they have motivation to show the rest of the world their talent.

Travel journalists are always involved in team situations, without their team their shows will not be created.

Current Entertainment Business Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:29:00 +0000

Movie Pirate from India

Movie Pirates

Ever since sharing files and documents on computers was possible, movie theft was too. The exception here is that movie theft has grow to horrible heights. It is quite easy for anyone to download movies off the Internet, whether they are coming from Youtube, BitTorrents, and media sharing programs or just sending them in general.

The issue now is that movie pirating is advancing while technology is. The pirates have become more efficient and lucrative with the movie pirating. Movie pirating is international and there are over 1,000 peer-to-peer websites just in the United States that allow illegal movie sharing and downloading. There has been a dilemma with determining which sites are legitimate and which ones aren’t.

The Paramount executive is trying to crack down on the piracy and influence other companies to build a better security system. The MPA trade group is also lobbying for tougher legislation on intellectual property theft and resale around the world.

Movies are uploaded everyday and are offered in every language. The pirates have even been able to improve the visual and sound quality of the movies themselves.

Paramount believes that if you release your product earlier, it is easier for pirates to hack and redistribute.

“Cyberlockers operate hand in glove with sites dedicated to linking consumers with such pirated content. Separating the linking sites from the content-storage sites helps thwart officials from cracking down on the immensely lucrative operations.”

Pirating is a million dollar industry that is on the rise. The money comes from advertising and membership fees. People will pay the small fee to pirate as many movies as they want.

I have friends that are experts and receiving the movies from pirates. I myself have learned how to do it. I don’t think it is right, but clearly companies need to make a big move in the security of films. Anyone can learn how to pirate.

Article: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/business/news/e3i05a30aa117cd49d6b2c4636622c9043a

Interview With A Broadcasting Leader

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Steve Marks, Sinclair Chief Operating Officer

For my interview I chose a professional that works in the broadcasting business, Steve Marks. He currently works for Sinclair and is Chief Operating Officer.

What made you go into the entertainment business?

Marks: Initially thought I might want to be a comedian, or a sportscaster,

so I gravitated towards things that involved entertainment.

How did you get involved in the entertainment business?

Marks: Initially I did stand up comedy in clubs in New York, but I majored in

Communications in college and graduated with a BFA degree, I had hoped

to land a job with some thing that had to do with entertainment, or

advertising.

What aspect of the entertainment business are you involved in?

Marks: I run a group of over the air broadcast stations for a company called Sinclair. My involvement is as Chief Operating Officer. I am responsible for the day-to-day activities of the company.

If you were to recommend anything to an aspiring entertainment business

student, what would you recommend?

Marks: There are a host of different categories when you are talking about

entertainment, my aspect is on the business side of it, my job is to

make our company more profitable and more attractive to prospective

share holders and advertisers, from the business side of it I would

recommend getting a job , or internship with a local media outlet, could

be radio, tv, cable etc.

What are the keys to staying successful in the entertainment business?

Marks: Key in any business is hard work, there are no short cuts, again

would depend on what aspect of the business your in, typically people in

the entertainment business have interesting personalities, they are

typically confident, have big egos, and are use to success, you have to

be able to converse at that level.

The entertainment business is an extremely competitive field, who are

your main competitors? What do you do to stay on top?

Marks: I like to run my business as my business I treat it like I own it, I

am concerned about my competitors but only to the extent that I can take

advantage of any weakness they may be displaying at any given time, so I

try to stay current from a business aspect. Short of that I worry about

my company and what I can do to try to make it better. I do not spend

a lot of time worrying about competitors. I am aware of them, but I tend

to concentrate on what I have control of my company. I do not have control of what my competitors do, I might influence it, but I

can’t control it.

What are your thoughts on leadership and the business environment?

Marks: Leaders hire good people, they realize that strength comes from who

they surround themselves with, and it is important to lead by example.

Have you used personal branding in order to get your name out?

Marks: No, I have not.

Do you use media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogs

to promote your business? Do you think they help?

Marks: Yes we do, any media used properly ie the right message should have

some benefit.

What do you think the greatest downfall about the entertainment business?

Marks: Hollywood can’t control spending, much like baseball cant control how

the Yankees spend money on free agents. Hollywood spends too much on

their product, cost have to be controlled.....never happen....but here

again that is just one aspect of the entertainment business. The fact of

the matter is people will always look for an entertainment outlet, and as

long as people will have the need to be entertained regardless of how

they choose to get that entertainment speaks well for the industry,

there really is no downside. The consumer is always looking for some form

of entertainment.

Marks works with a broadcasting company, which supplies several channels. I hope to work with the Scripps Networks, which also supplies several channels.

Interview With An Entertainment Business Owner

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:14:00 +0000

David Hersh, Owner of The Real Score

I interviewed David Hersh, a television show owner and previous minor league baseball team owner. He owns the television show called The Real Score and owned minor league teams like the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx, the Portland Oregon Beavers, and the Memphis Chicks.

What made you go into the entertainment business?

Hersh: I fell into it by accident. I started broadcasting in college, especially with Radio. After college I got involved with baseball entertainment.

What aspect of the entertainment business are you involved in?

Hersh: Television, but have been involved in all forms of sports and concert entertainment.

If you were to recommend anything to an aspiring entertainment business student, what would you recommend?

Hersh: Imagination. Think outside the box. You can never expect the traditional to work.

What are the keys to staying successful in the entertainment business?

Hersh: Flexibility and creativity.

The entertainment business is an extremely competitive field, who are your main competitors? What do you do to stay on top?

Hersh: Always be willing to change. Never rest on your morals. Its not about ego. Everyone is your competitor. You never know where the next idea is going to come from.

What are your thoughts on leadership and the business environment?

Hersh: That’s what separates the men from the boys.

Have you used personal branding in order to get your name out?

Hersh: Owning a minor league baseball team, the only thing they know is your name. There are good and bad that go along with personal branding. It proves to be a test.

Do you use media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogs to promote your business? Do you think they help?

Hersh: Yes, everyday. They help get your name out there and help my tv show get recognition and followers.

What do you think the greatest downfall about the entertainment business is?

Hersh: That people think its too easy. They don’t understand that entertaining people is hard and so is selling tickets.

By interviewing David Hersh it made me realize how much it really takes to get involved in the entertainment business. It proves to be a difficult field that only the lucky get to be a part of.

Click Here To Check Out The Real Score

Current Entertainment Business Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 14:57:00 +0000

2012 Olympic Stadium in London, England

In 2012 the Olympics are set to take place in London, which means that an Olympic stadium will be built. There are two entertainment business companies that are trying to use the Olympic stadium for concerts after the 2012 Olympics. The two companies are: Live Nation and AEG.

Live Nation is the world's largest concert entertainment company and AEG owns the 02 (former Millennium Dome). Live Nation has performers like Lady Gaga, Madonna and U2 and AEG has performers like Usher, Justin Timberlake and Prince. The two companies partner up with the most famous singers in entertainment and have both proven their talent in order to get the stadium.

The two companies know that the stadium will prove to be an amazing concert venue. A lot of money will come from the venue itself. The competition has just now started to heat up and the negotiations include large numbers.

Article: http://bx.businessweek.com/entertainment-industry/view?url=http%3A%2F%2Fc.moreover.com%2Fclick%2Fhere.pl%3Fr3254548690%26f%3D9791

This article is breaking news in the concert entertainment business. The two competitors have the most famous stars in the entertainment business performing for them. This stadium will create heavy tourism to London from fans all over the world. This venue will provide worldwide entertainment. It will be interesting to see who wins the bid and the numbers that surround the negotiation.

When to big companies like this compete over a landmark venue, attention gets drawn. This stadium will prove to be one of the biggest venues and having one companies name will prove who the bigger company is. This competition is not just about the stadium, but who rules the concert entertainment business.

By being the owner of the 2012 Olympic stadium in London the company that wins will gain bragging rights and credibility for concert entertainment. The concert entertainment business is one of the most competitive businesses in the world, but along side them are the television entertainment business and the movie entertainment business.

Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Alexandra Wright) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:27:00 +0000

If you didn't already know, I want to work with a lifestyle channel.

I am getting my Master's from Full Sail University in hopes that this will provide me with the educational support to become part of a lifestyle network.

Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel

The one dream job that I aspire to, is the one that Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel has. She is a video journalist who travels the world showing people lots of different countries and towns.

I have some ideas for what I want to do and hopefully one day Scripps will want to hear them.