I had a ball meeting all sorts of folks from the travel industry at Social Media Strategies for Travel in San Francisco last month. It was a whirlwind two days of meet-and-greets, fascinating presentations about the changing face of marketing online, and yummy lunches (oh, and cocktails) at downtown’s Hotel Nikko. While I collected dozens of business cards from a bunch of people at the official event, as well as the associated travel-blogger gathering, here are just three organizations I wanted to share with you:
Trekaroo: Co-founder and CEO Esther Lee is a ball of energy and exudes so much passion about her family travel website that recently launched. I love the colorful and upbeat design of the site, where users review family-friendly accommodations and attractions. Only eight U.S. states are represented now, but there are plans to roll out more as soon as possible.
Bike and Roll San Francisco: I was disappointed I didn’t have enough time in San Francisco to sample a tour or bike rental from Bike and Roll — especially since Director of Business Development Aimee Harcos spoke so highly of the adventures I could have on two wheels throughout the San Francisco area. One popular escorted tour: a nine-mile ride through a bit of the city and across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, with a return by ferryboat!
10Best.com: Spencer Spellman of Greenville, South Carolina, is such a great supporter of the Vacation Gals (thanks for your Twitter tweets and re-tweets)! He was at the conference representing 10Best.com, which, frankly, I didn’t know much about until meeting Spencer. Turns out the site has loads of worldwide city guides — 457 to be exact — packed with firsthand recommendations for restaurants, nightclubs, shops and sights.
So nice to meet you Esther, Aimee and Spencer! Hope our paths cross again.
[...] may be able to find less expensive spots to stay in downtown San Francisco (I compared notes with other conference goers, and indeed, I paid more than they did for my room), [...]