The Expectation Escalation Problem

The Expectation Escalation Problem

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2518747/fan_mail/new] Every successful event eventually faces the same dangerous question: “What should we add next year?” In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky dives into the Expectation Escalation Problem, when communities stop focusing on creating a great experience and start chasing bigger, busier, and more complicated. From overcrowded layouts and volunteer burnout to events losing their identity entirely, this episode explores why growth is not always improvement and why some festivals quietly collapse under the weight of their own success. Importantly, Vicky doesn't just identify the problem she breaks down practical ways communities can avoid and mitigate the escalation trap by: * improving comfort before complexity * editing aggressively instead of endlessly expanding * protecting the personality of the event * building around realistic volunteer capacity * and redefining what sustainable success actually looks like Because sometimes the smartest thing an event can do is stop trying to outdo itself every single year. Thanks for listening! Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime... Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn [https://linkedin.com/in/vickysoderberg]

What if Your Downtown isn't the Main Draw?

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2518747/fan_mail/new] Some communities spend years trying to turn downtown into the star attraction while visitors are actually coming for the lake, the sports complex, the trails, the rodeo, or the hospital In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky Soderberg digs into one of the hardest truths in tourism strategy: just because downtown matters emotionally to residents doesn’t mean it’s what drives visitor behavior. This episode explores: * Why communities misidentify their true visitor anchor * The difference between community identity and visitor flow * Why downtown may work better as an “enhancer” instead of the primary draw * How to connect downtown naturally into the visitor experience * Practical ways to capture spending from sports tourism, outdoor recreation, and other visitor markets Because tourism success isn’t about forcing visitors to care about downtown. It’s about making the entire experience flow naturally enough that people stay longer, spend more, and actually want to come back. Thanks for listening! Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime... Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn [https://linkedin.com/in/vickysoderberg]

When Your Visitor Experience is Built Around Assumptions

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2518747/fan_mail/new] Some communities are building tourism experiences for visitors they WISH they had instead of the visitors already showing up. And that disconnect creates problems fast. In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, we’re unpacking what happens when tourism planning becomes too aspirational: *  designing for “ideal” travelers instead of actual visitors *  overlooking practical visitor needs  *  chasing upscale branding while basics are still broken, and  * ignoring the opportunities already sitting right in front of you  Because visitor behavior tells the truth. If your destination struggles with short stays, low exploration, weak downtown engagement, or visitors who never quite connect with the community, this episode is for you. Small towns do not need to become someone else to build stronger tourism. They need to understand who they already serve and build from there. Thanks for listening! Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime... Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn [https://linkedin.com/in/vickysoderberg]

Shade, Seating, and Snacks

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2518747/fan_mail/new] What makes visitors stay longer in a community? It may not be your attractions, your branding, or your event calendar. It might be something much simpler: Shade. Seating. Snacks. In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky breaks down one of the most overlooked parts of visitor experience design, the comfort needs that quietly determine whether people linger, explore, spend money, or leave. Because visitors don’t only leave when they’re finished. They often leave because they’re hot, tired, and hungry. This episode explores: * Why comfort drives visitor behavior  * How communities accidentally create “exit points”  * The hidden role seating plays in making people feel welcome  * Why snack and drink options matter more than many towns realize  * Practical ways to turn pass-through traffic into longer stays  If your downtown struggles to keep visitors engaged, this episode may explain why. Thanks for listening! Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime... Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn [https://linkedin.com/in/vickysoderberg]

The Booth Maze: Why Attendees Miss Half of Your Vendors

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2518747/fan_mail/new] If your vendors are complaining about low traffic, but your event felt busy, you don’t have an attendance problem. You have a layout problem. In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, we’re digging into The Booth Maze. The all-too-common setup where attendees walk your event and somehow miss half your vendors. Not because they didn’t want to see them. Because your layout made it easy to miss them. We break down: *  Why booth placement alone isn’t the issue, movement is  *  How food vendors can accidentally stop traffic instead of driving it  *  What happens when food lines and seating aren’t planned properly  *  Why some vendors get all the exposure and others get skipped  *  Practical ways to design booth flow so attendees naturally see more  Because when your layout makes people guess where to go next, they stop exploring and that decision quietly impacts your vendors, your sales, and your overall event success. Thanks for listening! Look for new episodes each Wednesday wherever you get your podcasts, and in the meantime... Connect with Vicky on LinkedIn [https://linkedin.com/in/vickysoderberg]