Rethinking "That Won't Work Here"

Rethinking "That Won't Work Here"

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2518747/fan_mail/new] Sometimes the most exasperating phrase in tourism, events, and community development is: “We tried that already.” In this episode of Destination Roadmapping, Vicky explores why communities often abandon potentially good ideas because a similar version failed once before. Over time, complicated situations get reduced to simple conclusions: * “Live music doesn’t work here.” * “Nobody comes downtown at night.” * “Food trucks failed.” * “People won’t pay for tickets.” But are those actually facts or just stories that have been repeated long enough to become accepted as truth? You'll learn how communities develop organizational folklore, why past failures create fear-based decision-making, and how current leaders often inherit assumptions they were never around to question. Along the way, you'll discover practical ways to challenge outdated conclusions, evaluate ideas more effectively, document lessons learned, distinguish between failed concepts and failed execution, and use small-scale experiments to test new opportunities without taking unnecessary risks. Because sometimes the thing holding a community back isn't a lack of ideas. It's a conclusion they stopped questioning years ago. And that might be worth revisiting. 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 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]