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I learnt a lot and met some really great people

by tacogirl 26/10/2015
written by tacogirl 26/10/2015
Belize Tourism Board

One of my favorite quotes comes from well-known author, Anais Nin – “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” When Maynor Larrieu asked me if I would present a 15-20-minute talk at the First Annual Belize Tourism Board Digital Marketing Summit, I said yes, knowing it would be one of those times in life where I needed to push myself and become a blossom over remaining a bud.

I say this because due to certain side effects of being dyslexic, (which I will not get into details on) public speaking has always been a very scary thing for me. Something I try avoid when ever possible.

I even did a speech in high school once about the common speaking mistakes to avoid while speaking in public. This was my thinking outside the box way to give myself acceptable creative license to make mistakes in my speech. It worked and I passed 🙂

This time I wanted to do more than just pass.

The Summit Experience

Thankfully the crazy rains we had been experiencing did not have the Tourism Board canceling the Summit. Instead it was delayed by one day, but sadly this meant a couple of the panelists had to dash off to the airport right after their speeches. I would have loved to have spoken more with freelance writer Joshua Berman and Expedia PR Director Taylor Cole. I already have Joshua’s email and exchanged business cards with Taylor, so I’m sure we will catch up online. I need to email Joshua and thank him for one of his tips, Taylor already found me on linked in and I invited her to join Belize Life group.

I gave out a lot of my tacogirl.com magnifier cards over the course of the day, and as always, they were a big hit with everyone. Karen Brodie’s slim picture cards were also well received. People enjoyed having the option to pick one of her photographs and hearing the story behind it.

Before our speeches, Karen shared a very useful technique to overcome our pre-speech butterflies. She looked at me and said “just remember, fear is the same physiology as excitement”. Since I actually practice getting excited, her advice strongly struck a chord with me and worked like a charm.

I knew from our one practice with a projector and having Heidi and Kendall there to critique, that my power-point was well received, but my speaking abilities needed polishing. Of course that last bit was according to my own thoughts, not theirs. I wanted to be the best I could be and provide useful informative information to countrywide business owners and to the other panelists on how they could brand themselves in today’s digital marketing world.

Both Karen and I were very grateful that we were in the first set of speakers along with Joshua Berman, who was up first. As I listened to them on stage I was quietly waiting for my turn and took the stage to give my talk on the Benefits of Social Media.

After my speech, I was enjoying a conversation with Stacey from BTB. She complimented me on doing a great job and we got to talking further. I admitted my speaking discomfort and we both agreed on the importance of taking opportunities to step outside your comfort zone and give yourself courage in areas where you know you are lacking it.

This holds true for many in regards to social media. In my speech I mentioned how for many businesses, social media is as much fun as getting a root canal. I also explained why it is important and asked them to consider the rapidly changing numbers and how technological mobility is changing the face of tourism.

Their target market could literally be standing in an elevator planning their vacation or sitting at a bar after work booking their hotel or choosing which tours they want to take.

In regards to travel research and vacation planning, people are making decisions and booking in real time from their mobile phones, iPad’s and tablets. They are also sharing this information with coworkers, friends, and family.

Belize Tourism BoardBelize Tourism BoardBelize Tourism Board

Topics Covered

For the businesses who attended the seminar, they were privileged to learn more about a wide range of important topics: Digital content creation strategies, travel trade in digital, BTB digital marketing opportunities, social media trends in travel, and digital brand reputation.

Over the course of the day there was so much valuable information in regards to creating your brand identity, standing out in the crowd, how to capture travelers through storytelling, and being authentic. The audience also gained helpful tools and tips as well as numerical insights into the travel industry. Many of the panelists (myself included), offered statistics to further stress the importance of digital marketing.

A few statistics I presented

Source – Hoot Suite:  85% of leisure travelers use their smartphone abroad.

Source – The Statistics Portal: As of 2015, over 70 percent of the United States population had a social networking profile.

As of the first quarter of 2015, some 580 million Facebook users accessed the social network exclusively via a mobile device, up from 341 million users in the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

Source – Social Media Today: Facebook adds ½ million new users every day; 6 new profiles every second. An ever-expanding market worth tapping into.

Mobile users constitute half of the world’s population and 2 million smart phones are sold worldwide every single day.

1.925 billion users utilize their mobiles for Social Media platforms.

The numbers above illustrate how beneficial it can be for your brand to tap into the ever growing world of social media and digital marketing.

Belize Tourism BoardBelize CityBelize CityBelize Tourism Board

Emcees and Keynote Speakers

Both the emcees and keynote speakers did such a fantastic job;

BTB Director of Marketing and Industry Relations; Karen Pike, CEO Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation; Abil Castaeda, Dean and Faculty of Business at UB; Kevin J. Geban, Chamberlain consulting Dion Chamberlain and Director of Cruise and Regional Initiatives; Valdemar Andrade.

All of them gave us informative talks, reiterated important panelist points and hit home on the importance of the Summit, keeping current and working together to grow the Belize tourism market.

Meet the Panelists

The summit was filled with really great speakers that provided very useful information.

Freelance Writer Joshua Berman, Travel Photographer Karen Brodie, Director of Travel at JG Blackbook of Travel; David Clarke, Director of Marketing at Largay Travel; Scott Largay, Senior Travel  Trade officer at Belize Tourism Board; Deborah Gillharry, Direct Online Manager at Belize Tourism Board; Maynor Larrieu, Social Media Brand Strategist; George Fiddler, Managing Editor Alexis Tirado, Expedia Director Taylor Cole, Digital Brand Strategist Michael Chatfield, and of course myself writer tacogirl.com Laurie Norton.

Note to the Panelists: I enjoyed meeting every one of you. Thank you for providing such insightful presentations which I learned a great deal from, and thank you for sharing your wisdom.

Belize Tourism Board

Group photo of the Panelists

What I got from the experience

First off, for anyone who wanted to go but missed the event, let me say hands down – put it in your 2016 to do list and watch the Belize Tourism Board Facebook page for dates.

You read my experience as a panelist above. As an attendee, I was very impressed with the line up of speakers and the hard work they all put into their presentations. There was so much great information being given all day long. I know a few of us were hard pressed to list any improvements on their questionnaire – can’t change rain 😀

Thankfully BTB video taped the entire presentation, and is going to be making it available along with PowerPoint presentations. They will be open to anyone that wanted to go but was unable and those of us that went to help improve on our notes – too much useful info to capture.

Throughout the day, the speakers echoed each other on so many key points. Each one provided their own way of communicating similar relevant information and explaining how it was applicable, not only to their own types of businesses but those in the audience.

Creating a strong brand identity was a common theme. Who you are, what you offer and why people should choose your brand. Here is a great example of that shown in this BTB video that came on the cool branded flash drives they gave us.

Digital Marketing Summit Sponsors

As always, with an event like this sponsorship is a must. Many great Belize businesses came forward to help the Belize Tourism Board make this event possible.

Courts Belize LTD, Aligraphics LTD, Tropic Air, Maya Island Air, Ramada, The Great House
Villa Boscardi, First Impressions Printing Firm, Reporter, Travellers Liquors Ltd, Roberts Grove
Splash Dive Center and Belize Telemedia Limited.

As panelists, Karen and I both enjoyed some of the sponsorship benefits. The BTB flew us to Belize City on Maya Island Air. We were also guests at the Ramada Hotel, so we were available to attend the cocktail reception and not have to rush back to San Pedro. As a result we were treated to Travellers rum drinks and samples – I’m still not drinking, so I enjoyed Crystal water, appetizers and the company instead 🙂

Karen and I really enjoyed talking to the attendees as well as the other panelists. We were pleased when the BTB invited all the speakers to dinner at the Riverside Tavern and for the opportunity to get to know everyone on a more personal level.

Belize CityBelize CityRiverside Tavern Belize City

To get more insight into the Digital Marketing Summit from a local business attendee’s perspective, read San Pedro Scoop post – Belize’s First Digital Summit: Belize, We Have LOTS of Opportunity by Rebecca Coutant. She has some great things to say about the event. Both local Ambergris Caye papers did great articles as well. Ambergris Today: Belize Strengthens Digital Footprint at First Ever Digital Marketing Summit and San Pedro Sun: Digital Marketing Summit sparks new knowledge for Tourism Industry Partners. 

I will leave you with a few more pictures from the event.

Karen Brodie Photography BelizeBelize CityMaynor Larrieu BelizeBelize City

The next two pictures are Courtesy of the Belize Tourism Board.

Belize Tourism Board

All the way from Lamanai Landings in Orange walk Enrique, Blanca joined me for a picture – courtesy of BTB

Belize Tourism Board

Full group picture – courtesy of BTB

Belize CityBelize CityBelize CityBelize CityBelize City

Related

tacogirl

Laurie Norton grew up dyslexic and was very challenged by the school. She never dreamed she would move to Belize and become a writer. A year after her move to Ambergris Caye, Laurie became an entrepreneur and professional writer starting tacogirl blog in 2007. Since then she has helped many people plan their vacations or move. She also has been published in Great Destinations Belize Guidebook, Moon Guide to Living in Belize, Insight Guides, Island Magazine several times and USA Today. Currently Laurie resides in downtown San Pedro and enjoys being a "city girl" on a tropical island.

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I just returned from my trip to Belize in mid-June 2022. I had been planning the trip weeks / months in advance and... Laurie (taco girl) wasextremely helpful in preparation for my trip. Her intimate knowledge as an expat who was ONCE a tourist, really helps because she is able to share first hand knowledge of how a tourist can explore Ambergis Caye like a "temporary local". An example of this, was she recommended 2 yoga classes for my wife to enjoy while on vacation that we would not have known about otherwise and the class was far better than a class arranged by a hotel, as you get the local experience not a staged one. In addition, she was helpful in providing recommendations for dinner and sharing some discounts she has arranged with local retailers. Reviewing the taco girl blog and reaching out to Laurie is like having a tour guide, but more important a tour guide that KNOWS Belize.read more
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From the perspective of a couple preparing for a permanent move to Belize, Laurie has been enthusiastically helpful in... both answering our questions and connecting us with local resources for our move. Highly recommend you contact her and make use of her valuable services!!!read more
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Laurie was super helpful in providing places to eat, things to do and best yet had ongoing blogs that allowed us to... look back on other places that she pointed out. A fantastic resource for both first time and return visitors of Ambergris Caye!read more
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Fantastic service .I needed to find a place where I could buy a local sim card as my UK sim doesnt work in belize and... Tacogirl put me on the right path .Decided to walk across town and discovered so much more in beautiful San Pedro.Many thanks.BWread more
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We have been using TacoGirl for what feels like decades when planning our trips to Belize! It has only been a few... years but she is the first place we stop to see what is happening in our favorite vacation spot. She knows all the best spots to get away and do so many fun things - whether it is relaxing or exploring! We are planning our next trip with our twins and she was the first person I reached out to. Knowing we have a resource like her, makes trip planning a breeze!read more
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Found tacogirl while doing some research on an upcoming trip to Belize. This is the place for all the information you... need to plan your vacation. Incredibly helpful and responsive. I sent an email with lots of questions and received a very quick and detailed response that helped us finalize our plans.read more
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We have been following TacoGirl for years now and before booking any trip to San Pedro we check to see what is... currently happening. We love the emails to let us know when a new blog has been posted. Keep up the great work Laurie, we feel like we know you.read more
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I first got my Passport in 2012 and Taco Girl was my first connection back then Great then and Marvelous Now! She's... blossomed and developed into a wonderful contact for any and all information Belize. She goes above & beyond to respond with information that you need whether visiting Belize or relocating! I wasn't able to fund the move then but now that I have much more equity I am doing it.This time she was the 1st person I reached out to! Now I am selling and moving to Belize. She responds immediately! Like I do in my Pet Sitting Business! I was so impressed I followed her all this time. And was not disappointed!Pamela Nixonread more
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I've spent the last month exploring Belize. I'm retired & seriously considering moving down to Belize permanently from... the US. I contacted the local San Pedro expert "Taco Girl" to help me get started in finding an apartment to rent. With her help, I've located several places that meet my needs & budget requirements. Thank you Laurie!read more
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tacogirl was very nice to share her knowledge with us and assisted with planning our trip to Belize; thank you for the... help and info, it was helpful and allowed us to plan utilize our time accordingly while both on the mainland and islands of this great country.read more
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As a Canadian—tired of long winters—I cannot wait to spend some time in Belize. I haven't set foot yet, but I am... yearning for lots of Caribbean adventure. Thanks so much to tacogirl for her endless enthusiasm and generosity of spirit. She is a constant stream of up-to-date information. Her knowledge and love of the area is priceless, and I will need her expertise for future endeavours!read more
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We started coming to Ambergis Caye in 2014 and stumble on to Tacogirls blog, so glad we did! We used her 15% discount... at The Premier Duty-Free shop in the airport! It worked great all we did was let them know we read it on her blog . She has great information awesome pictures, we have tried several places she has recommended, all were amazing. Highly recommend reading her blog. Kathleenread more
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It was my first time visiting Belize and San Pedro so naturally I had a ton of questions when it came time to planning... the travel. Taco Gril's blog was an invaluable source of information for all the travel questions in Ambergris Caye. I was able to learn a lot of basic information, as well as many tips and tricks. In addition when I reached out to Taco Girl for advice on finding a local photographer and a restaurant recommendation, she was very quick to respond and gave me many helpful suggestions. She also provided a lot more information from a local's point of view, which was much for valuable than than a typical guidebook. Thanks to her helpful suggestions we were able to celebrate my daughter's birthday at a nice restaurant, and had a great photo family session with a local photographer. I'm very thankful for all her resources and knowledge.read more
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I take the seniors from our academy to Belize every year for their senior trip. One of the first people I contact when... I start planning the trip is Laurie with TacoGirl Belize. She knows the island of San Pedro better than anyone else out there. Trust me, I have looked. If you are looking for the best restaurants, hang outs and shops then Laurie help plan your vacation.read more
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Love Taco Girl Blog @LaurieNorton!I've been reading this blog since I started visiting Ambergris Caye in Belize almost... 10 years ago. It is filled with helpful up-to-date information and recommendations that I wouldn't necessarily find on my own. Laurie Norton's knowledge and extensive network on the island provides her with the ability to share perks/discounts/coupons with her readers, which come in handy year after year. Things on the island change daily - new businesses pop up constantly and LaurieNortonstays on top of these developments. Whenever I plan my return trip to the island, I always check her blog first - and I recommend you do the same. Trip Advisor ain't got nuttin' on Taco Girl!read more
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Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice... to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. There is so much information it's amazing! Thank you Laurie!!!read more
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I am considering a move to Belize and I have serendipitously found tacogirl.....what a treasure! She is full of great... advice, helpful hints.....knows everybody on Ambergris Caye and has a thousand useful recommendations and suggestions. Whether you are planning a vacation or relocating, you should make use of the many services she has to offer…..read more
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I’m so pleased to see tacogirl's blog on Google. Laurie's blog is my official “go to” source for tourist and local... information on San Pedro. Of course, it’s always nice to see her guides on “what to do” in San Pedro, but I also appreciate her “insider” advice and human interest stories on what it’s like living as a local on the island. I especially enjoy her guest articles, providing a different perspective of all things San Pedro. Her tipping quide is a classic, and don’t forget her Tropic Air flight code and on-island discounts. You’re not up-to-date with what’s going on in San Pedro if you’re not regularly reading tacogirl's blog.read more
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I have known Laurie (Taco Girl) for several years. She has been a wealth of good information for me in all of my... pursuits in Belize. I highly recommend her for any services you may require.read more
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Do yourself a favor. Read this BEFORE any trip to San Pedro - Ambergris Caye or Belize in general. Not saying “do what... everyone else says”, but Laurie has frank and honest info which will make your stay in country a little more fun, a little more informative, and often at a great cost savings. Best thing: it’s unbiased, honest, and factual. Personal note: thank you for your personal tailored help in answering mine (and my wife’s) questions.read more
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Taco Girl (Laurie) is amazing. She has so much knowledge about Belize and has great connections with many of the... businesses in Belize. Because of her connections she is able to offer many perks and discounts that you wouldn't have been able to find otherwise. She is super responsive and I always go to her for all my travel needs. From golf cart rentals, to spas, to places to eat. She's got the inside scoop on all!read more
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Since 2003, my wife and I have been to Ambergris at least once a year to experience the fantastic diving. About twelve... years ago we me Tacogirl on a blog giving us discounts on golf carts, local airfares, and restaurants. Over the years we have grown a friendship and I look forward to her weekly blogs about he changes on my favorite home away from home. The island changes every year, and she always shows you what to see, do, and eat.read more
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Belize Blog Est. 2007

belize travel specialist

ABOUT ME

I took the plunge and moved to San Pedro Town on the Island of Ambergris Caye, off the coast of Belize, Central America. Originally from Canada, I made the life-changing move to escape winter for good (in 2006) after one three week vacation. If you have any questions or want Belize help planning and booking, please feel free to contact me.

SPARKING MY DESIRE

A few childhood memories that shaped my desire to move to Belize from a young age. Sailing in the Virgin Islands, seeing a rainbow out the window of an island hopper as we flew from Virgin Islands to Puerto Rico, Christmas in Hawaii and many trips to Florida.

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