The more things change, the more they stay the same. One of our first newsletters included a column called “Boards From Hell” in which we would (anonymously, of course) chronicle the pitfalls befalling DMOs that had Board Members that didn’t understand their role or had a significant conflict of interest (and sometimes both). Thankfully, over two and a half decades, we’ve been able to help lots of Boards be bigger and better than they ever envisioned through our Board Workshops, Strategic Planning sessions and the book Destination Leadership. But, as far as we’ve all come, it’s maddening to see some of the same challenges continue to bedevil DMOs, as effective Board Governance faces diabolical new challenges (and a few of the old ghosts) at what seems like every turn.

Bridging the weeks between Thanksgiving and the end of the year Holidays, we reflect back on where we’ve been, the people with whom we’ve engaged and the destinations that we have assisted. It’s been a great year. Thanks to the readers of our blog and Z-News; you encourage us through your comments and clicks. And, thanks to those that have joined us for the resurrection of DMOU.com; we love sharing your stories with the world. And, in the spirit of sharing, we’re reprising our habit of recommending the books that inspired our thinking this year:

I’ve shared that I often experience moments where a word or a concept seems to randomly pop with magical frequency. Indeed, sometimes it’s a word that so powerfully evokes the zeitgeist that it seeps into common vernacular (like “intentional” has over the past 18 months). Sometimes it is the rapid acceptance and adoption of a concept (like the recent embracement, by scores of DMO professionals, of Destinations International’s Jack Johnson’s suggestion that Destination Marketing should be viewed as a “Shared Community Value”).

The next Presidential election is over a year away…and yet, the tempestuous drama of the Democratic Party’s Debate season is in full swing. For some states, we’re rolling into high election season, with some votes just weeks away. The reality: it’s always election season everywhere, all the time. From the day the results are certified, people are strategizing ways to hold or usurp power. And, for those in the increasingly politicized world of Destination Marketing, that means there is no off-season for our engagement with those who wield power and those who covet it.

I lost count of the number of our peers that nudged Terri or me during or after the more philosophical sessions at the Convention and intoned, “you’ve been saying that for years.” While true, the person that says something first isn’t nearly as important as the person that says it next. And next. And next. If you’re not familiar with this concept, click HERE.