2018 Skål USA Journeys, Volume 2

Table of Contents

● President’s Message ● FV Fund Update ● Skål USA Press Releases ● ● Skål USA Resource Center ● Skål Event Information ● Club News ● Skål USA Shop ●

A Message from the Skål USA President

Dear Skålleagues,

It is hard to believe that we have already reached the halfway mark in our term office. The past 5 months have been very busy and productive for Skål USA.

Your Skål USA EC has been working hard to achieve the goals set at the 2018 WECM in Raleigh Durham for 2018. I am glad to report that we have already achieved %70 of our goals. We are confident that we will meet our goals 100% in the remaining 6 months.

2018 SKÅL USA AGM/ NCM was a remarkable success. We had 42 Clubs in participation. Our delegates cooperation and active participation during the meetings made this year’s AGM/ NCM an immense success.

During the NCM a detailed presentation was conducted about the 2018 goals and where we stand. A copy of this presentation is available at the members area at our website www.Skålusa.org . The Open Forum conducted this year was in a format of round table discussion which has been found very useful by participating delegates. We hope you will find the information provided during the meetings useful and will be discussing it with your membership.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the SKÅL USA EC and our Auditors as they worked hard and did an exceptional job during the meetings at NASC.

I must admit that for me the best part of NASC was the times we shared beyond the official meetings; the social events part where we all could continue our friendship where we left off last time we were at a SKÅL event. This year we had several first timers who joined us for NASC and we all know they will be back next year! I hope you all will encourage your members to participate in future SKÅL USA National and International Events as we all know Skålleagues truly engage with the Skål movement when they participate in those events as they get to ‘experience’ the amical within Skål World!

Fellow Skålleagues; Today at Skål USA we have a great momentum! We are united and share the same passion for Skål and the goal is to grow SKÅL USA. For the first time in many

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years, our visibility has topped in the industry because of systematic planning of updating our logistics, starting with website, increased/ improved communication channels with members and the industry, PR strategy and actions we have taken on relevancy. At this time, we need to move forward and take every opportunity that will elevate our organization to the next level with our visibility within the industry in the USA and focus on starting additional new Skål clubs and increase membership in existing Skål clubs. All this can only be achieved by working together as a one big TEAM. Your Skål USA Executive Committee needs your active involvement/ participation to achieve the goal of growth and we are here to assist you in any way we can to achieve our common goal

Our next SKÅL USA meeting will be our second NCM of the year on September 14, 2018 in Webinar format. We look forward to your participation; you will receive advanced notice from Skål USA Administrators and our VP of Administration Lisa Conway.

The next Skål International meeting will be SI World Congress taking place in Mombasa, Kenya. The Congress dates are October 17-21 2018. As announced during the meetings at NASC, the online registration is now available at following link:

http://congress.Skål.or.ke/registration/ We hope to see you all at the 79th SI World Congress in Mombasa!

There is a pre-congress tour planned to Istanbul per the invitation extended by the National Committee of SKÅL Turkey. The suggested dates for the pre-tour are Oct 11-Oct 15 which will include city tour and dinner event with SKÅL Turkey in Istanbul. Please note that Turkish Airlines will be offering discounts to Skålleagues.

Again, thank you very much for your passion and support to Skål USA! As always please do not hesitate to contact me or anyone on your Skål USA EC. Your Skål USA EC remains at

your disposal for any questions, suggestions and/or feedback.

In Friendship and Skål,

Burcin Turkkan President, Skål International USA A Message from the Skål USA VP of Finance The latest Financial Report has been finalized and has been posted to the Skål USA website. Click here

Florimond Volckaert Fund (FVF) Update

What is the Florimond Volckaert Fund?

The Florimond Volckaert Fund (FVF) was set up in 1954, in the name of the acknowledged founder of Skål, to provide assistance to Skålleagues and their immediate families who are in serious need of assistance, during times of desperation.

If a Skålleague is in need of help, an application should be sent to either the President of your Club or the Skål USA International Councillor, who will convey the application to the three FVF Trustees.

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They will assess the request and quickly come to a decision. Policy Change: As previously advised, all donations

to the FVF must be received by Skål USA within the

calendar year for which the donation is intended.

Donations received after the deadline will be

considered and recognized for the succeeding year.

We can no longer account for pre-payments or

accept payments after the deadline based on when

the funds are required to be transferred to Skål

International. A Message from the Skål USA International Skål Councillor

Dear Fellow Skålleagues, It was such a pleasure seeing many of you during NASC in Playa Mujeres. Friendship and amical was alive and well and it was a joy spending the weekend with everyone. Discussions were positive and we had wonderful sharing of new ideas. A special thank you to those clubs who have already send their yearly donations to the Florimond Volchaert Fund and to the new Membership Development Fund. Attached please find the most up to date list of donations. If you or a member of our club is in need of financial help please do not hesitate to let me

know so I can help expedite the request for help. The fund is there to help you. The Skål World Congress will be held in Mombasa, Kenya, October 17 – 21, 2018. We hope that all of our clubs in the USA will participate and support our candidate for international office, Burcin Turkkan. It is so important as the largest international committee that we have one of our members represent us on the International Executive Committee. It will be a crucial congress because the Skål International Executive Committee is planning on presenting many Statute changes that will change the governance of Skål International and we must make sure that we have everyone there to vote as it could change Skål as we know it. Please start now to think about holding fund raisers to help your clubs send a delegate to Kenya. I will look forward to welcoming all of you to Kenya. It will be a great time so let’s show our national support. Have a wonderful summer. Skål,

Holly Powers International Skål Councilor Donations from the clubs help make the FVF viable and able fulfill its special purpose. We would like to recognize the following for their contributions in 2018:

• SI Hawaii • SI Charlotte • SI Boise • SI Louisville – In Memory of Joe

Ferguson • SI Fort Worth • SI San Jose • SI Fort Lauderdale & Palm Beaches • SI Washington • SI Boston

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A Message from Skål USA Director, Public Relations and Communications

Skålleagues:

May 2018 will go down as a month in which Skål International USA continued its uphill climb to new heights.

The steps initiated in the last couple of years to make Skål more relevant to the national travel industry, better serve our members in terms of career and business growth, and find ways to give back to our communities all were highlighted by the activities at the extremely well attended national meetings at the North American Skål Congress. Congratulations to our attendees for their input and all the ideas which came from the roundtable discussions!

In the key area of Skål club growth, the United States is taking a leadership role by setting an example for other national committees by the establishment of two new clubs in 2017 and at least two more this year. It was great to have the new Southwest Florida Skål Club with us in Playa Mujeres and a representative of the Valley of the Sun Skål Club in formation, too. We are excited about the new club in Richmond and the one about to be chartered in Central California as well.

In terms of national relevance in the industry, the new Skål International USA National Tourism Leadership Award presented to Brand USA President Chris Thompson, who gave an excellent keynote address at the

NASC, is already paying dividends by raising our visibility in both the trade media and with prospective Skålleagues across the United States.

At the end of May, President Burcin Turkkan, Vice President Dave Ryan, and I attended the 50th anniversary edition of IPW in Denver in conjunction with US Travel, which is led by President Roger Dow, one of our Skålleagues.

At the trade show, which brought over 6000 seller and buyer delegates to conduct business bringing international visitors to America, we had dozens of fruitful conversations about strengthening existing clubs with more members and developing new clubs in targeted destinations. There were so many excellent conversations that we will prioritize our efforts based on the level of commitment we will be assessing.

Skål International USA is quickly assuming a very strong role within our global organization by simply setting an example by how we do things to improve Skål here in the United States.

It is exciting to be part of that effort. Your input is very welcome.

Skål!

Steve

Stephen B. Richer Director, Public Relations and Communications

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Skål USA Membership Benefit: National Car Rental and Enterprise Rent-A-Car We are pleased to announce a partnership with National Car Rental and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, in which Skålleagues can sign up for a complimentary membership in the Emerald Club. As an Emerald Club member, you will receive the following benefits, among others: Bypass the counter – Bypass the rental counter and go directly to the Emerald Club Aisle® at more than 50 major airports in the U.S. and Canada. Choose your own car – Don’t waste time looking for your assigned car – just choose any car from the Emerald Club Aisle, which is stocked with mid-size or larger vehicles, and pay the reserved mid-size rate. Speed up returns with an E-Receipt – There’s no need to wait around for a piece of paper when you return your car. Sign up to receive this benefit and we will automatically email your receipts to you within 24 hours of each returned rental. Choose your rewards. Choose to either earn rental credits towards a Free Day with every seven rental credits earned, OR choose to automatically receive frequent flyer miles for each day rented (average of 50 frequent flyer miles per rental day – amount varies by airline). You May also Use your Emerald Club Membership at Enterprise to receive the following benefits: Faster Reservations – online, on the phone, with your travel agent, and at participating Enterprise locations. Faster Rentals Credit Card pre-populated in Emerald Club profile

Skål USA Membership Benefit: Skål USA Job Board Skål International USA is proud to launch its memberships newest benefit. An online job board designed for Skål International USA membership.

Do you have a career in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry and looking for a new job in tourism or seeking someone for a job? Introducing the new Skål USA Job Board. Simply fill out the new job form if you are seeking a new employee or view the Job Board to see what jobs are available. Be sure to fill out the form completely and attach a full job description. Then go the Skål USA website section under the membership area and see your listing within 24 hours on the Job Board. Those seeking a new job, be sure to come back often as new jobs will be posted weekly.

Find your talented personal while assisting a Skål members professional life with SKÅL International USA new Job Board section. Define your future, and ours today. If you have any questions regarding the Skål USA Job Board, please contact web committee chair Tom Moulton at moulton9490@gmail.com. Website Update: Member Communications Will Now Be Found in the Members Area Click Here to find the new landing spot for recent member communications.

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Skål USA Resource Center

How to Find the Skål USA Website:

➢ Go to www.skalusa.org. ➢ Click on the “Member Area” ➢ Your user name is: skalusa ➢ Enter your password – skalusa@123 ➢ If this does not work for you, please

contact either Lisa Conway at lisaconw@gmail.com or Steve Richer, richeradvisors@gmail.com.

Membership Benefit Reminder: Skål Strategic PR Partnership with PR Newswire Skål USA has asked our strategic partner in PR, the PR Newswire, to offer their news feed services to Skål USA clubs at no cost. The news feed will be customized to fit your audience and built to match your site’s look and feel. In exchange for placing the PR Newswire feed on your site you will receive up to 3 free nationwide Press Releases for a year. This will allow Clubs to promote their local Skål events and promote Skål brand/ club in their local community. Interested clubs should contact Jeanette Jirau at PR Newswire at Jeanette.Jirau@prnewswire.com to discuss this opportunity further.

Skål USA Member Communications

• June 11, 2018: Skål USA Job Board Announcement

• June 1, 2018: National Committee Meeting Follow-Up

• May 31, 2018: 2020 NASC RFP Reminder

• May 29, 2018: Submissions for Summer 2018 Newsletter Reminder

Skål USA Press Releases

• May 29, 2018: Skål International USA Raises National Industry Visibility at IPW

• May 5, 2018: Brand USA’s Chris Thompson Receives First Skål International USA National Tourism Leadership Award

• April 2, 2018: Skål USA Joins National Tourism Advocates

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Upcoming Skål Meetings & Event Information 2018 Skål International World Congress

Blessed with a fantastic climate, natural wildlife reserves, amazing scenery, mountains, lakes and 600km of Indian Ocean coastline, Kenya has a unique beauty, enhanced only by its warm and friendly people. It is Africa’s most popular safari destination and its capital city – Nairobi is East Africa’s economic hub. Kenya has a decent tourist infrastructure and lots of resorts along its coastline. Located on the Coast, just south of the Equator, Mombasa is Kenya’s oldest and largest Port City, where commercial shipping liners mingle with traditional sailing dhows. Well known explorers, Ibn Battuta and Zheng He both visited here in 1331 and 1412. Originally called the ‘Island of Mvita’, the name Manbaca was first heard in 1502. By the 1800s, as more explorers found their way here, phonetic derivations led to it being called Mombasa. Now a regional cultural and economic hub, modern day Mombasa is a city of great diversity and life. Enjoying temperatures of 25 degrees C with light prevailing trade winds, Mombasa is known for its exotic mix of cultures, rich history, Island’s pace of life, and a fantastic array of leisure offerings for all ages. The coast of Kenya has earned its place as one of the world’s top beaches. A visit to Kenya however, would be incomplete without a safari experience and for this reason, we urge you to indulge in pre & post tours to the famous Masai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park at the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro,

the immense Tsavo National Park, the Great Rift Valley and its stunning lakes, Equatorial forests of Aberdares & Mt. Kenya. Whatever you choose to do, know that you will be living the Magic that is Kenya. Skål Kenya looks forward to hosting you at the 79th Skål World International Congress in Mombasa. Register NASC 2019

SKÅL International Hawaii is extremely excited to be hosting the 2019 North American SKÅL Congress (NASC) on the beautiful island of Oahu! The 2019 NASC will be held at the beautiful Sheraton Waikiki hotel. The conference website, https://hawaii2019nasc.com, will become fully functional in June, and you will find links there to book your hotel room at our negotiated rates at the Sheraton there. Keep checking the conference website often, as we will continually update it with special discounts for pre and post tours, airline promo codes and more as the Congress gets closer. SI Hawaii is thrilled to have partnered with the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival so that all Congress attendees can take part in this illustrious launch event at The Kahala Hotel & Resort on Friday evening. They have also put together a special discounted rate so that any plus ones (+1) that you may bring with you to the Congress may join you at this special event. Limited Space – Register Now Hold the Date: SI San Francisco Looks Forward to November Celebration of 70th Anniversary

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Upcoming Webinars July 18, 2018: Skål USA Reps Webinar August 15, 2018: Skål USA Club Presidents Webinar September 10, 2018: Skål USA Membership Orientation Webinar October 10, 2018: Skål USA Club Presidents Webinar December 10, 2018: Skål USA Membership Orientation Webinar Past Skål Meetings & Events Skål International USA Has Great Success at the North American Skål Congress

The United States had the largest delegation at the North American Skål Congress held May 3-6, 2018, at Dreams Resort, Playa Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico with over forty clubs in attendance and a delegation of more than sixty people.

Led by Skål International USA President Burcin Turkkan, the American Skålleagues participated in a early bird Open Forum on Skål issues, the Opening Session, and two national sessions, their Annual General Meeting and the National Committee meeting

High points for the US delegation were the outstanding presentation by Keynote speaker Christopher Thompson, who is a member of Skål Washington and the President and CEO of Brand USA, the tourism marketing organization of the United States. Skålleague Chris spoke on global marketing strategies and trends from the American perspective and presented up-to-date statistics on US arrivals, as well as new promotional efforts, including a teaser piece on Brand USA's new IMAX film being shown worldwide, "America's Musical Journey."

At the national gathering on Saturday, Chris became the first recipient of the Skål International USA National Tourism Leadership Award, which was presented by President Burcin with assistance from Skål International President Susanna Saari.

Highlights of the USA meetings were presentations of the Bill Sweet Award for Skålleague of the Year to Ian Sauer of Skål Raleigh-Durham for his continuous support of other Skål clubs and recent hosting of the 2018 Winter Executive Committee Meeting and the Club of the Year Award to Skål Hawai'i for a

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broad range of activities, including an extensive program on tourism mentoring for college students at a number of Hawai'i campuses; near unanimous adoption of several streamlining changes for the operation of Skål International USA; round table discussions with recommendations for better membership growth, programs, and fundraising; and reports on strategies to increase national membership with visibility and relevance within the industry, sponsorships, and better use of social media to do so.

The most inspiring element of the national meetings was the report of the work of the Executive Committee given by President Burcin. Her focus on big picture goals, building on the success in 2017 under President Holly Powers when new clubs were established in both Richmond, Virginia, and Southwest Florida, gave the US delegates a big sense that things were on the right track. The news that two additional clubs in Central California and the Valley of the Sun in the Phoenix area of Arizona (represented by organizer Kate Heath) were soon to be chartered delighted everyone, especially after a seventeen year drought of new club building. Plans for next year's NASC meeting in Hawai'i and the 2019 World Congress in Miami were also promoted after urging attendance this year at the Congress in Mumbasa, Kenya. Burcin's leadership was given an enthusiastic demonstration of support at the conclusion of her remarks.

The Skål International USA Executive Committee was also privileged to hold an informal exchange of information and ideas with Skål International President Susanna Saari and Skål International CEO Daniela Otero. That meeting was held early in the weekend and enabled the Executive Committee to share some of those ideas with the delegation. Susanna, Daniela, and Skål International Senior Vice President Rafael Millan of Mexico attended the national conclave and spoke to the Americans.

All in all, a very successful and positive experience was shared by everyone at an absolutely gorgeous venue on the Gulf of Mexico!

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A Message on NASC 2018 from Skål USA Director, Membership

ISC President Bill Rheaume, Skål International President Susanna

Saari, and Skål International VP Rafael Millan

Those of us who have been in Skål for a while will tell you that you never get the full picture of Skål unless and until you go to a NASC or a World Congress. Once you go you develop a passion for Skål that stays with you. NASC in Playa Mujeres was a perfect example of how fun mixed with camaraderie (and a few margaritas or mojitos) can elevate your Skål experience.

Being a curious sort I ask newcomers and veteran Skålleagues questions about themselves, their clubs and how they were enjoying the congress. The overwhelming response in Playa Mujeres was that NASC was a resounding success on both a professional and personal level. Things got done and new friendships

were made. Ed Friedrich, President of Skål Boston met Cheryl Gatto, President of Skål Chicago on the shuttle from the airport and Ed discovered that Cheryl lives in Naperville, Ill. where he grew up. Cheryl and I have a common friend in Ireland, Donal Carroll! All it takes is a question or two to find common ground. Once that common ground is found friendships are made.

Left to Right: Carrie Campbell, Robert Lowell, Karen Adams, Jin Dwyer, and Cheryl Gatto

It was suggested by Jean Francois Cote from Skål Quebec that next time we should have more inclusive events involving all of the participants like breakout sessions where we can learn from each other. Being a global organization has advantages that we must use. A lot of networking was done at the resort’s pool on Saturday afternoon and then again at the fantastic cocktail party preceding the gala dinner.

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Ken Walles and Burcin Turkkan

The world is getting smaller and smaller every day. Social media helps turn virtual friends into real friends. I saw that over and over at NASC. My own example was at the gala dinner. Rafael Millan saw that I wasn’t wearing a “Rafa for President” pin and asked me why. I told him they had already been given out by the time I got to the table. He took me over to a table of his friends and asked one of them to give me their pin. It was Yolanda Alonso from Skål Taxco who had been a longtime Facebook friend but had never met me. She hugged me like I was a long lost relative! And that’s not an isolated incident. I heard other stories like that all during the congress.

At NASC we asked everyone to post there photos with the hashtag #nasc2018. Take a look on Facebook for some great shots of your fellow Skålleagues enjoying the Mexican sun and the warmth of their common friendships.

Skål Jim Dwyer: Director, Membership NASC 2018 Gallery

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IPW Denver

US Travel President Roger Dow, a member of SI Washington, opens

in Denver, shown on one of the big screens

A delegation of Skål International USA leaders led by President Burcin Turkkan of Skål Atlanta with Vice President David Ryan of Skål Sacramento and Director Steve Richer of Skål Washington worked the floor of the 50th anniversary edition of IPW, the largest inbound travel show in the United States in late May at the Denver Convention Center. Over 6000 delegates attended the event, representing American destinations and travel product who were selling to buyers of travel to the United States who came from over seventy countries. The trade show is organized by the US Travel Association and sponsored in a major way by the national tourism marketing agency, Brand USA. The leaders of both organizations, Roger Dow, President of US Travel, and Chris Thompson, President of Brand USA, are members of Skål International in its Washington club. .

During the three days of IPW, Turkkan and her team met with national travel industry leaders, some of the international buyers, and dozens of local tourism officials who either presently are involved in Skål clubs or have an interest in starting ones in their communities. The Skål team had discussions with representatives from more than forty states during the three days.

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NYC & Company President Fred Dixon with SKÅL USA President,

Burcin Turkkan, at the entry to IPW

Turkkan reported, "Our presence at IPW, thanks to the cooperation of US Travel, was another big boost to demonstrating that Skål is a way for communities engaged in the travel industry to have a strong local organization that supports tourism at every level, mentors younger people within the industry, develops careers, grows business through our global network, and gives back to the home area in which a club is located.

SIUA VP, Dave Ryan, President Burcin Turkkan, Brand USA India Representative and Delhi Skål Member Sheema Vohra, and

Director Steve Richer at the Brand USA Pavillion.

"Our conversations from coast to coast and even the American islands demonstrated a renewed interest in Skål and what it brings to the

industry, its communities, and, most importantly, its members. "Our national executive committee will be digesting these conversations and target a small number of communities for new Skål clubs in 2018, while prioritizing strengthening existing ones and adding other locales for clubs in 2019 and beyond. We had so many good dialogues that it will take a little time to evaluate where to concentrate our efforts immediately." Skål International USA has been growing its clubs. Starting in 2017, clubs were added in Richmond, Virginia, and Southwest Florida with new ones due to be finalized this year in Central California and the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix area), Arizona.

Share Club Event Information and Photos with Fellow Skålleagues!

Skålleagues are encouraged to share photos from Skål USA and club events as well as information on upcoming meetings of clubs and the travel and tourism industry as a whole on the Skål USA Facebook page. The Facebook page is open to members and interested non-members alike. To view or share photos on our page:

1. Visit the Skål USA Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/SKALUSA/ (you may need to log in to Facebook and/or click “Join Group”)

2. Click the “Photos” tab near the top of the page, under the board photo. You will now see a compilation of photos sorted by the date posted.

3. Click the “Albums” tab below the “Photos” tab. You will now be able to view albums of photos that have been uploaded, sorted by the date posted.

4. From here, you can create a new album for a particular event by clicking “Create Album” or add photos to an

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existing album by selecting that album and clicking “Add Photos” at the top.

Skål USA Shop

Visit us online at www.skalusa.org/skal-usa-shop/ for all of your Skål jewelry and pin needs.

Submit your order online or via email to skalusa@buses.org

**NEW SHIRTS** Skal USA is now offering NEW shirts at the Skal USA shop. Check them out today!

Club News Skål Long Island’s 35 Year Celebration

Skål Long Island Celebrates 35 years with their oldest past President, Paul Oele, at Lillie’s Restaurant located at the Holiday Inn, Carle Place, NY. Thank you to Mr. Ray Burton for hosting the event. The meal was delicious and a great time was had by all.

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Chris Thompson Receives National Tourism Leadership Award

Christopher Thompson, president and CEO of Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, received the first ever National Tourism Leadership Award presented by Skål International-USA.

"The leaders of Skål International in the United States want to recognize annually major contributions by an individual who has helped to grow tourism to and within the United States as part of our role as a tourism leadership group comprised of members from all segments of the travel industry," said Burcin Turkkan, president

of Skål International USA and a member of the Skål Club of Atlanta, Georgia.

"Fortunately, we did not have to look too far to find the right first recipient,” she said. “Chris Thompson has distinguished himself by guiding a first-class team of professionals at Brand USA, who promote the United States around the globe. Under his leadership, Brand USA has produced two outstanding IMAX® movies with global distribution: ‘National Park Adventure’ and ‘America's Musical Journey.’ Chris is a consummate leader and well respected throughout the tourism world, both here and abroad.”

"We are very proud of him and are thrilled that this first award goes to a long time Skål member, as Chris has been a “Skålleague” in Tallahassee and Jacksonville, Florida and now in Washington, DC. His recognition will set the standard at the level we seek for future awardees. Having Chris with us at the North American Skål Congress, where he shared his message of welcoming the world to the United States, could not have been better."

On hand for the award presentation were Susanna Saari, Skål International president from Turku, Finland, and Daniela Otero, Skål International CEO, from Torremolinos, Spain.

“It’s an honor to have my peers recognize me in this way,” Thompson said. “The members of the North American Skål club have supported me and guided me in so many ways throughout my career, and to be the first recipient of the National Tourism Leadership Award is humbling.”

“I am proud of the work we are doing at Brand USA to promote the United States as a premier travel destination.,” Thompson added. “The USA remains as aspirational as ever, and I look forward to welcoming all of you to the USA next year for the 2019 Skål North American Congress.” Thompson has guided the expansion of Brand USA in its role as the coordinating force behind

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the marketing of the United States as a premiere travel destination in the global marketplace. Brand USA, which began with 14 founding partners and today has a network of more than 800 worldwide partner organizations.

During his more than 30-year career, Thompson served as president and CEO of the Tallahassee (Florida) Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and he later joined Visit Florida, where he became its chief operating officer in 2003, and president and CEO, six years later. Thompson is currently on the board of Destinations International, and he is a member of the Advisory Board for the Eric Friedheim Tourism Institute, a part of the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Sport Management at the University of Florida.

SI Southwest Florida Meeting on Naples Princess

Left to Right: Kara Laufer, Lori Lou Waddell, Capt. Dave, Laura

Sherman, Joe Pereira, Sherrilyn Alden, and Keith Cronebach

Skål Southwest Florida has a great meeting on April 25th on the Naples Princess cruise. The members and guests enjoyed a cruise down Gordon Pass out to the gulf of Mexico while enjoying cocktails and dinner. A great time was had by all.

Jack Wert, SI Southwest Florida: Newest Skål USA President

Jack Wert, Executive Director/CEO of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Conventions & Visitors Bureau is the President of the newest Skål Club in the USA.

Jack has long been a member of Skål and has maintained his membership at Skål Orlando. He served as President of Skål Orlando. After relocating to Southwest Florida, he tried to establish a Skål chapter but the time was not right. Last May, Jack met then Skål USA President, Holly Powers at IPW and they began a conversation about starting a new club. Together they worked to establish a club and even hurricane Irene could not stop them. The club was formed officially on December 28 making it the second new club established in 17 years in the USA. Jack personally introduced 17 of the club’s new members to the organization.

Jack has dedicated over 25 years to destination marketing. He has created and managed two destination organizations in Florida and holds the designation of Certified Destination Management Executive (FCDME) and

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Professional Destination Manager (PDM). He is immediate Past Chair of the Destinations International Accreditation Board and is a member of the Destinations International Advocacy Committee. He is Past Chair of the Florida CVB Association, Former VISIT FLORIDA Executive Committee member and current member of their International Committee. In Naples Jack serves on the Florida Gulf Coast University Resort & Hospitality School and Collier United Arts Council Advisory Boards. He is a graduate of Miami University, Oxford, OH and appears frequently as a presenter and guest lecturer nationwide on destination marketing, advocacy and accreditation.

Skål International USA is thrilled to welcome Jack Wert as President of the newest club, Skål International Southwest Florida.

Skål CO Event with IPW Attendees

Over 50 Skålleagues, their guests, and potential members attended a reception May 22nd at the Denver Athletic Club during the IPW convention in Denver.

SI Colorado is also celebrating its 60th anniversary. Timothy F. Kane, Former SI Miami President and Skålleague Jim Dwyer’s Uncle

I’ve been interested in travel my entire life and never thought anything of it. What I mean is I never connected it to family history or genetics.

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Some kids love math, some English. I loved geography and charted a personal course in that direction. After college I worked briefly for Air Canada before getting a long term position with KLM. It was at KLM that I first learned about Skål. All of the top managers belonged to Skål and although I had reached a management level position I couldn’t join because Skål only allowed two members of a given organization into a single club. That meant that I couldn’t join the New York club, where I worked, or the New Jersey club, where I lived. I was transferred to the KLM office in Detroit in 1992 and tried to join that club but, once again, they already had two KLM members. So! In March on 1993 a fellow KLMer and Skålleague suggested that I join Skål Toledo which was part of my sales territory. I did and made it to VP before it closed. As a Skål orphan Skål Detroit had to take me in and when I was transferred back to NJ I was finally able to join Skål Northern New Jersey where I’ve been since 1998.

Along the way I met Skål members who had other family members in the club. Keith Hyatt of Skål New York is a third generation Skål president. Within my own club we have three generations of Thomases, Martha and Albert Sr., Albert Jr. and his daughter Lauren DiMascio. There are many more examples!

I always believed I was the first of my family to be a Skål member until my mom died in 2013. Among her effects I found an obituary of my Uncle Tim who had passed away several years prior. In the obituary it stated that Timothy F. Kane had been President of Skål Miami. I was totally blown away!!! He knew he was in the

cruise industry and seemed to know a lot of travel people. When I was married in 1971 he knew the manager of the resort where my wife and I spent our honeymoon. But he had never mentioned Skål and he had died before I became a member.

Uncle Tim was a remarkable person. He had to leave school after the 8th grade to help support my grandmother and his other five siblings. Somehow he worked his way into the corporate world and started with Eastern Steamship Lines in 1953 and later worked for Norwegian-American Lines. He joined the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism in 1967 and finally worked for E.H.Mundy, a British firm, until his death. He lived at various times in Montreal, Port-au-Prince, Nassau, Havana before settling in Miami. I’m not sure how long he was a Skål member but he was Skål Miami President in 1967. Bob Burke of Skål Miami was good enough to send me a photo of his president’s plaque which is on their wall of presidents. My passion for Skål happened before I knew about Uncle Tim’s involvement but it’s nice to know I have a Skål legacy!

I wonder how many more of us have Skål DNA and may not know it.

SI New York Club Celebrates 80th Anniversary Any 80th Anniversary is worth a celebration. But in the world of SKÅL International when the New York Club, not only the first club in the United States but all of North America, reached that milestone it was worthy of a super celebration. So on April 26thover 80 Skålleagues gathered at a restaurant in New York City to mark the occasion.

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Club President Carolyn Feimster and her board made sure this event was very special by hosting SKÅL leaders, President, Susanna Saari, and CEO, Daniela Otero. Each gave a presentation on their programs to move SKÅL forward and made the inductions of two new Skålleagues very special by officiating in their pinning ceremony. As a remembrance of their attending the anniversary celebration and visiting the city which is known as the “Big Apple”, President Feimster presented each with a crystal apple emblazoned with the SKÅL logo.

The celebration was made even more special with many presidents of northeast clubs in attendance. And in recognition of Kenya as the site of this year’s Skål World Congress, the club was privileged to have the United Nations Ambassador from Kenya as a guest along with a number of officials from Kenya Airways.

In addition to a wonderful meal at one of the city’s premier restaurants, each Skålleague and guest at the celebration received a commemorative wine glass which had the NY Skål special 80th Anniversary logo on it.

Skål Boston Past Presidents Luncheon

Skål Boston held its annual Past Presidents luncheon on Thursday, April 19. The event was hosted by Jim Carmody the Vice President and General Manager of the Seaport Hotel and his staff in Boston’s historic waterfront area. The Lighthouse Ballroom was selected for the event with it’s wonderful view of the development of this area.

17 Past Presidents were in attendance to be honored by 139 members. Roger Saunders, Skål

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Boston President in 1976 headed the list of honored guests.

President Edward Friedrich welcomed the honored guests and members and thanked them for their contribution to making Skål Boston the amazing club it continues to be.

Over $1,000 was sold in raffle tickets and prizes were donated by many members. A great time was had by all.

Skål International Says Farewell to Director Mark Alexander

Hard-working Skålleague Mark Alexander passed away on May 5 after a brief illness. The Skål and travel and tourism community are deeply saddened to hear of Mark’s untimely death. He is described as a shining light and dedicated member of Skål. Skål International President Susanna Saari said “I cannot express the pain I feel. It was an honor to have known such a great person, and we will all miss him terribly, and (he) will always be remembered. “ Mark was a Director for Skål International and a member from Northern Ireland and the International Councellor for the UK since 2015. Mark ran his own business – M.A. Consulting in the UK for the past 17 years, with extensive experience in the hotel industry and destination marketing. Mark will be remembered for his humor and kindness. He will very much be missed. SI San Francisco Holds May Meeting at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco

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