Bryan Schielke 0:00

You move from leading sales strategy inside Marriott to leading entire destination organizations. What leadership muscle did you have to build fast to go from selling rooms to selling a whole city?

Ron Price 0:10

Oh, that's a good one. That's a good question. And it's something that I get to share with a lot of my counterparts that are coming from the hotel side, especially from corporate. And one of the big things that the change is at a hotel, you get to control everything, right? At a hotel, you get to make decisions, whether you're you're changing, you know, some of the strategy or or how you want to yield your product for pricing. And when you drop over to the destination marketing side, you don't have that control, right? And so you really have to lean into growing your influence leadership style. And uh, how do you influence those hotels and those different industry stakeholders to make decisions, right? And so we use a lot of our time studying metrics and key data points. And so when we're going after, you know, a different strategy change for leisure travel or going after major events, and you know, I can't tell the hotels what to do, but we can help influence them and show them, you know, what the data says and and what the return on the investment may be based upon making those right decisions. But that's a big one, especially when you grow up in the industry and you're used to saying, hey, I'm gonna make this decision decision to yield my product a certain way, and I'm gonna see in real time, you know, how that pays off by who's buying the product and not. So that's a big one to overcome. Big change, yeah, definitely.

Bryan Schielke 1:20

Yeah. All right. Appreciate it. Okay. Next question. Destination marketing is really relationship leadership at scale with hotels, airlines, venues, and government all pulling in different directions. What's your playbook for aligning stakeholders when the incentives are not naturally aligned?

Ron Price 1:36

No, it's you're exactly right. When you look at destination marketing, it is really about the relationship leadership at scale. And so you you think about we all have unique characteristics, unique goals that we're trying to achieve. And I think for us, it really gets into understanding what a DMO does, right? The destination marketing organization. I say that we really have one purpose, and that's create demand. And so there's many ways we do this through sales, through marketing, but we're trying to create demand for the destination. And so as we are working with a lot of the stakeholders, we all want the same thing. We want more demand. A hotel wants more people to buy their products so they can pick and choose. They can adjust their pricing accordingly, right? The more demand you have, the more upside and the margin you have. Same with the airlines and all that. So when we get into these type of opportunities and everyone is incentivized in different ways, there is always that common thread of all that we're we're trying to accomplish. And how do we do more with what we have? And I think that's the main piece for us is getting over and sh everyone shaking their head in the same direction, which is kind of what we get to do from a DMO perspective, not just with our stakeholders from the hotel and the industry side, but also with our government officials, whether it be the governor's office or the the mayor's office, elected officials, is we're here to do something pretty remarkable. We're not here to be status quo. So what are the things we can work together on to grow the pie, right? And if we can do that, everyone's slice of that pie is just gonna be that much bigger. And so that's kind of our our focus when we get into thinking about coming into situations where we can all win on something. But good question. Yeah. That's awesome.

Bryan Schielke 3:15

Very cool. You led DMOs through massive market shifts. When the economy turns or travel demand changes overnight, what's the first decision you make to protect momentum without panicking the team?

Ron Price 3:25

Oh, that is that is true. And I think we just went through that here in 2020. I've been in this industry for over 30 years and had, you know, witnessed and been through plenty of of these cycles. And some of these aren't your typical cycles where it's the financial cycle, but you do have these things where, you know, like a COVID happens or, you know, 9-11 happens, and what does that do to the industry? And I think the first thing you really focus on is, you know, clarity over activity. And as a leader, having lived through this, you know, our natural instinct is to do a lot and do a lot more. And what the team really needs is direction during those, that time frame, right? And so for us, we kind of look at and ask ourselves the you know, several questions. One is, you know, what has changed? And second, it's it's what hasn't changed. And then we still have to be thinking about what are the things that we can leverage through that. And so as we think about, you know, from a leadership standpoint, how do we communicate? How do we take advantage of of the understanding of changing of some of these sudden shifts? For example, you know, like when COVID happens, a great example. We stopped getting on airplanes for the most part, right? We stopped traveling out of state, but we did travel in state or we took a road trip. And so from a marketing standpoint, how do we change and shift our strategy based upon those dynamics and be able to communicate that to not just our team, but also to, you know, our partners and understanding the strategy than which we're taking as a state or which we're taking as a destination? Because at the same time, you know, the business is still open. And so we we had to make sure that we're doing our best to do what I said earlier earlier, which is how do we create demand for those that are still needing to have dollars flow through their cash registers, so to speak? Yeah.

Bryan Schielke 5:06

Fantastic. A win like a new international route or major sporting event can change a region's trajectory. How do you evaluate which opportunities are brand building versus just short-term headlines?

Ron Price 5:15

That's a good question. Well, I will tell you that we look at everything through the lens of a long-term play. And not to say that the short-term headlines aren't great because they are, but I think when you look at our mindset, is we have more of a legacy mindset, is what are the type of things and actions that we can do to, like I said earlier, build a better community? I always use the term as you know, our job is to be a community architect. What are we doing to make sure that people who are in our seats after us or people who live in the community have a better community to live in? And so you think of those things you just mentioned. So the, you know, the one that happened most recently is the new direct uh flights into Taiwan, these new international flights, we're an international city. So, you know, we're constantly looking to build uh alignment with new airlines and do direct flights. But for us, as we're kind of moving it into a position of being the leader in semiconducting business in the nation and hopefully in the world down the road, it's instrumental that we start connecting us to those right places in the world. So that's that's got that legacy type of mentality to it. And then when you think of things that you would normally think of, like a Super Bowl, hey, it's a one-time hit, but it has a huge economic impact to it. We kind of flip it around. And I'll I'll give you a little insight and something I get to talk about a lot when we go after major events, and we've hosted a lot of them. It's not just about the game. And so you think if you've been to a Super Bowl, you've been to a major event, you're there to have fun, it's week, you know, a week of activity and and parties and all these things, and it's a great economic impact to the destination. But what we don't talk about enough is the businesses that come in for the game, the corporations that come in for the game. So we do a we always do this for a lot of our major events is we do like a CEO roundtable or a CEO forum where we're bringing in companies to come in who are coming with the Super Bowl, but they're site selectors. And we'll get to invite people to these as well. And I think the win for us is when you look at the companies that have come in, and especially in the 2015 Super Bowl and 23 Super Bowl, 2015, I think we landed 12 companies to relocate to the Phoenix area. Hundred plus companies came in, 12 of them relocated in. That's huge. So that has what we call the Halo effect. They're not just coming in for the game, but they're, you know, years down the road employing hundreds and hundreds of people. And then 2023, I think the number has grown to about 15 companies. So as we're still one of the fastest growing areas in the US, taking advantage of hosting these big events so that it's not just the economic impact. And what I love about the Super Bowl and these big events, it puts us on the world stage from a marketing standpoint, but also it's that capture of, man, we got new new companies moving in, we're hiring new people, we're bringing new people and attracting new people to Arizona and the Phoenix area is what I really get excited about. So there's a lot into those two things. But I think as we look at that, the legacy opportunity, those long-term opportunities, going back to what I said, is it what's going to have the biggest opportunity to build a better community down the road? That's amazing. Oh, talk about an impact.

Bryan Schielke 8:18

That's fantastic. Good stuff. Okay. Um, you have a reputation for strategic vision and influential leadership. What does that look like in your weekly rhythm? How you communicate, what you measure, and where you spend your time?

Ron Price 8:31

I tell you, a lot of what I spend my time, I try to be intentional about where I spend my time. And I think as I've gotten more mature as a leader, you really start to dive into it. And I have kids now that are growing up in the respective industries and talking about leadership. And I love having that opportunity to talk about it, but I've realized how I've grown through the years as a leader, and I really kind of divide it into, you know, two or three different buckets where I spend my time. It starts with the people. I'm really big on building an incredible culture. I want to be at a place where, you know, everyone rolls out of the bed in the morning is excited to come into the office and get to work with the colleagues and do great things. So people's a big piece of that. Strategy as well. I mean, we're very strategic in what we get to do. Everything that we we do around the DMO side, how we market, how we sell, how we we influence, it's very strategic based on data and research. So that'd be another bucket. And I think the the third bucket is just as important. And that is how I spend my time building relationships. And I think for any of us, in fact, I just did an interview the other day, and it it got back down to this is how important it for us to build relationships, you know, how important that is in our industry, in any industry. And especially if we're gonna be influencers or or kind of have that seat at the table, is do you have that capacity to build relationships with a wide degree of varying people, you know, elected officials or heads of major industry trade from other countries? And because we're you gotta think about it, DMO isn't just focused on just that one destination, but the tentacles stretch out across the world, especially if you're getting an astronaut destination. So how are you good at building those relationships and connecting the right people? I think is is vastly important for us. And so, you know, for our for me where I sit, working with the city, work with the state, work for the airport, a thousand plus members we have at Visit Phoenix, understanding what they want and what they need and see how we can deliver on that, I think, is a huge part of that. But those are kind of the three buckets, you know, the the internal piece with the people, making sure that our team is working in the right direction and making sure I have time and intentionally being there for them each and every day and and making sure that culture is there and then also be able to explain what we're trying to accomplish. I think the one thing that I get excited about and is consistent for me is if if if people understand the why of what we're trying to do, they can they can execute on the how. And so I want to make sure I'm investing all the time I need for you know my team on that. That's fantastic. I love that.

Bryan Schielke 11:01

Very cool. All right. Last question here. For leaders trying to reach the top of their field, what's mattered more in your career? Technical skill, trust, or timing? And how did you intentionally cultivate it across different cities and organizations?

Ron Price 11:14

You know, this is another one that's it's a great question. And I think through just being a leader in the industry for a long time, you start to realize, you know, what makes the the success follow, right? And the key things you focusing on. I think all three of them are important. But if I had to choose one, trust is is my answer. I think skills get you in the room, right? And timing creates opportunity. But I think when you start thinking about your trust, it allows for you to lead at a higher level. And I think that's what's the key about it. As we think about trust, it's built over time. And kind of the the question before, you know, is how do you get into the positions to make decisions or be a part of a conversation that's going to lead and direct the future of a city or a destination? You don't get a seat at the table unless you have trust and amongst your peer set and your colleagues. And so I think I'm I'm very fortunate in my career to have worked for great leaders and great colleagues and peers that have been leaders, whether they're leaders with the at the state level, from a governor to those up in the White House and obviously here locally. And I think that to me, I've realized in order to get anything accomplished at a at the level you're you're asked to be there by your board or by your peer set, you've got to have the trust and they have to have the trust in you and uh to listen to what you have to say. And I think one of the things uh an old mentor said is your reputation travels faster than your resume. And so making sure you spend time in building trust with the right people is very key to that. So, but great question there. And I talk about that with all the the folks I get to mentor, including my kids. Make sure you're you're treating everyone with respect on your way up the ladder as you never know who you're gonna be working with down the road. Build trust with those people.

Bryan Schielke 12:57

Love that. Well, and I can I can see your passion. So I I really appreciate that. Yeah, this is fantastic. Great job. Thanks, Brian.