American Bus Association Marketplace - Speed Dating for Bath Tourism!
“How do I grow my business and make sure more people planning trips to Maine know about the awesomeness that is Bath?” I have been asking smart people in the tourism business.
“Go to ABA!” they have replied. And so I did.
American Bus Association Marketplace is a once a year event where bus tour operators and hotels/attractions (like me) get together “speed dating” style and build business relationships.
To prepare, I created my profile sheet, ordered some swag (see above pic) including treats from Bath Sweet Shoppe, and packed my bags for Reno, NV! (Never been and as you know, so it goes with conferences, I still feel like I haven’t been).
Had to stop by the Oklahoma booth for some Soonner swag for Ben.
The conference had all the normal features - education sessions, an exhibit hall, lunches and dinners with speakers and local entertainment. But the main events are the “appointments” wherein operators and suppliers meet and, well, talk business.
I had about 40 scheduled meetings. They take place in a cordoned off section of the convention center. They are scheduled precisely - one every 7 minutes. Suppliers like me move from meeting to meeting, while the buyers sit at tables, receiving us like royalty. : )
Here I am (at right) making my pitch. Note the big board with the time constantly ticking down, so you know when it’s time to get up and going to your next appointment.
I loved the whole thing. 7 minutes was an ok amount of time to make a pitch, a quick connection, grab a business card and move on.
There is so much to say about Bath (lol said the tour guide), but the time constraints helped me focus and zero in. See a time lapse video of the whole process, at right.
The appointments take place over 3 days, but mine were all scheduled on the 3rd day. So, had to keep the energy levels high!
Well, how did it go? Bath was very well received! I met with big players like Globus, Road Scholar and Collette; and many smaller operators who might do only one tour a year out of Bethlehem, PA or Peoria, IL. I pitched my tours along with those of Maine’s First Ship and of course our beloved Maritime Museum as a “triple threat”! For those who are used to the more visited places in Maine, Bath presents as a hidden gem, with all the bells and whistles a tourist would expect, and without any of the headaches.
I think we will see a few more tour buses downtown this summer! But, as expected, most are planning for 2027 and beyond, so it is definitely a long term project. Stay tuned!
Timi of Timi’s Tours came to Bath last summer with a group on an American Cruise Lines tour. I was very happy to see her again and she was happy to pose with her Bath swag!
It wasn’t all work work work. A big attraction of this conference is meeting people from all over the country, doing the same work, with their little twist. Next year, the conference is in Calgary. They hired an actual Mountie (red uniform and all) to pose with attendees, but I am not posting that photo!
Maine and Lancaster, PA had a little tiff over WHERE the whoopie pie was invented!
Now it’s all about the follow up. I have a stack of business cards and reams of notes and can’t wait to keep pitching Bath. Thank you to my fellow attendees, especially the tremendous support from Chiara at the State’s tourism office. I loved camaraderie with Julianna from the Maritime Museum and the other veteran attendees from across our great state who made it feel like it wasn’t my first time. And next time, it won’t be!
