Is it time to get an expert opinion?
Travel PR
As a freelance travel journalist who currently writes a weekly column in The Guardian that enjoys a wide following, a regular page in Condé Nast Traveller and frequent contributions to British lifestyle magazines, Sally Shalam has no intention of straying into the world of public relations. Except, that is, if your client events, workshops or staff training programme would benefit from the appearance of a straight-talking, amusing and approachable commentator who has probably read more press releases than you have eaten Pret sushi, and can debunk the mysterious workings of the press, what really constitutes ‘a story’ and how to sidestep the Delete button on a journalist’s keyboard.
Small businesses
The British holiday industry has never been as exciting and innovative as it is right now, but for the small, independent accommodation provider, it can often be hard to keep pace with modern trends, let alone recognise important opportunities and capitalise on them. Who exactly is your business competing with now? How can you up your game? What avenues are open to you for promotion, finding new markets, and even media coverage?
Cumbria Tourism has booked Sally Shalam on two separate occasions to cover these issues, as headline speaker at inspirational workshop days for its members. In October, she advised a steady stream of bed and breakfast owners booked in for a private one-to-one surgery as part of Alastair Sawday’s first-ever annual members’ Gathering. Previous engagements include the NWDA’s Regional Tourism Conference, and other tourism-driven events.
Public speaking
A former Hotelier of the Year recently told Sally Shalam her feedback is ‘that of an enlightened guest’. The number of nights she spends as a travel writer in small, independent B&Bs, hotels and self-catering cottages for her reviews in the national press runs into hundreds, and entails, as part of her travelling experience, forays to local pubs, cafés, restaurants, food producers, shops and attractions.
Here is a (by no means exhaustive) list of pet subjects (because she can also expound on, for example, the trials and tribulations of swapping London for the country, or doing up an old house on a wing and a prayer), but the following tend to be areas most in demand, in no particular order…
Why the UK is my all-time favourite destination The importance of regional identity and branding
What the travelling public wants right now
Why it is vital to exceed guest expectation
How small businesses can stimulate media interest
If you are interested in booking a workshop, consultation or speaking engagement, please contact Sally Shalam. |
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| What they are saying…
‘I can think of no journalist better qualified to talk on the subject of bed and breakfast or hotels in the UK’
– Alastair Sawday
‘No danger of death by Powerpoint – instead our members found the discussions excellent and motivational’
– Julie Darroch, Cumbria Tourism
‘Sally's insider tips are invaluable’
– Small World Marketing
‘Students' one-to-one sessions with her were immediately over-subscribed’
– Expo ’09, University of Leeds
‘Consistently informs and inspires’
– Jennifer Cox, author (Around the World in 80 Dates)
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