Notes from a Press Trip

This morning at the breakfast buffet, I did something a little weird. After I’d emptied the rest of the sugar packet into my second cup of coffee, I filled the little brown package with salt, folded it in half, and tucked it into my wallet. That seemed a better thing to do than stealing borrowing the cheap plastic salt shaker, though I suppose I could have just asked the waitress, who surely has seen restaurant patrons do odder things in her time, for a dish of salt. I did this because I wanted nothing more than to have a nice salt water gargle to soothe my poor beleaguered throat. I will, I think, pack salt next time I travel, along with my neti pot, just in case this kind of thing comes up again.

This is the long way of telling you that I’m a little under the weather from the volcano’s effects on Hawaii’s air quality. I’m heading home mid-day today and for the first time ever since I’ve been coming to Hawaii, I’m glad to be doing so. I am beat.

This is the first time I’ve participated in the classic press trip. A bunch of journalist types from all over converge on a location and spend an inordinate amount of time together being curious and (hopefully) polite. They’re on an intense schedule of sleep – eat – see – travel – see – eat – sleep for the duration of the trip, and then, whoosh, it’s over, leaving the crew with a head full of new ideas, tired feet, sleep deprivation, and, if you’re me, a very mild case of what I think is bronchitis. It will go away in no time, I’m sure, once I’m back in the volcano free atmosphere of Seattle. Though yesterday, the trade winds started to blow, so better still would be a few more days right here in Hawaii.

I had an amazing time, I enjoyed almost everything to the fullest, save the tour of that rather mediocre hotel. I would much rather have had a shower and a glass of iced tea, but it was not to be, plus, the entire crew had the same wilted look by that time, so it’s not like I was the only one who needed laundering. Misery loves company. And luckily, the company was good, mostly. I took my turn being a bummer while hurling my lunch into Kona Bay (after said lunch spent a short stay in my belly) — after that, I passed the baton to others and oh, I’ve said enough.

I learned some things, too, about how these trips work. They’re not a vacation, not by a long shot, no matter how excellent your accommodation or fabulous your meals. It’s a slog without a lot of free time and you are expected to participate, every step of the way. And with that, here are my big takeaways from the press trip experience:

  • Go all in. Surrender yourself to the schedule. It’s possible to get some dispensation, but you need to do so in advance. It’s bad form to bail at the moment. I was tempted to back out of the boat tour, but really, it was too late. I should have done so before getting on the plane to the island if that was my intent.
  • Be on time. People are waiting, dammit. You’re pissing them off by fussing with your hair or whatever. Get into/out of the damn car.
  • Pay attention. It’s exhausting, but if you’re not paying attention, you’re going to miss it. Do your best to stay engaged. If that means asking, “Do I have time to grab more coffee?” well, do that. If you don’t engage, you’re aggravating your hosts who have made time for you and you’re missing the point.
  • Do your homework before the trip. I’m actually okay with going for the culture shock experience, but if you’re going to do that, you should engage (see above) but don’t waste anyone’s time asking rookie questions. Shut up and experience the place, scribble down your questions, then after you’re home you can follow up with the stuff that Wikipedia and Google won’t tell you. I’m also a big fan of reading while you go, because you have live context.
  • Have a sense of humor. Things will go wrong, you will get sick, lose your water bottle, hurl your lunch into Kona Bay, be paired with someone who drives you nuts for an afternoon, have to go to a nice dinner looking like you’ve been rolled down a cliff.  If you can’t take that stuff in stride, you might as well stay home.
  • Defer to the experts. I’m a dork. While we were talking about birds (I’m a bird hugger) I mentioned to a local that there are no hummingbirds in Hawaii. Duh. Like they don’t know. No one likes a know it all. I’m sort of crazy about hummingbirds, it gets away from me, but puh-leeze, I should shut up already.

This is all common sense stuff for travelers, really, but I was reminded of so much of it this last week. I would still rather travel alone, on my own schedule, on my own time — I’ve not been sold on the idea that the press trip is the way to go. But I’m really glad I came. The trip was 95% excellent 95% of the time and I enjoyed the company tremendously. I’m as surprised by that as anyone.

My trip to the Big Island of Hawaii was sponsored by the Big Island Visitor’s Bureau.

11 thoughts on “Notes from a Press Trip”

  1. Your bullet points should be required reading for any travel writer/blogger attending a press trip for the first time. That said, as a press-trip veteran, I know even seasoned journalists can be the most inconsiderate travel partners — being late to the bus, ducking out of stops/activities on the itinerary, asking for “special treatment” all along the way.

    Many times hosts *can* be flexible — if you are deathly afraid of horses, perhaps you can skip out on the scheduled trail ride. But by all means tell them AHEAD of time, before they’ve made all of the arrangements/bought the tickets.

    You are there as the GUEST of a visitors bureau, resort or attraction. Follow the rules. Show up on time. Be courteous. Simple stuff — common sense. But it’s nuts how many people can’t be bothered by following group-travel etiquette.

    On another note, I’ve also learned to ask for a tentative itinerary before accepting a press trip. In general, if it’s chock full of early mornings, multiple hotel tours, late nights and attractions I don’t write about (i.e. golf), I pass on the trip (unless it’s to a location I’m absolutely dying to get to, and may not ever be able to afford going on my own). I prefer group trips that allow me free time to digest what I’ve seen/done along the way, and also “live blog” on location – hard to do that when you’re run ragged from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

    Thanks for sharing your point of view, Pam!

    Reply
  2. pam – great tips. we’ve not been on press trips, although have had things arranged for us. in fact, i can’t even imagine going on one, with my disabilities and a kid! lol…glad you went – and shared it with us. hope you feel better soon.

    Reply
  3. Hope you’re breathing normally again by now…Lately, it seems like human beings aren’t safe in the water, on land or from the air…

    I agree entirely with both your and Kara’s advice (and I’ve been on two press trips with her so far, so she and I could just as well speak for each other on this issue).

    I’d add that it can be difficult to get an itinerary or a list of your press-trip mates ahead of time, unless your PR rep is 1) on the ball and 2) grasps the beauty of social media.

    Being able to connect with fellow press-trippers ahead of time can go a long way toward establishing a peaceful summer camp vibe once you’ve all arrived…especially because there’s not often a lot of time to bond while you’re running pell-mell across a state/country. A group that plays well together stands a better chance of getting all they info they collectively need.

    P.S.: I’ve been to three Hawaiian islands, some of them twice…and didn’t know about the hummingbird thing. Thanks, Miss Know-it-All.

    Reply
  4. Amen sista!!! I hope you feel better. Try eating watermelon or drink watermelon juice. It’s a Chinese Medicine remedy that really helps! Peppermint tea with honey is great too.

    Reply
  5. Way to not mention the V word, Pam! 😉 I agree wholeheartedly with all that you said, and your bullet points are good reminders for any journalist embarking on a press trip, even those of us who have been on that circus ride many times before. I do hope you feel better soon. ‘Twas lovely meeting you, and I do hope to see you when you venture back our way.

    Reply
  6. Pam,

    Coming off the heels of my first press trip, I wholeheartedly agree with your comments. We were on the go between 7:30 AM and generally didn’t return to the hotel until after 10:00 PM, which didn’t leave much time for enjoying the fabulous hotel. Short breaks in the afternoon were extremely useful, if only long enough to review my notes (anything else I didn’t get written down?) and fire up my computer. No doubt about it, you’re engaged, and no matter how fabulous the meal/event/site visit, it’s work.

    Melanie’s comments above are priceless, including this gem: “Being able to connect with fellow press-trippers ahead of time can go a long way toward establishing a peaceful summer camp vibe once you’ve all arrived…especially because there’s not often a lot of time to bond while you’re running pell-mell across a state/country. A group that plays well together stands a better chance of getting all they info they collectively need.”

    Reply
  7. It was so great to finally meet you in person and I wish you would have had more time to relax.

    I understand the intent and purposes of these trips and I will put in a suggestion to those that may listen that maybe they should let the folks have a little more “Down Time” while they are here.

    I feel privileged to have met you and thank god for the press organizers of this trip for notifying me that you were on island… otherwise I may have totally missed out on meeting someone I have long admired.

    Reply
  8. Great tips on “Notes from a press trip.” As a press trip warrior, I so appreciate when our hosts build in down time.

    As a print journalist and travel blogger it is important for PR people to note that bloggers need internet access and time to file a blog post during the trip.

    While my magazine articles look beautiful on your coffee table, it is the online content that is searched for and viewed over and over again.

    Thanks, Pam. Hope you are feeling better.

    Reply
  9. Totally agree with your post, Pam, and also Kara’s comments.

    Like Nancy, I appreciate when PR people provide the time and internet access for me to do my job as a travel blogger. And, she is so right about online content. Viewers arrive at online content, most of the time, through a search because they want to read about the topic. Do they read every article in that glossy magazine on the coffee table?

    Hope you’re feeling better by now, Pam.

    Reply

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