Success Equals Good Planning & Good Execution
by Gene Muchanski
Editor, The Dive Industry Professional

If this editorial was written at the beginning of the month it would have covered exciting things that were happening in September, like the introduction of a new dive season, Surf Expo, the Saint Lucia Photo Fest, the Roatan Photo Fest, and Cathy Church’s guided dive trips to the Solomon Islands.  Unfortunately, Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose changed all that.

Now we have shifted gears to cover good planning and shift execution.  Keep your life simple.  Focus on and protect what’s important to you.  Live like today is your last day but plan as if you were going to live forever.  Making the most of your life is living at the top of your game.  What’s important to you?  If there are many things that are important to you, then a balanced life should be your highest priority.  Ask yourself, how can you get the most out of life doing the things that mean the most to you?  That goes for your career also.  Important decisions like where do you train to learn what you need to know to do your job?  Where do you work and with whom do you work to grow in your chosen profession?  What is the end goal and how long will it take for you to get there?  How will you know that you’ve arrived?  If you haven’t asked yourself these questions before, NOW is the time to do that.

The Industry is getting ready for DEMA Show right now.  You have about a month and a half to finish up your pre-show marketing and plan your at-show strategy and your post-show follow-up.  Do you know why you are exhibiting or attending?  Is your plan an end goal or a means to a larger goal?  Have you read Rhonda Abrams’ Trade Show In A Day? 

How about after DEMA?  Have you looked into exhibiting or attending Regional Dive Shows in 2018?  Lone Star State Dive Show, Our World Underwater, Beneath the Sea, Scuba & H2O Adventure Show and Scuba Show?  Now is the time to get the best prices on booth space, airfare and hotels.  Draw up a strategy for each show and included a pre-show, at-show and post-show segment.  Join the Dive Industry Association and have them help you with your plans.

Would you like to help the industry grow next year?  Make it a plan to donate to the Dive Industry Foundation, our industry non-profit, tax exempt, charitable organization, dedicated to promoting economic growth in the diving industry.  $10, $20, $100 or 10% of your company profits are all acceptable donations.

Whatever you decide to do with your marketing budget next year, doing it with purpose and do it with a plan.  Here’s wishing you a successful year in 2018.