Press trip accommodations

testerdahl

testerdahl

Administrator
Staff member
There's been a LOT of conversation amongst journalists on press trips accommodations and items related to drive events. I've talked about this before with some behind the scenes videos. Basically, a first drive event is one where the automaker flies you in, pays for flight, hotel and food in exchange for you covering whatever vehicle or thing they want to promote. They pay for travel since most outlets, including mine, can't afford to pay our own way. I'd lose tens of thousands a year doing that.

Typically, they are a two-day program. You fly in, have dinner and drinks. Next morning, you do a presentation, drive and fly back home. I do anywhere from 10-20 of these each year and Jill does twice as many. Some of the bigger outlets do over a 100.

Just real quick, no they aren't "buying" my view with the fancy accommodations. That's absurd. My integrity is all I have and I'm not going to give them up because the room is nice or the bed is comfortable.

Automakers like to pick out fancy hotels and this has been a criticism of most journalists. Fancy hotels often don't have a desk in the room or good Wi-Fi. The fact is it sounds like a vacation to outsiders, but I/we still have work to do. I spent a lot of time yesterday, in fact, in my room, putting out work and have already put in 2-3 hours of work this morning.

I've argued for less fancy hotels and meals.

Turns out, the automakers pick hotels based on what they perceive the lifestyle of the vehicle buyer may be like AND a place their executives want to stay. GMC VP doesn't stay at a Motel 6 folks. So, I'm not winning that argument.

This week, the GMC VP sure is getting a nice place to stay and so are we. I thought you guys would enjoy seeing the pics. This hotel is one of the nicer ones I've stayed this year. It isn't out of the ordinary though. Most hotels we stay at are like this.

Here's my Instagram with photos:
 
I was going to post a question. What does a typically day/week look like for you, especially now that you are feeling better? I always find that kind of thing interesting.
 
Beninbeta said:
I was going to post a question. What does a typically day/week look like for you, especially now that you are feeling better? I always find that kind of thing interesting.
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Oh jeez. Typical. LOL. There's nothing typical for me.

When I'm home, I get up at 5:30 and play some games on my iPad while I wake up. Then, as the coffee hits, I start thinking about work. I'll normally start at 8 after I drop the boys off at school. I tend to be very efficient with my work and I can knock out a video and a website story in under an hour. I typically have a written to-do list on my desk where I keep track of story and video ideas. I usually pick something from the list. If I don't have anything I also have a variety of automated emails that come through with story ideas. PR also sends out press releases.

I'll also batch shoot and batch write sometimes. The truck reliability story went live yesterday. It is actually a 3 video and 2 post series. I shot three videos in an hour - one truck, one SUV and one car. I also wrote up two stories for the website (one truck, one SUV) and that was about 3 hours of work total with editing and video processing time.

On the wall behind my desk, I have a dry erase board where I list out each video I plan to run per day. This keeps my stress down and I focus on one video at a time.

For website stories, it is really more about when I feel the urge to write more than anything else. Google has screwed over the website with some changes to the algorithm and it's dented my interest in doing a lot of writing. Jill and I are working on a new review format for the website which should inspire me to write more in the coming month. The first post is ready for Jill to review and I wrote that this morning.

Typically, I have what I need to get done by 10 or 11 am. I then grab a quick lunch and either play golf, go to the store, film a video or whatever for the rest of the day. Then, I'll check comments, this forum, my email throughout the night while watching TV.

During the summer, I'll play golf at like 7 am due to the heat and then work inside in the afternoon. Now with bike riding, I'll just toss that into the mix a few times a week and play less golf. My goal is to play 3 times a week, bike ride 3 times a week and then lift weights with my boys once a week.

I tend to be a very driven person and this helps running the business and working from home. It also caused me to see a shrink a few years ago. He told me, "if you could just chill out and lay on the couch watching Netflix you'd be a LOT happier. But I know you can't." I try! I'll literally turn on a movie during the day, but that drives me insane. Covid was rough for me mentally. I have to be out doing something and I love to travel in the winter. Being stuck at home, with the wife and kids, and not going anywhere sucked.

I often work 7 days a week. Every day is like Monday for me. I try to take a day off here or there and I've gotten better about taking periods of time off. It is just hard when my office door is just down the hall.

When I travel, my work gets squeezed into snippets of time and it is long hours. I took my wife to an event once, very rare opportunity GM invited spouses. About 4 hours into the first day and she was worn out. She told me to go ahead and go off to happy hour without her. LOL

My Dad said the same thing. I took him with me when I did the Toyota Tundra crash testing video. We got there at 8 am and I started doing my thing. Then, we played golf with the VP at his course. The VP and I played and talked. My Dad and I got back to the car at like 7 pm. He looked at me and shook his head. "You started talking to him at 8 am about work and you didn't stop talking all day! How are you not tired?!" LOL

It is just how I work.

That's why I like golfing or riding my bike. It is the rare times when I can't think about work. I have to focus on that activity. Gives my brain a break.
 
testerdahl said:
Oh jeez. Typical. LOL. There's nothing typical for me.

When I'm home, I get up at 5:30 and play some games on my iPad while I wake up. Then, as the coffee hits, I start thinking about work. I'll normally start at 8 after I drop the boys off at school. I tend to be very efficient with my work and I can knock out a video and a website story in under an hour. I typically have a written to-do list on my desk where I keep track of story and video ideas. I usually pick something from the list. If I don't have anything I also have a variety of automated emails that come through with story ideas. PR also sends out press releases.

I'll also batch shoot and batch write sometimes. The truck reliability story went live yesterday. It is actually a 3 video and 2 post series. I shot three videos in an hour - one truck, one SUV and one car. I also wrote up two stories for the website (one truck, one SUV) and that was about 3 hours of work total with editing and video processing time.

On the wall behind my desk, I have a dry erase board where I list out each video I plan to run per day. This keeps my stress down and I focus on one video at a time.

For website stories, it is really more about when I feel the urge to write more than anything else. Google has screwed over the website with some changes to the algorithm and it's dented my interest in doing a lot of writing. Jill and I are working on a new review format for the website which should inspire me to write more in the coming month. The first post is ready for Jill to review and I wrote that this morning.

Typically, I have what I need to get done by 10 or 11 am. I then grab a quick lunch and either play golf, go to the store, film a video or whatever for the rest of the day. Then, I'll check comments, this forum, my email throughout the night while watching TV.

During the summer, I'll play golf at like 7 am due to the heat and then work inside in the afternoon. Now with bike riding, I'll just toss that into the mix a few times a week and play less golf. My goal is to play 3 times a week, bike ride 3 times a week and then lift weights with my boys once a week.

I tend to be a very driven person and this helps running the business and working from home. It also caused me to see a shrink a few years ago. He told me, "if you could just chill out and lay on the couch watching Netflix you'd be a LOT happier. But I know you can't." I try! I'll literally turn on a movie during the day, but that drives me insane. Covid was rough for me mentally. I have to be out doing something and I love to travel in the winter. Being stuck at home, with the wife and kids, and not going anywhere sucked.

I often work 7 days a week. Every day is like Monday for me. I try to take a day off here or there and I've gotten better about taking periods of time off. It is just hard when my office door is just down the hall.

When I travel, my work gets squeezed into snippets of time and it is long hours. I took my wife to an event once, very rare opportunity GM invited spouses. About 4 hours into the first day and she was worn out. She told me to go ahead and go off to happy hour without her. LOL

My Dad said the same thing. I took him with me when I did the Toyota Tundra crash testing video. We got there at 8 am and I started doing my thing. Then, we played golf with the VP at his course. The VP and I played and talked. My Dad and I got back to the car at like 7 pm. He looked at me and shook his head. "You started talking to him at 8 am about work and you didn't stop talking all day! How are you not tired?!" LOL

It is just how I work.

That's why I like golfing or riding my bike. It is the rare times when I can't think about work. I have to focus on that activity. Gives my brain a break.
Click to expand...
Wow. This makes me glad I’m retired.
 
testerdahl said:
There's been a LOT of conversation amongst journalists on press trips accommodations and items related to drive events. I've talked about this before with some behind the scenes videos. Basically, a first drive event is one where the automaker flies you in, pays for flight, hotel and food in exchange for you covering whatever vehicle or thing they want to promote. They pay for travel since most outlets, including mine, can't afford to pay our own way. I'd lose tens of thousands a year doing that.

Typically, they are a two-day program. You fly in, have dinner and drinks. Next morning, you do a presentation, drive and fly back home. I do anywhere from 10-20 of these each year and Jill does twice as many. Some of the bigger outlets do over a 100.

Just real quick, no they aren't "buying" my view with the fancy accommodations. That's absurd. My integrity is all I have and I'm not going to give them up because the room is nice or the bed is comfortable.

Automakers like to pick out fancy hotels and this has been a criticism of most journalists. Fancy hotels often don't have a desk in the room or good Wi-Fi. The fact is it sounds like a vacation to outsiders, but I/we still have work to do. I spent a lot of time yesterday, in fact, in my room, putting out work and have already put in 2-3 hours of work this morning.

I've argued for less fancy hotels and meals.

Turns out, the automakers pick hotels based on what they perceive the lifestyle of the vehicle buyer may be like AND a place their executives want to stay. GMC VP doesn't stay at a Motel 6 folks. So, I'm not winning that argument.

This week, the GMC VP sure is getting a nice place to stay and so are we. I thought you guys would enjoy seeing the pics. This hotel is one of the nicer ones I've stayed this year. It isn't out of the ordinary though. Most hotels we stay at are like this.

Here's my Instagram with photos:
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm with you. When I traveled for work, I looked for good wifi and a place to work as the top features. A breakfast of some sort was always nice. I used to seek out the Hyatt House as they often had a bar as well.
 
I just want to know if you bring along an extra bag just for the goodies on the tray. You know that they're going to throw it all out anyway.
 
Saddle Tramp said:
I just want to know if you bring along an extra bag just for the goodies on the tray. You know that they're going to throw it all out anyway.
Click to expand...
I don't. I rarely eat them either. Sometimes we get gift bags with local treats. Chevy gave us a swag bag of food in Michigan. I gave it to my step mom. It was popcorn, Vernors pop, etc... Local stuff.
 
Saddle Tramp said:
They better have had Better Made potato chips in there.
Click to expand...
They did. They also had some milk chocolates with caramel squares and sea salt sprinkled on top. I ate about 3 of them and then immediately put those sons of bitches back! Addictive as hell and I certainly don't need those calories!
 
Saddle Tramp said:
I just want to know if you bring along an extra bag just for the goodies on the tray. You know that they're going to throw it all out anyway.
Click to expand...
They probably charge to restock anything missing from that tray. I pulled a bottle of juice out of a mini-fridge once to read the label. I didn't drink it and put it back. The fridge automatically identifies what was removed and charged my room.
 
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