Calgary, Alberta, Canada, March 31, 2011– Social media expert Catherine Heeg, a leading tourism and hospitality industry marketing veteran, provides cutting-edge strategic and tactical social media marketing support to tourism industry stakeholders.

           “The tourism industry has historically been highly relationship driven,” says Catherine Heeg, presidentof Customized Management Solutions. “At industry events, there is a great deal of hugging as familiar faces see one another again. Contact via the telephone or in person remains a critical success factor. In thishigh-touch world, many tourism professionals have found it challenging to adapt to the high-tech world of social media. That is why I have found it so gratifying to provide them with the expertise and support that they need in order to fully leverage this revolutionary new medium.”

A regular contributor to the National Tour Association’s (NTA) Courier magazine, Ms. Heeg recently became a consultant to the prestigious International Tour Management Institute (ITMI), America’s premier school for professional tour directors and guides. In addition to hand’s-on consulting, she is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at tourism industry events throughout the United States and Canada.

“For some time, we have known that we need to have a social media presence,” states Ted Bravos, CEO of ITMI. “We were all a bit intimidated by the process and no one really had the time to devote to learning the many facets of effective social media marketing. Meeting Catherine at a recent NTA Convention was a godsend, now we can rely on her expertise to guide us. She is a tremendous time and stress saver.”

About Catherine Heeg: 

Catherine Heeg, a speaker and trainer, is the founder of Customized Management Solutions. For nearly three decades, she has been providing marketing expertise and training to the North American travel, tourism and hospitality industry. With the emergence of social media, she now leverages her knowledge to help tour operators, travel agents, event managers and other industry stakeholder establish, grow and expand their presence on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Catherine Heeg at 403.607.9177 or email: catherine.heeg@cmsspeaking.com or visit www.cmsspeaking.com. Catherine’s podcasts may be found at catherineheeg.podomatic.com.

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