April 2021

HCI Monthly News & Updates
Message from our Board Chair

Pivot. Pivot! PIVOT!! PI-VOT!!! Does anyone watch the reruns of, or remember watching every Thursday night, the iconic TV show Friends? (If you aren’t familiar, Google the Friends Episode “The One with the Cop” for the PIVOTal scene referenced. 😊) Anyway, Ross’s voice screaming “PIVOT!” has been stuck in my head since watching and listening to Catherine Prather’s presentation at the 2021 Virtual Peer Group Conference titled Resiliency and the Changing Landscape of Packaged Travel. I found her description and interpretation of PIVOTing very helpful and useful when talking to my bank’s management team about our return to travel. We in the travel and tourism industry have been shaken to the very core of our existence this past year, and yet to see each and every one of you: presenters, attendees and staff, at Peer Group this year was inspiring and re-energizing. We’ve all had to PIVOT (with many exclamation points!) and change the way we do business, learn new virtual platforms, and find interesting and innovative ways to engage our customers. And from what I saw and heard, you all did it beautifully. It was a privilege and a blessing to come together as a group and share our ideas, experiences and knowledge. It gave me hope. Showed me the value of PIVOTing in all its iterations and how we’ll use it to recover and move forward. I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by innovators in travel, thanks to Heritage Clubs International and the connections I’ve been afforded as a member. And as your new Board Chair, I hope that I can help deliver to you what HCI has given to me – Prosperity, Innovation, Value, Opportunity, Trust. PIVOT! 😊

Allison

Allison Whalen
Summit Club Director
F & M Community Bank
Preston, MN








WHAT A GREAT CONFERENCE!

Check out the testimonials from our conference delegates

Partners, Preferred Tour Operator and Bank Club Directors had wonderful things to say about HCI's virtual Peer Group that they attended in February.



The conference was so well run and well worth it. The cost was so low, I don't know how you did it, but thank you for an excellent conference. ~Cindy Salta, Bank of New Hampshire (Laconia, NH)

Great Conference!! Thanks for all the hard work to make this an outstanding experience!! ~Rob Callahan, CBCD, First Midwest Bank (Poplar Bluff, MO)

I was pleasantly surprised of how smoothly the zoom conference operated. Kudos to you. ~Melody Beecham, Hometown Bank of Corbin (Corbin, KY)

I am glad we had the ZOOM conference in 2021 and I was able to participate. I am looking forward to conference in 2022. I enjoy getting to know the HCI members and feel we have been able to bond more with the recent calls and the conference. ~June O'Hanlon, Cadence Bank (Macon, GA)

I thought this year's conference was excellent and exceeded any preconceived notions I had about virtual conferences. I thought it would be too long of a day on Zoom however; the days went quickly, even too quickly. ~Anonymous Banker

The content of the conference could not have been any better for what we are dealing with at this moment. I feel inspired after every conference, but this one, in particular, needed to inspire....and it did not disappoint on any level!! I have felt strongly about our PTO's after every conference, but for whatever reason, this one made me even more adamant about working exclusively with PTO's. With the addition of the two new PTO's, my coworkers no longer have any argument to throw my way in order to justify going outside our incredible HCI Partners & PTOs, and that is a relief for me! ~Tammy Browning, CBCD, Central Bank (Spirit Lake, IA)

I can not thank HCI enough for putting together such an outstanding conference. It was wonderful to see everyone on zoom. Of course we miss the hugs, but wow, just wow! The conference always gives me the tools and motivation to keep my club moving forward. This year's conference was full of valuable insight on how to get our clubs "On the road again." ~Diane Susong, CBCD, Home State Bank (Crystal Lake, IL)

All of these sessions were jam packed with helpful information. I told my boss that I got so much out of this conference and would like to attend this one each year. Very impressed! ~Anonymous Banker

I was so pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the virtual conference. The training before and the ability to test things out made all the difference for me. Then having Tina right there with us to help and share her beautiful smile and amazing knowledge and positive attitude... PRICELESS!!!!! ~Anonymous Banker

I loved every second of the conference, learning and getting to know you all. Looking forward to doing this again in the future! ~Anonymous Banker


Before, during and after was phenomenal. I do feel like it is a great group of people with whom I'm excited to work with. I was invigorated after Peer Group. ~Gracia Pinzino, St. Joseph, MO

The virtual conference was great! You always make this conference a great experience! ~Lisa Kukulski, Circle Michigan

Great conference! Every aspect seemed to run so smoothly and it was so much more organized than other virtual shows in which I've participated. ~Anonymous Partner

Great speakers and sessions, as always! It's great to hear insight form professionals. The topics such as return to safe travel and mental health all felt very relevant. Appropriate and timely information considering what we've all been through in the past year. ~Anonymous Partner

I really enjoyed the BAM appointments and I'm glad Ted suggested last year that I attend those to make the connections. The conference flowed nicely and the zoom/breakout rooms worked wonderfully. I can't even imagine how much time it took to put together this kind of remote meeting...so GREAT job on the conference! ~Eric Andersen, Arch Insurance

It was a great conference. Thank you to everyone that helped to make it such a success! ~Julie Kronlage, Travel Dubuque

I am excited to meet my HCI Family in person again! ~Nicki Brus, Visit Quad Cities
HCI Welcomes 2 New Preferred Tour Operators

We are excited to introduce to you the representatives of our newest PTO's: Zack Sayles from GoNext and Ryan Medinger from Allied Tour & Travel.

If you were are at Peer Group, you got to meet them already, but for those of you who weren't, we want to make sure that you know them and know how to get in touch with them to help you plan a great tour.
Since 1962, Allied Tour & Travel has learned that you want the group travel process to be simple from start to finish. In order to do that, you need a reliable partner to do the heavy lifting with planning and logistics. The problem is, it’s hard to find someone who really listens to your needs, which leaves you feeling like you’re doing most of the work. We believe group travel planning should be a pleasant, worry-free process. We’re here for you! 

Ryan Medinger
Omaha, NE
(402) 830-5082
For nearly 50 years, building trusted relationships, responding to guest needs with new travel experiences, and cultivating a dedicated expert staff have helped us help you see the world. It's a joy to do what we do, and we can't wait to bring you new adventures. Where will you Go Next?

Zack Sayles
West Des Moines, IA
(515) 229-0211
HCI is extremely proud to be able to provide you with so many excellent options to help you plan your club travel. Whatever your need, one of our PTOs can provide. And, traveling with an HCI PTO can save you money on your annual membership dues!

You did a great job. It's the best virtual event I have attended. ~Michael Lundquist, Mayflower Cruises & Tours

Great info. I was prepared for learning and perspective. That's just what I received. ~Ryan Medinger, Allied Tour & Travel

Fantastic content! ~Anonymous PTO
RALLY CALL
April 27 at 10:00 am CT

Amber Thomas, CBCD, and Kathy Bengtson, CBCD will be taking their groups on tour this month.

We have scheduled a rally call to hear from them firsthand how it went and what they experienced.

Join us via Zoom to listen and ask questions as you prepare for your club's first post-pandemic tour.

Time: Apr 27, 2021 10:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting:

Meeting ID: 848 9272 8210
Passcode: 595038

Dial by your location:
    +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
    +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
    +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
    +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
    +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
    +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
3 Simple Questions

We love getting to know our HCI family members better through their responses to fun questions each month.

Here's who responded to our February questions:
Michael Lundquist
Mayflower Cruises & Tours
Winston-Salem, NC
Kathy Leesekamp
Farmers State Bank
Marion, IA
Renee Zaiser, CBCD
Two Rivers Bank & Trust
Burlington, IA
Brenda Reicks
F & M Community Bank
Preston, MN
Nicki Brus
Visit Quad Cities
Moline, IL
June O'Hanlon
Cadence Bank
Macon, GA
Here's their responses:

The Super Bowl is February 7. Who do you think will win? Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Kansas City Chiefs?
  • Tampa Bay? I really don't watch much football. (Brenda)
  • Kansas City Chiefs (Kathy)
  • Midwest all the way! Kansas City!(Nicki)
  • Tampa Bay (June)
  • Was hoping for Kansas City Chiefs but they lost (Renee)
  • Tampa Bay, but easy to predict on 2/16. ;) (Michael)

What is your favorite sports team?
  • MN Twins, It's fun to go to Target Field! (Brenda)
  • Colts (Kathy)
  • Chicago Cubs (Nicki)
  • Atlanta Braves (June)
  • Iowa Hawkeyes & Chicago Cubs (Renee)
  • Iowa Hawkeyes (Michael)

February 15 is President's Day. Which US president would you like to have a conversation with? What about?
  • Abraham Lincoln, He has always intrigued me. (Brenda)
  • Abraham Lincoln-Challenges/thought for time period (Kathy)
  • President Barack Obama. EVERYTHING! (Nicki)
  • George Bush - 9/11 (June)
  • President Kennedy about his life (Renee)
  • George Washington to ask what he thinks about 2021 (Michael)