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Don Bender is a designer and marketing consultant with an international focus. He is an author, writer and speaker with substantial experience in hospitality, travel and tourism.

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Don Bender is a designer and marketing consultant with an international focus. He is an author, writer and speaker with substantial experience in hospitality, travel and tourism.

 

Don began his career in advertising in New York City. He has been responsible, at various times, for developing original creative concepts, branding, new business development, website design, digital content creation and technology training.

 

A popular speaker, he is also the author of numerous articles and white papers. His articles have been utilized in classes at universities worldwide from Cornell to the Hong Kong Polytechnic.

 

Don created the The Online Marketer and Recommended Surfing columns for the Marketing Review of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). His first book, Marketing on the Web: Internet Strategies for Hospitality, Travel and Tourism was a best seller for its publisher. 

 

Don has been featured in major media, including the New York Times, and has appeared on national television on numerous occasions. He was included in Who’s Who in the Media and Communications and has volunteered with VITA, UNICEF and Wikipedia. Don received the Al Bard Award for his work with the Adrian Awards covering advertising, public relations and digital media for the global travel sector.

 

Don enjoys cycling, hiking, boating and photography. During the spring of 2017, he completed Unleashing Creative Innovation and Building Great Products, through Stanford University.

KNOWLEDGE

Effective Website Design

This white paper examines how website design can positively impact sales for the global hospitality, travel and tourism sectors.
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Intercultural Competence

Intercultural Competence can provide you with valuable insights to enhance your organization’s international marketing efforts.
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Design Thinking

By applying the same creative thinking methods used by designers, you can help your organization supercharge its innovation process.
Read Article

Increase Your Design IQ

Design can provide your organization with a powerful competitive advantage. Here are nine ways to increase your design “IQ”.
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New Basics Of Online Sales

This article describes 25 essential techniques for enhancing your organization’s digital sales and marketing initiatives.
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Narrow Branding

A close-up or narrow view of your individual hotel or unique destination can yield insights to help you differentiate it from competitors.
Read Article

SELECT DESIGN PROJECTS

Romania Rebranding

Library Rebranding

Greenacre Park / New York City

Romania Tourism Logo

Jane Addams Rebranding

European Hotel Blog

Magazine Illustration

Business Website

EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

Branding & Identity
Original concepts for branding and visual identity for companies and organizations within hospitality, travel, tourism, technology, non-profit and others.
International Focus
Travel experience, foreign language skills, intercultural competence and professional experience permit more effective performance on international projects.
Web Design
Creative strategies, concepts, layouts and designs for engaging and brand-aligned websites that strongly and clearly connect with customers.
WordPress
Marketing and communication strategies, theme selection and customization, plugins, visual design, branding, content creation, website migration.
Social Media
Creative concepts, strategy and design. Content creation including text (posts, tweets), original graphics, illustrations and photography.
Websites & Coding
Light coding with some of the key elements underlying websites including HTML, CSS, PHP, MySQL as well as Google Maps, and others.
Writing
Author of Marketing on the Web: Internet Strategies for Hospitality, Travel & Tourism, numerous articles on digital marketing. Wikipedia entries.
Technology
Technologically adept.  Explore new technologies and discovers creative ways of using technology for branding, marketing, communications.
Languages
Native English speaker. Varying degrees of competency in German, Swedish, Italian and others. Zertifikat Deutsch als Fremdsprache (Goethe Institut).
Speaking
Popular and dynamic speaker who engages audiences with critical insights presented in a highly engaging manner.
Teaching & Training
Conducted classes and seminars for a variety of digital marketing technologies including website creation and WordPress.
Content Creation
Content for websites and social media including articles, text, digital photographs, original graphics and illustrations.
Media
Highlighted in major media, including The New York Times. Appearances on NBC New York, CBS, ABC, The Travel Channel and others.
Volunteer Activities
Past activities include Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA), the New York Metro Committee for UNICEF. Creation of new Wikipedia entries and editing.
Board Experience
Ten years of board experience as a Trustee of the HSMAI Foundation, a global, non-profit, educational and research foundation based in Washington, DC.

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