Innovation Is at the Margins

DCVB staff last week reaped nine awards in statewide, independent, blind judging for innovative practices. That was about half of the innovations awarded at NCACVB's Annual Meeting and part of 12 Destination Marketing Achievement awards overall.

Since 2000, this team reaped 22 Destination Marketing Achievement awards in this judging, and in just three years, it has reaped 24 innovation awards.

I'm very proud of them as they should be of themselves. But having innovation as a core value and strength has rewards of its own. It fuels productivity and effectiveness and a passion for continuing and never-ending improvement.

The trick is to remember that innovation occurs when you improve or tweak or adapt improvements at the margins. Not everyone can be da Vinci, but everyone can modify, tweak or adapt things.