Describe your job.
I produce, report and write travel and lifestyle stories for print, internet and television. Before starting my business, I produced and reported for CNN's weekly travel show.

What time/day is best to call?
Mornings are best, but I'll take calls anytime, including weekends.

How do you like to be contacted? (e-mail, phone, fax, mail)
I prefer first contact to be by e-mail. kalinthomas@yahoo.com

Which topics are hot right now? Which are not?
Multicultural Tourism and visiting sites that have history and culture related to your own ethnic background are popular right now. The African-American market is an exploding niche in the travel industry. There are ski clubs, cruises, sailing clubs, surfing clubs, etc. geared toward African-American travelers. In addition, convention and visitors bureaus are developing brochures geared toward this market. Finally, despite its cold climate, Antarctica is hot with cruise travelers.
What's NOT hot is traveling to political "hot spots" like the Middle East.

What's your most memorable experience with a PR person?
I've worked with many good PR folks, but the PR reps for the Convention & Visitors Bureaus in Baltimore, Birmingham and Toronto are great! They have fantastic attitudes and take care of every little detail so that all I have to worry about is getting the story. When the unexpected happens, they know how to handle it quickly without missing a beat! It made my job easier, and the stories were a joy to write. I also liked that they made themselves available (by phone) 24 hours a day for emergencies, or just to find a good place to go for dinner.

Anything else you'd like Atlanta's public relations industry to know?
A good PR person knows how to balance the job of getting what their client wants, while also getting what the journalist needs. They should know how to be there for the journalist, without breathing down their neck to get what the client wants. It's a fine line, but when it's done well we LOVE you, and everybody wins!

Our thanks to this month's Media Pro Guest Columnist.
Ms. Kalin Thomas
See The World Productions
4805 Lawrenceville Highway, Suite 116-274
Lilburn, Georgia 30047
404-863-8182
kalinthomas@yahoo.com