[NEW EPISODE] Virtual Tour Events One and a Half Years Into the Pandemic

On this week’s show we will explore how some of New York’s best tour companies have been providing their programming and even creating

 new content during the pandemic, and what their future New York programming may look like. My guests will be Rediscovering New York regular Justin Rivers, Chief Experience Officer and Lead Tour Guide for Untapped New York, https://untappedcities.com/; and Corey William Schneider, CEO and Founder, New York Adventure Club, https://about.nyadventureclub.com/about/.

Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Tonight’s show is focused on the topic of virtual New York tours a year and a half into the pandemic. Justin Rivers is one of the guests who is the Chief Executive Officer and Lead Tour Guide for Untapped New York. He is originally from New Jersey then went to school in New York and never returned. He first got into the industry after pitching a Penn Station tour idea. Justin was unsure about the responses he would receive but everyone enjoyed it which led to more opportunities in the future. Eventually, he accepted a principal position at Untapped New York. During the pandemic, they successfully embraced the challenge of converting their in person tours into a virtual experience that was just as informative.

Segment 2

One of the first tours that Justin offered once the pandemic occurred were of Grand Central and Penn Station. He was very surprised to see how many people were attending. Many people also enjoyed his virtual coffee tour. Furthermore, Justin cannot believe that it took the pandemic for people to realize how big the virtual tour market is. Even after the pandemic ends, he is still obligated to continue virtual tours because he has many members all around the world who cannot visit New York personally. In addition, he mentions how the most popular tours at Untapped New York are usually the ones that display what the state was compared to what it is currently. People can learn more information at https://untappedcities.com/

Segment 3

The second guest is named Corey William Schneider who is the CEO and Founder of the New York Adventure Club. He started the group in 2014 after going on a personal journey and exploring on his own. Before he knew it, he had many people messaging him online asking him how to buy tickets. Around the start of the pandemic, people started canceling their events and meetings around February 2020 which led to a complete shut down. He was also forced to convert his live tours to virtual after deciphering how. His audiences love being able to sit at home and learn virtually. Some of the most popular tours for New York Adventure Club are nostalgic ones. People love reminiscing on their memories.

Segment 4

Corey and New York Adventure Club offer a whisky, wine and chocolate tasting that can be sent to a client’s home. Jeff has attended multiple whisky tastings. Furthermore, Justin mentions how much the accessibility of his tours has improved. He does all virtual events on Zoom which allows people to share the access code. This permits more people to learn about New York while also growing his business. The majority of his events are New York focused but they are currently working on covering London. People can find out more information at https://about.nyadventureclub.com/about/.

Transcript

00:00:31.680 --> 00:00:41.310 Jeff Goodman: Hello everyone, welcome to our listeners in the big apple from across the US and around the world i'm Jeff Goodman and you've tuned into rediscovering New York.

00:00:42.030 --> 00:00:48.120 Jeff Goodman: professionally i'm a real estate broker with brown Harris Stevens uh but our show is not a show about real estate.

00:00:48.750 --> 00:00:56.370 Jeff Goodman: rediscovering New York as a weekly program celebrating New York City, its history, its texture its vibe its uniqueness.

00:00:56.970 --> 00:01:07.260 Jeff Goodman: And we do it through interviews with historians local business owners nonprofit organizations preservationists local musicians and artists and the occasional elected official.

00:01:08.520 --> 00:01:17.610 Jeff Goodman: On some shows we bring you in individual New York neighborhood we bring it to life we explore its history, its current energy what makes that particular New York neighborhood special.

00:01:18.570 --> 00:01:25.170 Jeff Goodman: On some shows like tonight's we showcase and interesting and vital color of the city that's not focused on one particular neighborhood.

00:01:26.100 --> 00:01:34.380 Jeff Goodman: On prior episodes we've covered topics as diverse and illuminating as American presidents who came from lived in or had some interesting history here in New York.

00:01:34.980 --> 00:01:40.260 Jeff Goodman: we've looked at the history of women activists in the suffrage movement, the history of different immigrant communities.

00:01:40.770 --> 00:01:47.970 Jeff Goodman: we've looked at the history of the city's LGBT community in the gay rights movement we've explored bicycles they've been here for 200 years.

00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:55.920 Jeff Goodman: we've looked at the history of punk and opera we've visited our public library systems, we visited the subway and it's public art.

00:01:56.610 --> 00:02:01.350 Jeff Goodman: We visited some of our greatest train stations and even some of our bridges, just to name a few.

00:02:02.250 --> 00:02:17.880 Jeff Goodman: After the broadcast you can catch each show on podcasts were on apple spotify Amazon podcasts stitcher Google podcasts and some other services who carry your feet tonight is actually a special episode we're going to talk about New York.

00:02:19.260 --> 00:02:33.060 Jeff Goodman: In sort of general terms, but specifically within the realm of touring and virtual tours we bring to new year we bring New York to you on audio, but there are some great companies that bring the best of New York to their audiences.

00:02:33.570 --> 00:02:45.720 Jeff Goodman: Through live events and through virtual events and tonight we're going to focus on the state of virtual events and some touring companies, one and a half years into the pandemic and what the future holds for this.

00:02:46.830 --> 00:02:48.780 Jeff Goodman: New development in the industry.

00:02:50.040 --> 00:03:00.450 Jeff Goodman: My first guest is no stranger to rediscovering New York he's justin rivers justin is the chief experience officer and lead tour guide for untapped New York used to be called untapped cities.

00:03:01.050 --> 00:03:12.330 Jeff Goodman: justin started his careers in New York City middle school English language teacher on the lower East side and he got his start in this business by dragging his students to historic sites across the city.

00:03:13.200 --> 00:03:18.450 Jeff Goodman: He became co creator of the one to city it's a graphic novel that reimagines New York city's entire history.

00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:28.650 Jeff Goodman: He was also the playwright, and producer of the eternal space it's an off broadway play that centered on the demolition of New York city's penn station that, by the way, is one of the offerings of untapped New York.

00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:38.040 Jeff Goodman: it's with this production and one simple tweet that he fell head over heels for untapped New York who he partner with for his remnants of the penn station tour.

00:03:38.640 --> 00:03:43.740 Jeff Goodman: Along with his role as chief experience officer justin is the founding director of the character connection initiative.

00:03:44.220 --> 00:03:48.990 Jeff Goodman: it's a nonprofit organization that connects character, education and mindfulness to middle school curriculum.

00:03:49.620 --> 00:03:54.780 Jeff Goodman: he's also creator and the lead tour guide for some for some of untapped new york's popular tours.

00:03:55.200 --> 00:04:03.720 Jeff Goodman: Including the underground tour of the subway the remnants of Dutch new Amsterdam the secrets of the brooklyn bridge the remnants of the world's fair tour and flushing meadow.

00:04:04.140 --> 00:04:16.620 Jeff Goodman: The secrets of coney island maritime history of New York, the hidden gems of Rafale Cuesta vino and the art and the New York City subway justin rivers it's always great to have you back to rediscovering New York welcome back.

00:04:16.860 --> 00:04:24.480 Untapped New York: Jeff always a pleasure and I realized now why we always run out of time, during my segment, because my bio is 17 minutes long we really need to shorten that.

00:04:24.990 --> 00:04:29.280 Jeff Goodman: We need to shorten it but it's so wonderful to read all of your accomplishments and all of your commitment.

00:04:29.280 --> 00:04:34.290 Jeff Goodman: I haven't had the heart to cut it down, but I promise you, the next time you're on the show i'll do that.

00:04:34.410 --> 00:04:36.270 Untapped New York: No, no it's my fault, I sent it to you.

00:04:37.320 --> 00:04:40.890 Untapped New York: i'm sorry, but now always good to be here Jeff, thank you for having me.

00:04:41.070 --> 00:04:50.040 Jeff Goodman: it's always good to have you um I always like to ask ask our guests if they're from the New York area you haven't been on the show in a while you are originally from the New York area aren't you.

00:04:50.190 --> 00:05:03.360 Untapped New York: I am yeah so I was born a 25 minutes outside of New York and hackensack New Jersey and I always say don't hold that against me, but then I lived in New Jersey until I was 18 and moved to the bronx to go to school at fordham and never came back.

00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:06.510 Jeff Goodman: So and we've had you on our forum show and i'm done.

00:05:07.890 --> 00:05:08.760 Untapped New York: That was a lot of fun.

00:05:09.060 --> 00:05:14.520 Jeff Goodman: But it was it was a show from April, and it is available on podcasts which are listeners can listen to it was a fun show.

00:05:15.240 --> 00:05:27.990 Jeff Goodman: um What was your career and business path justin that led you to where you are right now at untapped New York specifically illuminating the city and the best of it and the tours that you create and host and lead.

00:05:28.830 --> 00:05:36.960 Untapped New York: yeah so I mean, as you already mentioned, I started out as an English language arts teacher on the lower East side right out of college, I was 22 and.

00:05:38.010 --> 00:05:46.530 Untapped New York: I had a bunch of sixth, seventh and eighth graders who were completely bored with social studies in history, and I was like guys you live in the most history dense area of the country let's get out and.

00:05:46.860 --> 00:05:55.950 Untapped New York: Experience you know the fence at Bowling green and I started taking them all around and they really liked it, they were pretty tough customers all those kids so I was like I really enjoy this.

00:05:56.400 --> 00:06:07.740 Untapped New York: um but it from there, I was writing plays because I had been a playwright in college and in high school and the penn station play got picked up and in 2015 2014 2015.

00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:15.360 Untapped New York: I had been a big fan of untapped cities, you know, Michelle was running the magazine component at that point and I reached out to Michelle young our founder and I said hey.

00:06:15.900 --> 00:06:25.170 Untapped New York: You know what i've got an idea just some crazy thing about you know guerrilla marketing for the show how about we do a penn station tour and I thought she was going to completely be like this guy's cookie like don't.

00:06:25.470 --> 00:06:35.400 Untapped New York: Never wrote me back she did immediately and said let's do it and that's how I fell into this that's exactly how it all started with with pen and with a simple tweet and then an email.

00:06:36.330 --> 00:06:49.710 Jeff Goodman: Well there's a difference between providing content for a content provider who says hey you have a cool idea great idea let's let's incorporate that that into our offerings how did you become a principle that untapped New York what what had what was that what was that, like.

00:06:49.980 --> 00:07:01.770 Untapped New York: So you know I came in at a time when it was just basically editorial I think Michelle was partnering with the woolworth building to get the woolworths tour, and that was one of the first experiences untapped started offering.

00:07:02.430 --> 00:07:09.690 Untapped New York: And then, Michelle married her wonderful husband August and pass gay, who was in marketing for l'oreal and he had said, you know let's expand the company.

00:07:10.440 --> 00:07:15.270 Untapped New York: And then expanding the company, he said let's do experiences that go along with the editorial.

00:07:15.570 --> 00:07:21.780 Untapped New York: And I stepped in and apparently this pen tour was just blowing up all over the place, and I didn't even realize what I was doing.

00:07:21.990 --> 00:07:25.170 Untapped New York: I was bringing people around pen and showing them the parts that I thought was great.

00:07:25.410 --> 00:07:33.150 Untapped New York: And all of a sudden, people were coming on the tour and I don't know if you know justin for it but justin for out there, he was one of you know, New York city's best tour guides for decades.

00:07:33.390 --> 00:07:42.450 Untapped New York: came on the tour, and he pulled me aside after the tour, and he said, are you license and I said no, and he said get your license I wrote the exam on.

00:07:42.540 --> 00:07:47.340 Jeff Goodman: I thought he was gonna turn you away when he said, you know it was coming on to a fever actually taking notes, though i'm.

00:07:47.340 --> 00:07:48.120 Jeff Goodman: Joking obviously.

00:07:48.150 --> 00:07:53.790 Untapped New York: No, I know, and I thought, so too, I was like oh crap this isn't the chicks up I didn't even know about the DEA license but um.

00:07:54.420 --> 00:08:00.960 Untapped New York: He he he inspired me and then basically what happened was untapped said, do you have any other ideas for tourists.

00:08:01.230 --> 00:08:09.900 Untapped New York: And I said yeah i've got like mountains of research on other writing projects, the wonder city, which you mentioned, I had done years in New York City research and I said I could turn these into tours.

00:08:10.740 --> 00:08:17.580 Untapped New York: And we started the underground subway Dutch new Amsterdam coney island all came from those experiences and I.

00:08:18.090 --> 00:08:23.340 Untapped New York: developed all the tours I started leading all the tours and then they got big I needed to train people to give the tours.

00:08:23.580 --> 00:08:35.010 Untapped New York: And that's how I became a principal Michelle and August and said, you know we'd like you to be Cone we'd like you to grow with us and the company, and this was about six or so years ago and I said yeah Of course I and i'd love to.

00:08:35.940 --> 00:08:40.860 Jeff Goodman: Well i'm a little angry because you've never officially invited me to any of the content actually everyone that's not true.

00:08:41.970 --> 00:08:44.340 Jeff Goodman: justin has I just don't have taken advantage of.

00:08:46.380 --> 00:08:52.020 Jeff Goodman: And then, and you know the one the one I want to go on first is depend is the is the remnants of penn station.

00:08:52.050 --> 00:08:53.520 Untapped New York: got a concept you gotta come on it.

00:08:53.670 --> 00:08:58.380 Jeff Goodman: Well we'll talk offline about dates, you know but usually you know, be in the real estate business I work on weekends and that's your.

00:08:58.380 --> 00:09:00.690 Untapped New York: Night Saturday, being a tour business I work on weekends.

00:09:00.930 --> 00:09:03.330 Jeff Goodman: Right right, so I should try to do that sometime.

00:09:03.900 --> 00:09:11.940 Jeff Goodman: um but but let's talk about the lay of the land and untapped you know I haven't asked you about this before, because when you're on the show we usually talk about like the neighborhood but now we're talking about about.

00:09:12.360 --> 00:09:19.800 Jeff Goodman: about the business of bringing New York July, for people um you have at least three different components in the business, you have an online magazine.

00:09:20.100 --> 00:09:25.770 Jeff Goodman: You have your insiders on I proud to be an insider everyone, you know I walked the walk when it comes down to New York.

00:09:26.160 --> 00:09:37.710 Jeff Goodman: And you also have public tour programming, do you want to talk about each of the components and how prior to coven they have sort of supported each other and lend a hand and help to to expand the business.

00:09:37.860 --> 00:09:46.950 Untapped New York: yeah sure um I, you know that something I didn't mention in my bio was I was doing blog writing for New York blogs as well in the early mid 2000s or so.

00:09:47.460 --> 00:09:49.110 Jeff Goodman: See, we have to expand your bio which.

00:09:49.980 --> 00:09:57.030 Untapped New York: We do not have to I I was, I was lead writer for a blog called F in park slope, and they use the full expletive, by the way.

00:09:57.720 --> 00:10:06.060 Untapped New York: which was a great it was a great blog to write for and I enjoyed New York based editorial that's how I became fans of untapped cities.

00:10:06.540 --> 00:10:15.810 Untapped New York: And untapped cities was its own self sustaining magazine for many years and then you know, realizing the lay of the land with how you know revenue streams for.

00:10:16.140 --> 00:10:25.530 Untapped New York: Online publications were not working very well untapped decided to keep the magazine alive, which was a passion project for Michelle we needed to generate revenue.

00:10:25.800 --> 00:10:34.410 Untapped New York: And of course revenue in the tourism industry in New York is you know pretty covert and I think even now and post coven will be you know, a huge revenue stream.

00:10:34.920 --> 00:10:44.430 Untapped New York: And so we decided to start turning the editorial into live experiences so what came first was the magazine, which still is robust and going today.

00:10:44.700 --> 00:10:52.440 Untapped New York: Then we did public tours basically anybody in the country can book an untapped cities tour, for you know weekends or weekdays.

00:10:53.130 --> 00:11:00.630 Untapped New York: Any of the ones that you mentioned we're still running secrets of grand central terminal on underground subway all of those are out in the world again.

00:11:01.560 --> 00:11:11.550 Untapped New York: But then I think it was three and a half years ago, we decided we really wanted to start a subscriber service that got new Yorkers New York based people.

00:11:11.880 --> 00:11:21.510 Untapped New York: into behind the scenes events into you know restaurants, to do tastings at different places, go to New bars that were opening to get tours of you know, new buildings that were.

00:11:21.780 --> 00:11:36.540 Untapped New York: Opening or renovations and we call that insiders and insiders is a monthly subscription base where anybody can join for its virtual 10 bucks a month 15 bucks a month for virtual in person, but we'll talk about that, because that wasn't always the case.

00:11:37.620 --> 00:11:45.840 Untapped New York: And you get access at least once or twice a week to different events throughout New York, which are behind the scenes and it's been it's been awesome.

00:11:46.470 --> 00:11:57.120 Jeff Goodman: i'm gonna have to upgrade my membership I started out of the $10 a month of service and I haven't gotten any invitations to live events lately i'm sure, also because of the pandemic, but we can that's a good jumping off point to talk about.

00:11:57.150 --> 00:12:03.930 Jeff Goodman: Well, when you the pandemic and, more specifically, you know how, when we stopped interacting with each other.

00:12:04.770 --> 00:12:19.020 Jeff Goodman: It started 17 months ago, almost to the day, well, I mean 17 months ago was St patty's day and in 2020 it was the second week coming into the third week of March, when did did untapped New York decide to start hosting virtual events.

00:12:20.310 --> 00:12:29.160 Untapped New York: So it was interesting we had just launched our edge tour with Hudson yards the week everything shut down because that's the edge opened, and we were full steam.

00:12:29.730 --> 00:12:42.540 Untapped New York: in person, and then we realized within days exponentially people started canceling the reservations for tours people were in showing up and then we went into lockdown that weekend before St patrick's day.

00:12:43.260 --> 00:12:49.620 Untapped New York: or actually that Sunday after St patrick's day and Michelle and August 2 and I immediately started meeting every day virtually.

00:12:50.040 --> 00:12:54.900 Untapped New York: And said we've got to pivot you know if we're going to try to survive this we've got to figure out what to do.

00:12:55.260 --> 00:13:03.150 Untapped New York: And you know automatically we just said, all right let's turn insiders into a virtual program to keep our insider subscriber base.

00:13:04.110 --> 00:13:11.970 Untapped New York: You know, we knew editorial wasn't going anywhere because editorial doesn't it wasn't a you know a thing people had to risk their lives to go out and you know for a pandemic with but.

00:13:12.990 --> 00:13:22.740 Untapped New York: We decided that the focus was going to be on keeping the subscribers and turning everything digital and we did that basically within seven days of the initial lockdown in March of 2020.

00:13:23.490 --> 00:13:34.320 Jeff Goodman: Well, would you say justin that the synergy of the different segments of untapped New York pre pandemic impacted the creation of your virtual events.

00:13:34.410 --> 00:13:44.970 Untapped New York: Oh completely yeah completely I mean what we basically did was the lowest hanging fruit was justin turn the tours into virtual experiences as quickly as you can.

00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:51.630 Untapped New York: So that was sort of the phase one programming was take up secrets of grand central underground subway.

00:13:52.050 --> 00:13:58.830 Untapped New York: Anybody that we had who had a book coming out that was going to be an in person book talk pivot all these guys to virtual throw them on zoom.

00:13:59.190 --> 00:14:10.740 Untapped New York: And we'll give them to the insiders and you know hope that the insiders will continue to support us and will continue to give them good programming it's just going to be from our living rooms and that's what happened now.

00:14:11.550 --> 00:14:21.750 Jeff Goodman: Was it just a matter of bringing a particular topic or subject that you would host a tour of into something let's say akin to a zoom platform would you say that you created something new.

00:14:22.620 --> 00:14:27.810 Untapped New York: um I you know it at the beginning that's what it was, but then we started basically.

00:14:28.650 --> 00:14:42.150 Untapped New York: Trying to hybridize experiences in not just having somebody sitting in front of a PowerPoint and doing a presentation we decided that our guides who needed money because we had a huge guy team that was out of work.

00:14:42.780 --> 00:14:51.270 Untapped New York: within weeks and we said hey if we give you a stabilizer will you go out in the field and actually lead your tour with your phone.

00:14:51.750 --> 00:15:00.630 Untapped New York: and capture the experience and then we'll live stream it in so that it feels like we're on a tour, and we had a bunch of guys, who did a really great.

00:15:01.230 --> 00:15:20.250 Untapped New York: You know cadre of successful live stream tours on the street, so we were giving a mix of virtual what we call talks and then live stream tours by April or May of 2020 we pivoted as quickly as we could so.

00:15:21.240 --> 00:15:30.450 Jeff Goodman: Well we're gonna take a short break and when we come back, I want to ask you about some of those tours that you did early on in the pandemic we're gonna take a short break and be back in a moment.

00:17:45.930 --> 00:17:53.760 Jeff Goodman: we're back, and can you believe this is episode 125 I can't believe that sometimes, but this is the hundred 25th episode of rediscovering New York.

00:17:54.330 --> 00:17:59.490 Jeff Goodman: And the special episode about the state or virtual tour events in New York, a year and a half into carbon.

00:17:59.910 --> 00:18:05.940 Jeff Goodman: My first guest is justin rivers justin is the chief experience officer and lead tour guide for untapped New York.

00:18:06.390 --> 00:18:20.940 Jeff Goodman: And right before the break, we were talking about the evolution of live events with the transformation of live events into virtual events justin what what were some of the first tours that you did that untapped New York did when you went virtual almost a year and a half ago.

00:18:21.420 --> 00:18:25.200 Untapped New York: I am pretty sure why know the first first.

00:18:25.830 --> 00:18:39.060 Untapped New York: i'll never forget the first program we did was our artists and residents Aaron assisted actually a photo walkthrough of all of his installations around New York, which was a lot of fun and then I think penn station, I did a remnant of penn station tour.

00:18:40.230 --> 00:18:50.010 Untapped New York: For the insiders which I remember, was really well attended and I, you know all of a sudden, I got nervous i'm like oh wait, people are really showing up I wasn't sure if we're gonna be talking to 10 people or five people or.

00:18:50.490 --> 00:18:54.390 Untapped New York: You know 100 and over 100 and some odd people came to that and I was like.

00:18:54.390 --> 00:18:56.400 Untapped New York: wow zoom capacity for this.

00:18:57.570 --> 00:19:08.160 Untapped New York: And it was interesting because in the first couple of weeks of the virtual programming publication picked it up and ran it and said, you know.

00:19:08.700 --> 00:19:17.910 Untapped New York: Experience tours from your couch in New York tours and we doubled the amount of insiders within two weeks, all of a sudden people from all over the world.

00:19:18.510 --> 00:19:33.510 Untapped New York: joined on we had people from London, we have people from Brazil, we had people from the west coast and they they're still with us, which is great, but yeah I know that the original tours penn station grand central the big New York programming was really, really popular.

00:19:33.870 --> 00:19:47.370 Jeff Goodman: Who were part of what you offered on tap New York a private tour experiences um how have you been where have you been able to do this on a virtual level, and if you have what what kind of tours have you been have you do you host for.

00:19:47.700 --> 00:19:49.050 Untapped New York: So these are some of my most.

00:19:49.050 --> 00:20:02.850 Untapped New York: fun stories throughout the pandemic, it was really nice people would reach out to us and say hey can we do a private virtual tour and i'd say Okay, and it was for every that we ran the gamut So my first private virtual tour was a birthday party.

00:20:04.080 --> 00:20:14.340 Untapped New York: For you know, a mother who wasn't able to see her daughter turn I believe it was 30 had decided to invite the family to his resume tour and do a grand central tour.

00:20:14.940 --> 00:20:21.540 Untapped New York: And we sang Happy Birthday to her, and then you know she talked to everybody and said hi and thank you for coming and.

00:20:21.840 --> 00:20:27.900 Untapped New York: And then they're like all right justin do the tour, and I was, like all right, so, then we did grand central they did Q amp a and it was great.

00:20:28.380 --> 00:20:38.370 Untapped New York: i've done quite a few for corporations or businesses have said, you know we have these happy hours are these you know staff developments, and can you do them for.

00:20:38.820 --> 00:20:51.660 Untapped New York: Our employees and their families, because they're all home and their families or home, so I was doing you know secrets of brooklyn bridge, for you know corporation, and the whole office and the kids are there and they're streaming them on their TV.

00:20:52.650 --> 00:21:03.510 Untapped New York: And the kids would be asking questions you know from these employees kids and it was great I did my favorite was, I think it was SNP I think did a happy hour.

00:21:04.620 --> 00:21:13.230 Untapped New York: For secrets of New York food edition, so I talked about all these like little secret food New York tidbits like the $10,000 Martini and.

00:21:14.280 --> 00:21:15.030 Untapped New York: They all had.

00:21:15.060 --> 00:21:17.940 Jeff Goodman: Without the algonquin with it with you right.

00:21:18.270 --> 00:21:28.110 Untapped New York: And with the ringer and they got to order dinner, and they were eating dinner, while I was talking about this stuff and then I did like trivia with them and we gave away prizes and it was you know.

00:21:28.830 --> 00:21:37.800 Untapped New York: It was, it was a lot of fun, so the private experiences and they're still going strong women's groups I I give a private tours to.

00:21:39.360 --> 00:21:52.740 Untapped New York: A senior Center in in would that have done a whole series of them, the AIA now is starting to do them so it's it's been very nice and gratifying and very sweet to have all these people still be interested in virtual programming.

00:21:53.550 --> 00:21:57.900 Jeff Goodman: Oh, a past episode that you are on was we talked about coffee and tea in New York.

00:21:58.080 --> 00:22:01.290 Jeff Goodman: Yes, and mcnulty is is one of your favorite retailer sellers.

00:22:01.470 --> 00:22:04.380 Jeff Goodman: As well for a private of like a virtual coffee tour of coffee.

00:22:04.380 --> 00:22:07.380 Untapped New York: Yes, well Harvard Harvard University alumni group.

00:22:07.410 --> 00:22:20.520 Untapped New York: reached out and said, can we do a virtual coffee hour with you and I said sure I was like that'll be great So the idea was I did my coffee tour virtually the Greenwich village based coffee tour which we talked about on the show.

00:22:20.970 --> 00:22:35.130 Untapped New York: And they brought their favorite type of coffee and beforehand everybody talked about what they were drinking and you know what they like, and you know, and then I did the coffee tour, and it was it was great I did that twice, I did it for Harvard and I did it for another group as well.

00:22:35.910 --> 00:22:38.550 Jeff Goodman: You know just talking about this, I can start to smell coffee.

00:22:38.760 --> 00:22:40.230 Untapped New York: I know right yeah.

00:22:42.750 --> 00:22:48.570 Jeff Goodman: Talk about what you call phase two of your pandemic programming it's really interesting how untapped New York is sort of.

00:22:49.950 --> 00:22:53.670 Jeff Goodman: How you've done pandemic programming and phases what's what's phase two.

00:22:53.850 --> 00:23:08.130 Untapped New York: So phase two is trying to package pandemic programming in a way that doesn't make it feel like pandemic programming so sort of turning it into I got the idea of backup for a minute I got the idea because.

00:23:08.610 --> 00:23:16.170 Untapped New York: I got an email or our customer insiders at email got an email from a woman and we thought it was going to be a complaint, because the title was up all night.

00:23:17.220 --> 00:23:27.240 Untapped New York: are losing sleep and I went oh boy oh that's not good and opened it and she was like i'm losing sleep, because I binge watching everything in your archives, because the insiders have.

00:23:27.600 --> 00:23:33.930 Untapped New York: Every every every single virtual event we've done since day one, is an insider archive you can watch, all of them.

00:23:34.740 --> 00:23:44.550 Untapped New York: And she was binge watching them and then I got more emails from people binge watching these things and i'm thinking to myself, I do them i'm like I don't know if I binge watched these they're just me, and you know.

00:23:44.970 --> 00:23:54.420 Untapped New York: presentations people love them, so what we decided to do was start doing more thematic overview programming so like we have a last New York series.

00:23:55.260 --> 00:24:02.580 Untapped New York: So we'll take different topics under that umbrella like the crystal Palace was our first one, the last Madison square gardens.

00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:06.810 Untapped New York: So it's becoming slightly more episodic and more thematic and trying just to.

00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:14.640 Untapped New York: move away from catch can like Oh, we need a virtual tour of this because we're running out of stuff to talk about or Oh, you know we're actually being more deliberate about it.

00:24:15.240 --> 00:24:21.210 Untapped New York: i'm doing an abandoned tomorrow i'm doing an abandoned brooklyn talk so highlighting different spaces around brooklyn that are still.

00:24:21.420 --> 00:24:30.000 Untapped New York: or in different states of abandonment, because people you know they love that stuff they love to see abandoned spaces in the history and the batcave and go honest and all that good stuff.

00:24:30.180 --> 00:24:33.510 Jeff Goodman: I got the email today, I think it was the batcave That was the picture of the main.

00:24:33.510 --> 00:24:33.900 Untapped New York: pick so.

00:24:34.410 --> 00:24:36.300 Untapped New York: That cake is, if you can picture, it is yes.

00:24:37.050 --> 00:24:38.250 Jeff Goodman: recognize it yeah.

00:24:38.970 --> 00:24:50.040 Jeff Goodman: justin would you say that hosting virtual events has become a new industry or a segment of a new industry over the last year and a half, instead of just a temporary way to provide.

00:24:50.370 --> 00:24:59.400 Jeff Goodman: The same content that you did before, to people, but you know couldn't see it because we obviously became restricted and how we can go out and hang around other people.

00:24:59.730 --> 00:25:06.990 Untapped New York: yeah I mean it's kind of odd that it took a pandemic, for us to realize this market exists because i'm sure as you'll hear from your next guest, you know.

00:25:07.620 --> 00:25:16.860 Untapped New York: Even if we wanted to go full tilt back into in person, which we basically have all of our in person experiences are back up and running, we now have an obligation to continue virtual programming.

00:25:17.250 --> 00:25:32.850 Untapped New York: Because I have people in London, I have people in in Alaska I have people in Seattle, who are still Members and who are not going to be coming to New York once a week for an insider program, so we are continuing to keep virtual programming going for them and.

00:25:33.750 --> 00:25:45.840 Untapped New York: it's still attracting people, for you know people who are no longer mobile or don't travel as much anymore, but it's it's a it's a marketplace yeah I mean, I think, and we have no intention of wrapping it up anytime soon.

00:25:46.530 --> 00:25:52.710 Jeff Goodman: especially here in New York, which is appropriately called from time to time, the island at the Center of the world right.

00:25:52.740 --> 00:25:55.560 Jeff Goodman: So people if they want to live vicariously.

00:25:55.560 --> 00:26:03.780 Jeff Goodman: actually now there's a whole new way of doing it exactly what what kind of virtual events have you found have been the most popular for untapped New York.

00:26:04.860 --> 00:26:19.110 Untapped New York: I would say the ones that are secrets of or remnants of or our last New York series has been very popular I think people like to see the juxtaposition between what New York was and what New York is so our most.

00:26:19.980 --> 00:26:26.130 Untapped New York: Popular program hands down was the fifth avenue mentions the last fifth avenue mentions of the gilded age.

00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:32.520 Untapped New York: People are obsessed with that topic, more so than I ever thought and initially I got into it thinking Well, this is interesting, but.

00:26:32.850 --> 00:26:41.070 Untapped New York: You know the buildings have history to them, but not, you know they were built quickly torn down quickly built a lot of greed and you know the vanderbilt's and.

00:26:41.520 --> 00:26:50.190 Untapped New York: The answers and all that stuff but people love it it's and then I realized why because, as I was presenting it it's like the kardashians its total reality TV.

00:26:50.430 --> 00:26:58.590 Untapped New York: For the late 1800s and early 1900s the way that you know the vanderbilt women all fought with the asked me to Mrs that I was like oh yeah this totally makes sense, so.

00:26:58.620 --> 00:27:00.270 Jeff Goodman: That people love that stuff they love.

00:27:00.450 --> 00:27:01.710 Jeff Goodman: More about fights and.

00:27:01.980 --> 00:27:04.050 Jeff Goodman: And intrigue and lets you know.

00:27:04.080 --> 00:27:15.090 Untapped New York: Once I created it and did it, it was our largest audience, to date, once I created it and did it then now privately everybody wants it, I get people a private request to do that to siri required.

00:27:15.390 --> 00:27:23.220 Untapped New York: Private and private requests all the time to do that tour and i'm like Oh, I completely get it now um so things that are very narrative based.

00:27:23.610 --> 00:27:32.940 Untapped New York: And things that have this sort of nostalgia for old New York and how it sort of reflects on modern New York, I think, are still very big in the virtual world.

00:27:33.510 --> 00:27:36.150 Jeff Goodman: Well, that leads me to a two part question next.

00:27:36.900 --> 00:27:44.910 Jeff Goodman: Where do you see virtual events going, and do you think that most people will want virtual events after the pandemic obviously people who live outside New York.

00:27:45.150 --> 00:27:56.640 Jeff Goodman: This is a way for them to experience the city and and touring that they wouldn't been able to do you think people who live here are going to still want to come to virtual events, instead of going to them live after the pandemic.

00:27:57.420 --> 00:27:59.580 Jeff Goodman: I hope after the pandemic, we hope you know.

00:27:59.820 --> 00:28:03.570 Untapped New York: Right right right yeah I think it's going to be a balance, I think.

00:28:04.440 --> 00:28:15.960 Untapped New York: Our New York based audience loves to come to virtual book talks and and more sort of niche New York topics that they might have to like you know trudge out to go to like you know, an event in sit down and get the book.

00:28:16.440 --> 00:28:26.340 Untapped New York: Virtual book talks are great because you just show up in your living room and you sit there, and you get to talk to the author and listen um I think it's going to be striking a balance between frequency.

00:28:27.570 --> 00:28:32.850 Untapped New York: And topic, so I think that virtual will live, I think it will live on for a very long time.

00:28:33.210 --> 00:28:45.600 Untapped New York: I think it won't be for us at least as robust, you know we were offering three to four sometimes five programs a week I think we're going to commit to in the future, one solid program a week and one.

00:28:45.900 --> 00:28:53.160 Untapped New York: sort of you know book talk or something a little bit more niche a week as well, so that there's there's availability, but it's not as.

00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:56.460 Untapped New York: saturated as it was during the pandemic.

00:28:56.940 --> 00:29:06.450 Jeff Goodman: Well, now that you started to do live events in New York for people who were here have you seen a tapering off of the demand for the virtual events from people who live in New York.

00:29:07.410 --> 00:29:20.310 Untapped New York: um I would have to say, talk to me in the fall because there's always a lessening of demand in the summer so into June, we had a very robust virtual Program.

00:29:20.820 --> 00:29:31.890 Untapped New York: While even while people were getting vaccinated but then you know July and August, when a lot of people sort of go away it's it's different it's harder to keep the audience numbers up, although our audience Members are okay.

00:29:32.760 --> 00:29:48.360 Untapped New York: So I think that now our virtual audience is very different from our live in person audience our virtual audience are people who are committed to being virtual because of you know they're they're not going anywhere they're not traveling there their homebound.

00:29:49.380 --> 00:30:01.410 Untapped New York: or they're just interested in something, because of the format, whereas our in person audience has been ready to go on tour since last March and are out and back in the world and and can't wait to go urban explorer and do all that stuff.

00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:11.850 Untapped New York: And the nice thing is i've done i've had this happen, many times over the past six months i've had people who've come up to me at tours as i'm checking them in and they go.

00:30:12.270 --> 00:30:20.430 Untapped New York: I am so happy to finally meet you and i'm like i'm sorry what they're like I watch you all the time and I went Oh, I totally forget that's like a thing.

00:30:20.790 --> 00:30:29.490 Untapped New York: um so now we're converting a lot of the virtual folks into in person phone so it's it's working it's a balance I think it's I think it's a good thing.

00:30:30.150 --> 00:30:33.750 Jeff Goodman: Well you've become you're becoming more famous than you were before the pandemic.

00:30:33.870 --> 00:30:39.750 Untapped New York: it's not even famous it's just the fact that i'm just out there, so much so it's like my faces, like it or not.

00:30:42.030 --> 00:30:43.740 Jeff Goodman: How can people find out about your Program.

00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:51.060 Untapped New York: So very simple if you go to untapped cities we're still on top cities.com, but if you type on tap New York, it will go to the same place.

00:30:51.840 --> 00:31:02.760 Untapped New York: At from the base magazine, you can go to insiders are you what untapped cities comm slash insiders to learn more about that program or untapped cities.com slash tours to learn about our public tours and.

00:31:03.510 --> 00:31:09.210 Untapped New York: we're very easy to find and very accessible and would welcome you at any time to become a part of our Community.

00:31:09.930 --> 00:31:14.400 Jeff Goodman: Well i'm glad to be part of it, and I still gotta get on your remnants of penn station tour.

00:31:14.970 --> 00:31:16.380 Untapped New York: you're welcome anytime.

00:31:16.740 --> 00:31:18.000 Jeff Goodman: send me the schedule for it.

00:31:18.180 --> 00:31:33.570 Jeff Goodman: yeah our first guest on this special about the state or virtual New York tour events, a year and a half into the pandemic has been justin rivers justin is the chief experience officer and lead tour guide for untapped untapped New York justin thanks again for being on the show.

00:31:34.620 --> 00:31:45.810 Jeff Goodman: we're going to take a short break and when we come back we're going to have an equally illuminating and fun conversation with my second guest who's also been on the show before we'll be back in just a moment.

00:34:16.020 --> 00:34:24.360 Jeff Goodman: we're back and you're back support for rediscovering New York comes from our sponsors to rock modi market strategist at freedom mortgage.

00:34:24.780 --> 00:34:31.440 Jeff Goodman: for assistance in any kind of residential mortgage to rod can be reached at 718-210-1167.

00:34:32.340 --> 00:34:38.610 Jeff Goodman: and support also comes from Jacqueline hospital interior design specializing in residential and commercial renovation and decorating.

00:34:39.270 --> 00:34:50.310 Jeff Goodman: Jacqueline can be reached at 3474821 700 you can like the show on Facebook and you can also follow me on instagram and Twitter my handles on all three are Jeff Goodman nyc.

00:34:51.000 --> 00:34:57.420 Jeff Goodman: If you have comments or questions or if you'd like to get on our mailing list, please email me Jeff at rediscovering New York ny seen.

00:34:58.140 --> 00:35:03.810 Jeff Goodman: One of the note before we get to our fine second guest, even though rediscovering New York is not a show about real estate.

00:35:04.290 --> 00:35:10.530 Jeff Goodman: When i'm not on the air i'm indeed a real estate agent now amazing city where I help my clients buy sell lease and rent property.

00:35:11.190 --> 00:35:22.830 Jeff Goodman: If you or someone you care about is considering a move into out of within New York I would love to help you with all those real estate needs, you can reach me and my team at 646-306-4761.

00:35:23.610 --> 00:35:29.820 Jeff Goodman: My second guest is corey William Schneider corey is the CEO and founder of new of the New York adventure club.

00:35:30.270 --> 00:35:43.170 Jeff Goodman: The social events company that organized a special access tours and events in and around New York City for its Community over 20,000 locals corey has been on the show before Cory it's great to have you back a hearty welcome back to rediscovering you.

00:35:43.530 --> 00:35:52.470 Corey Schneider: Thank you Jeff I think it's probably over a year just a little after all the covert stuff started happening so it's an interesting time since we last spoke.

00:35:52.710 --> 00:35:54.210 Jeff Goodman: Yes, and happy anniversary.

00:35:54.840 --> 00:35:55.170 Jeff Goodman: that's her.

00:35:55.500 --> 00:35:56.610 Corey Schneider: that's her hey Thank you.

00:35:57.420 --> 00:36:03.420 Jeff Goodman: it's often said that home, is where the heart is you're not from New York originally argue but you're here now we're Where are you from originally.

00:36:03.930 --> 00:36:17.970 Corey Schneider: Correct i'm also a New Jersey in from a small town called bedminster New Jersey Somerset county of nature, so I lived there through high school went to college in Washington DC and then eventually made my way.

00:36:18.480 --> 00:36:29.910 Corey Schneider: to New York where i've been ever since my 10 year New York anniversary is coming up and no matter how much of New York i've seen everyone says i'm not a new yorker until i've lived here for 10 years, so I.

00:36:30.840 --> 00:36:37.110 Jeff Goodman: i'm a native I disagree with that I think homes, where the heart is if you're here for two months, and this is where your home is you're a new yorker.

00:36:37.410 --> 00:36:38.160 Corey Schneider: Thank you, thank you.

00:36:38.730 --> 00:36:44.370 Jeff Goodman: Of course bedminster has also been in our lexicon for the last five years, but we can talk about that person's name.

00:36:44.370 --> 00:36:50.010 Corey Schneider: that's right that's another conversation very interesting experience last four years, my parents still live there.

00:36:50.220 --> 00:36:54.180 Jeff Goodman: Oh, but you have gone before, well, that will the club had been started, but not the notoriety.

00:36:54.300 --> 00:36:54.780 Jeff Goodman: that's you know.

00:36:54.810 --> 00:36:57.990 Corey Schneider: that's that's right our little town was that transformed let's say.

00:36:58.530 --> 00:37:00.120 Jeff Goodman: We should have a subject for another show.

00:37:00.210 --> 00:37:00.750 Corey Schneider: that's right.

00:37:02.130 --> 00:37:02.520 Corey Schneider: over it.

00:37:02.640 --> 00:37:04.620 Corey Schneider: i'll be the bonus bonus edition.

00:37:05.460 --> 00:37:07.440 Jeff Goodman: What did you start the New York adventure club for.

00:37:08.340 --> 00:37:22.440 Corey Schneider: started officially in 2014 so I had been just a Facebook group for a couple months before that actually I I was I had written for untapped that's how kind of this this started where.

00:37:22.770 --> 00:37:31.440 Corey Schneider: What I wanted this kind of personal journey for a year and a half of exploring exploring the city eventually started writing with untapped and then.

00:37:32.190 --> 00:37:47.250 Corey Schneider: You know, I was just trying to get my friends and others involved and see all these amazing spaces, that I was exploring on my own, so I organized a couple of tours one for one month, and you know decided hey i'll write an article about it.

00:37:48.270 --> 00:37:55.110 Corey Schneider: and see you know and then promote the Facebook group say hey join your adventure club, I thought i'd get maybe two or three people at the time and then.

00:37:55.560 --> 00:38:05.730 Corey Schneider: hundred strangers join the Facebook Facebook group asked me how to get a ticket and you know, I was literally googling how to sell tickets online so very humble beginnings.

00:38:06.330 --> 00:38:13.410 Jeff Goodman: You know this, a bio of yours is a year old so 20,000 people, maybe, maybe you know figure.

00:38:13.470 --> 00:38:15.000 Corey Schneider: yeah time is time is stopped.

00:38:15.750 --> 00:38:27.360 Corey Schneider: Last year and a half, so I have to start to update that ya know our our base has grown with this with the pivot virtual back in March of 2020 and.

00:38:28.470 --> 00:38:34.500 Jeff Goodman: You started the business before the pandemic, did you host any virtual events corey before the pandemic started or will you.

00:38:34.830 --> 00:38:44.010 Jeff Goodman: Go almost completely you know in person live and full disclosure i've been on New York adventure club events, I recommend them highly and i'm looking forward to getting back to live events again.

00:38:45.480 --> 00:38:49.770 Corey Schneider: Thank you, yes, so it is absolutely all in person, you know.

00:38:50.430 --> 00:38:57.870 Corey Schneider: There wasn't much of a the idea of a virtual event industry or virtual event that you paid a ticket for that was a foreign concept.

00:38:58.140 --> 00:39:09.810 Corey Schneider: There were definitely street in streaming that was maybe a compliment of a live event like so think like a big concert or something they'd have a live stream, but as far as a virtual event as a standalone product.

00:39:10.260 --> 00:39:18.180 Corey Schneider: Not you know i'm sure it was out there, but there really wasn't an audience for it until everyone was forced online and so overnight.

00:39:18.480 --> 00:39:24.720 Corey Schneider: There was a virtual events industry, and it was essentially the Wild West, you know, and you still see that, today, I mean everyone.

00:39:25.230 --> 00:39:38.670 Corey Schneider: You know justin it untapped has a different it's going in a different direction than your adventure club, and you know and and any institution or anyone doing virtual events you know, has their own best practices, has their own.

00:39:40.020 --> 00:39:46.290 Corey Schneider: strategy so there's just a lot of moving parts and you know we're going to see where they the dust settles at the end of the day.

00:39:47.010 --> 00:39:55.950 Jeff Goodman: The pandemic, you know hit us pretty hard like a like a ton of bricks you know, the second week of March into the third week of March, all of a sudden, our world changed.

00:39:56.850 --> 00:40:11.550 Jeff Goodman: changed when at what point did you decide that you were going to start putting together virtual events was it like right around that time, why, when you know, like around St pat's that I keep using that because that was the to me that was like the locus of everything stopping you know.

00:40:12.690 --> 00:40:23.160 Corey Schneider: yeah you know definitely it happened so quickly, right at the end of February, it seemed Okay, we could have a lot of our events, but under maybe under 20 people right there started to be these capacity.

00:40:23.460 --> 00:40:41.190 Corey Schneider: Guidelines and then the next week it was you know even lower and in the refunds were refund requests are coming in, and it was clear that this you know it was going to go toward a full shut down, so I remember a day, where I literally.

00:40:42.330 --> 00:40:44.670 Corey Schneider: deleted every almost every calendar.

00:40:47.190 --> 00:40:54.150 Corey Schneider: event in my in my calendar and all my meetings we're we're we're gone all the events were gone I just staring at a blank.

00:40:54.570 --> 00:40:57.960 Corey Schneider: A blank calendar which was actually very nice, you know just say you know.

00:40:58.290 --> 00:41:05.430 Corey Schneider: It had become very overwhelming with all these events and meetings and just to see you know see everything wiped clean and and then you know, then I.

00:41:05.700 --> 00:41:12.510 Corey Schneider: started to think about the next steps you know what can I do now show just kind of wait it out, or should I go in a different direction and.

00:41:12.900 --> 00:41:18.810 Corey Schneider: You know, with with all of those cancelled meetings and events there was a lot of time on my hands and also everyone was locked in so.

00:41:19.770 --> 00:41:27.630 Corey Schneider: I just decided okay well you know it seems that you know you hear you heard mentioned zoom and and you know there's there's some.

00:41:28.470 --> 00:41:37.380 Corey Schneider: People doing it people doing things on in the virtual realm so I figured you know really that's it, you know, I was an in person events company that's no more so.

00:41:37.890 --> 00:41:42.090 Corey Schneider: I have to figure out what a virtual event for New York adventure club means, and so I use that.

00:41:42.540 --> 00:41:48.090 Corey Schneider: week or two to really kind of figure out what system, I wanted to use with a pricing was going to be and I started with.

00:41:48.480 --> 00:41:54.180 Corey Schneider: You know by the second by the third week of March we had our we had our first event and the lowest hanging fruit for our.

00:41:54.960 --> 00:42:06.510 Corey Schneider: For our business, we had a lecture series and in person lecture series, so I felt there really wasn't a better you know group of individuals to to work with and say hey just let's.

00:42:07.860 --> 00:42:19.050 Corey Schneider: upload your file to this to the webinar platform and let's let's give it a go there, so it's very kind of exciting, you know beginning to to the new industry.

00:42:19.830 --> 00:42:22.500 Jeff Goodman: i'm going to ask you about the platform you use a little bit later, but.

00:42:23.430 --> 00:42:39.000 Jeff Goodman: I wanted to ask you to what extent, would you say that hope that producing and hosting virtual events is a brand new industry instead of just a temporary way to provide the same content that you did before people became restricted and being able to physically connect.

00:42:40.140 --> 00:42:44.760 Corey Schneider: Definitely it's absolutely a new a new industry, I think that you know.

00:42:45.420 --> 00:42:50.640 Corey Schneider: there's a lot of people ask well you know our young people just going to kind of run away from virtual.

00:42:50.940 --> 00:43:07.590 Corey Schneider: In a virtual has its own audience right maybe the person who love to do all the in person tours maybe they weren't so thrilled about the virtual events, however, there were a lot of people who you know didn't have the ability to go on that tour whether physically or you know geographically.

00:43:09.060 --> 00:43:22.080 Corey Schneider: That were able to able to join and and how convenient then then then your couch right then your home and and even on top of that, you know we offer a replay for one week, so you don't even have to watch live, I would say the best comparison.

00:43:22.590 --> 00:43:31.650 Corey Schneider: When you when you think about the audiences, you know the people that we're going to in person lectures that's the sort of audience that you know i've been targeting.

00:43:32.970 --> 00:43:39.000 Corey Schneider: predominantly for the virtual because it, you know, in almost every way of virtual lecture.

00:43:40.680 --> 00:43:44.700 Corey Schneider: You know, as far superior than in person lecture i'm not and it's.

00:43:45.180 --> 00:43:50.850 Corey Schneider: versus a lot of people say Oh, is it a comparison for a tour Is it better or worse for a tour a tour is a separate thing right.

00:43:51.210 --> 00:44:00.990 Corey Schneider: People who go on a tour want to see, and you know and walk the streets, they want to be there in person, but for for the virtual for these virtual webinars people want to learn, they want to you know.

00:44:01.380 --> 00:44:09.750 Corey Schneider: consume a lot of a lot of information in a short period of time, and so you know it's there's a lot of advantages to be able to sit, you know.

00:44:10.050 --> 00:44:18.480 Corey Schneider: In your home and consume this content versus having to you know at 6pm, especially in Manhattan trying to get to the the the lecture hall.

00:44:18.810 --> 00:44:31.170 Corey Schneider: We know fighting against traffic and going through the subway and sweating and then you get there and someone's phone's going off and someone's coughing right, so you don't have you know everyone has a front row seats, you can have as many people as you want everyone has a good experience.

00:44:31.530 --> 00:44:40.620 Jeff Goodman: And you've put together some fantastic lecture content what what kind of events, would you say what lectures, would you say, has been the most popular with the New York adventure club.

00:44:41.970 --> 00:44:43.110 Corey Schneider: say bye.

00:44:44.190 --> 00:44:52.980 Corey Schneider: Two or three different categories one anything that's nostalgic so imagine, so one of our most popular events has been the New York world's fair of 1964 65.

00:44:53.640 --> 00:45:06.450 Corey Schneider: This is an event that a lot of people attended and you know you can't while you can visit some of the remnants physically and encourage a flushing meadows corona park and Queens.

00:45:07.410 --> 00:45:14.670 Corey Schneider: You know you can't really like relive it while you know there in person, because it doesn't really exist anymore, however that's where a webinar.

00:45:15.000 --> 00:45:20.940 Corey Schneider: comes in handy because you bring it back to life show those show the pictures of when it was active for videos.

00:45:21.240 --> 00:45:29.460 Corey Schneider: And, and you know kind of the stoke those incredible memories that people that people have, in addition to people who wanted to learn about it.

00:45:30.030 --> 00:45:36.180 Corey Schneider: To a never been, and you know some of these topics have almost a cult following I mean the world's fair has you know.

00:45:36.660 --> 00:45:51.450 Corey Schneider: Many Facebook group said very active people sharing their memorabilia or their stories so those sort of events and then, on the other side, you know we have a lot of gilded age contents that says the 1870s and 1910s and.

00:45:52.770 --> 00:46:02.040 Corey Schneider: great American wealth, mostly concentrated in in New York, or at least you know a lot of our events do focus on, you know, on those stories and.

00:46:02.280 --> 00:46:13.350 Corey Schneider: And mansion so you know that's that has an entire sub community as well, and people love the history of course, and then the architecture of these mansions and the drama behind these families but.

00:46:14.160 --> 00:46:30.390 Corey Schneider: You know, it just has its own you know its own universe of people who really soak got so fed up and i'm sure the HBO series that's coming out it's been pushed back again again, but if it does come out this fall that's going to just you know compound that that interest.

00:46:31.980 --> 00:46:42.270 Jeff Goodman: Well we're gonna take a short break and when we come back we're going to continue our conversation with with corey William Schneider, who is the founder and CEO of the New York adventure club will be back in a moment.

00:47:46.650 --> 00:47:47.070 poster.

00:49:12.750 --> 00:49:20.820 Jeff Goodman: we're back and to episode 125 of rediscovering New York, my second guest on the special program about the state of virtual events in New York.

00:49:21.270 --> 00:49:29.580 Jeff Goodman: A year and a half into coven is corey William Schneider corey is the founder and CEO of the New York adventure club corey let's talk about.

00:49:30.540 --> 00:49:41.520 Jeff Goodman: Some of the events that that may have had a tactile content lectures, of course, don't as much but i've actually been to some of your events specifically whiskey tasting.

00:49:43.230 --> 00:49:57.660 Jeff Goodman: Actually, that turned into whiskey drinking later on and, by the way, that was great events at the Swedish church I think i'm 45th street have you been able to adapt anything requiring a physical experience to virtual programming, unlike just electric format.

00:49:58.980 --> 00:50:06.120 Corey Schneider: Absolutely so since we're on the topic of whiskey, so we were able to successfully and pivot at.

00:50:07.290 --> 00:50:15.240 Corey Schneider: The spirit tastings so instead of everyone coming to a central location, like the Church of Sweden to have that whiskey tasting.

00:50:15.690 --> 00:50:27.810 Corey Schneider: We instead did it virtually so the content was of course at your computer, but the kits were were mailed to your front door, so you, you know you, you had access to all of those same samples.

00:50:28.110 --> 00:50:31.110 Jeff Goodman: and hope no one lifted the package, well, it was sitting on the front doorstep.

00:50:31.980 --> 00:50:41.880 Corey Schneider: Hopefully, not I know we haven't we have not gotten a report of that so maybe you know I think our concealing efforts were successful, but you know, in addition to whiskey tastings we've done everything from you know knitting.

00:50:42.240 --> 00:50:53.760 Corey Schneider: knitting workshops to I mean we're on the topic of spirits we're starting a wine wine tasting series similar you know similar approach we did a chocolate tasting and so.

00:50:54.450 --> 00:51:00.480 Corey Schneider: it's been interesting to you know work out all the logistics of being you know shipping everything and making sure it gets to everyone's.

00:51:01.200 --> 00:51:09.780 Corey Schneider: You know apartment or house on time, but you know that's it's and that attracts a different audience right the the audience that likes to drink whiskey.

00:51:10.140 --> 00:51:18.900 Corey Schneider: it's going to be very different from the ones who like to learn the history of something so I think that's where a large part of the future of this sort of.

00:51:19.680 --> 00:51:26.010 Corey Schneider: medium what will go where you introduce new types of content here and get new types of people and.

00:51:26.340 --> 00:51:38.460 Corey Schneider: You know the technology is is is is finally improving, as we all know, in those early days, you know these platforms were not built for this, the surge of demand, but they are they're finally catching themselves.

00:51:39.000 --> 00:51:46.710 Corey Schneider: they're working properly, like they're working you know you're not getting dropped all the time, but I think we're going to in the future restart and start going to see.

00:51:47.160 --> 00:51:58.440 Corey Schneider: Start we're going to start to see platforms that do more, and have more functionality to do more, you know types of games we've done a murder mystery trivia night virtually.

00:51:59.430 --> 00:52:11.670 Corey Schneider: And some of these events we have pause because you know the platforms that we use just are aren't there yet to you know, make it into the sort of easy process that you that you want it to be.

00:52:12.270 --> 00:52:20.220 Jeff Goodman: Well let's let's off to my next question, which is what what format to use what platform, do you use for your for your programming now online, for your virtual Program.

00:52:21.390 --> 00:52:31.920 Corey Schneider: yeah so you know, in the early days, you know zoom catapulted to number one platform for anything virtual and you know for.

00:52:32.490 --> 00:52:52.260 Corey Schneider: You know, when I looked at my business and what my needs were you know one was simplicity, I wanted to be simple for myself or whoever was moderating as well as the as the presenters another was a ticket integrity, so you know at that whiskey tasting that you went to you know you know.

00:52:52.500 --> 00:52:53.460 Jeff Goodman: Which one i've been to more than.

00:52:54.720 --> 00:52:54.990 Corey Schneider: sure.

00:52:55.950 --> 00:53:01.950 Corey Schneider: Not to name one specifically but you would you know show your ticket at the front door and someone would validate it, you would walk in.

00:53:02.340 --> 00:53:14.310 Corey Schneider: With a platform like zoom, at least in the early days there wasn't a one to one match, so if you've got that that password to that zoom room, you were in you could share it, you know, with everyone, and you know you.

00:53:14.940 --> 00:53:25.170 Corey Schneider: You could manually you know decide who comes into the room, but that's a lot of lot of management and so there's some other items that that.

00:53:25.650 --> 00:53:35.160 Corey Schneider: were important to me, but I landed on a web based webinar platform called live storm French French company, and you know honestly i've been.

00:53:35.580 --> 00:53:39.540 Corey Schneider: With them ever since the very early the very first webinar was with live storm and.

00:53:39.900 --> 00:53:52.980 Corey Schneider: I still do all of my events now are there, certain types of events that could be better for another platform, yes, so you know I had been exploring other platforms for you know for other types of content, like a game or trivia as as I was mentioned, but for the for the.

00:53:54.060 --> 00:54:06.930 Corey Schneider: Virtual lecture webinar content, you know it has check the boxes to to provide a a you know, a solid consistent.

00:54:07.560 --> 00:54:11.160 Corey Schneider: Experience that that works and not saying it's perfect there's a lot of.

00:54:11.730 --> 00:54:19.410 Corey Schneider: A lot of a bug the bulk of the work is is on the back end of logistics, making sure that when you sign up when you buy your ticket that you get that unique link to your room.

00:54:20.010 --> 00:54:30.420 Corey Schneider: It took many months to get that to get that going so it's definitely been a trial by fire, because there was you know, there was there was no practice there's no precedent for the virtual so you just had to.

00:54:30.870 --> 00:54:44.400 Corey Schneider: figure, you know figure it out and figure out what works, you know best for your company and for my company live storm work best for for other companies, you know there's there now there's a ton of webinars and virtual event platform so it's really a expanded.

00:54:45.060 --> 00:54:52.710 Jeff Goodman: We have a couple of minutes left corey where do you see virtual events going, and do you think most people will still want virtual events after the pandemic.

00:54:54.630 --> 00:55:02.790 Corey Schneider: And i'll speak to my to myself and then my my audience I I think there's absolutely a future, I think the you know, while we absolutely saw surge.

00:55:03.840 --> 00:55:13.950 Corey Schneider: You know from you know March of last year to probably around April of this year it was just the you know the the end of end of the peak season.

00:55:15.060 --> 00:55:20.280 Corey Schneider: You know the the appetite is there that the audience is there right, I think a big a big hurdle.

00:55:21.210 --> 00:55:36.090 Corey Schneider: to doing this sort of content before coven was that not everyone had zoom or not everyone knew how to you know, use the sort of the sort of platforms to watch content, the idea was kind of foreign actually now that people have gotten used to it.

00:55:37.170 --> 00:55:43.200 Corey Schneider: You know there there's been an audience attracted to the audience that is loves to sit down and watch.

00:55:43.620 --> 00:55:53.550 Corey Schneider: Educational program so I can only see that growing, and so, you know as far as where we want to go with that a lot of our a lot of our content has focused on the New York area.

00:55:54.030 --> 00:56:05.520 Corey Schneider: You know we've brought it out broaden out to other you know topics that have nothing to do with New York, but now we're trying, more focused virtual content so, for example, we're doing a whole series of London events.

00:56:06.330 --> 00:56:06.690 Corey Schneider: So.

00:56:06.750 --> 00:56:14.430 Corey Schneider: You know we're working with a different array of London guides to bring all these different niche London experiences to your to your screen.

00:56:15.150 --> 00:56:21.180 Jeff Goodman: Oh wow How can people find out about the New York adventure club offering so also outside New York, London one some really exciting.

00:56:22.080 --> 00:56:34.110 Corey Schneider: Yes, they can visit adventure club COM now let's take us to the main page and you'll see at the top, you can select either a virtual events or in person, so we have we did we start our in person events back in May, so.

00:56:35.100 --> 00:56:40.560 Corey Schneider: You know, up to you, which ones, you want to pick and some events we do on both in person and virtual so you can do both.

00:56:41.400 --> 00:56:51.690 Jeff Goodman: Excellent well corey Thank you so much for being back on the show it's great to see you, even though we're not face to face, and I look forward to actually coming to a live event again before too long.

00:56:52.770 --> 00:57:00.240 Jeff Goodman: Our second guest on this special program about the state of virtual New York events, a year and a half into cove it has been corey William Steiner.

00:57:00.720 --> 00:57:11.160 Jeff Goodman: corey is the founder and CEO of the New York adventure club which actually you can reach it adventure club calm and may not only be in New York, but also London and probably some other places in the future.

00:57:12.990 --> 00:57:21.660 Jeff Goodman: Well, if you have comments or questions about the show, or if you'd like to get on my mailing list, please email me Jeff at rediscovering New York dot nyc you can like us on Facebook.

00:57:22.050 --> 00:57:31.410 Jeff Goodman: And also follow me on instagram and Twitter i'd like to thank our sponsors again for tonight to rock modi more good strategist at freedom mortgage and Jacqueline hartford interior design.

00:57:32.010 --> 00:57:36.960 Jeff Goodman: One more thing, before we sign off i'm Jeff Goodman a real estate agent or brown Harris Stevens in New York City.

00:57:37.350 --> 00:57:42.990 Jeff Goodman: And whether you're selling buying leasing or renting my team and I provide the best service and expertise in New York City real estate.

00:57:43.440 --> 00:57:48.900 Jeff Goodman: To help you, with your real estate needs, you can reach us at 646-306-4761.

00:57:49.680 --> 00:57:56.040 Jeff Goodman: Our producers Ralph story or our engineer this evening is the great Emily showman Emily great to have you back thanks for being here.

00:57:56.610 --> 00:58:10.710 Jeff Goodman: Our special consultant is David Griffin of landmark branding who is no stranger to both corey and to justin stay tuned today PM right here on talk radio that nyc for coffee talk excel with Kevin Barbara thanks for listening, everyone will see you next time.