So I’ve been trying to figure out the best parts of the country to tour. Apparently I’m such a natural copywriter that I can’t help but be accused of posting ads that aren’t supposed to be ads. Anyway. I’m trying to basically conduct non scientific market research with the tools at my disposal. Obviously TER is bigger in some areas than others, as far as hobbyist resources go. But let’s analyze my St. Louis experience. St. Louis doesn’t even haven it’s own “board”. The Missouri board is dead a f always, despite my best efforts. These facts would lead me to theorize St. Louis as a “riskier” city to tour, since I want to know I have reasonable odds of success equal to if not better than my home turf. Having been quite “solid” in this marketplace for appx a year or so, I know that for the most part, St. Louis is pretty “steady” and reliable for me. Is it slower than I may prefer lately? Yes, but we all know how the economy is, and disposable income is desposable income. Hence traveling (partly). My point here is basically: does anyone have any idea of other metrics to analyze to predict the “active hobbyist” situation in any particular area? Example, I almost booked for seattle bc I have a friend up there, but the friend had a meltdown about something whil I also noticed how slow the seattle board is here, so I switched plans on the fly.  

Anyone have helpful thoughts on this topic? Do we think # of new reviews on an area is a helpful metric to track? I know people done write reviews like they used to as far as the volume of them is normally concerned, from discussion w long term mongers as well as my own observations.  

Thanks. Sorry so long. Hopefully doesn’t seem like “an ad” this time. I guess I know what my next career path is tho when i finally get too old to plastic surgery myself into “Fuckability”. Advertising! (Just kidding, inHAVE other plans.)

Personally, I'd network with other providers before getting critical business advice from random strangers on the internet.

To address your specific point of counting the number of reviews as a measure of quantity and quality of potential clients .. that's a tough one.  Public boards like this one have been hit hard by legislation, much of the better intel has migrated to private, invite-only channels.  

Much like the days of yore, where retiring providers would sell their "little black books",  there's probably a marketplace (like anything else) for clients lists, detailing tastes, frequency, average spend, etc).  

When Twitter starting taking off in the 00's, I postulated on a now-defunct forum that it could be the best marketing tool ever invented for this sector .. it took only 15 years to prove me right.

I've also postulated that targeting gamblers is a great source .. guys with tons of disposable income, thrill seekers, DGAF attitude, etc .. I've heard from Vegas based ladies that their home market is so saturated that they need to tour when they need to make bank.

Lastly, check with ladies in Canada, where it's legal. Like any industry, there's professionals that develop industry-specific practices.

Good luck. You're ahead of the game, treating it like a regular service business.

I suggest you look at the ad boards for various cities that fit your travel plans and budget. Most of those ads are for travelling providers. If you see numerous ads over, say, a week or two, then that shows the most popular target markets.

For years, I have read the complaints and the praises that Providers have for various cities to which they have toured. I notice that sometimes "One man's meat is another man's poison."
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One Provider A might love her trip to Seattle and all the great people she met. Another Provider B might post that she is never returning to Seattle again due to an unfilled schedule, too many cancellations, and too many no-shows. But when they tour to St. Louis, the outcomes are reversed: B loved it and A lost money on the trip.  Without finer details, it's hard to predict what outcome to expect.  
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I also bring up the Q about the goal of any given tour. Some Providers NEED to do much better than break even in order to call it a success. Some are happy if they break even (plus or minus a small amount). Some just love to travel, see new places, visit museums or see the architecture or go whale watching, and if they have an appointment or two it helps to defray their costs, even if they end up spending more than they earn.  
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I have also suggested checking things like the City Convention Center websites for each city for the schedules and attendance figures. If 20,000 members are showing up that week for the Big Member Convention, hotel rooms will probably be scarce and pricey for non-attendees. On the other hand, that could be a big pool of horny guys looking to play while away from home. You have to make the call.
http://explorestlouis.com/events/
http://stlouiscenter.org/events/list/?tribe-bar-date=2022-11-01
http://conventioncalendar.com/StLouis
 2022 Gateway Dirt Nationals
 Event Dates Dec 01 2022 - Dec 03 2022
"The Gateway Dirt Nationals is an indoor stock car race featuring Super Late Models and Open Wheel Modifieds, which is promoted and managed by DBG, a motorsports promotions company." No racing geek clients on those days!
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I also recommend checking with locals on the TER Regional Board to find out what's happening at any particular time. "Pro Team made the playoffs.  Dads watching sports with their kids all week. [or] Discretionary income being spent at sports bars and with their bookie, not on nookie." "Major bridge repair on the interstate. Hard for guys to access popular Neighborhood-A. Book a hotel on the other side of town." And so on.
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Then there's the weather. Winter weather can shut things down in some regions but it doesn't really affect other regions. Long term forecasts might be wrong and a 5 foot snow storm can force you to cancel your trip or, if you're already there, leave you trapped in your hotel with no way for clients to get to you.  Ask on the local board about their experience with the weather.
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Lots of other incidentals can affect the "success" of a trip. Good luck!

-- Modified on 11/19/2022 1:24:16 PM

Pick someplace you want to visit and make it a vacation.  If you pick up a few clients it's a bonus,  and you learn if you like touring without the pressure of earning.

I meant to include something similar to that, too:
http://www.theeroticreview.com/discussion-boards/newbie---faq-33/touring-professionally-154300
(See the whole thread for some other good suggestions.)

I've heard frequently that TER is popular in some regions and not others.  So for touring it might not be a good gauge of success or failure in some areas.  You'd have to find out what sites, if any, are used by the locals.

Thanks for your thoughtful reply. I did dismiss Vegas as a tour destination for the same reason you listed re: talent. However, a new face in an area is just that. I’d put my talent up against anyone in the world lol. But I’m serious. Also, there’s a tech convention the first half of the week im there.

Search “FMTY” on Twitter and you’ll pull up a ton of provider profiles. Most of them post their touring schedules on Twitter. Would give you a gauge of which cities they are touring the most.

Great food for thought!