Unfolded
A monthly wrap from Rachel Anderson at Assembld for people working in tourism, events or destination marketing. It’s a behind-the-scenes, slightly opinionated look at the content, campaigns and decisions shaping regional marketing. All from someone who works in it, not just talks about it.
12 lessons from the brilliant, baffling and in-between
Unfolded A monthly dispatch from the world of regional tourism and events marketing. Issue #13 | July 2026 Happy birthday to Unfolded. It was July last year when I summoned up the courage to hit ‘send’ on my very first Assembld email. Here we are with lucky number 13. I’ve spent lots of the year trawling through an ungodly amount of campaigns, toolkits, social posts, websites, media articles and Google rabbit holes. I’ve seen destinations doing brilliant things, baffling things and everything...
Finally, a tourism campaign with a sense of humour
Unfolded A monthly dispatch from the world of regional tourism and events marketing. Issue #12 | June 2026 Happy 30 June to all who celebrate. If your work is tied to the financial year, I see you, and I hope your reporting goes smoothly and the finance team was kind to you during budget season. A little personal update before we get into this month's newsletter: I'm expecting a baby later this year. We're very happy, and I'm now deep in the mildly complicated task of planning maternity leave...
47 people showed up + you ignored every single one
Unfolded A monthly dispatch from the world of regional tourism and events marketing. Issue #11 | May 2026 It's been a few editions since we did a proper campaign breakdown, so buckle up, folks. I've been waiting for the right one and I think we've found it. One that's on the right track but falls off the rails in the rollout, of course, with a few useful learnings in it for your next campaign. The idea is proven and the destination sells itself. The execution is where things gets interesting...
The best operator doesn't always win
Unfolded A monthly dispatch from the world of regional tourism and events marketing. Issue #10 | April 2026 It’s my favourite season, in case you didn’t know. Autumn, yes, and tourism awards season. I hear you groaning. I’m very competitive and tourism awards are one of the few projects I work on where there’s a winner. Yes, I can measure marketing campaigns and blogs and website copy and event marketing. But it’s not the same as winning. So let's talk about how to actually win one. Time to...
The most underrated marketing move: Going back for round 2
Unfolded A monthly dispatch from the world of regional tourism and events marketing. Issue #9 | March 2026 This month I'm marking eight years in business. Statistically speaking, I’m in the minority because only 50-60% of small businesses survive their first three years. I don't usually make a big deal of it, but eight years means I've now watched a lot of tourism marketing cycles play out. Trends and pandemics have come and gone. Destinations have reinvented themselves while others haven’t...
The real heated rivalry? Destinations vs. their own approval chains
Unfolded A monthly dispatch from the world of regional tourism and events marketing. Issue #8 | February 2026 This month's a reader request, and we're going international. I'd watched one episode of Heated Rivalry before writing this. Deliberately, of course. I didn't want spoilers, but more importantly, I didn't want to review Ottawa's response through the lens of a fan. A marketing lens is much more useful to you. Besides, I'd already committed to the Australian Open for the January edition...
The worst time to stop marketing your event
Unfolded A monthly dispatch from the world of regional tourism and events marketing. Issue #7 | January 2026 Yes, this is January’s edition. I held this one back on purpose to unpack the Australian Open, and to give you a timely peek at the Super Bowl. Inside you’ll find a great example of why the best event marketing happens during and after the event. Lots of events waste that window. Let’s talk about it. P.S. If you've missed past editions, or want to revisit, find them here for now. It's...
Budget envy won’t fix your tourism campaign
Unfolded A monthly dispatch from the world of regional tourism and events marketing. Issue #4 | December 2025 Before we get into it, the last few days haven’t exactly felt light. I did pause before hitting send. It can feel strange to keep talking about campaigns and content when bigger things are unfolding. But I also believe thoughtful work still has a place, no matter what’s happening in the world. Which brings me to this month’s theme. There’s a persistent belief in tourism marketing that...
I love you, but your social game needs work
Unfolded A monthly dispatch from the world of regional tourism and events marketing. Issue #5 | November 2025 I care a lot about regional tourism and events — probably more than is reasonable — and that’s exactly why I get fired up when I see destinations doing average things or getting talked into work that doesn’t serve them. We all have limited resources. I get that deeply. My goal with Unfolded is never to nitpick. I want to help you feel confident that the marketing you can do is the...
Confused about your audience? So are they.
Unfolded A monthly dispatch from the world of regional tourism and events marketing. Issue #4 | October 2025 Spring has sprung, Reader. KIDDING, you know me better than that. Hopefully. Spring’s the season when half of Australia seems to be running a festival. There’s food and wine and music and (too often) fuzzy messaging. Plenty of events have strong ideas, but by the time they hit the page it’s all tangled up and trying too hard. The one I’ve pulled apart this month is a perfect example of...
A monthly wrap from Rachel Anderson at Assembld for people working in tourism, events or destination marketing. It’s a behind-the-scenes, slightly opinionated look at the content, campaigns and decisions shaping regional marketing. All from someone who works in it, not just talks about it.