WHO WE ARE

Reach Market Planning LLC was founded in 1997 by Ed McWilliams to provide strategic planning, program evaluation design/research and market research to companies, government agencies and not for profit organizations.

President

Ed McWilliams, Ph.D.

Ed McWilliams' experience is diverse within the travel industry and with Federal, State and Local Governments. He has successfully authored and completed grant projects and employment for all levels of government. Ed McWilliams began working in the travel industry in 1976. He currently is President of Reach Market Planning LLC, a consultancy focused on strategic & capital planning, group facilitation, consumer and evaluation research. Previously, Ed served as Senior Vice President of Client Services for D.K. Shifflet and Associates Ltd. where he was responsible for overseeing all market research, client service and consulting for more than 100 different State Tourism Office and CVB client destinations, many world-class theme parks and the top 35 US hotel chains. A noted speaker, Dr. McWilliams has presented more than 30 industry, board and company-wide speeches annually for the last 10 years and has been quoted on consumer business or leisure travel trends in numerous public and trade press venues.

In his career, Ed has worked as a tour guide, in sales, buying, marketing research, management, and as a marketing, location, and finance consultant for numerous travel and tourism developments and destinations. He has conducted consumer research in Japan, Italy, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Canada and the US.

Ed's work has been recognized during his career with an Atlas Award from the Association of Travel Marketing Executives and with the J. Desmond Slattery Market Research Award from the International Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA). Ed was the 2000 Chairman of the Board of the Travel and Tourism Research Association (TTRA), an international association with members from more than 57 countries.

Ed served as one of three firms asked to be technical advisors to the DMAI Performance Management Task Force that developed the guidelines for CVB performance reporting. He also served on the Texas Governors' Abandoned Railways Task Force, the Texas Governors' Nature Tourism Task Force, the Texas Scenic Byways Study Council, Texas Main Street Program Review/Selection Committee and the Texas Audubon Society, State Policy Advisory Committee.

Ed earned a B.S. from Colorado State University, and M.S. from the University of Maine. Forever curious, while employed full time Ed earned a doctorate from Texas A&M University where he studied management and marketing and conducted research on consumer behavior and travel advertising effectiveness for the Texas Tourism Division.