I'm in! Partner Network

Frequently Asked Questions

About Trip Ideas

What is a Trip Idea?
A Trip Idea is a suggested itinerary or trip plan geared towards a small leisure group. It presents a logical and realistic trip plan that would provide a great experience for a given destinatinon or activity. Booking information and instructions for each item is provided such that a group will know where to go to make reservations for that item. Think of a Trip Idea as a time-saving catalyst to help get groups of friends planning and organizing their next trip.
What can I'm in! users do with Trip Ideas?
Users on I'm in! can search and browse a wide range of trip ideas to fit their interests. From a Trip Idea, a user can reach out directly to the travel provider or supplier (via email, phone or URL) listed on an activity item to book that item or for more information. Users can also email Trip Ideas to friends or save them to a private group web page where the group can collaborate and solidify their travel plans together.
How much detail should I put in my Trip Idea?
While only a minimal amount of information is required, I'm in! users are typically more attracted to Trip Ideas with a healthy amount of detail. When creating a Trip Idea, it's helpful to keep these tips in mind:
  • Create a Trip Idea as if you will be recommending it to a close friend.
  • Think about the logical flow throughout all days of your Trip Ideas. It should be something that group can comfortably and reasonably follow. Packing an afternoon with 8 hours worth of activities is not too helpful.
  • Trip Ideas with fun, interesting titles tend to get a better response.
  • Be sure to add photos to your Trip Idea to enhance the experience.
  • When adding an activity item, it is recommended that you provide the name of the item, who is providing the item (i.e what hotel), a brief description and a link for more information.
  • When adding an activity item, it's good to provide an address so that it can be displayed on the map view of the Trip Idea.
  • You don't have to provide all the activities - feel free to add a local partner like the great restaurant down the street or the perfect fishing guide. You can even invite a partner to join your Trip Idea. They'll receive and invite and be asked to provide details and special offers about their particular service. See more about inviting partners below.
How many trip ideas should I post?
You can create up to 10 Trip Ideas so the more the merrier. There are many types of groups on I'm in! (guys groups, girl groups, couples, families, etc.) with diverse interests (ski, golf, outdoor activity, food, sports, etc.). For instance, a resort in Arizona might create an Trip Idea for the competitive guys golf group, one for a pampering spa getaway and one for hiking and exploring the outdoor activities near the resort.
What if I need to turn off one of my Trip Ideas?
No problem. Simply sign-in to your Account and 'Pause' your trip idea. Once paused, your Trip Idea will not be found when a user is searching Trip Ideas. You can turn on or 'Publish' this Trip Idea again at any time.
How do I see detailed performance reports for my Trip Ideas?
You can see detailed reporting for each trip idea by running a report in the Reports section within your Account. The reports will provide a detailed view of how users engaged your Trip Idea.

Inviting Partners to your Trip Idea

How can I invite a partner to join my Trip idea?
When you are creating or editing a trip idea, you have the ability to add activities to enhance the trip experience for I'm in! users. You can add your own activity details or you can invite an Activity Partner to join your trip idea. You will see a button to invite an Activity Partner in the activity section of your trip idea.
Why would I invite an Activity Partner to join my trip idea?
I'm in! users are continually seeking great ideas for their next trip. Some of the most popular and helpful trip ideas are those that contain a well thought out grouping of activities that provides local flavor. As an expert for your own local market, you have a great deal of experience and insight into what would make a great trip idea for your particular destination. The best places to eat, the best spa, a unique sightseeing guide or museum, or the off-the-beaten-path tavern. Chances are you may not provide all these services, however, you may partner with them or even recommend them to travelers who come to town. Through I'm in!, you can invite these folks to join your trip idea where they can fully describe and promote their services as part of your trip idea.
How does it work?
Inviting an Activity Partner to join your trip idea is simple. Here's the process in a nutshell:
  • When you create a trip idea and are adding activities, select the 'Invite a Partner' button.
  • Select the type of activity you'd like, fill out some basic information and send the invite to a local partner that you'd like to have join your trip idea.
  • Your Activity Partner will receive an invite and will have an opportunity to view your trip idea and see where their activity is pending. The only part of your trip idea that this partner can edit is this specific item they were invited to add. They can edit all of the basic information for their activity including the name of the item, their company name, description, booking instructions, a special offer and contact information such as their address, phone number, website address and email address.
  • Your Activity Partner will be asked to register for their own I'm in! Partner Network account if they are not already a member.
  • If your Activity Partner decides to join your trip idea, you will receive an alert email to let you know the activity has been added to your trip idea. You will ultimately be able to delete this activity item at any time. Your Activity Partner can also turn off or disable this activity at any time. In either scenario, your trip idea will still display to I'm in! users, however, the Activity Partner that has been turned off will not display on the trip idea.
  • Lastly, you do not need to wait for your Activity Partner to respond before publishing your trip idea. I'm in! users will not see this pending activity item unless your partner decides to join your trip idea.
What's the difference between a trip idea Sponsor and an Activity Partner?
A trip idea Sponsor creates and publishes a trip idea. They have the ability to add their logos, photos, trip description as well as activity items for each trip idea they create. The trip idea Sponsor has the ability to publish or pause (turn on or off) an entire trip idea. In addition to creating their own activity item for their trip idea, the Sponsor can invite an Activity Partner to join their trip idea. This Activity Partner is being asked to join the Sponsor's trip idea and provide some descriptive details for a single activity.
Should I publish my trip idea while I wait for a partner to respond to my invite?
Absolutely. There is no need to wait. When you invite an Activity Partner, details about that activity item will not display to I'm in! users on your trip idea until your partner decides to join and enable their activity item. You will receive an email when your Activity Partner enables an activity item on your trip idea.
What if the partner I invite doesn't respond?
If the Activity Partner you invite doesn't respond right away, you can always re-send them your invite to remind them. Please email us if your partner is having difficulty receiving their invite email or getting through to your trip idea from their invite.
If my Activity Partner joins my trip idea, can I edit their activity or turn it off?
Once your Activity Partner joins your trip idea, you can no longer edit the details of the activity item. Only your Activity Partner can edit this item through their own I'm in! Partner Network account. As a trip idea Sponsor, however, you do have the ability to remove any Activity Partner at any time. This will delete the item from your trip idea and you will need send a new invite to that Activity Partner if you'd like to add them back to your trip idea.
How many Activity Partners can I add to a trip idea?
You can add as many as you like, however, it is a good idea not to overload your trip idea. Some of the most popular and best performing trip ideas are those that have a realistic amount of activity items (could be accomplished in a stress-free manner by a group) as well as a few hidden gems or local favorites.
What if my Activity Partner decides to turn off their activity item which is on my trip idea?
Just like you have full control to publish and pause your trip ideas, your Activity Partners also have full control to enable and disable their activity items within your trip ideas. Your Activity Partner may be disabling their activity items from several reasons such as that they are editing the details or they need to purchase additional marketing credits. When an Activity Partner disables, or pauses, their activity item, your trip idea will still be published and will continue to display to I'm in! users searching for trip ideas, however, users will not see the disabled Activity Partner item. If an Activity Partner's item has been disabled for an extended period of time, you may want to send an email to your partner and inquire as to why they disabled their item.
What if I have Activity Partners on my trip idea but I need to pause my trip idea?
Don't worry, you can pause your trip ideas at any time for any reason. When you pause your trip ideas, your trip idea and all of its activities will not be made available to I'm in! users who are searching for trip ideas. Your Activity Partner will be alerted via email that your trip idea has been paused. In addition to your trip ideas, your Activity Partner can always decide to create their own trip idea.
I've been invited to join someone's trip idea — what happens now?
Congratulations. You've been invited to someone's trip idea. This means that a fellow travel provider or partner thinks you provide a great activity or service for travelers coming to your destination. They'd like you to be part of their trip idea that I'm in! users can search, browse and or download to their own private planning page to discuss with their group as they plan a trip. Simply click on the link in your invitation and you'll be brought to a page where you can join the I'm in! Partner Network. Joining is free and takes less than 10 seconds. After you join, you'll be able to view the trip idea and add important details about your activity or service such as a description, your website address, and instructions for how to contact you for booking. You can edit and add to your activity details at any time.
How much detail should I include on my activity item?
The more information you provide, the more helpful it is to I'm in! users. If I'm in! users see an activity that they like, they can save that activity to their own private planning page to share and discuss with their group. When saving an activity, all of the information about that activity item is saved along with it. Adding a clear activity name, company name and description lets users understand who you are and what you offer. It is strongly recommend that you include your website address and an email address where users can contact you for reservations or more information. An address is helpful so I'm in! users can see your activity item on a map. A special offer is a must to generate more leads. Don't worry, you can edit your information and details at any time.
If I have been invited as an Activity Partner, can I also create my own trip ideas?
Yes. Even though you might be an Activity Partner on someone else's trip idea, you can always create your own trip idea at any time. By creating your own trip idea, you'll benefit from more exposure to I'm in! users that are actively searching for great trip ideas.

Adding Trip Ideas to Your Website

How do I add Trip Ideas to my website?
Once you have created and published trip ideas on I'm in! you can quickly and easily add these trip ideas to your own website. Simply sign-in to your account. Look for the section for Adding your trip ideas to your website and select the "more details" link. You will be presented with 2 widget options. The first widget is a narrow trip idea widget designed to fit in a narrow vertical column on your website. For instance, you may decide to use this in the right column of your website. This widget displays a simple description and link to your trip idea. The second option is larger and provides a richer view of your trip idea that includes a longer description, link and image from your trip idea. This widget is designed to be used as a more central, focal point of a page. Choose which option is right for you and select "Get this Code". You will be brought to a page where you can see a preview of your widget based on your published trip ideas. Below the preview is a snippet of HTML code. You will need to highlight and copy all of this HTML code. Insert this HTML code into the appropriate area within the HTML code of your own website. Once this code is implemented, you should be able to see your published trip ideas that you had created on I'm in! When a user clicks on a trip idea, a new browser window will open to display the full information for that trip idea on the I'm in! website.
How much room will the widget take up?
Both widget options are very flexible. The height of the widget is primarily determined by how many published trip ideas you have (as the widget will display all of your published trip ideas). The more trip ideas, the more vertical space the widget will take up. The width of the widget will expand to fit to the area where you place it on the page. If you have some proficiency in HTML, you can adjust the size of the widget to meet your exact needs.
How do I remove trip ideas from my website
At any time, you can remove the trip idea widget code from your website. Additionally, you can unpublish any or all trip ideas. When you unpublish a trip idea, it will no longer show up in your trip idea widget or on the I'm in! website. If you unpublish all trip ideas, the trip ideas and the widget itself will not be displayed on your site.

Other Helpful Questions

Do a lot of people use I'm in! for planning their trips?
You bet. Although I'm in! is a relatively new website (launched in Dec 2006), we've been steadily growing and attracting new groups and travel planners every month. The majority of our users originate from within the US, spanning a healthy mix across all states. When they travel, they seek a diverse range of US and international destinations as well as breadth of activities (often times a group might take multiple trips in a year - taking a winter ski trip together and then a summer getaway). I'm in! reaches these groups and travel planners through highly, targeted online marketing initiatives, a robust affiliate program, content partnerships and PR. Compete, Inc, a leading online research firm, recently posted an analysis showing I'm in! as an emerging leader in the online group and travel planning space. This is just the beginning. In addition to expanding our marketing initiatives, stay tuned for a host of new tools designed to drive even more qualified leads to our travel advertisers in the near future.
What kind of travelers use I'm in!
Thousands of small leisure groups are currently using I'm in! These include guys golf groups, girlfriend getaways, ski, spa, shopping, family reunions, bachelor and bachelorette, wedding, outdoor adventures and more. Small leisure groups represent one of the most significant and fastest growing market opportunities in travel and are expected to generate $51.8 billion in travel sales in 2008. I'm in! groups are well-educated, affluent ($75k+ HHI) travelers that plan an average of 1.8 group trips with their friends annually.
What if I have more questions?
If you have additional questions, feel free to email us.

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If you are a destination marketing organization or are interested in additional marketing placements such as email newsletters or feature page sponsorship, please email us or call us at 781-768-5501