Moms We Love: Georgette Blau of On Location Tours
How did On Location Tours come to be?
Shortly after I moved to New York in 1998, I noticed that I lived right by the building from The Jeffersons on the Upper East Side. I found that there were so many locations in New York (New York is actually considered the most filmed city in the world), and no tour/tour company based around TV/movie locations. I knew that people loved to visit sites based around pop culture.
What makes it different from other sightseeing companies?
We are very unique in that we are the only tour company that only focuses on TV and movie tours. We actually make sure that our tour guides focus on TV and movie behind-the-scenes information and not New York City history, since there are already a number of companies that focus on historical tours.
What are some of your more popular tours? What are the hotspots that people really want to see?
Our tours tend to be more popular at different times of year depending on the subject matter. Right now, our Gossip Girl tour is very popular, especially since the series started airing on Netflix. People on that tour love seeing Dylan’s Candy Bar, the largest candy store in the world, and the school that the characters attended in the show.
Let’s talk about the Association for TV and Movie Tours (ATTAM), and how that came to be.
I saw that there was not an association for this rapidly growing industry of TV and movie tour companies, and all of us spoke on a regular basis. I launched the global association a few years ago, and we’ve all enjoyed cross-promoting our companies and sharing ideas. We actually just had our first “ATTAM convention” with six companies this past November.
How do you balance work and family?
I have a four year old boy named Benjamin. It’s definitely hard, since a lot of work doesn’t get done, but I’m better at prioritizing and being somewhat more efficient. I am fortunate that I am home with Benjamin two afternoons a week.
Are there any tours that are specific for families and family movies and TV shows?
Definitely! We operate the NYC TV & Movie tour and the Central Park TV & Movie tour, which are both very family-friendly. We also operate the Boston Movie Mile, which is also very family friendly.
What are some of your plans for On Location Tours in the future?
I would like to start new tours in New York and expand into more cities.