Meeting News - February 16, 2009 - (Page 6)

Newsmaker Q + A Boutique Hotelier Is Big Industry Promoter—and Defender By Rayna Katz Though he’s been with a relatively small hotel company—Loews Hotels—for many years, Jonathan Tisch is no shrinking violet. He launched and then oversaw the Travel Business Roundtable, a lobbying concern, for 15 years and is now chairman emeritus of the U.S. Travel Association (which the TBR was folded into); he has served as chairman of NYC & Co., the Big Apple’s tourism bureau; and, as chairman and CEO of Loews, he has made big inroads into a sea of household names. The successful results of his efforts make his work look easy, but, in fact, it takes a smart approach and a lot of elbow grease. That effort was justly recognized last month by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International at its Adrian Awards ceremony in New York, when the trade group gave Tisch the Albert E. Koehl Award for advertising. For anyone who had any doubt that Tisch was deserving, he proved it during his acceptance of the award: He showed a whimsical video of himself being interviewed…by himself. During the course of the “interview,”he showed his appearance on a reality show, where he performed the tasks of many Loews hotels employees, and a video from the past where he appeared in drag while promoting the company. MeetingNews talked with all sides of the man about the future of Loews, and of the industry. Q A Q A Why is creativity in advertising and marketing important to you? Creativity is very important to us at Loews. Being fairly small—when you stack us up against other brands—we have to ﬁnd unique ways to promote our brand and let travelers know that we exist. In your acceptance speech, you said that because of the freedoms that have developed in various countries, some people are going to be traveling for the ﬁrst time. What is Loews—and the industry—doing in preparation for that? At Loews, we have properties in the United States and Canada, so we’re continuing to February 16, 2009 work with convention and visitors bureaus and industry, because the more travelers come in, the other hotels in our markets to promote the des- more jobs it creates. tinations. You spoke of the students of the industry As for the industry, the U.S. Travel Association as the future. What promise are you is putting its effort behind the Travel Promotion seeing? Act, which calls for funding and resources to promote the There’s been growth of United States as a travel destitravel and hospitality nation, both in countries programs. Students today are where ﬁrst-time travelers are interested not just in hospicoming from and those from tality but in tourism. Many which we have a long history of them are already at the of visitors. best hotels. When you look at the challenges facing Barack Obama’s What are the next steps administration, two can be for both the travel and dealt with through travel. the meetings/convention On the economy, it’s been Jonathan Tisch industries, in order for them proven that the international to gain the respect they traveler stays longer and Chairman and CEO deserve? spends more. Loews Hotels And on the issue of diploWe are certainly living in a macy, after foreign visitors moment where our indusleave the United States, they have a better impression than before they came. So try is under stress, from the economy and from a those travelers can help us overcome the negative number of other areas. My hope is that meeting planners, CEOs of image of the U.S. that the president and secretary corporations, and association executives will of state Hillary Clinton are battling abroad. understand the importance of travel, why people In your speech, you also encouraged your must meet outside of the ofﬁce, and that we need the economic beneﬁt of travel. peers to promote the industry as one that provides job opportunities and chances for careers. What steps should the industry be Some negative attention has started to taking to accomplish this? come to the industry about lavish incentive programs planned for ﬁnancial companies Travel and tourism offer an enormous that are receiving bailout packages as well as opportunity to workers, many of whom are laying off staff. What do you say in response in the country legally for ﬁrst time. My sense is to this coverage? that the industry has always understood itself as poised to create jobs, but historically, our elected The press has taken this up as a cause ofﬁcials—in Washington, DC, and elsewhere— celebre, and I am extremely concerned haven’t understood the value of our industry. about the negative impression that’s starting to When you walk into a congressional member’s permeate this industry. ofﬁce and say that we have more employees in As an industry, we have to continue to express our industry than there are workers in manufac- why meetings are important for organizations; turing, that gets their attention. There are 17 mil- for hotels, convention centers, and attractions; lion people making a living in the travel indus- and for the economy. H try, either directly or indirectly. Contact Rayna Katz at So we have to keep promoting our value as an rayna.katz@nielsen.com Q A Q A Q A Q A 6 MeetingNews www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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