Meeting News - March 23, 2009 - (Page 3)

Inside the Meetings Industry Edited by William Ng william.ng@nielsen.com U.S. Travel Assn.’s ‘Meetings Mean Business’ Campaign Making Waves The first half of March saw the resistance movement to the government and media attacks on the meetings industry gain steam. Meetings Mean Business, a campaign and website (www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com) launched in late February by the U.S. Travel Association, with support from the major trade groups in the meetings and hospitality industries, wants to ensure that state and federal politicians, consumer media, and the general public understand the value of meetings, events, and incentive travel to the economy. Geoff Freeman, senior VP of public affairs for the U.S. Travel Assn., in an early March e-mail to thousands of meeting planners and hospitality suppliers, noted that “where we previously suffered from one-sided news stories that depicted corporate travel as a symbol of excess, we now are seeing far more nuanced coverage that’s more reflective of our arguments concerning the value of travel and of the true victims of the political attacks we’ve suffered.” now “We are more seeing far nuanced coverage that’s more reflective of our arguments concerning the value of travel. —Geoff Freeman, sr. VP, public affairs, U.S. Travel Assn., in an e-mail to meetings and hospitality professionals ” Those attacks included statements last month by senator John Kerry (D-MA) excoriating firms that continued to hold meetings, events, and incentive-travel programs after receiving public financial assistance, as well as the introduction of legislation to restrict certain business activities—including many meetings and events. The effects of the negative pub- licity have been significant, even affecting firms not receiving loans through the federal Troubled Asset Relief Program. In one survey, 52 percent of responding planners said news coverage has been “moderately” or “extremely” influential on their companies’ decisions to cancel meetings and events. While none of the legislative proposals moved forward in the past few weeks, Freeman wrote the industry coalition is “strongly encouraging the Treasury department to expeditiously establish a sensible definition for ‘excessive’ and ‘luxury’ expenditures by companies receiving taxpayer assistance, using [meetings] industry guidelines as a framework.” He continued,“We also are encouraging Treasury and congressional leaders to identify our guidelines as a model for TARP recipients.” On March 4, U.S. Travel Assn. president and CEO Roger Dow held a conference call with 1,000 travel and tourism professionals to detail how the entire industry can protect and promote itself. What’s more, the Green Meetings Discussion Groups Popping Up Across North America Starting in March, the Convention Industry Council (CIC), in partnership with members of the meetings, conventions, and exhibitions industry in 16 cities throughout North America, began a series of APEX (Accepted Practices Exchange) City Discussion Groups focusing on green meetings and events. The discussion groups resemble town-hall meetings and “are a vital part of the development of accepted practices for the industry,” said www.meetingnews.com Karen Kotowski, COO of CIC. The groups are meeting to review and comment on the recommendations of APEX’s Green Meetings and Events Practice Panel, which has been working to create standards for the meetings and hospitality industries for nine areas: accommodations, audiovisual and production, communication, destinations, exhibits, food and beverage, meeting venues, on-site offices, and transportation. The first round of discussion groups took place throughout March, in Atlanta; Baltimore; Chicago; Washington, DC; Gainesville, GA; Louisville; Portland; San Diego; Seattle; and Vancouver. Later this spring, discussions will happen in Denver, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, and Toronto. For those unable to attend a discussion group in person, a virtual discussion board is available on the APEX Solution website, at www.APEXsolution.org. —Section by Robert Carey organization launched a major initiative intended to push back against what Freeman called the “demonization of business meetings and events” and “false accusations against legitimate travel activities.” At a separate press conference, Dow announced a new advertising campaign that will “challenge policymakers to tone down the dangerous rhetoric, embrace sensible guidelines for companies receiving assistance, and promote travel as an economic solution.” In addition to lobbying efforts, the campaign features U.S. Travel Assn.-funded advertisements, which Dow said will continue to appear in the coming weeks in USA Today, Politico.com, DrudgeReport.com, and CongressDaily. (These ads will be available on demand at www.Meetings MeanBusiness.com/sites/default/ files/USTravel_Print_ad.pdf.) Then, on March 10 and 11, more than a dozen hospitalityindustry CEOs gathered in Washington for the U.S. Travel CEO Roundtable, which gave them an opportunity to carry out the industry’s message to members of Congress and high-level Obama administration officials. Going forward, the U.S. Travel Assn. has underway research projects designed to demonstrate the value of travel, and the toll to organizational productivity when it is overly constrained. Specifically, the trade group will soon produce data that show the return on investment of corporate travel, to help organizations justify expenditures. The group will also develop economic-impact research for local communities, which Freeman said “will localize the story for members of Congress.” H March 23, 2009 MeetingNews 3 http://www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com http://www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com http://www.politico.com http://www.DrudgeReport.com http://www.meetingsMeanBusiness.com/sites/default/files/USTravel_Print_ad.pdf http://www.meetingsMeanBusiness.com/sites/default/files/USTravel_Print_ad.pdf http://www.APEXsolution.org http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - March 23, 2009 Contents What’s Up @ MeetingNews.com Meetings Mean Business As 'Meeting Matter' Marriott Unveils Promo Columbus, OH, Addresses Convention Hotel Issues People Making News Orlando Strives for Cost Transparency Is Biz-Class Air Travel Dead? Greenest Planner Awards Mid America Insider Report: Conference Centers Destination Insider: Mississippi Gulf Coast Las Vegas Destination Insider: Cleveland Ad Index Live from the Forum

Meeting News - March 23, 2009

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