Planners! We need to step up and speak out against the negative view the government seems to have taken regarding the corporate groups whose legitimate meetings have come under fire. Visit Meetings Mean Business, a web site designed by the U.S. Travel Association, to get educated on the facts, the steps you can take, and what our industry means to the U.S. economy.
For example, the meetings industry is directly responsible for 1 million jobs in this country – that’s 0.6% of all the jobs in this country. Not a small industry, and certainly not made up of frivolous events that are completely unnecessary. If the government steps in and eliminates the ability for businesses to host their meetings, we’ll all be in a world of hurt.
Get out there and spread the word!
Update: You can send an email or a letter to your congressman via this site. The U.S. Travel Association has pre-written a great letter with pertinent facts and information that your government representative can use to help the cause!
I think you’re right – it is important that we need to speak up. This is such an important industry and we need to be taken seriously. There is already enough pressure with the current economic situation. Along those lines, if anyone is looking to add some new flavor to their event, I have come across http://www.audience-response.ca/ – they seem like a great way to incorporate technology into events – using games, polls or trivia. Just thought I’d pass the info along.
if the meeting is legitimate you need not worry my friend and should focus on the planning rather
I spent some time browsing through the comments that people have added along with their signatures on the Keep America Meeting (http://www.keepamericameetings.org) petition, and the snapshots of backgrounds and perspectives that have been collected here only suggest the size and scope of the industry. Meeting and event planners, hoteliers, housekeepers, restaurant servers, florists, taxi drivers… all are touched and affected. I, personally, find these thousands of comments to deliver the most impact behind this campaign.
well planning is the most imp thing according to me
meeting is always legitimate