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Editor’s note: This Week in Travel (TWT) is your essential guide to smoothing the road from here to there for your attendees and yourself.

United Threatens to Pull Out of JFK

In a move first reported by Reuters, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby wrote an email to Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen asking him to increase the airline’s capacity at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).

“If we are not able to get additional allocations for multiple seasons, we will need to suspend service at JFK, effective at the end of October,” read part of the email.

United currently has only two daily flights to San Francisco and Los Angeles from JFK. Its major hub is at Newark Airport where 69% of its flights originate.

The airline has been working to re-establish itself at JFK which is closer to NYC’s midtown than Newark International Airport (EWR), although both are connected via AirTrain, which is a $15.95 ride for most travelers.

Meeting Planners’ Takeaway: United’s hub is at Newark, which is easily accessible to the entire New York City metro area. If flights are pulled from JFK, it adds to yellow taxi fare in time and tolls.

If groups take private car services, the time difference from JFK and Newark to midtown Manhattan is less than an hour’s drive time. Traffic from Newark to Midtown can also be faster than traffic from JFK to Midtown.

U.S. Maintains Title as Most Powerful Travel and Tourism Market

In its latest Economic Trends Report, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has ranked the U.S. as the number one largest and most powerful travel and tourism market, despite serious economic losses due to Covid and related travel restrictions.

Although it retained the top position in the report, the sector’s contribution to the U.S. economy fell by $700 billion in 2019 to just under $1.3 trillion in 2021.

Research done by Oxford Economics said there had been no change in the ranking of the top three countries (U.S., China, Germany), although the organization said, “rankings are illusionary as the top economies bolstered their numbers through domestic travel, while international visitor numbers plummeted.”

Julia Simpson, WTTC president and CEO, said in a press release, “Our report shows the resilience of the travel and tourism sector, despite the impact of travel restrictions around the world which failed to halt the spread of the virus.

According to the group’s predictions, worldwide business travel is expected to grow more than 41% this year. For the next 10 years it predicts business travel could grow an average of 5.5% annually and may return faster in the Asia-Pacific region.

WTTC predicts by 2032, China could overtake the U.S. to become the world’s biggest travel and tourism market.

The research shows China’s travel and tourism sector’s contribution to GDP could reach US$3.9 trillion by 2032, making it the world’s most powerful travel and tourism market. India could overtake Germany to reach third place with a projected value of US$457 billion.

Meeting Planners’ Takeaway: Retention of first place in the travel and tourism market by the U.S., even during Covid years means, according to the WTTC, that our domestic travel infrastructure and demand has stayed strong, affecting numbers despite major losses in international travel—good news for US meeting planners booking domestically.

The return to The Center for Association Leadership’s (ASAE) Annual Meeting & Exposition brought almost 5,000 people to Nashville in August after two years of virtual experiences. With more than 100 sessions, the gathering focused on opportunities created through disruption. “We need to lean into a perpetual state of learning,” said ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason.

“The rate of change has accelerated over the last two years. Let’s take all those learnings and the innovative thinking we were forced to address into the next reality so we can continue to build and be more resilient,” she encouraged.

Safi Bahcall, physicist, biotech entrepreneur, member of President Obama’s council of science advisors and author of Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries kicked off the innovative thinking with a presentation titled, “Nurturing Crazy Ideas.”

Nashville-based founder of Jumpstart Health investors and Jumpstart Nova, the first Black healthcare venture fund in America, Marcus Whitney, followed with a presentation titled “Inspiring Change by Embracing Innovation.”

The show-stopping finale was a presentation by GRAMMY-nominated musician and LGBTQ advocate Cidny Bullens, who shared an emotional story of learning to sing with your authentic voice.

As part of embracing experimentation and risk-taking, the conference prioritized local community thought leaders and new programs. The Opening Celebration at Ascend Amphitheatre included performances from renowned guitarist and vocalist Regi Wooten and GRAMMY, ACM, CMA, AMA and People’s Choice Award-winning super group Little Big Town.

The ASAE Research Foundation’s The Classic at Wildhorse Saloon boasted performances by Wendy Moten and acclaimed country artist Phil Vassar. The Closing Celebration at Fifth + Broadway, Nashville’s newest downtown development, featured special performances by Joe West and chart-topping pop singer/songwriter Ben Rector.

Community First

The 2022 Annual Meeting & Exposition agenda covered the current disruptions of sustainability; diversity, equity and inclusion; and workforce challenges with an eye toward finding new solutions using new association business models.

“All of these issues are converging at once and our members need to prioritize based on their needs,” Mason said. “Our responsibility is to give them access to resources to address those disruptions; that is why we are bringing leaders together to think through problems in uncertain times.”

While Mason said the organization is committed to delivering omnichannel content to make learning accessible, ASAE 2022 Annual Meeting & Exposition didn’t include a virtual option because she wanted to focus on in-person relationship building. A revamped Associations Solutions Marketplace at Music City Center convention complex featured more than 300 sponsors and acted as a one-stop destination for finding the right products and service providers to help their associations achieve success.

The first ASAE Global Summit brought together 100 society for association executive representatives from Dubai, Singapore, Europe and beyond to talk about shared challenges. ASAE’s resources for expanding associations includes a Global Management series of studies examining the strategies and operations of associations doing business outside the United States and a Global Maturity Assessment online tool that enables association leaders to assess their readiness for global success.

Another first in Nashville was the launch of community pop-ups for Black CEOs, LGBTQ+, Latinas and other groups. The identity-based gatherings at the beginning of the conference were continuations of groups that started online and helped to attract a larger audience. Once there, Mason reported that many interacted with others and learned they have a lot in common with the wider group. “Community is powerful. When we leverage our platform to allow groups to meet like that, it creates a richer experience,” she said.

Rebuilding the Pipeline

Another new initiative aimed at rebuilding the association middle management pipeline is ReadyMe, which provides a combination of virtual and in-person training to nurture resilient leaders building on ASAE’s Conscious Inclusion strategy designed to fill the gaps of DEI training. “We need to develop our leaders in a more strategic way to combat the draining of the pipeline,” Mason said.

Meeting Community Needs, a community-focused CSR program, worked with Hands On Nashville to deliver materials for local school teachers to use in their classrooms and food packs for local residents experiencing food insecurity. A $20,000 donation will help to continue funding the work.

The 2023 ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Aug. 5-8, 2023.

Michelle Mason: A Year of Listening

ASAE President and CEO Michelle Mason took the reins of The Center for Association Leadership a year ago from interim CEO Susan Robertson, the first woman to be president and CEO of ASAE in its 100-year history. The two took up where longtime CEO John Graham left off when he passed away in 2020.

When asked about highlights from the last year in an interview at Grand Hyatt Nashville on the closing day of ASAE 2022 Annual Meeting & Exposition, Mason was enthusiastic.

“I started with a listening tour,” she said. Through Zoom meetings, hopping on a plane and attending gatherings in the Washington, D.C. area, where ASAE is based, she met with staff, association members and industry partners. “I realized that ASAE needs to be an agile association responsive to member needs,” she said.

She developed a three-pronged mandate. “First, I had to get the organization back on a stronger financial operating footing,” she explained. After almost three years without an in-person meeting, it was important to format a strategic framework to be viable regardless of what happens. “We now have new tools to make it possible to meet in person,” she continued. “We need to bring people together in a community setting, but we also need to meet members where they are.”

The second piece was cultural. She had to manage reopening the office and bringing the team back together. “The culture piece is so important,” she said.

At the same time, she was committed to expanding ASAE’s global footprint. “Partnerships and collaboration are key because we have limited resources. I am proud of being known as a collaborative organization,” she said.

Finally, she focused on what would be required to build the industry’s talent pipeline. “Diversity equity and inclusion will be integrated in everything we do,” she said.

“I love traveling,” she said, reflecting on the miles booked on the road over the last year. “I am focused on uniting the association community, that means traveling to where they are.”

Vanessa Williams

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Williams is general manager for Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club in Florida. She comes from Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills as its general manager. While in Beverly Hills, Williams was also on the board for Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau.

Jason Baer

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Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa named Baer director of sales and marketing. Before joining Hyatt Regency Maui, Baer was director of sales and marketing for Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort and Spa in California. He has also worked with Grand Hyatt San Diego, Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa, and Hyatt Regency San Francisco, all in California.

Vinnie Polito

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Polito is to be CEO of Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO), with his firm VP International taking over as the management company for the organization, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Polito is currently managing director for mdg, a San Diego-based agency that specializes in event and association marketing. Polito has also worked with Reed Exhibitions as senior vice president.

Jit Bose and James Koh

image of jit bose on left and james koh on right — Jit Bose (left) and James Koh (right)

Bose is director of global sales and development for South Asia and Koh is regional director for Southeast Asia Pacific for Preferred Hotels & Resorts.

Before he joined Preferred, Bose was director of sales and marketing for Southwest Asia at IHG Hotels & Resorts, during which he concentrated on IHG’s InterContinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands in India and Bangladesh. He has also worked with Taj Hotels, Hyatt Hotels, Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts, Shangri-La Hotels and The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta.

Koh most recently worked as regional vice president of hotel development for Asia Pacific with WorldHotels. Before that, he was senior manager of performance and revenue optimization for Greater China for WorldHotels, where he managed the brand’s hotels in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He has also worked in leading roles with Raffles Hotels and Grand Hyatt Singapore.

Brian Smith

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Smith is general manager for Kimpton Nine Zero in Boston. In his 25-year career, Smith has worked with 16 hotels in nine states, most recently, as general manager for DoubleTree by Hilton Grand Junction in Colorado. Before this, he was director of rooms for Hyatt Regency Seattle, where he worked on the opening team in 2018, as well as director of food and beverage for Grand Hyatt Denver.

David Cirincione

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Cirincione is general manager for White Lodging’s dual-branded Le Meridien and AC Hotel Denver Downtown in Colorado. Before moving to Denver, Cirincione was general manager for hotel management company Highgate in Miami. He has also worked in management roles with JW Marriott Austin in Texas, Langham Place in New York City, The Gates Hotel Miami Beach in Florida, JW Marriott Chicago and more.

Kelly Catherine

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Catherine is director of sales and marketing for Hyatt Centric Old Town Alexandria in Virginia. Catherine began her career with Hospitality Partners as a front desk agent. After that, she continued working with major hotel brands such as Marriott International, Hilton Hotels, Choice Hotels, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and limited and full-service independent properties.

Kristin Schneider

headshot of Kristin Schneider

Schneider is vice president of sales for ATL Airport District, the destination marketing organization for College Park, Hapeville and Union City, Georgia. She joined the organization in 2015 as sales manager and was later promoted to director of sales. Schneider has also worked as sales manager for Georgia International Convention Center.

Phil Klinkenberg

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Klinkenberg is hotel manager for Caribe Royale Orlando. Before this move, Klinkenberg worked as director of food and beverage for Loews Hotels, where he helped in opening three new properties, as well as at Margaritaville, where he worked for 13 years. In his 30 years working in hospitality, Klinkenberg worked in Europe, Asia, Central America, North America and the Caribbean.

Josh Head

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Head is general manager for The Laurel Hotel & Spa in Auburn, Alabama. Head came from Orchestra Partners in Birmingham, Alabama, where he worked as director of hospitality. He has also worked with Pursell Farms in Sylacauga, Alabama, as assistant general manager, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Sandestin Gold and Beach Resort in Florida in the front office, where his career began.

On Wednesday, California lawmakers passed an extensive climate and clean energy bill with the goal of decarbonizing the state’s electrical grid, regulating projects to eliminate carbon from the atmosphere and eliminating new oil drilling near communities.

In addition, SB-1137 calls for the closure of the state’s last nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon, to be postponed until 2030. The Diablo Canyon power plant produces 9% of California’s energy and is lauded by proponents of the legislation, who say the vote will help to stabilize the state’s power grid with a clean source of energy.

The bill includes the allocation of $54 billion to help protect California from climate crisis as the western United States continues to endure extreme heat and drought now spanning 22 years.

The budget will be used over the next five years and includes:

$6 billion for electric vehicles
$8 billion to decarbonize California’s power grid
$15 billion for improvement to the state’s public transportation system
$5 billion for measures to mitigate severe drought

The overall goal of the newly passed legislation is to codify new benchmarks in the state to have California at 90% clean energy by 2035, 95% by 2040 and 100% clean energy by 2045.

Read More: Healthy World: Is Net-zero Enough?

Hospitality, Tourism Industries Combat Climate Change

Measures in sustainability have been implemented across the board in tourism and hospitality industries, from more sustainable forms of travel to eco-friendly practices at hotels and meetings venues. Moreover, meeting profs have embraced sustainability, creating experiences that allow attendees to embrace and learn about sustainability and protecting the environment.

The passage of SB-1137 comes as reassuring news to industry profs who have been at the forefront of combating climate change. “This legislation plays an important role continually moving California and our destinations forward in recognizing the realities of climate change and taking responsibility for being part of the solution,” says Claudia Vecchio, president and CEO of Sonoma County Tourism.

“Climate change has definitely had an impact on tourism in Sonoma County,” says Vecchio. “The longevity of the drought has transformed how residents and businesses operate. As a wine region, the changing weather patterns have impacted how grapes are grown and the varietals that can thrive,” she continues.

Vecchio also noted the efforts of hotels in Sonoma County in water conservation—namely the reduction of water usage for landscaping. However, climate change has had a serious impact on many of the draws and attractions that make Sonoma County a prime destination. “As a wine region, the changing weather patterns have impacted how grapes are grown and the varietals that can thrive,” she says, adding that the dry conditions have also impacted recreational activities. “With lower water levels, some portions of the Russian River are challenging for those floating or kayaking on the river,” she explains.

Local Government Takes Action

Extreme weather conditions and drought are not the only problems caused by climate change for municipalities throughout California to contend with. Since 2017, Sonoma County has been subject to a rash of destructive wildfires that threaten structures, the iconic vineyard-laden landscape and the safety of area residents and guests.

In response to the problems caused by climate change, the County of Sonoma Climate Action and Resiliency Division and the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, enacted the Sonoma County Climate Resilient Lands Strategy as a collective effort to “Conserve, manage, and restore as much of the county as possible across public, private, natural, developed and agricultural lands,” among other measures, as temperatures in Sonoma County are expected to raise by five degrees Fahrenheit by the 2060s, according to the report.

The strategy also includes implementing improved agricultural practices, reducing methane emissions and sequestering carbon, while working to reduce the risk of a natural disaster.

After a long day of conferences, meetings and activities, attendees often flock to the hotel bar to grab a drink before retreating to bed for some much needed rest. Whether traveling to exotic locations or hot-spot United States destinations, meeting profs can elevate this experience from simply grabbing a drink, to a unique and special drinking event for their attendees.

1. Alila Napa Valley

Alila Napa Hotel

Located in the Wine Capital of the United States, the Alila Napa Valley is an adults-only luxury boutique hotel. There are 68 rooms and suites with 5,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor event space including a rustic barn and wood-lined boardroom. The hotel offers the option for a full property buyout for executive retreats or incentive trips. Courtesy of being surrounded by historic wineries, it’s no surprise that the hotel offers group activities and extensive wine lists that reflect the surrounding area.

Groups can partake in private tastings with renowned winemakers, a bike and brew tour or a ride above the vineyards in a hot air balloon to grasp the full landscape of Napa. The hotel’s restaurant is the Acacia House by Chef Chris Cosentino, a former top chef masters winner, and features a vast wine list organized by their personal sommelier. Through the Balance & Botanicals experience, guests can tour the Chef’s Garden guided by a mixologist and craft their own cocktail or wine spritzer.

2. Chatham Bars Inn

Steps away from the Atlantic Ocean the Chatham Bars Inn has everything you need for a classic Cape Cod Summer vacation. There are 217 rooms and suites and 10,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor function space. Highlights include the stand-alone Boathouse with floor-to-ceiling doors that can be opened to the ocean and the technologically advanced 4,500 square-foot Monomoy room. In August 2022, the Inn introduced its own custom Etesia Gin.

It was crafted in Washington D.C. using sea salt from the waters closest to the Inn and is designed to be adjustable for use in a variety of drinks. All of the cocktails that the Inn makes use ingredients sourced from their personal farm and groups can take mixology classes to learn the art of mixology from the Inn’s personal bar team.

3. Rusacks St. Andrews

Rusacks St. Andrews Hotel

Visit the birthplace of golf while touring the whiskey distilleries that Scotland is known for. While Rusacks St. Andrews lacks the vast meeting space of other hotels, they offer group activities that would be ideal for an incentive trip or small group retreat. The property was launched in September 2021 but the 123 guest rooms have a classic, rustic feel to them.

Guests can partake in the two-hour Eden Mill Blendworks Sessions where they will learn to blend their own gin with the opportunity to take their own bottle home. Guests who prefer whiskey can choose the Spirit of Fife Package that leads them on a guided tour of Kingsbarn, a local distillery, or the two-hour Wee Walk & A Cocktail tour, which accumulates in a cocktail at 18, a rooftop bar and restaurant.

4. One Aldwych

Nestled in the Covent Garden district of London, One Aldwych has the resources and the location to create a memorable experience for attendees. The property has 101 suites and bedrooms with four distinctive event spaces named after the building’s past as the former location of the Morning Post newspaper. The Library is the ideal place for a reception to start or end a group trip.

The Lobby bar offers a collection of cocktails called A Sensory Journey of Scent, which were all inspired by fragrances. This summer they introduced a special summer drink modeled after the Sunflower Pop fragrance from Floral Street. With inspiration from flowers and perfumes, their menu includes drinks such as Arizona Bloom, Wonderland Peony, and of course, the London Poppy.

The travel and tourism industry lost an estimated 62 million jobs globally during the pandemic according to Statista.com. While demand for hotel and restaurant workers came back relatively quickly once people started traveling and meeting again, job-seekers were more reluctant.

As of July, headcount was still down a reported 44 million people. Some of the lag is in Asia-Pacific, however, Europe and North America have also struggled to lure housekeepers, convention managers and meeting planners back in the door.

Read the results of Smart Meetings’ staffing survey in the September magazine.

Mike Gamble, president of SearchWide Global, an executive recruitment firm that focuses on the travel, tourism, hospitality, convention, trade association and venue management sectors, thinks it is time to rethink how hospitality work is structured in order to provide the level of service conference travelers expect. He is working with former U.S. Travel Association CEO Roger Dow to create a Future Work Solutions (FWS) app that will connect pre-qualified workers with hotels and conference centers looking for temporary help that gig workers could provide.

Listen to the Lessons from Leaders podcast with Roger Dow.

Smart Meetings asked Gamble to share his vision for how this new model could help solve the problems around availability and service in convention centers and resorts.

SM: Is the staffing shortage a temporary or permanent crisis?

MG: There has been a fundamental shift in how people look at work. People want to live their best lives and find a job—or jobs—that fit into their life. That is a shift for all industries, and this new mindset will undoubtedly impact our industry as well. Demographics, increased travel demand, and product growth will likely keep the workforce shortage issues front and center for quite some time.

SM: Front-line workers want to work when they want to, where they want to, at a fair wage. How can a staffing app help?

MG: Many industries are embracing the gig economy, and travel, tourism, hospitality and events have also started to embrace gig work. We want to provide solutions built by the industry and for the industry with the workers’ needs in mind.

SM: Will this be a way to get more young people into the industry?

MG: We certainly hope so. While we understand there are many young workers loyal to their brands and wish to establish a career path within one organization, there will be plenty who simply want to pick up a “gig” now and then, choosing when they work and where they work. We hope to provide value to both.

What will this mean for hotel prices?

We want to give employers and operators the ability to supplement their existing full-time teams by connecting high-quality workers to opportunities at a fair price.

If it feels like everything is more expensive now, you are right. A team of event experts from Leo Events—Principal Kent Underwood, Principal Kevin Brewer and Senior Vice President Amy Manzanares (a Smart Women in Meetings winner)—led a lively discussion at Smart Meetings 3-Day Experience in Nashville about the ups and downs of prices of everything from cooking oil to copper. Although inflation has taken a toll on event budgets, some precautionary moves can help side-step the worst impacts by being prepared. The biggest takeaway: act quickly because the tight turnarounds for RFPs are not doing anyone any favors.

Inflationary Realities

Underwood shared that, overall, hotel rates are up 38% since before the pandemic and properties are less likely to negotiate day rates or minimums than pre-Covid as they are under pressure from increased labor and operating costs.

A 46% increase in construction materials is hitting booth, AV and stage set-up costs hard. Steak and chicken prices are up more than 50% and scallops are up 119%. A lot of properties are simply taking some high-priced items off the menu to avoid pushback. On the positive side, wine and liquor prices have not increased above normal unless imported, so ask if a property is adding a surcharge.

How an app could help manage rising transportation costs.

“We are finally seeing some right-sizing in supply and demand, but prices won’t all come back down when the pressure is off,” he predicted.

Scarcity Eats Cost for Breakfast

Thank you @LEOEvents for putting some context behind the increased prices and fees we are seeing in contracts. “Scarcity is an even greater threat to success than cost.”#MeetSmart pic.twitter.com/lIi0DNi23g

— JT Long (@SmartMtgsJT) August 29, 2022

Brewer pointed to several factors in the lack of service at hotels, including a visa backlog that is creating a bottleneck for foreign workers who usually staff resort areas, mass retirements and competing industries. “I worry about the loss of mid-level employees and their institutional knowledge,” he said. “Who will teach what service means?” he asked.

The tight event production market is manifesting in last-minute no-shows for work and impacting load-in and out. “If we want 75 people to work, we are calling 100-150 people because we are seeing a 40% drop off,” he said. In union venues, he is negotiating contract clauses that say if the venue can’t get enough people when they are needed, Leo can bring in their own.

“Fast, cheap, and good is gone. You have to pick two.”

The other way a tight labor market impacts meetings is in transportation. The lack of everything from airline pilots to Uber and coach drivers are challenging last-mile logistics. A lot of bus and limo drivers moved to more lucrative trucking jobs over the last two years. Taxis are few and far between because the emergence of ride-share sent them to other lines of work. And when you can find a car, it may not be the clean, service-oriented ride you remember from 2019.

Transportation is a big problem. Uber availability and quality alone are depressed. Taxi availability is already depressed which affects arrivals and departures. Private transportation companies lost many employees who went to more lucrative trucking and aren’t coming back to motor coaches. “Scarcity is a greater threat to success than cost,” Brewer said. “Fast, cheap, and good is gone. You have to pick two.” The sooner you can make decisions, the more likely it is that you will get what you need.

“We have to be willing to say the quiet part out loud because indecision has consequences.”

Lean on Your Network

Manzanares agreed that now is the time to have hard conversations about budgets and deadlines. Vaccine requirements are easing all over the country and that is leading to higher attendance and higher costs. However, contagion is still happening, so meeting professionals must have backup plans.

“We have to be willing to say the quiet part out loud because indecision has consequences.”

“Put in contingencies to account for uncertain travel and costs,” she advised. That includes accounting for or negotiating additional administrative fees of 30% or more showing up at many properties.

Tips for post-pandemic contract clauses.

This is the time to be an authority, rather than an order-taker, Manzanares said. “We have to be willing to say the quiet part out loud because indecision has consequences.”

On September 1, the U.S. Department of Labor inducted essential workers into the Hall of Honor for their steadfast contributions made during the Covid-19 pandemic, with opening remarks given by Julie Su, deputy secretary of labor. Similarly, The American Hotel and Lodgings Association established Sept. 1 as National Hotel Employee Day in the National Day Calendar, recognizing the contributions of hotel employees, which are crucial in supporting the meetings, tourism and travel industries.

“As we honor these essential workers, we also have a new understanding and appreciation of how our economy and society depends on the tremendous hard work, commitment, creativity, resilience and sacrifices of workers every single day,” Su said.

Acknowledging Workers’ Efforts and Commitment

While essential workers include various sectors such as education, supermarkets and transportation, hotel employees played an integral role in sustaining the hospitality industry—facilitating the re-emergence of in-person meetings and events that drives U.S. business.

“America’s nearly 2 million hotel employees’ contributions to our industry and our society are invaluable. And their resilience and professionalism has been especially evident over the last two years. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many hotel employees helped provide shelter for health care workers and other first responders. Hotel professionals deserve recognition, and we thank them for their service on this National Hotel Employee Day and every day,” said Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO.

The Department of Labor’s Hall of Honor inductees were selected following a national survey nominating essential employees who made continuous sacrifices and efforts to serve communities across America ahead of the Labor Day holiday.

“The Hall of Honor is about people who changed history, and that’s exactly what the essential workers of the coronavirus pandemic did for our country,” said Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh during Thursday’s ceremony. “Today, we remember the essential workers who passed away during the pandemic and honor the ongoing labor of all essential workers. I am so grateful for the chance to thank some of them in person during our Hall of Honor induction ceremony, and in my travels around the country.”

Essential Workers Push On

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Hall of Honor was first established in 1988 to recognize employees who made strides in elevating their profession by improving working conditions, wages and quality of life for America’s labor force. This year, Secretary Walsh highlighted the department’s recent efforts, as well as those of the Biden-Harris administration, in promoting good jobs and providing U.S. workers with the resources needed for success.

The development of the country’s workforce by providing valuable information needed to obtain in-demand skills and training was made possible through a collaboration between employers and government agencies known as the Good Jobs initiative and the protection and advancement of workers’ right to organize through the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment. In addition, Walsh pointed to the additional jobs created through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Moreover, Rogers noted that the inaugural National Hotel Employee Day comes while hotels across the nation are scrambling to fill 120,000 vacant hotel positions with a bump in average pay from $18.74 an hour prior to the pandemic to $22.25 an hour as of May 2022. He also pointed to the over 200 career paths in hospitality and the frequent job promotion available to hotel workers.

How to Search Better

Many meeting professionals are finding themselves struggling to find their trusted hotel partners after the great reshuffling that has happened in the hospitality industry. To help answer the “Where has everyone gone?” question, keynote and Intel Engine founder Sam Richter, shared tips for searching smarter. Applying advanced Google search techniques both helps to locate potential partners and learn more about them so you can show up to conversations prepared. “When you can demonstrate that you have done your research, it shows that you care,” he explained.

Richter created a custom SearchLink.ai for the meetings industry to make it super-easy (and fun) to locate decision makers and learn more without wasting valuable time. Now the meetings industry is a few degrees of separation closer. You are welcome.

How to Love Your Authentic Story

Meeting professionals have been trained to put on a brave face for the world, regardless of what is going on behind the scenes. But after the last two years, learning to tell the story of what it took to overcome is a powerful tool to move forward. Keynote Lauren Sisler bravely told her story from promising athletic roots through tragedy to Emmy award-winning ESPN sports broadcaster. She lost both of her parents in a devastating way as a freshman in college and struggled for years to come to terms with the circumstances while all the while smiling for the cameras. “I learned that success is often defined by defeat and our approach to life must include viewing circumstances through a lens of purpose and gratitude,” she said.

After overcoming her shame about her family’s sad secret, she decided her purpose was to share what she learned about the power of falling in love with your true story—whatever that may be.

Resiliency can look like tears, humor, grit or all of the above. But when you own your story, you unlock abilities and opportunities you may not have thought possible before.

Every day, Washington, D.C. hosts advocacy conferences and groups hoping to promote change right on the steps of Capitol Hill. From the Professional Women in Advocacy Summit to the ASACC National Student Advocacy Conference, hundreds of organizations are looking to get people engaged and motivated.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) is no different and offers an annual three-day Public Policy Conference in D.C. focused on training advocates to meet with congressional offices and advocate for legislation. But in 2021 and 2022, this event had to be held virtually due to the pandemic. 

The NMSS decided to partner with Capitol Canary (previously known as Phone2Action), an advocacy software platform, to make sure engagement and advocacy remained at the forefront of their conference, even as it was held in a virtual setting. 

Ease of Registration

Laura Bennett, the director of grassroots advocacy at NMSS, explains how by using Capitol Canary, they created a text keyword that would be shown at any NMSS events taking place in the months leading up to the conference. The ease of being able to simply text a phrase to a five-digit number allowed people to register right from their phone at another event and led to around 1,300 sign-ups. “Capitol canary is the main way we are reaching out and emailing folks to join and that’s where our largest pool of participants will come from,” says Bennett.

The partnership saw value in the actual event itself in innovative ways. When people participated in the different advocacy opportunities, a pin would get dropped on the map in their location and their name would scroll along the bottom of the screen. “People get a lot of pride out of that and really feel like they are making a difference as they can see themselves within this larger movement,” Bennett says.

Map of the U.S. with Pins dropped on locations.

One of the advocacy options is sending personalized messages to policymakers on social media. By using Capitol Canary’s software, NMSS developed a website that shares information about NMSS and has an email that is both pre-written and targeted for the group. The email could be sent to senators, representatives and others and could also be personalized by everyone who wanted to add personal anecdotes or additional messaging. There was also an option to tweet or patch through a call if participants wanted to speak with the government official’s office.  “We see almost 100% action rate because we are able to have participants do it right then and there,” emphasized Bennett. 

Pre-Written Email/Social Media post for representatives

Post Event Pluses

Jeb Ory, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Capitol Canary, says, “You can look and see how many people are engaged from their database and from their network. You can also see which lawmakers received communications and conversion rates–how many people clicked versus how many people followed through, so there are a lot of metrics that an organization can use.” While most of these were designed to be in-person tools, Try found that in-the-moment advocacy works well virtually. 

“An organization can learn a lot from the NMSS. They are pros at getting their activists engaged and growing their ranks of activists,” said Ory. “As we are moving back into in-person events we don’t want to lose what has been effective virtually, but we want to give people the chance to break bread together and convene.” 

The NMSS will be returning to an in-person model in 2023 where they bring 300 people to Washington, D.C., but the organization recognizes the importance and necessity of a virtual option so they will be adding a separate virtual component.