Smart Meetings | Page 162 of 602 | Corporate Event Planning: Business Events, Meetings, Conferences

With ongoing concerns related to Covid variants, a number of businesses and events are re-evaluating whether to postpone or cancel despite the relative loosening of federal, state and local restrictions. So, what happens when there aren’t specific government restrictions to trigger a force majeure event to postpone or terminate an event?

Can the more recent trend of “fear” majeure be sufficient grounds to postpone or terminate an event? As any good lawyer will tell you…it depends.

Government Action vs. Fear of Variants

Historically, force majeure events were commonly referred to as an “Act of God” or something beyond your control that prevented or made performance of one’s obligations “impossible, impracticable, or illegal.” When governmental restrictions first started taking effect in response to Covid-19, there were a number of legal questions that arose regarding whether parties could invoke force majeure provisions to postpone or cancel events. Again, it depended on whether the applicable contract contained a force majeure provision and whether that provision was the “long” or “short” form (i.e. laundry list of specific events vs. broad catch-all language).

Folks who did not have force majeure language in their contracts or did not have sufficient provisions and who were able to consult with legal counsel have since revised language to include key terms to invoke that provision in postponing or terminating events (i.e., referencing “disease, viral outbreak, epidemic or pandemic” vs. Covid-19 and/or referencing “governmental actions,” “emergency declaration” or “any law or action taken by a government or public authority”).

Even if you have a force majeure clause or recently beefed it up to reflect the new reality from Covid restrictions, can it be used to invoke postponement or cancellation in the absence of a specific governmental restriction? Maybe and it depends.

Specifically, it depends on whether the basis or reason for the “fear” is sufficient to invoke or fall within the force majeure language. For example, if the “fear” relates to a more generalized concern over, say, the possible rise in infections related to the omicron variant, but there is no specific “governmental action” that mandates closure or cancellation of an event or even if your event is in a location that has mandates against mandates for government shut-downs, what then? The likely answer is that would not be sufficient or meet the threshold of impossibility or impracticability to equate to a force majeure event.

However, if the underlying agreement contained language that specifically addressed the “worried artist” or “fear” issues, then there might be sufficient grounds to invoke postponement or termination. For example, the recent wave of postponed or cancelled shows on Broadway or artists such as Sir Elton John cancelling shows after receiving a positive test were premised on specific language in the underlying agreements that allowed for last minute changes in scheduling. Again, this can be addressed either initially in the contract, or by negotiating additional addendums or riders to the contract after the fact.

On Notice

If attempting to invoke or respond to a “fear” majeure event, one should also pay close attention to and comply with not only any formal notice requirements in the underlying agreements, but also applicable language if there are coinciding event cancellation or business interruption insurance policies.

So, what happens if you are faced with a “fear” majeure possibility of postponing or cancelling an event? The first thing to do is check the operative agreement and see if there is a force majeure clause and then determine whether the basis for this event falls within that definition (and consulting with a good lawyer, if need be). Next, double-check and confirm whether the notice period was proper and the actual notice was made in compliance with the contract. Then determine where the possible venue of any dispute would be (litigation vs. arbitration), what law would apply, and the potential categories or limits on damages and possible recovery of attorney’s fees. Finally, it all comes down to effective communication and negotiation to determine whether it makes sense to postpone, cancel or enforce the contract and potential litigation.

Ty Sheaks is an attorney, author and faculty legal advisor with International Association of Venue Managers. He will give an update on contractual provisions to keep in mind for negotiations during a special Smart Chat Live! March 22 at 11 a.m. PDT/ 2:00 pm. EDT. Save your seat here.

The sound of mega-musicians coming back up and down the Las Vegas Strip is music to meeting professional ears. Big name entertainment in town helps sell event tickets, simplifies VIP experiences and adds that wow factor. The good news is that the attraction could hold even more widespread appeal as classic and up-and-coming acts are being booked in more stadiums than before the pandemic.

Synchronicity

Case in point: IMEX America brought some 10,000 event professionals together in Las Vegas in November. That week, Caesars hosted groups of 25 press people to join the sold-out crowd at the 4,300-seat Colosseum at Caesars Palace to see Sting perform a live concert at the very beginning of his Las Vegas residency.

More Venues and Acts to Love

While Sting won’t be back until this June, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) announced a slew of live shows coming soon.

The largest, tallest and freshest venue on the Strip, Resorts World Theatre opened June of 2021. The theater boasts 5,000 sq. ft. of LED screens and fits 5,000—not one concertgoer seated more than 150 feet from the stage. “One of the most technologically advanced venues in the city, the Resorts World Theatre has an immersive and state-of-the-art lighting, sound, video and automation systems and one of the largest and tallest stages on the Strip,” said Resorts World Las Vegas President Scott Sibella in a statement.

Celine Dion has been in residency at the venue since November and will be performing until early February. “Teenage Dream” singer Katy Perry is arriving at Resorts World Theatre in early March and will be back this May through August. She will be followed by Michael Bublé in April and Carrie Underwood in March, April and May.

Newly renovated as of September 2021, The Theater at Virgin Hotels can seat 4,500. Multi-platinum guitar-metal band Incubus is booked for a special two-night show there in March.

MGM Resorts boasts multiple stages and styles. Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano is coming to Dolby Live at Park MGM, The Black Keys will be at MGM Grand in July and comedian Carrot Top is a popular residency at Luxor Hotel & Casino.

John Legend performs at Caesars’ Zappos Theater, the 7,000-seat space at Planet Hollywood Resort, starting late April. This June, Shania Twain will appear at Zappos Theater and again from August through September.

“Mr. Las Vegas” Wayne Newton is back in Vegas on a longer-term residency at The Wayne Newton Theater at Bugsy’s Cabaret at Caesars’ Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino and will be performing each month from January to June.

The city’s wide range of musical genres attracts crowds of all ages and lyrical preferences. Vegas knows part of its charm is in the accessibility of its entertainment.

Safety Measures Open Doors

As Covid safety protocols remain a priority at concert spaces, opportunities for no-plan entertainment at and around events in Vegas are growing.

Shows at Caesars venues require masks at all events. The Sting performance required proof of vaccination. Some shows, such as Adele’s Las Vegas residency initially set to begin at the end of January, will also require a non-at-home Covid test within 48 hours before showtime. Since Adele announced the postponement of her residency after half her team fell ill with Covid the day before its intended first concert, no new show dates have been released. But Keith Urban will be stepping up to the Colosseum stage in her place and will perform on several dates from March 25 through April 2—a testament to the versatility and opportunity Vegas presents to event planners. With so much talent in one place, there’s always someone to call for a show and a place to host.

AEG Presents partnered with Resorts World Theatre at Resorts World and The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, and both venues maintain strict mask policies and require proof of vaccination at every event. MGM Resorts events require masks as well and may require vaccination proof on an event-to-event basis.

Easy Incentives

Events in Vegas offer the option to planners to buy concert tickets for VIPs or let attendees find their own shows nearby to see on incentive travel or in those after-event hours. Proximity also makes it easier to invite an artist to the major corporate event you’re planning for a break-time performance.

Editor’s note: This story was updated on Jan. 31 to show the path weekly cases are taking (and what is expected in early Feb.) in the United States.

“Covid surges will be short-lived,” predicted Michael Dominguez, president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) during this week’s webinar on what the hospitality industry can expect from the new year. Dominguez joined Smart Meetings for a conversation about the future of the industry from PCMA Convening Leaders event at Caesars Forum in Las Vegas.

And when there are hiccups in the future, planners and suppliers will know how to handle it together. “We’re now looking at this [from] a more holistic view of the travel journey…we know we don’t survive without each other,” he remarked.

For the whole spiel, listen to the full account of 2022 industry predictions on demand.

Force or Fear Majeure?

Even during Omicron, groups found ways to gather safely. “It’s not that it’s impossible to meet,” Dominguez said, citing the 2,500 professionals who arrived for PCMA Convening Leaders and more than that for CES in Las Vegas last week. A thoughtful approach to safety at those events is keeping people healthy while they get business done, but the threat of variants present and future is holding some organizers back.

There’s been a lot of bumping of meetings and events, Dominguez reported. That has lead some planners to create robust force majeure cancellations clauses, but he warned that they could be as much a risk as a cushion to events. The venue could turn around and use the language to cancel on the planner in the event of another surge in even local cases. He suggested not started a conversation about a possible cancellation with a legal letter. “Have the discussion with partners to find a safe way to make the event happen,” he said.

“We’re getting used to an environment that will have surges,” said Dominguez. He pointed to the power of testing and a growing vaccination rate as positive signs. Having a sound response plan, testing resources and requirements and vaccine requirements is preventing events from coming to a full stop, even amid dubious surges.

A chart of "observed and forecasted weekly Covid-19 cases in the United States. There is a sharp decline after a rapid increase — Source: CDC Weekly Covid Tracker

What we are seeing now, Dominguez reports, is a much shorter surge window. Delta’s spike lasted seven weeks, while Omicron’s has already begun to decline in some places, lasting only four weeks. Florida, one of the regions with the highest number of cases in the U.S., is experiencing ICU hospitalizations at a third of what they were when Delta hit, he reported.

A More Predictable Future

Dominguez projected the end of surges in 2022. And if one pops up, he said that the tools, organization and the unity developed over the last 20 months will help to avoid the deficits events and hotels have experienced since 2019.

“We can create an environment safer than…being at a restaurant in your own community or being out and about…we can control what happens here,” Dominguez explained. He is encouraged by the state of events that do go on as planned, as we are seeing consistent success as far as attendee adherence to safety protocol.

International events may take some time to come back as discrepancies between how individual countries are responding to each surge make it hard to gauge the return of events abroad. Now, it’s about finding a way to bridge those gaps as we move forward, according to Dominguez.

Some groups are coming back faster than others. Those who can’t work from home, including food and beverage and construction workers “are the ones with the biggest appetite to get,” he observed.

It’s crucial not to judge anyone for going or not going, he said. A united front from the event and hospitality industries will only benefit our forward momentum; now is the time to support one another as we make it back to events following another surge.

Forward Steps, Together

Dominguez emphasized the importance of united advocacy right now to smooth any future crisis. If the Pandemic Risk Insurance Act (PRIA) passes this year, event insurance companies would be “only on the hook for 5% of the cost,” Dominguez stated—the U.S. Treasury Department would cover the rest if the event is canceled.

“We’ve got the White House’s attention and … we’ve kept the White House’s attention,” Dominguez said. The infrastructure bill just passed included an installment of a head of tourism as part of the U.S. Labor Department. Meetings Mean Business Coalition is uniting the industry, advocating for all aspects of it. Dominguez reported that airline companies have shown leadership recently, getting more involved in preserving and building back travel than ever.

In closing, Dominguez highlighted three major predictions for this year. First, the last half of the year should see a significant turn of events for events; second, this year will be for learning how to deliver a good hybrid experience; third, we’re deconstructing meetings. We are going to see many new, more focused meetings as the year progresses. So, Dominguez added, now is the time to focus on the diverse ways to deliver a meeting space.

Nathan Decker

A portrait of Nathan Decker. He is a white man with combed black hair and a Hawaiian shirt

Decker joined Grand Wailea Maui, A Waldorf Astoria Resort in Maui, Hawaii as director of national accounts, dealing with West Coast group sales. Decker has spent more than 10 years in luxury hospitality sales. Most recently, Decker was area director of sales at Auberge Resorts Collection. He has held sales and marketing directorships at The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua, Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Maui, The St. Regis Princeville Resort and more.

Tara Anne Rothberg

A portrait of Tara Anne Rothberg. She is a blonde white woman with pink glasses and a black sheer blouse

Rothberg is now hotel manager of Kimpton Marlowe Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Previously, Rothberg was mademoiselle d’Etiquette at Etiquette by Tara, a self-started business that teaches children’s etiquette and hospitality training classes, which she continues to run. Rothberg has been in sales, marketing and management for over 10 years and has been a leader in her field at Harrah’s Entertainment, The Ebbitt Room at The Virginia Hotel Cape May in New Jersey, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants and others.

Anthony Mancuso, CMP

A portrait of Anthony Mancuso. He is a black man with a stubbled beard and a blue suit

Mancuso is convention sales manager at Discover Santa Clara. Mancuso has been in event, tourism and hospitality sales for over a decade. Most recently, Mancuso was director of convention sales and development at Visit El Paso, the Texas destination’s tourism bureau. He has also worked in management roles for Visit Oakland, San Francisco Travel Association, Park Central Hotel in San Francisco and others.

Martin Moggré

A portrait of Martin Moggré. He is a white man with combed grey hair and a black suit

Dallas-based global event company Freeman promoted Moggré to chief client officer. Moggré has been with Freeman for over 30 years, beginning in 1988 as senior vice president of sales. He most recently held the position of executive vice president and chief sales officer of expositions. Moggré also currently serves on several executive committees at Freeman.

Claudette Davis

A portrait of Claudette Davis. She is a black woman with short natural hair and a white blouse

Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board (NPIPB), the Bahamas destination marketing organization for Nassau and Paradise Island resorts and hotels, promoted Davis to director of travel industry marketing. Previously, Davis was director of marketing services at NPIPB’s Florida office, but she has spent over 30 years building NPIPB’s relationships with partners, agents, operators and planners across the Western Hemisphere.

Scott Schult

A portrait of Scott Schult. He is a white man with combed greying hair and a tan sweater

Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. (NCVC) appointed Schult as CMO. Schult brings over 20 years of marketing management experience to his new role. Most recently strategic advisor of destinations and brands at the travel brand platform Flip.to, Schult also worked for Visit St. Pete Clearwater (VSPC) in the greater St. Petersburg area of Florida and spent 12 years as executive vice president and CMO of Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

Fabio Marigliano and Morton Johnston

Two portraits of Fabio Marigliano and Morton Johnston. Marigliano is a man with combed black hair and a greying beard. Johnston is a white man with curly brown hair

General Hotel Management Ltd. (GHM) welcomed Marigliano as general manager of The Chedi Al Bait, Sharjah Resort in the UAE and Johnston as general manager of The Chedi Katara Hotel & Resort in Doha, Qatar.

Marigliano has been in the hospitality management business for over 25 years, most recently working for Minor Hotels in Doha, Qatar as executive assistant manager. Marigliano has been resort manager, director of food and beverage and sales manager for catering and events at properties from the U.K. to Beijing, China.

Johnston has more than 20 years of hospitality management experience. Previously, Johnston was The Chedi Muscat, Oman’s general manager. He has been general manager for several brands and properties throughout his career, including The Lanesborough London hotel, Regent Hotels & Resorts in Taipei, Taiwan and more.

Becky Bixby, CEM

A portrait of Becky Bixby. She is a white woman with long black hair and a blue suit jacket

Detroit convention center Huntington Place hired Bixby as assistant general manager. Bixby brings nearly 30 years of event and hospitality management experience to her new role. Most recently, Bixby was senior manager of client services at Informa, an international events research group in Boulder, Colorado. She has also worked for Freeman event company as vice president of exhibitor services and national director of exhibitor services and was event manager at Bands of America Inc. in Chicago.

Kristen Pryor

A portrait of Kristen Pryor. She is a blonde white woman with wavy hair and a grey suit jacket

The Hythe Vail named Pryor general manager of the new, luxury Rocky Mountains resort. Pryor brings over 25 years in hospitality management, marketing and sales to the property. Previously, Pryor was director of sales and marketing at The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa in Colorado’s Vail Valley, where she has also held the role of general manager. Pryor was also a leader at JW Marriott Denver Cherry Creek, Vail Resorts, Omni Interlocken Hotel and others.

Editorial note: on Jan 25, PCMA released a Health & Safety Update that reported that after 14 days, 96 positive cases were reported out of 2,300 verified in-person participants, a 4 percent positive rate they described as “significantly lower than recent public norms.”

Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) returned in-person in Las Vegas this week despite an increase in Covid-19 cases globally due to the more contagious, but less severe Omicron variant by stressing safety, inclusion and transparency. An estimated 2,500 people registered to be in-person at CAESARS FORUM Sunday through Wednesday and 600 virtually. Five people tested positive onsite for the virus on Tuesday and relinquished their badges.

The virtual audience interacted with the content through the year-round community app, JUNO. The presentations were translated into 21 languages using Wordly software.

A Message of Resiliency and Caution

A panel of people speaking at PCMA. The board behind them reads, "Driving global economic and social transformation through business events."

PCMA Convening Leaders, the association’s biggest annual program, was a symbolic return to meeting for an organization that was largely virtual last year with small groups gathered around the world for watch parties and a broadcasting hub in Singapore.

Sherrif Karamat speaking onstage at PCMA in front of a teal backdrop — Sherrif Karamat

PCMA CEO and President Sherrif Karamat explained that he thought it was important to honor the past, embrace what comes next and celebrate resiliency. In fact, the theme of the conference was “This is our time.”

“You are the engine that drives economies. You are the engine that drives social transformation,” he said.

Health protocols required everyone to be vaccinated and have their status verified through Safe Expo. Masks were required unless eating and drinking indoors. N95 masks, the gold standard recommended against the Omicron variant, were handed out at the start of the first general session and the opening reception was held outdoors. Those who didn’t feel well or were exposed to anyone with Covid-19 were asked to stay away, including a mainstage speaker who had to stream in because his family had been notified that they were exposed.

More: Demystifying Covid Testing: The Differences, Access and What It All Means for Travelers

An onsite testing center near registration was made available. On Tuesday, attendees were notified that five people had tested positive for Covid-19 and had relinquished their badges and left the site. “As we have committed to you all along, we will continue to be transparent if we learn of additional cases and we will continue to follow the science,” read a statement sent to attendees and media.

Ronan Farrow speaking at PCMA in front of a teal backdrop — Ronan Farrow

Mike Dominguez, president and CEO of ALHI and a Convening Leaders speaker, put the numbers into context by explaining that when the virus is everywhere, people are not more likely to get sick at a conference than anywhere else. “The events community can create an environment safer than your own community because we can control what happens here,” he told Smart Meetings.

Opening keynote speaker, journalist Ronan Farrow, stressed the importance of human interaction in improving civil discourse and advancing important ideas. He listed some pivotal success stories, including how AIDS research is funded, international diplomacy and how Twitter algorithms prioritize stories. “Disinformation has deadly consequences,” he said. “The distance between people [during lockdowns] and lack of spaces to come together and share ideas is dangerous,” he warned. “Coming together can help break through the obstacles we all face.”

Business Events Industry Week

Paula Abdul performing onstage in a feathered pink dress — Paula Abdul opened the conference with a high-energy greeting.

PCMA’s Karamat was joined by representatives from Destinations International, Events Industry Council, U.S. Travel, International Association of Expositions and Events and American Society of Association Executives to announce the launch of Power of Purpose (PoP), a Business Events Industry Week at Gaylord National just outside Washington, D.C. in March. The combination of Destination Showcase, Visionary Awards and Convention Sales & Services Summit is expected to draw 5,000 meeting professionals and suppliers to town to optimize everyone’s time.

Weekly travel updates for the busy meeting professional.

Covid-19 Updates

A small road in Ireland next to the ocean As Covid-19 rates decline in NYC, the CDC has added 15 countries to its Level 4 or high-risk category. Those countries are: Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Kuwait, Mongolia, Niger, Peru, Romania, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.

In other Covid-19 news, The Republic of Ireland has announced a relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions: bars and restaurants will not need to close at 8 p.m. and indoor and outdoor venues will return to full capacity, although mask mandates for public transport and shops remains in place until February.

Norway Drops Covid-19 Travel Quarantine

Upon a recommendation from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the Norwegian government is removing current requirements for travel quarantine during Covid-19. The requirement is being removed as of January 26, the government said in a press release.

“I agree with the Norwegian Institute of Public Health that in light of the low proportion of confirmed cases of COVID-19 among arriving travelers without a Covid-19 certificate, compared with the current status of the pandemic in Norway, the time has come to change the travel quarantine requirement,” said Minister of Health and Care Services Ingvild Kjerkol in the statement.

“Removing travel quarantine will help society reopen more quickly, as it will simplify entry into Norway. This can have positive socio-economic consequences for the business sector in general, and the travel industry in particular.”

Torunn Tronsvang, founder and CEO of Up Norway, a travel advisory company that works with incentive groups, told Smart Meetings: “The American Embassy in Oslo, international businesses and tourism providers have put pressure on the government for months and are relieved to finally see results.”

“The removal of quarantine means that businesses again can plan and venture on meetings, incentive trips, conferences and events in Norway; though maybe with more thought and consideration than before.”

Tronsvang said that the company was expecting longer journeys with more “creative and meaningful” incentive and event programs.

American Airlines, British Airways Tease JFK Terminal Specs

American Airlines and British Airways have released more details on plans to co-locate operations at Terminal 8 starting in December of this year.

The $40 million expansion of the existing terminal will move the airlines closer together and “offer a more seamless customer experience.”

The terminal will have five new widebody gates, a revamped baggage handing system, new passenger amenities and expanded business and first-class offerings.

American’s Flagship First Check-in at JFK will close, beginning Feb. 1 for construction. Premium customers traveling on eligible itineraries will be sent to temporary check-in counters located nearby. All lounge spaces will continue to remain open and operational through the duration of the redevelopment project. Following completion, the Concourse B Admirals Club will close. The Concourse C Admirals Club will continue to serve members, qualifying elite customers and those traveling on eligible itineraries.

British Airways’ Director of Brand and Customer Experience, Tom Stevens said that the new terminal would also create a “better transfer experience, enabling passengers to travel to more than 30 destinations across the US, Caribbean and Latin America with American Airlines.”

Our Take: Expect that planned upgrades may take longer than announced. Travelers flying while the construction continues should expect possible disruptions. Allow more time if you’re flying on AA or BA through JFK until the Terminal upgrade is finished and up and running for a few months.

The expanded and reconfigured terminal will include five new widebody gates and 130,000 square feet of new and renovated space.

Architectural features will define, guide and direct customers towards an expanded joint premium check-in area on the ticketing level of JFK’s Terminal 8.

A high-end champagne bar defines the entry to American and British Airway’s most exclusive lounge.

Tony Melis

A portrait of Tony Melis. He is a white man with combed greying hair and a grey sweater

Melis joined snöball event marketing, headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, as head of growth. The more-than-25-year management, accounting and strategy veteran most recently worked for Association des fabricants de meubles du Québec (AFMQ), a furniture manufacturing company in Montreal, as director of business strategies. Melis has previously been director of North American operations at key4events, a French hybrid event and digital tech company, vice president of business development at Showcare event services and more.

Luis Arturo Aguilar

A portrait of Luis Arturo Aguilar. He is a Hispanic man with black glasses and a blue polo

Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Baja California welcomed Aguilar as spa manager. Aguilar brings almost two decades of professional experience in wellness, hospitality and management, as well as extensive certifications in massage therapy. Aguilar has studied physical rehabilitation, hospitality and other wellness arts at several prestigious institutions, including Holistic Clinical School at the University of Alberta, Canada and the School of Hospitality at Cornell University. Aguilar has served in management and leadership roles at Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center in Puerto Vallarta, Hotel Esencia in Riviera Maya, The St. Regis Resort Punta Mita Resort in Mexico and more.

Deana Ivey

A portrait of Deana Ivey. She is a blonde white woman with shoulder-length hair and a red sweater

Ivey is now president of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) and brings nearly 30 years of experience in management, music and tourism. Previously, Ivey was executive director of Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She has been honored with the Nashville Business Journal Women in Music award and the Women in Business award by Nashville Lifestyles. Ivey also currently sits on the Tennessee Hospitality Association board, Rhythms of the South corporation board and more.

Richard Keurajian

A portrait of Richard Keurajian. He is a balding brown man with a dark jacket

The Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia appointed Keurajian to director of marketing and resort programming. Entering the new position with more than 25 years in hospitality sales, marketing and management, Keurajian was director of sales and marketing at Lansdowne Resort and Spa most recently, after serving as vice president of sales and marketing at Kingsmill Resort for seven years. Keurajian has also held sales and marketing leadership roles at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels and more.

Emily Scheiderer

A portrait of Emily Scheiderer. She is a white woman with straight black hair and a black jacket

Scheiderer joined Destinations International as director of education, sales and services. She brings over 15 years of experience in destination and hotel organization, sales and management to her new role. Scheiderer was previously senior sales manager of business development and customer engagement at Visit Indy, Indianapolis’s tourism bureau. She has also worked for Westin Hotels & Resorts as marketing coordinator.

Adam Gollub

A portrait of Adam Gollub. He is a white man with combed brown hair and a blue jacket

Gollub is general manager at The Statler Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton. Most recently dual general manager for two Hilton properties, Gollub brings 13 years of leadership and hospitality management experience to the Dallas hotel. Gollub has also been general manager for several other properties, including The Caledonia and The Tate in New York City and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, also in New York City.

Haryati Md Haidar

A portrait of Haryati Md Haidar. She is a South Asian woman wearing a pink hijab and a black suit jacket

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) in Malaysia promoted Haidar to director of strategic projects. Haidar has collected over 30 years of experience in computer programming, management and strategy. She joined the Centre in 2004 and was most recently manager of the Centre’s integrated business management system, of which she led the development. Haidar has also held multiple application specialist roles and was programmer for Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in Malaysia.

Ben Zarhoud

A portrait of Ben Zarhoud. He is a brown man with combed black hair and a blue suit

Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) promoted Zarhoud to assistant general manager. Previously, Zarhoud was vice president of finance at LACC and has more than two decades of accounting and finance management experience. In his earlier career, Zarhoud was in senior management at AEG and AXS Group LLC and was a finance leader at Deloitte & Touche financial consulting services.

David Curell

A portrait of David Curell. He is a white man with combed grey hair and a pink suit jacket

The Josie Hotel in Rossland, British Columbia named Curell its general manager. Curell comes with more than 30 years of hospitality management experience. He was most recently general manager of Versante Hotel in British Columbia and has served as general manager at several additional North American properties, including OPUS Vancouver; Joie de Vivre Hospitality’s Hotel Vitale in San Francisco; Clift Hotel Royal Sonesta Hotel in San Francisco; Hotel Paradox, Autograph Collection in Santa Cruz, California and more.

Sue Stemley, CASE, DES

A portrait of Sue Stemley. She is an older white woman with light hair and golden earrings

Visit Anaheim welcomed Stemley as meeting sales manager of the area’s eastern region. Stemley is a 20-year hospitality sales veteran previously based in San Diego. Prior to joining Anaheim’s tourism scene, Stemley was citywide sales executive for Marriott hotels in the San Diego area, starting as senior account executive at Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina in 2000. Stemley has also been a member of multiple committees with PCMA’s Capital Chapter and has served as co-chair of PCMA’s Capital Chapter membership committee.

John Oney

A portrait of John Oney. He is a balding white man with a white plaid collared shirt

Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge (VBR) appointed Oney director of sales. Recently, he received Convention Sales Professionals International’s (CSPI) 2021 Shawn Corwin-Mylan Award for his outstanding hospitality sales leadership and service. Oney was CSPI board president in 2020 and so, saw the association through the first year of the pandemic. Previously, Oney was director of sales at RP Funding Center in Lakeland, Florida and has held additional sales leadership roles at several companies, including Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa and more.

Jaclyn Dawson

A portrait of Jaclyn Dawson. She is a brown woman with highlighted wavy hair and a black blouse

Dawson joined Vespera Resort on Pismo Beach, an Autograph Collection Hotel as director of sales for this central California coast venue. Bringing over a decade of hospitality sales experience, Dawson was most recently Pacifica Hotels’ regional sales manager. She has also previously served in directorships and leadership roles at SpringHill Suites by Marriott and Embassy Suites by Hilton.

Jennifer Toups

A portrait of Jennifer Toups. She is a white woman with long brown hair and a black collared shirt

Toups is now senior sales executive for New Orleans Marriott and Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, in tandem. Previously, Toups was global account manager at Marriott International. In 2013, she was hired as New Orleans Marriott’s senior sales executive for the greater New Orleans area, and she has held several other sales leadership roles at Marriott International.

Donna Rogers

A portrait of Donna Rogers. She is an older white woman with blonde wavy hair and a black blouse

Visit Salt Lake welcomed Rogers as director of convention sales, West Coast office. Rogers brings two decades of hospitality sales experience to her new position. Most recently, she was vice president of partnerships at Solus Sustainable Hydration and before that, was director of global sales at Canyon Ranch, a hospitality brand with several resort locations across the U.S. Rogers has also held past sales and marketing directorships at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, The Palazzo Las Vegas, Teneo Hospitality Group and FRHI Hotels & Resorts.

Raquel Sharma

A portrait of Raquel Sharma. She is a brown woman with curly hair in a ponytail and a blue jacket

Sharma joined Kimpton Hotel Monaco DC as director of catering. Entering the new role with more than 10 years of hospitality, event sales and marketing leadership experience, Sharma was most recently director of event sales and marketing at Fish & Fire Food Group. She has also worked at Kimpton Hotel Monaco DC’s Dirty Habit DC bar and restaurant as director of event sales and marketing, and Clover Restaurant Group as event sales and marketing manager and more.

Randy Zupanksi

A portrait of Randy Zupanksi. He is an older white man with combed greying hair and a blue jacket

Omni La Costa Resort & Spa named Zupanski managing director. Zupanski has spent over three decades in hospitality management, previously working for Shangri-La’s Far Eastern hotel in Taipei, Taiwan as both area manager and general manager. He has also held hotel management roles at Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa in Palm Springs, Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver and several others.

Tasir Bukhari

A portrait of Tasir Bukhari. He is a brown man with thin glasses, combed black hair and a grey suit

Bukhari is now director of guest relations at Blossom Hotel Houston. Most recently, Bukhari was concierge at Peninsula New York in Manhattan. Twenty-five-years experienced in hospitality, he was previously guest services manager at Peninsula New York, concierge at Waldorf Astoria New York and held several similar roles at other properties.

Dave Stevens

A portrait of Dave Stevens. He is a young white man with dark combed hair and a blue suit jacket

Alila Napa Valley in St. Helena, California named Stevens general manager of its Acacia House, a premiere Napa Valley restaurant. Stevens brings 14 years of hospitality management and culinary experience to the table. He most recently was director of rooftop operations at Thompson Hotels in San Antonio, Texas and has previously worked at Thompson Hotels properties in Mexico, Liaison Capitol Hill Washington D.C. and The James Royal Palm in Miami Beach, Florida.

Jane Cunningham

A portrait of Jane Cunningham. She is a white woman with long brown hair and a blue suit jacket

Destinations International named Cunningham director of European engagement. She brings a list of global meetings and events experience, previously holding the role of director of community engagement at BestCities Global Alliance. Additionally, Cunningham has worked at hotels, convention centers, a destination marketing organization and a professional conference organization.

Debra Zabloudil, FACHE

A portrait of Debra Zabloudil. She is a white woman with wavy brown hair and a black floral suit jacket

Zabloudil joined American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) in Washington D.C. as vice president of learning. For the past 17 years, Zabloudil was president and CEO of The Learning Studio Inc., an education consulting firm in Chicago, and brings more than three decades of experience in education, management and meetings. She began her career at Data Processing Management Association in Illinois as director of meetings and conventions, and has since held several education directorships.

“Re-imagine yourself as the directorial, experience-creating superhero of tomorrow,” Jade Simmons, classical concert pianist and lauded transformational speaker, urged planners in this week’s Smart Chat Live! webinar session: “Planning with Purpose: How to position yourself for a powerful year.”

“Connection is more important than ever before—it’s…vital,” Simmons said. The contingency requirements of facilitating that connection can feel immense, she acknowledged. “But within you is the power to create, to build something that’s going to be life-altering for the people who encounter it. People are looking to you now.”

For the full discussion on purposeful planning, listen on demand.

Following are some of Simmons tips for determining individual purpose and using that self-reflective knowledge to create powerful event experiences. The focus? Renewal, reframing, futureproofing and fostering better collaboration.

Let’s Talk Purpose—Your Purpose

“Purpose … is not the thing you do,” Simmons began. “That’s not your purpose; that’s your title. Your purpose is the thing that happens in other people when you do what you do.” The experiences you’re able to build through the event you organized—“that’s your break-out effect,” Simmons said.

Whether it’s activation in others, listening in a way people long to be listened to or seeing through the complicated and chaotic to simplify an issue, purpose is “cross-relational.” Simmons explained that being aware of your purpose allows you to take your whole self everywhere you go, rather than compartmentalizing your life into home, work, events, etc. “It’s safe to take all of who you are to all of the spaces you belong to,” Simmons stated.

Once that purpose is pinpointed, renewing belief in events and their capacity for transformation in your attendees, your team and yourself as events return is a natural next step. Audiences may be smaller now, but that trend could be an opportunity for planners to deliver value in new ways.

“Instead of putting out fires,” Simmons said, “you’re creating the fires that stoke the imaginations of the people attending the experiences you create.”

Driving the Message Home

As meeting professionals are confronted by new questions and new tech in a new year, surrounded by growing health and safety contingencies, how do we anticipate the trends, find the gaps and develop solutions? It’s time to deliver those “post-pandemic” plans in a climate where most are not entirely sure what that means or whether we should be waiting around for it.

Simmons offered three “metrics” for success that contest the idea that meeting traditional event goals and completing the assignment are top Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

First tip: engagement is everything. Insights and industry trends are going to inform engagement. Your unique ability to have an effect on the people you serve is your directorial superpower in action. That is how you deliver value. You need to be able to show how your leadership changes people who are in the room.

Everyone wins when audiences walk away feeling compelled to and capable of doing something differently. In other words, did your event inspire encouragement and action? That is the measure of true performance.

“Profit for us is much bigger than just the monetary manifestation of profit,” Simmons said. Meeting your goals and finishing the assignment are big, important aspects of your role, but “purpose is the ultimate KPI”. Your attendees should leave feeling fulfilled with purpose.

You, planners, “are the foundation of a successful experience.”

Keeping you and your groups up to speed with weekly travel updates.

The Buzz

“The new 5G-C bandwidth can interfere with some planes’ altimeters and other equipment, potentially compromising aircraft safety. Only 45% of commercial aircraft have altimeters that won’t be affected by 5G transmissions. That means the majority of passenger and cargo aircraft are at risk.”

-Henry Harteveldt, Travel Industry Analyst

Will 5G Cause Travel Chaos?

This week, the travel industry stopped talking about Covid-19 and started wondering if the advent of 5G in the US would cause chaos for air traffic.

On Tuesday, Jan. 18, executives at Airlines for America—including the CEOs of Delta, JetBlue, American, United, Alaska Air Group and Hawaiian Airlines—wrote to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and other officials begging them to stop AT&T, Verizon and other telecom providers from starting 5G service within two miles of airports around the country.

“We are writing with urgency to request that 5G be implemented everywhere in the country except within the approximate 2 miles of airport runways,” the letter read. “This will allow 5G to be deployed while avoiding harmful impacts on the aviation industry, traveling public, supply chain, vaccine distribution, our workforce and broader economy.”

When news broke that AT&T and Verizon planned to start 5G service this week without the above caveats in place, some airlines including Emirates, British Airways and Lufthansa scrambled to ensure safety by cancelling hundreds of flights.

CNN reported that the president of Emirates, Sir Tim Clark, told them that no regulators or telecom deployers informed the airline of the possible dangers. He said that the situation was “one of the most delinquent, utterly irresponsible” ones he had ever seen.

While 5G has been deployed throughout Europe with no issue, the frequency it uses is not used by aviation radar. That is not the case in the United States.

Airline and travel industry analyst, Henry Harteveldt told Smart Meetings that “the new 5G-C bandwidth can interfere with some planes’ altimeters and other equipment, potentially compromising aircraft security.”

“That means the majority of passenger and cargo aircraft are at risk,” Harteveldt says.

In response to the initial media frenzy around the issue, AT&T and Verizon agreed to hold off the 5G roll out, indefinitely.

Airlines for America responded by thanking AT&T and Verizon for their “willingness to ensure the continuation of service for the traveling…public…and provide time to implement mitigations.” They said, however, they had not “seen the details of the agreements” but that the pause would provide the opportunity to ensure…consumers are served in the long run.”

Prior to the stall, as airlines cancelled flights, Harteveldt urged travelers to subscribe to flight alerts from their airlines to receive immediate updates, advice which is good at all times regardless of the ultimate decisions on 5G deployment.

Our Take: It seems unlikely that airlines and aviation officials in the U.S. will wait for 5G rollouts to threaten aircraft and passenger safety. Until the situation is resolved, however, it is always good advice to book flexible flights and keep aware of flight changes in real time.

While Britain Prepares to Unmask, CDC Adds 22 Countries to High-Risk Category

Reuters and other sources reported this week that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Covid-19 restrictions such as mandatory masks and working from home would be dropped next week.

The restrictions will be stopped because the U.K.’s population is largely vaccinated and boosted and Covid-19 rates, even during Omicron, are decreasing enough to allow a version of “normal” to return.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control has added 22 countries to level 4 or “high-risk” category. The 22 countries are: Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bermuda, Bolivia, British Virgin Island, Cape Verde, Egypt, Grenada, Guyana, Israel, Panama, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sain Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sint Maarten, Suriname, Turks and Caicos and Uruguay. The agency still recommends against unnecessary travel.

The Bottom Line

Media are reporting a possible spring crawl to normalcy following higher Covid-19 vaccination and booster shots as well as a diminished viral ability to cause severe illness in the majority of the population.

Death and illness rates from the Omicron variant, however, are still being tracked and there is little consistency in outcomes for travelers.

Last week in travel: Covid Tests, Airline Fees and Sustainable Travel