Lennert is senior audiovisual sales manager for Projection Presentation Technology. Prior to working for Projection Presentation Technology, she worked for PSAV as senior account manager, before that, as sales executive.
Jaimie Du Bois
Du Bois is marketing director for Healdsburg Tourism Improvement District in California. She recently worked as the tourism development manager of Sonoma County Tourism, also in California. Before that, du Bois was director of tour and travel trade for Horseshoe Bay Resort in Texas. She’s worked in marketing, communication, business and economic development for Los Angeles-based companies, including Visit West Hollywood, Modern Luxury Media and Andaz West Hollywood.
Dr. Sharon E. Moss, Ph.D., CAE
Dr. Moss will take on the role of president and chief research officer for ASAE Research Foundation. Before joining ASAE Research Foundation, she worked in association management, research administration and clinical research. She is a former member of the Advisory Council for the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and the Board of Directors various charitable and non-profit organizations.
Herbert Laubichler-Pichler
Laubichler-Pichler is general manager of Alma in Cam Ranh, Vietnam. Austrian-born, he has worked in Vietnam for nearly 14 years, in various roles at properties including Anam in Cam Ranh, Reverie Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City and Nam Hai in Danang. His other hospitality work includes Raffles Hainan in China, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines and Malaysia.
Stuart Lyall
Lyall is general manager for Fusion Suites Vung Tau in Vietnam. Lyall recently worked as general manager for Selong Selo Resort & Residences in Lombok, Indonesia. Prior to working in Indonesia, Lyall worked as general manager at Our Jungle Camp in Khao Sok, Thailand.
Megan MacEachen
MacEachen is director of revenue for Benchmark in Houston, Texas. She previously worked as complex director of revenue management for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts; prior to that, she served as area director of revenue management for Dolce Hotels & Resorts. She’s also worked for Aspen Meadows Resort in Aspen, Colorado.
AJ Bownas
Bownas was promoted to vice president of event management for CSI DMC. Bownas began working with the company as senior event manager, after which he was promoted to director of event management for CSI DMC Washington D.C. He was later promoted to general manager for the company, which was his previous position.
As meeting professionals adjust to the new way of doing business while social distancing, helping teams stay creative, collaborative and connected in their virtual meeting places has become a required skill. Going digital is a big pivot for many companies. The following techniques and best practices will help businesses decrease their time in transition and increase their productivity over broadband.
In a recent study, 74 percent of meeting participants felt that decisions reached through videoconferencing felt more like joint decisions than those reached via phone or email. That might be because two thirds of communication is non-verbal. When you remove the visual cues, you have reduced our ability to have impact by 66 percent.
Video also a powerful way to humanize your message and show you’re listening, meaning you can be more persuasive and empathetic. It also provides an easy way for participants to signal when they have something to add, meaning less crosstalk and more clarity.
2. Call People by Name
Seriously, use names. It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how often we take this for granted in the real world. (Virtual meetings even give you an edge here, because you can see the name on each person on screen during the call.)
Better yet, comment on people’s non-verbal cues. If some just laughed at your dad joke, respond. “Looks like I got a smile out of Sam,” or “I see Claud shaking their head in agreement.” This helps everyone feel seen and underscores that they aren’t alone.
3. Show, Don’t Tell
Our favorite way to keep people engaged is with real-time visuals. Think about when you would go to a bar or restaurant that has televisions on the wall. How easy is it to get distracted by what’s playing, even if you wouldn’t otherwise be interested?
Visuals command attention, and it’s the same in the virtual meeting space. Digitally graphic recording a meeting allows a live capture of notes to be streamed to all participants. It can be shared during or after your meeting as a way to recap key conversations. These illustrated notes keep people engaged, aligned and moving forward.
Nora Herting is co-founder and CEO of ImageThink. She has more than a decade of experience as a facilitator, educator and visual strategist, and has led transformations for some of the world’s biggest brands. She is also the author of Draw Your Big Idea. She offers more tips on her blog, and in a free webinar: Elevating Virtual Meetings.
Destinations are finding creative ways to help their communities and industry during the disruption of meetings due to social distancing. Many have offered to step in as a local connection while some hotel personnel are furloughed. Others are sharing safety updates and information about restaurants and businesses that are still serving during this time and a few have opened up their rooms and convention centers as hospital alternatives.
Charles Harris, chief marketing officer and executive vice president of public affairs at Visit Anaheim, said that even though Anaheim Convention Center and Disneyland are closed, his team is strategizing ways to emerge from the setback even stronger.
“We have to be visible and accessible to community stakeholders, who are clearly struggling, showing up for them on tough days and being a resource,” he said on his LinkedIn page.
He is also collaborating with neighboring CVBs to exchange information and provide daily updates to partners who request it. “The travel and tourism industry will certainly recover from this. We have a role to play in that recovery, now and later,” he said.
During the crisis, Disney Parks pledged to donate more than 100,000 masks to the states of California, New York and Florida in addition to the 270 tons of food that the Disneyland Resort previously provided to local food banks.
After another Southern California destination, Pechanga Resort Casino, closed its doors to visitors this week, it donated nearly $100,000 worth of food to three charities that help people in need in the region. “It’s a lot of food,” said Jared Munoa, president of Pechanga Development Corporation. Supplies included dozens of 25-pound bags of onions, carrots and celery, pallets of ripe strawberries and blackberries, and thousands of pounds of cantaloupes and honeydew melons.
Also donated was milk (461 gallons) and other dairy products worth more than $10,000. “The amount of food service our team provides can be staggering… We are very glad it’s going to deserving folks who are undergoing unprecedented circumstances.”
In addition to helping assemble 30,000 face shields, Austin Convention Center staff is continuing to serve the community as part of the Eating Apart Together (EAT) initiative. The team has opened the doors to crews packaging food and helping with delivery to those in need.
Communicating Hope
On the opposite coast, another destination is taking a preventative approach. “We’re ready for you, when you are, with open palms” is the message Kelly Cavers, senior vice president of group sales and destination services at Discover The Palm Beaches, wants to get out. The organization has been proactively sharing information from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Florida Department of Health, including precautionary measures for travelers, via its website and social media channels.
By connecting Palm Beach County Health Department, representatives from local hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues in open dialogue, Cavers hopes to ensure that her community has the most up-to-date information and data, so everyone can respond appropriately.
At the same time, her team has been updating meeting-professional partners on the state of the destination, as well as supporting them through the process of pausing and canceling conferences.
In California, Visit Concord has also taken on the role of sharing information about community resources. #ConcordEats is a list of restaurants providing take-out and delivery services during the Shelter in Place order. The community is encouraged to share photos of take-out or delivered food and use #ConcordEats on social media to show their support.
Nearby, Visit Berkeley launched a What’s Open shop and dine campaign listing businesses that are welcoming people in a safe way right now. The CVB is also investing staff time and marketing budget in the Berkeley Relief Fund, raising money that will go directly to small businesses, nonprofit arts organizations, and residential tenants in the community hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In California’s Wine Country, Visit Napa Valley is collecting stories of creativity and compassion from its tourism industry partners, which welcome more than 3.85 million visitors a year to hotels, tasting rooms and restaurants. The destination is facilitating virtual wine tasting experiences until everyone can come together again.
On California’s Central Coast, See Monterey is sharing ways to virtually experience the destination, including a live webcam of calming jellyfish and frolicking harbor seals at Monterey Bay Aquarium and online simulations of playing Pebble Beach Golf Links. And transportation service CaliFunDay converted its tour vans into food delivery service for local restaurants and grocery stores.
Throughout the state, Fast Forward Events is supporting the culinary, winery and brewery industries through daily newsletters, keeping customers connected to events and organizations including Fast Forward’s San Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival and the Boys & Girls Club of Alameda. The newsletters showcase the ways restaurant, wineries and more are serving customers and staff during the pandemic. The events and PR company also created a webseries for SommCon® with free resources for professionals navigating COVID-19.
In addition to a Miami Eats program to promote delivery and take out at local restaurants and a Miami Pandemic Fund, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau recently launched Miami Salutes with special offers for hospital workers, law enforcement, firefighters and National Guard soldiers from hotels, restaurants and retailers.
Visit Orlando is promoting virtual visits, 360-degree online experiences of riding the tallest roller coaster, ziplining over alligators, or standing on Main Street in front of Cinderella Castle.
Visit Omaha created a 60-second video,entitled Intermission to reflect the city’s resilience and remind people how strong the community is during difficult times.
“In Omaha, we’ve seen craft brewers transform their business in order to make hand sanitizer, a toilet paper factory staffed with visually-impaired and blind employees who are working overtime to churn out product, and a local hospital develop a new way to disinfect masks to allow for extended use,” said Keith Backsen, executive director for Visit Omaha. “This city is filled with inspiration.”
The video features employees in the tourism and events industries and highlights the community’s strength and inspires viewers to look to the future.
“This video is a step in setting the tone for how we unite and support each other in these uncertain times,” added Backsen. “A new normal is coming … this is just the intermission.”
Delivering Southern Hospitality
Louisville Tourism is working with local hospitality teams to donate food while properties are vacant. Kentucky International Convention Center and hospitality partner Levy teamed up to re-direct 4,000 pounds of food through a relationship with Dare to Care and Healing Place.
Bourbon distillery Rabbit Hole is repurposing its equipment and alcohol supply to produce hand sanitizer. Nonprofit Scarlet’s Bakery is providing free lunches to Shelby Park children. Chef Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia is partnering with Maker’s Mark distillery to create a goods drive for service-industry families. And Fund for the Arts is providing an at-home “Dinner and a Show” experience. During Kentucky Shakespeare’s virtual performance of As you Like It, audience members can order a meal to be picked up at 610 Magnolia. For each meal purchased, a meal will be donated to a hospitality worker in need.
“Tourism not only makes a daily impact as the third-largest industry in Louisville but continues to make a community impact during challenging times like these,” said Karen Williams, Louisville Tourism president and CEO. “We are grateful for the significant role the hospitality industry is playing in supporting our 27,000 service-industry members, as they are vital to Louisville’s success. We must keep our hospitality community strong, as tourism will be one of the first industries out of the starting gate to aid the city’s economic recovery.”
A Comforting Hand
Visit Milwaukee is reporting that The Wisconsin Quilt & Fiber Art Museum is working on a quarantine quilt. Crafters stuck at home will create 12-inch squares and mail them to the museum, which will create a large-scale community quilt for public display.
Meanwhile, Central Standard Craft Distillery is putting its spirit-making to a slightly different use. They’re now creating bottles of sprayable hand sanitizer from vodka and giving it away for free to at-risk groups such as nursing homes, homeless shelters, first responders and food banks.
Seeking to help fill employment gaps for service industry employees, locals have created a Facebook group that seeks to connect out-of-work service industry members with odd jobs. With nearly 3,000 members, the group is already beginning to share success stories, like the former pub employee who has been able to earn extra cash detailing cars through the help of this group.
Stone Creek Coffee, the Pfister Hotel, Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, Saz’s Hospitality Group and Milwaukee Public Market are donating perishable food to Milwaukee food banks. From curbside literature donations of online open mike nights and the Milwaukee Bucks team’s donation to help Fiserv Forum workers, everyone is stepping up.
Also noted on the CVBs note on their #goodthingsbrewing page are the thousands of Milwaukee families directly supporting their neighbors. “Kimberley Bayer posted signs in her neighborhood offering to support those on her block by doing grocery shopping, making meals or simply checking in daily with phone calls. It’s gestures like this that can mean the most to those with the fewest resources.
MGM Resorts announced that it would donate $1 million to MGM Employee Emergency Grant Fund & Children’s Medical Support fund, an amount that was matched by singer Bruno Mars. The estate of Kirk Kerkorian pledged $2 million and MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle donated $100,000.
A Lively Backdrop
As an alternative to a domestic scene, some destinations are offering stunning images for those now ubiquitous Zoom meetings. Instead of showing off your living room, your next video conference can feature images of the fountains at Bellagio or the view of The Strip from the High Roller courtesy of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). In addition, Centerplate, LVCVA’s exclusive food & beverage partner, donated approximately 9,240 pounds of prepared but unused food to the Las Vegas Rescue Mission in the wake of canceled or rescheduled shows stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
If Nebraska is more your style, Visit Omaha is offering visions of fireworks over Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, a troll under the bridge and beer taps at Crescent Moon that would be right at home for your next virtual happy hour.
Visit Sacramento in California and Visit OKC in Oklahoma are both offering downloadable coloring pages of iconic places in their destinations in addition to sharing what local businesses are open for take-out.
An Open Letter
Meet Minneapolis is reaching out to elected officials to deliver the message that tourism and hospitality are integral parts of our economy, encompassing a workforce of more than 37,000 individuals in Minneapolis. “These workers provide valuable services and assistance to the 34.5 million annual visitors we welcome to our metro region. The unprecedented public health crisis we’re facing has ground travel to a halt and put the businesses and workers who rely on visitor spending in peril,” the open letter reads.
“At Meet Minneapolis, our primary role is to promote business and leisure travel to visitors around the country and the world and those visits fuel our local economy, create jobs and sustain local workers and their families.”
The destination is calling on Washington to establish a fund to keep workers employed, provide emergency liquidity for travel and hospitality businesses to remain open and bulk up the Small Business Administration loan program. “On behalf of our Minneapolis tourism and hospitality workers, we strongly urge Congress to act quickly to protect these individuals. Needed is additional relief in the ‘Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to ensure that the travel workforce can emerge from this crisis strong and intact, so they can power the economic recovery.”
Essential Service
Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) is supporting those struggling with food insecurity by donating food surplus from cancelled or postponed events to local shelters and charitable organizations, including Margaret’s Housing, Good Shepherd, The Scott Mission and organizations who help people with disabilities who have to stay home. Some 1,500 meals found a good home thanks to the MTCC efforts. “This donation would not have been possible without the dedication of our staff who worked diligently to prepare food items for delivery,” said Lorenz Hassenstein, MTCC president and CEO. “In times like these, playing our part and helping those in need is essential.”
SoCal Relief
Discover Los Angeles reports that Angelenos are stepping up SoCal-style. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Rams and ABC 7 will host a virtual telethon to support the United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ pandemic relief fund. Rams quarterback Jared Goff and offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth are funding 2 million meals for Los Angeles residents to help kick off the virtual telethon. Goff and Whitworth are donating a combined $500,000 to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to finance the meals.
The LA Lakers, Clippers, Kings and STAPLES Center have announced that they will join together to establish a fund that will provide financial support for more than 2,800 hourly event employees impacted by the suspension of sporting events at STAPLES Center. Some 7,000 pounds of food left over as a consequence of the cancellations of the NBA and NHL seasons was donated to the Midnight Mission and Los Angeles Mission in Downtown LA.
Good News
Catch Des Moines launch the DSM Local Challenge to encourage Greater Des Moines residents to support shopping local while practicing social distancing. Official rules call for posting a photo on social media to show support and tagging three friends to do the same using the phrase: “I support (name of business)” and the hashtag #DSMlocalchallenge.
The initiative works for ordering takeout or delivery from a local restaurant, purchasing gift cards from local retailers or restaurants online, and purchasing season passes to local attractions and museums.
“It’s vitally important that we band together to support local businesses, the lifeblood of our communities, during this unprecedented time,” said Greg Edwards, president and CEO of Catch Des Moines. “Restaurants, bars, attractions and small retailers are especially in need of our help, which is why we’re proud to offer several resources and champion initiatives to preserve and protect our vibrant Greater Des Moines culture.”
Leaving the Light On
Marriott properties across the country, including JW Marriott Indianapolis, The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago and Niagara Falls Marriott, are lighting up their windows with messages of hope for their local communities and the greater community of travelers as part of a #MarriottStrong and #HotelsofHope intiative.
Pop-Up Hospitals
The 1.8 million-square-foot Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City is being transformed into a 1,000-bed hospital, and could eventually house twice that many, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement this week. The main showroom will be broken up into four 250-bed hospitals each about 40,000 square feet in size. More than 300 Federal Emergency Management Agency workers will man the pop-up hospital.
Nearby, Four Seasons Hotel New York will provide free rooms that normally go for $1,000 a night to doctors, nurses and other medical personnel. “Many of those working in New York City have to travel long distances to and from their homes after putting in 18-hour days,” said Ty Warner, the founder and chairman of Ty Warner Hotels and Resorts, which owns the property, told Bloomberg. “They need a place close to work where they can rest and regenerate.”
On the other coast, San Diego County is working with hotels to use 1,300 guest rooms to quarantine people who are homeless and showing signs of COVID-19 to prevent hospitals from begin overrun with cases that do not require critical care, according to The San Diego Union Tribune.
Across the pond, ExCeL London is being converted into The NHS Nightingale Hospital, London, with 500 beds equipped with ventilators and oxygen. The capacity will then continue to increase, potentially up to several thousand beds, should it be required.
Jeremy Rees, CEO, ExCeL London, said: “Our country is facing the largest national emergency for a generation and our thoughts and sympathies are with those who are personally affected by this situation. It is crucial that everyone plays their part in the national effort, working with the government to combat the spread of the coronavirus and save lives.”
In Nashville, Convention Center Authority donated $500,000 to the COVID-19 Response Fund on behalf of Music City Center to support those in the hospitality industry facing hardship due to the virus. “As we face these volatile and uncertain times, the one thing we can all do is find ways to support one another, said Sharles Starks, president and CEO of Music City Center. “We cannot predict when businesses will return to any degree of normality and want to offer help to our community of workers and families who have been furloughed or displaced.”
Full Hearts, Full Bellies
Caesars Entertainment is donating more than 250,000 pounds of food and thousands of gloves, masks and hand sanitizers to local hospitals, charities and first responders. All U.S. properties have volunteered to assist their local communities, including Caesars’ Las Vegas properties, that donated approximately 116,000 pounds of food to a local food bank and medical supplies to University Medical Center, Las Vegas. All together, the company will be able to provide approximately 208,000 meals throughout the country. The company is also staging nightly light shows outside Paris Las Vegas to honor healthcare workers.
Virtual Tip Jars
The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) launched a resource page for hospitality employees around the #WeAreATL hashtag to support the industry during the negative effects of the pandemic. Resources on the page include fundraisers for employees and restaurants providing delivery and pickup, as well as virtual tip jars to support local artists and musicians. You’ll also find a list of attractions offering virtual experiences and an event calendar for closures and cancellations at the site.
Hospitality for Hope
15,000 U.S. hotels have signed up to support the healthcare community thanks to a new initiative from the American Hotel and Lodging Association (ALHA) called ‘Hospitality for Hope.’ Participating hotels have offered to provide temporary housing for healthcare workers during the pandemic and may also be used as alternative care sites, like an emergency hospital or quarantine location. Government officials will be able to search through the 2.3 million available rooms by geographic proximity to hospitals and healthcare facilities and have already made connections in Chicago, California, New York, Portland, New Orleans, Dallas and more.
Chip Rogers, AHLA president and CEO said: “As an industry of people taking care of people, the hotel industry is uniquely positioned to support our communities by caring for the first responders who are on the frontlines of this public health crisis. Hotels have always been an active member of our local communities, and this time is no different. We are proud to work to facilitate partnerships with federal, state and local governments to support the health community during this critical time.”
The initiative also expanded to offer free educational resources for hotel employees during the pandemic.
Hotels interested in joining AHLA’s “Hospitality for Hope” initiative can volunteer here.
Free Nights
Much like Hospitality for Hope, American Express and Hilton have partnered to offer health care workers fighting the coronavirus free rooms, donating up to one million nights between April 13 and May 31. Eligible medical professionals seeking to sleep, recharge or isolate from their families will be able to stay up to seven nights at a variety of Hilton brands, including DoubleTree by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn. The hotels will be sanitized and staffed by virus-trained employees—creating jobs in the industry during a time of mass furloughs.
Big, Local Support
Washington, DC‘s official convention and sports authority, Events DC, is pouring $18 million into a hospitality and tourism relief package providing emergency funding for local restaurants, hotels, DMOs and undocumented workers. The package allocates $10 million for restaurant and hotel recovery efforts; $5 million for undocumented workers across the city; and $3 million in marketing to attract visitors back to the capital.
“As this unprecedented global health crisis is severely affecting all of us, it is our duty to act responsibly and do what we can to support our industry,” said Greg O’Dell, president and chief executive officer of Events DC. “The goal of this $18 million relief fund is not only to help our local hospitality and tourism industry now, but will help fuel Washington, DC’s recovery.”
Virtual Tourism
Feel like attending the symphony next week? Strolling the zoo? Taking a hot air balloon ride over the Sonoran Desert? Visit Phoenix is making it all possible with a roundup of virtual experiences in the Greater Phoenix area, allowing those near and far to “travel” during quarantine—and fueling innovative ideas for your next Southwest or digital event. Activities include: Monday night broadcasts of the Phoenix Symphony; a tour of downtown’s First Friday Art Walk; an immersive tour of Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home; hot air balloon rides; art and science museums; and more.
Are destinations in your area stepping up to help during challenging times? Let us know at [email protected].
How does one lead in times of crisis? We are now seeing the truth to the saying that in periods of intense uncertainty are when true leaders are revealed. In the latest Smart Meetings #HospitalityStrong webinar series, “Courage Required: Leading in the Time of COVID-19,” Tammy Blount-Canavan, FCDME, executive vice president principal, destination and travel practice at Fired Up! Culture, described what characteristics are often seen in leaders, as well as what forward-thinking action leaders should be implementing during this period.
What Does a Leader Look Like?
“Being a good leader isn’t easy, while the leader’s actions might be scrutinized when things are going bad, it is their leadership qualities that shine through the worst of times,” Canavan said.
Every great leader harbors a handful of shared qualities, some of which are: clarity, decisiveness, courage, passion, humility and compassion. It’s in times of such as this that these qualities are needed more than ever.
Clarity: Great leaders are clear and concise. There is no question of their vision and what needs to be accomplished. Generally, very few people know what they want and much less how to get there. They will gravitate towards those who appear to have a clear picture in mind. Clarity leads to great achievement; once a great leader has made up their mind, they don’t hesitate to commit, it’s all hands on deck.
Decisiveness: Not only do leaders not hesitate to make a decision. They’re consistent in how they make those decisions and the reasons they make them.
Courage:Facing fears and moving forward regardless is a boldness not universally held by all. Courage is walking toward the challenge and facing it head-on. It’s deciding that you’re going to do something about the situation you’re in. It’s deciding that you’re going to move things forward. It is being unwilling to be ruled by your fear.
Passion: Passion fuels inspiration. The best leaders exhibit boundless energy and passion for what they do and people are going to be excited to follow that.
Humility: While confidence is a very attractive trait in leaders, arrogance is not. Leaders admit when they’re wrong and they take criticism as an opportunity for growth and opportunity to look in the mirror and ask, “What could I do differently or better?”
Compassion: “Compassion might be the most important quality of all,” Canavan said. Lacking the other five traits may be frustrating, but a lack of compassion is the that really drives people away. Revealing your humanity and showing that you care for others is going to draw them to you much more powerfully than any other trait.
Leaders Take Action
Having the characteristics of a leader is important, but it is just as important that leaders take action. That action comes in various forms.
Keep calm and carry on: Keeping calm is one that is likely understood by many but carrying on—especially in the current climate—might not be so simple. “We’re not just carrying on with business as usual. It just simply doesn’t exist at this time,” Canavan said. But carrying on can be interpreted as whatever you’re doing to push yourself forward, such as reading this right now.
Educate: This applies to your home, as well as your work. Keep your colleagues apprised—and if appropriate—involved in what you’re doing. The mandate to self-isolate refers to your physical situation, not societal. In fact, Canavan said she is engaging in more social activity than ever before.
Clarify roles: Roles may have been clear in your previous environment, but it might be a little bit blurry now. Even if responsibilities haven’t changed, restating them for clarity is going to be more helpful than you might think.
Respect emotions: Expect that unfamiliar emotions will surface for you and for others. You can’t underestimate the effect that this time is having on people’s mental state. Canavan urges people to respect the whirlpool of emotions people may have right now. What people are feeling is very real to them, even if you feel differently.
Be flexible: If you’re in the events industry, you’re already pretty adept at adaptation. Event professionals have always been required to respond to surprises and unanticipated circumstances, so while this event is unique, event professionals are at a slight advantage.
True Leaders Care for Others
Whether you carry the title of boss or manager or not, you can still play a leadership role. These are some of the skills required to step up now.
Truth: As a leader, one should always speak the truth. Strengthen the confidence that you have built over time with your team by delivering the most accurate information at your disposal.
Show your heart. Leaders need to make themselves somewhat vulnerable. This moment calls for a response from you that mentions some of the hard business realities that weigh so heavily on you or your organization. Because of the potentially life-threatening health risks, response to your team members must focus fully on compassion.
Give hope. Carefully craft messages about your expectations for team members. Communicate regularly and paint a vision for how you plan to manage whatever happens.
Stress and Anxiety Responses
Taking action in any form—whether it be finances, family or personal—can greatly help your state of mind. Making a plan to move forward with a new career or learning plan, a strategy for cohabitating or organizing the garage—whatever resonates with your situation—will help fend off feelings of helplessness.
Stay positive. Changing the language in your mind from “I’m stuck at home” to “I’m safe at home” or “I have to be with my family for the rest of time” to “I get to be with my family.” can transform your mood. Smart meeting professionals learn to cultivate a habit of gratitude.
Write it down: Writing down your stressors can be helpful in tackling them, but making notes about what you’re grateful for is even more powerful. Start with something simple, such as having food to eat and a home to shelter in.
Find Inspiration and Share It
Amidst all the bad news, there remains much good. Find inspiration in good things that people are doing, in the courage of the frontline care workers and others who risk their health to ensure that our essential needs are seen to, share it as broadly and liberally as possible.
“Very few moments in history unite the entire globe, Canavan concluded. “Use this time to reset and rethink your future; this presents an opportunity to become the best version of ourselves and therefore the best leaders for our industry.”
Editor’s Note: On Sunday, Wynn Resorts announced it was closing Wynn Las Vegas and Encore starting Tuesday, at 6 p.m. to reduce the spread of COVID-19 for an anticipated 2 weeks based on advice from a consultant from the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University Medical Center. The company pledged to pay all full-time employees during the closure.
Wednesday, 3/18/20: Dream Hotel Group cancellation policy added.
On Saturday, MGM Resorts announced on Twitter that it would be temporarily closing spas, salons, nightclubs and day clubs. That was followed on Sunday by the decision to close Las Vegas casinos and hotels. MGM operates Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Luxor Hotel & Casino, New York-New York, Excalibur and Park MGM. Reno Gazette Journal reported that according to a letter sent to employees on Friday, several employees at Luxor tested “presumptive positive” for COVID-19 and layoffs would follow. Outside of Las Vegas, the company announced it would be temporarily closing Empire City Casino in New York, MGM Springfield in Massachusetts and MGM Northfield Park in Ohio. The company is offering a no cancellation fee policy on anything booked before April 30.
On Sunday, Caesars Entertainment suspended all live ticketed entertainment at all properties.
Most major hotel brands have announced they are going to be more flexible due to travel complications as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19). In addition to waiving some cancellation fees, they have also introduced heightened cleaning practices aligned with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations to ease the minds of travelers still checking in.
Marriott
Marriott International President and CEO Arne Sorenson announced today that guests with existing individual reservations, including reservations with pre-paid rates, can change or cancel without a charge up to 24 hours prior to arrival as long as the change or cancellation is made by April 30. For guests making new individual reservations between March 13 and April 30, Marriott is allowing these reservations to be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before the scheduled arrival date.
Marriott Bonvoy Members are granted even greater flexibility. All point expirations are paused until Aug. 31, 2020. Marriott Bonvoy members with Suite Night Awards (SNAs) expiring on Dec. 31, 2020 will have their certificates extended until Dec. 31, 2021. Members with Free Night Award certificates earned through Marriott credit cards, as an annual Choice Benefit, or through another promotion will be able to redeem certificates through Jan. 31, 2021 if the certificate is set to expire in 2020.
Hilton
Hilton announced on Thursday that the company will waive change fees or offer full refunds in affected regions. All reservations scheduled for arrival before April 30, 2020, can be changed or canceled at no charge up to 24 hours before expected arrival.
Hilton Honors points scheduled to expire between now and May 31, 2020 are paused. The company will make updates to the requirements for earning 2021 tier status and announce in the coming weeks. New reservations made between March 13 and April 30, 2020 can be changed or canceled up to 24 hours prior to arrival with no penalty.
All existing reservations made before March 13, 2020 that are for arrivals between March 14 and April 30, 2020 can be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival. This includes Advance Purchase Rate reservations. Any reservation made between March 13, 2020, and April 30, 2020 – for any future arrival date – can be changed or cancelled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival. This includes Advance Purchase Rate reservations.
Choice Hotels
Choice Hotels, which includes Clarion and Quality Inn, announced March 11 that guests from affected areas with reservations at U.S. hotels and guests with reservations at hotels in affected areas would not have to pay cancellation fees. Bookings made before March 10 for travel through the end of April will have a cancellation option and can receive points for future travel.
IHG
The same day, IHG, which includes Kimpton, Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn, announced that it is waiving all cancellation fees for new and existing hotel bookings at all properties worldwide. It is also making changes to its Gold Elite loyalty program to make it easier to maintain status.
Royal Caribbean Group’s ‘Cruise with Confidence’ initiative allows guests on cruises departing before July 31 to cancel as late as 48 hours prior to sailing.
Dream Hotel Group
On Wednesday, Dream Hotel Group, owner of Dream Nashville, Dream Manhattan and more, updated their cancellation policy for individual bookings new or existing, including those reservations initially booked as non-cancellable.
Bookings made with the property may be re-booked at that same property for a future stay within one year of the original booking date, waiving any modification or cancellation penalties.
Radisson Hotel Group
Radisson Hotel Group extended its cancellation policy for the reservations booked with a check-in date until April 3, 2020 in the following countries: China, South Korea, Japan, Iran and Northern Italy.
There’s a joke going around that Mother Earth, sick of how we’ve treated her, has told us to go to our rooms. Indeed, it’s no little irony that many of us will spend this Earth Day, April 22, stuck inside, distancing and sheltering. And outside, nature seems pretty happy about it—the canals of Venice are running clear, the bears are roaming free in Yosemite National Park and pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have fallen across continents.
Earth Day began in 1970, which makes this its half-century anniversary. As it says on the Earth Day website, “On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans—10 percent of the U.S. population at the time—took to the street, college campuses and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward for our planet. The first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement.”
We’ve made progress since then, but many in the scientific and environmental communities think not nearly enough. Climate change is still a ticking time bomb. At the same time, most sustainability experts agree that the hospitality and meetings industries deserve credit for being in the forefront by instituting green practices since the early 2000s, embracing LEED and other green-building certifications, energy-saving HVAC, solar power, compact fluorescent (and then LED) lighting and, more recently, single-use plastic, excess food donation, reusable and recyclable trade-show exhibits, and zero-waste meetings. And more.
So, how best to mark this Earth Day?
Celebrating at Home
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, the saying goes. In these stay-at-home times, we miss the joys of nature. With the stress of the pandemic and the severe economic disruption it has wrought, then, what could be a more fulfilling way to celebrate Earth Day than a) resolving anew to advocate for meaningful measures to stem climate change; and b) enjoying the wonders of the natural world—virtually?
Many options for taking in nature virtually are available—from the live jelly cam at Monterey Bay Aquarium in California to going island-hopping on Google Earth to some of Hawaii’s most breathtaking spots—but here’s one of the most exotic: a series of virtual adventures in the South Pacific, on the 300-island archipelago that is Fiji.
Get sea turtle ecology-certified: World-class dive resort, Volivoli Beach Resort, is offering a digital Sea Turtle Ecology course that you can take from the comfort of home. Designed for any age, participants learn how to identify different types of turtles, how far they date back (some over 100 million years), their breeding, swimming and migrating patterns, environmental threats and current conservation measures.
Adopt a manta: To celebrate Earth Month, Kokomo Private Island’s Adopt-a-Manta program lets you “adopt” a manta ray through the Manta Trust—an initiative that protects manta rays in the waters surrounding the private-island resort. Manta parents will receive regular updates on their manta’s progress, where they have been sighted, and any exciting news from the resort’s ongoing research. Led by the island’s resident marine biologists, Kokomo’s Manta Conservation Project aims to monitor, protect, and conserve manta rays in the waters of Fiji.
Tune into Turtle Talks: Turtle Island Resort is noted for operating sustainably, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, for turtle conservation. In addition to a program in partnership with World Wildlife Fund in which turtles are tagged and released, the resort has created “Turtle Talks”—a series of “global conversations to accelerate positive change in the world.” The inaugural series of 12 episodes imagines a clean-energy future, a world in which our power is harvested from renewable sources of energy, and pollution and its health effects are eliminated as humans live more in balance with the planet. A binge-worthy endeavor!
Adopt a shark: Shark enthusiasts, take note (and if you aren’t one, learn why you should be). Adopt a Fiji shark with a name, personality and tracking history. Beqa Adventure Divers created this ‘My Fiji Shark’ conservation initiative with support from the United Nations Development Program to raise funds to support conservation efforts and ongoing research. The sharks up for adoption are regular visitors to Fiji Shark Reef Marine Reserve, where there are over 200 individually named sharks.
Become a Junior Marine Biologist: As part of the ‘At Home with Six Senses’ initiative, Six Senses Fiji is offering virtual tutorials and lessons on life hacks for living more sustainably which are inspired by the brand’s on-site Earth Labs. The first program launched is a Junior Marine Biology Course led by Six Senses Laamu’s team of on-property marine biologists. The interactive course includes at-home worksheets, assignments, coloring projects and more.
Gary Diedrichs, senior content producer at Smart Meetings, writes frequently on sustainability topics. He covered the first Earth Day for a New Jersey radio station.
Stay up-to-date with the latest tweets from Smart Meeting Mohegan Sun. Our two-day experience includes one-on-one appointments with premier properties and destinations, networking activities, educational sessions with expert speakers, a fabulous breakfast reception, lunch and upscale accommodations – all designed to make your job easier.
Mohegan Sun boasts the largest hotel ballroom in the Northeast with 38,000 square feet of pilar-less space. The 10,000 seat Mohegan Sun Arena has played host to top acts like Billy Joel and Fleetwood Mac. Its beauty is matched by its physical size.
Join us in welcoming Jason Hewlett and see his award-winning performance that brings on the entertainment time and time again.
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has announced its 2015-16 board of trustees who will serve from July 1, 2015, to Dec. 31, 2016.
The MPI meeting leaders include Stephen Revetria (pictured), who assumes the role of MPI Foundation Global Board of Trustees chairman. Revetria became a member of the MPI board in 2007. He serves as senior vice president of Giants Enterprises, where he is responsible for setting the strategy and vision in developing business opportunities beyond San Francisco’s Major League Baseball franchise.
“It has been an honor to serve as a trustee for the MPI Foundation over the past several years,” says Revetria. “The MPI Foundation is focused on strengthening our industry through education support by providing grants and scholarships as well as pan-industry research, and I look forward to working with my fellow trustee members over the next 18 months to further the foundation’s efforts.”
Revetria currently serves as chairman for San Francisco Travel Association, trustee at University of San Francisco and commissioner for Golden Gate Park Authority.
-Franck Barbaras, General Manager, Hesperia Tower Hotel & Convention Center
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is always looking for ways to improve its annual World Education Congress (WEC), and the strategy is paying off.
On the heels of a 25 percent increase in attendance at WEC this week at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, MPI has decided to move up its annual convention from August, which is the heart of the convention season, to earlier in the year.
During the MPI media breakfast on Sunday morning, MPI CEO and President Paul Van Deventer highlighted that the 2016 WEC will meet in Atlantic City June 11-14. The 2017 convention will take place in Las Vegas in July 9-12, the 2018 event in Indianapolis is set for June 2-5 and the 2019 convention will be in Toronto June 11-14.
“This is not a process we approach lightly,” Van Deventer says. “We are excited about each of these destinations and believe WEC attendees will enjoy them as well. Each year, MPI strives to enhance the education and programming we deliver at WEC, so we look forward to working with our host city partners to enrich attendee experience in the coming years.”
Among the other news items reported on by Van Deventer Sunday morning was the balance between meeting planners and suppliers at this year’s convention With 2,500 registered attendees, planners make up 50 percent and suppliers make up 50 percent, according to Van Deventer.
There’s a new push from the cruise industry to get planners to consider taking their events out to sea. The new Meetings and Events at Sea Certificate is being presented by Cruise Line International Association (CLIA) and is designed to help planners explore the benefits of this niche meeting venue.
Another new program for MPI is its Experiential Event Series in which the organization partners with high-profile events to offer planners an opportunity for behind-the-scene tours at such events as the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City in September and the Epcot Food & Wine Festival in Orlando in November.
Although many event producers consider themselves marketers and not planners, Van Deventer is excited to bring these mega-event folks into MPI while allowing traditional planners to have those big-event experiences.
Here are a few other notes of note for WEC 2015:
–This week’s conference will feature 140 education sessions.
–The hosted buyer program is up 12 percent with 265 planners.
–61 attendees are being supported by scholarships.
–A demographic shift toward millennials in the industry is creating more demand for MPI training. Van Deventer says studies show that millennials now make up 50 percent of the meeting and event planners, creating a need for training as less experienced professionals begin their careers.
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3. Show, Don’t Tell
On the opposite coast, another destination is taking a preventative approach. “We’re ready for you, when you are, with open palms” is the message Kelly Cavers, senior vice president of group sales and destination services at 
Meet Minneapolis
Discover Los Angeles
Catch Des Moines
Marriott properties across the country, including JW Marriott Indianapolis, The Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago and Niagara Falls Marriott, are lighting up their windows with messages of hope for their local communities and the greater community of travelers as part of a #MarriottStrong and #HotelsofHope intiative.
The 
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has announced its 2015-16 board of trustees who will serve from July 1, 2015, to Dec. 31, 2016.
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is always looking for ways to improve its annual World Education Congress (WEC), and the strategy is paying off.
Follow all the networking and special moments during our Smart Meeting Mountain/Desert. Our meeting experience includes one-on-one appointments with premier properties and destinations, networking activities, education sessions with expert speakers, a fabulous breakfast reception, lunch and upscale accommodations designed to make your job easier.