At WEC Vegas, June 15-17 at CAESARS FORUM, MPI is bringing key meeting industry leaders together to share their inspiring stories of innovation and reinvention during the pandemic—and challenge the idea that we’re “going back to normal” with the realization that we never will go back. We asked some of the leaders participating in the “Where Do We Go from Here? Critical Next Steps from Influential Industry Leaders” panel to tell us what they learned about themselves or the meeting industry itself during the pandemic that bolsters their faith in industry recovery.
Cleo Battle, Chief Operating Officer, Louisville Tourism: “As our cities dealt with the challenges of 2020, it became apparent that the travel and tourism industry would take the brunt of the economic losses with the sudden halt in conventions and visitation. Despite this, I saw the hospitality industry continue to make an impact as destinations met to determine best practices and we learned to work with our local and state health agencies on behalf of visitors, we rallied around local restaurants and we provided face masks and, in Louisville’s case, vital hand sanitizer produced in bourbon distilleries. Even after taking a punch, we saw the spirit of the travel industry shine on. As Louisville’s Muhammad Ali once said, ‘You don’t lose if you get knocked down; you lose if you stay down,’ and the meetings industry clearly doesn’t intend to stay down, proving just how resilient our industry is.”
Janet Dell, President and Chief Operating Officer, Freeman: “The past year really confirmed what I knew—there isn’t anything we as an industry can’t tackle. No matter the challenge, no matter the circumstance, we are there for each other and we are there for our customers. Our industry is known for being the ones you can count on—the ones who make magic happen. What I’ve seen is that this remained true from day one of the pandemic to now.”
Mike Gamble, President and CEO, SearchWide Global; Founder and CEO, Tourism Diversity Matters: “Like most who have grown up in this industry, I consider myself a doer, a fixer, a roll-up-your- sleeves kind of guy. During the darkest days of the pandemic, while I was focused on (and maybe obsessed with) saving my company and the team that remained, I frequently had to remind myself to lead—to inspire and provide hope and encouragement toward a solid path forward.
The global pandemic, social inequalities, racism and civil unrest significantly impacted our world, most notably the leaders of the travel/tourism and events industry. To no surprise, our industry, and our leaders within it, shifted, recalibrated, reimagined and proceeded to rebuild, and hopefully all of us will chose the path that is focused on equity and inclusion at the center of our strategic plans—not as a pillar or footnote.”
Stephen Revetria, President, Giants Enterprises: “I have immense confidence in our industry and its recovery based on our proven resiliency. Over the past year or so, that resiliency has never been more evident. So many of our colleagues demonstrated unshakeable optimism, innovation through creative digital experiences and adaptability when bringing safe in-person and hybrid events back to the marketplace. Our industry can withstand anything, and I’m excited to see where we go from here, especially in my role as chair of the MPI International Board of Directors as our organization continues to be at the forefront of recovery through hybrid events such as WEC Vegas.”
Tammy Routh, Senior Vice President, Global Sales Organization, Marriott International: “It was incredible to see that when things get really bad, this industry comes together in powerful ways. I have never worked this closely with my traditional competitors; we collaborated on how to bring business back in a safe and responsible way for the good of all. I learned I am resilient, tenacious and that I love this industry.”
Photo by Ian Taylor on Unsplash
