< Previousonly five countries have all U.S. embas- sies or consulates fully open for visa processing, according to analysis by U.S. Travel. On average, countries that are not a part of the Visa Waiver Pro- gram currently face unacceptably long wait times in excess of 14 months for a visitor visa appointment. This makes it exceedingly difficult for visitors to plan for business or leisure travel to the United States. Additionally, officials must also ensure frontline Customs and Border Protection and Transportation Security Administration officers have necessary resources to safely process an increasing number of arrivals. Q: How are 2022 meeting budgets different from 2021? 2020? A: Generally, meeting budgets should increase as our industry and the overall economy continues to recover. This should be a priority for businesses. Those who host and attend in-person professional meetings and events gain a significant competitive advantage over those who remain virtual or forgo busi- ness travel altogether. Q: Did U.S. Travel host a meeting or event in 2020 or 2021? A: U.S. Travel held a number of in- person meetings [in 2021] that adhered to stringent health and safety guidance. We hosted more than 2,600 attendees from 52 countries in Las Vegas in Sep- tember for the 52nd annual IPW — the travel industry’s premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel to the United States. IPW was the first international, large-scale travel meeting to convene live in the United States since the start of the pandemic. It took a great deal of coordination to pull off an international trade show amid travel restrictions, but it was such an important step in reuniting the world. We also held our spring board meeting in-person in Tampa, our summer board meeting in Colorado Springs, our ESTO conference in Los Angeles in August and the first-ever Future of Travel Mobility summit in Washington, D.C., in October. Our fall board meeting just wrapped in Washington, D.C. Q: What encouraging signs or trends do you see ahead for the meetings industry? A: We are seeing more and more businesses hosting in-person meeting and events. IMEX America 2021 just hosted more than 4,000 meeting pro- fessionals in Las Vegas, an encourag- ing sign that the global business events community is ready to get back to in- person gatherings. JOE FIJOL, DMCP, PRINCIPAL ETHOS EVENT COLLECTIVE Q: As the U.S. eases out of the COVID-19 pandemic, how does the meetings and events industry rebound? A: Continuing to rethink how we plan and operate programs to ensure safety and return on investment for company and community. As we experi- ence shortages post-COVID, we’re real- izing how important it is to weigh how our activity supports the people and places that make what we do possible. Q: What challenges will corporate meeting planners face in 2022? A: Not unlike most industries, avail- ability and rate increases will be an issue. We’re seeing a surge in booking for 2022, particularly in first-tier cities like Orlando and Miami. Planners will need to con- sider other markets like North Florida or suburban areas outside these cities to find space and manage cost increases. Q: Is the nationwide supply short- age something that is affecting ETHOS Event Collective? Your clients? A: Yes, particularly in areas like décor, transportation and staffing. It has increased both costs and plan- ning time, so much so that we’ve had to rework some of our planning and operations processes. Q: What were your initial thoughts about how long the industry would be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? A: I think most felt we’d be “back to normal” going into 2022. What we’re realizing today is things like destina- tion selection and availability will be impacted long term. While international travel is returning, demand and cost in the U.S. continues to be high — result- ing in planners considering markets like Savannah and Memphis, or areas within a short drive of major markets. Q: What is the biggest hurdle other than the pandemic facing the industry right now? A: Labor shortages and cancellations continue to be a problem and result in more time being required to plan and operate programs. Shorter planning cycles have also added to the challenges for hotels and service providers ensure availability of space, services and staffing. Q: How are 2022 meeting budgets different from 2021? 2020? A: Although the industry has experi- enced an overall increase in costs, we’ve seen budgets largely remain the same — leaving planners challenged to do more with less. As a result, we’ve worked to help clients connect return on invest- ment to meetings and events activity to protect budgets and prove value. Q: Did ETHOS Event Collective host a meeting or event in 2020 or 2021? A: We hosted virtual, hybrid and in-person events in 2020 and 2021. Although technology can enhance and improve efficiency in certain areas, it was clear that it can’t replicate the energy and impact of being in-person. As this year progressed, we saw a shift away from virtual/hybrid to in-person, We’re seeing a surge in booking for 2022, particularly in first-tier cities like Orlando and Miami. JOE FIJOL, DMCP Principal, ETHOS Event Collective 20 December 2021-January 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comresulting in improved attendee satis- faction and engagement. Q: What encouraging signs or trends do you see ahead for the meetings industry? A: With large groups proving you can meet safely in-person and vaccination rates continuing to increase, it points to a better year ahead. It is also encouraging that industry groups like IMEX, FICP and IRF are meeting in-person this year. MICHELLE HELLER, CMM, HMCC SVP, STRATEGIC MEETING MANAGEMENT, MCVEIGH GLOBAL MEETINGS & EVENTS (MGME) Q: As the U.S. eases out of the COVID-19 pandemic, how does the meetings and events industry rebound? A: With the most recent IMEX & GBTA conferences held in a live format, the industry has clearly, albeit slowly, begun to rebound. Beginning in early fall, client requests for hotel sourc- ing for 2022 and beyond have come in strongly, and contracts are being signed. At MGME, all furloughed employees have been back to work for some time. We are now actively hiring new employ- ees in all business units within Meeting Planning, Creative Services, Production, Virtual and Shared Services to continue our growth in 2022. One of the most important tasks we have as a supplier is to invest in our staff and their train- ing now; we must be prepared for when the industry rebounds. For continued growth, we remain dependent on our corporate clients’ meeting and travel policies and approval of live events while partnering together to ensure all events are executed within proper health and safety guidelines. Q: What challenges will corporate meeting planners face in 2022? A: Supplier service levels and costs [are a challenge]. Due to the reduction in workforce and the loss of revenue, we find that many suppliers are not fully staffed. We have seen significant short- ages of staffing levels at hotels and vari- ous suppliers. The cycle time for obtain- ing proposals, pricing and even standard responses has increased significantly, making the event planner’s job more dif- ficult. Communications seem to require more follow up, and project time during pre-planning execution has increased. With these staffing changes, lack of resources and inflation, pricing has increased across the board. Q: Is the nationwide supply short- age something that is affecting McVeigh Global Meetings & Events? Your clients? A: Absolutely, yes! We designed and curated a unique gifting experience for an upcoming Senior Leadership Meet- ing. The amount of time and resources we applied to execute this portion of the event was twice the standard. At almost every corner we turned, vendors advised that the quantity or color of the item selected was unavailable, shipping was delayed and more product would not be developed in time due to lack of resources. This situation is certainly dif- ferent from what we were accustomed to in the past as event planners — especially working in the New York region and a society where it is often a 24/7 culture in which anything could be accomplished at a moment’s notice. Planners will certainly need to allow more time in project plans to account for this change and ensure clients stay on track with the timelines established during the planning process. Q: What were your initial thoughts about how long the industry would be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? A: Originally, we forecasted the 3rd quarter [of 2021] to slightly rebound and the 4th quarter [of 2021] to be near pre-pandemic levels. But, as soon as the Delta variant took hold, we realized that we were not there yet, and the industry would continue down a bumpy road for the remainder of the year. We are fore- casting 2022 to be strong and certainly a surge from 2021, with a full recovery expected in late 2023, when spend- ing will return to pre-pandemic levels on par with 2019. Q: What is the biggest hurdle other than the pandemic facing the industry right now? A: Resources and staffing will con- tinue to be a hurdle for all suppliers. Global price increases across all segments of air, ground and hotels might not be in line with corporate budgets. Eventually, increase in demands and capacity/hotel availability issues will cause constraints. Q: How are 2022 meeting budgets different from 2021? 2020? A: 2022 budgets have a definite year- over-year increase from 2021 and 2020. In 2020, many meeting and travel budgets were frozen while our corporate clients worked to understand the pandemic and its impact. In 2021, we were delighted to see an increase in spending for existing clients, and had the magnificent oppor- tunity to onboard several new clients. But still, clients reserved 2021 business and budget parameters for only their “must have” meetings and events. However, for 2022, we are seeing budgets increase, and the type of events approved and assigned to MGME increase to not only “must have” events, but ancillary events as well. Q: Did McVeigh Global Meet- ings & Events host a meeting or event in 2020 or 2021? A: In 2021, we had the opportunity to plan hundreds of events for our clients in all business sectors from Corporate, Life Science and Association — delivered in live, hybrid and virtual environments. In the live environment, our programs went One of the most important tasks we have as a supplier is to invest in our staff and their training now. MICHELLE HELLER, CMM, HMCC SVP, Strategic Meeting Management, McVeigh Global Meetings & Events (MGME) TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | December 2021-January 2022 21off without a hitch. We certainly engaged additional resources for pre-meeting COVID-19 testing kits, on-site testing areas, as well as departure time PCR tests when required for international travelers. In the global space with regional travel restrictions, we remained on our toes and pivoted to virtual for some attend- ees when required. We managed hybrid and virtual events in a variety of excellent platforms ranging in complexity from simple one-off programs and annual Life Science sales rep training programs to complex full global product launches in custom 3D virtual environments. 2021 was certainly a year to work strategically on each event and required additional resources, along with a defined duty-of- care program to ensure the health and safety of our attendees. We are proud to say all our events were a success. Q: What encouraging signs or trends do you see ahead for the meetings industry? A: We have seen our clients agree that face-to-face meetings have a need, and their level of importance has been acknowledged. After 1-1/2 years of virtual meetings, many of our clients are eager to get back to live meetings in 2022, albeit with a bit more caution and planning. For certain meeting types, virtual meetings and events are here to stay as a mecha- nism for cost savings, but we are happy to see that clients believe that live meetings are imperative for building relationships and developing human connections. RENEE RADABAUGH, CMP PRESIDENT & CEO PARAGON EVENTS INC. Q: As the U.S. eases out of the COVID 19 pandemic, how does the meetings and events industry rebound? A: This is interesting, especially as we sit here watching another variant come through — it’s almost like Ground- hog Day. What we saw in the middle/ end of Q3 [of 2021] was immense excite- ment to get back to live, and it almost felt like a weight had been lifted. We started booking incentives and seeing corporate meetings come into play. We were see- ing fewer attendees, but the quality of the conference and the goals and objec- tives people were setting were much richer from an experiential perspec- tive. I believe that’s because they know they need to feed the senses beyond the audio and the visual. We have to create events that will leave a lasting impact and make people feel comfortable with in-person experiences. Q: What challenges will corporate meeting planners face in 2022? A: Those who didn’t have the experi- ence of virtual are going to have a very large gap when it comes to the needs of hybrid meetings. We need to continue evaluating how we’re speaking to the audience and engaging them. We also need to prepare for the different learning styles of attendees, because there are peo- ple who won’t come back to live events as quickly as we would like, which is going to be impacted by budgets, comfort levels and any of these potential variants. Q: Is the nationwide supply short- age something that is affecting Par- agon Events Inc.? A: The supply shortage absolutely is affecting us because we’re seeing costs related to food/beverage and transpor- tation rise, and there’s an overall lack of availability for products. As you look at promotional products and even printing, you have to really think ahead because the supply chain may not have the inven- tory in place. We’ve found the order cycle is anywhere from three to 10 weeks longer than what you would’ve had pre- viously to get your branded products in. Q: What were your initial thoughts about how long the industry would be affected by the COVID 19 pandemic? A: At the very beginning, back in Feb- ruary 2020, we decided to retain all of our staff and quickly pivot. We were say- ing things like, “How long can this last? Maybe three months? Five months?” Then at the six-to-nine-month time- frame, we realized this was likely going to extend throughout 2020. We contin- ued on our virtual journey and experi- enced some stop/starts for a few fairly aggressive clients who wanted to look at 2021 for live. We went through all these cycles of rebooking, cancellations and extending our contracts. We were looking at ways to take a contract that was due to execute in the fall of 2020, then pushing it to 2024 because the cli- ent had 2021-2023 in the queue already. It was a lot of forecasting without hav- ing any historical data to follow. So, the short of it is, if you had asked me in 2020, I would have said it would last maybe six months. Right now, we’re all experienc- ing the “new normal” and I don’t even think we know what exactly that is yet. Q: What is the biggest hurdle other than the pandemic facing the industry right now? A: I believe the biggest hurdle is help- ing people understand the true cost of meeting production. Beyond the general expenses of hotel rooms, food and bever- age, travel and the supply chain shortage, the real cost of meetings and events is the human element of it. You know, as you educate your team members, and you become more elevated in your core skills, the cost of an event goes up. Your most expensive assets are the brains and the hands that go into producing a high cali- ber, data driven, successful event. The marketing and communication side of it is extremely important and relevant right now. People don’t always think about the messaging in the beginning — they bolt the marketing and messaging on after Right now, we’re all experiencing the “new normal” and I don’t even think we know what exactly that is yet. RENEE RADABAUGH, CMP President & CEO, Paragon Events Inc. 22 December 2021-January 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comthey’ve decided to do the event, when it should be part of the turnkey plan. Q: How are 2022 meeting budgets different from 2021? A: I think there was a big surprise in 2021 due to the cost of virtual plat- forms and technology. They also came with the curve of re-educating the con- sumer to understand that it wasn’t just a WebEx or a Zoom meeting, and that vir- tual programs needed to be elevated in order to create rich experiences. Along with the sticker shock from platforms, there was also a factor of the amount of labor it takes to produce a virtual meeting. Where we could execute a live event with 500 people and maybe five staff members, it took up to 15 staff members to assist with a virtual event of 500 people. 2022 budgets will likely follow a similar pattern of sticker shock because people haven’t had a live bud- get, in many instances, since 2019. Espe- cially in the case of hybrid, where you’re basically running two events at the same time, you’ll have a greater depth of need when it comes to equipment, services and staffing in the 2022 realm. Q: Did Paragon Events Inc. host a meeting or an event in 2020? 2021? A: As far as client events, we ran around 85 programs over the last two years. We were about 75% to 80% virtual, with the rest being live or hybrid. Our live events were much smaller, under 100 or 150 attendees, so nothing like the large scale, in-person events we had experi- enced in 2019. Our team has become well- versed in virtual programs and platforms, but we’ve also been careful to keep our skills for live events sharp because we’re eager for them to fully come back and know we need to be ready when they do. Q: What encouraging signs or trends do you see ahead for the meetings industry? A: The most encouraging sign I’ve seen is an enthusiasm for experiences. People are really craving those hands-on, memorable experiences now more than ever. I’ve found the trend is more people being interested in the place rather than the space. Meaning, people want to know what it is they’re going to be able to do in that location. Whether it’s going to Nashville and listening to Country music, or going to the Bahamas and swimming with the dolphins, or going to Costa Rica and seeing beautiful waterfalls. People are much more on the experiential hunt. And that feeds into my previous state- ment about the marketing and commu- nications piece. People eat with their eyes before they taste. So, moving for- ward, it’s important to look at the expe- riences, whether it be a corporate event or an incentive program. This applies to virtual too. BRIAN D. STEVENS, CEO CONFERENCEDIRECT Q: As the U.S. eases out of the COVID-19 pandemic, how does the meetings and events industry rebound? A: Vaccination rates are critical. We need more people to be vaccinated and then get the booster shot. Q: What challenges will corporate meeting planners face in 2022? A: Lack of staff and uncertain attendee numbers. Q: Is the nationwide supply shortage something that is affecting ConferenceDirect? A: Yes, we cannot get simple and complicated things: simple things like paper products, complicated things like trucks and items made overseas. Q: What were your initial thoughts about how long the industry would be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? A: Originally, I heard 18 months. I think that it’s another 18 months now. Q: What is the biggest hurdle other than the pandemic facing the industry right now? A: Recruiting and training new staff. Q: How are 2022 meeting budgets different from 2021? 2020? A: Budgets are cut and people are uncertain of their attendees. It’s hard to forecast. We had a revised forecast for 2021 three times. Q: Did ConferenceDirect host a meeting or event in 2020 or 2021? A: We did in-person only. While we used virtual for a general session speaker or two which, by the way, worked well, the attendees are in a trade show, which we prefer to do in- person. We did it in September and it was half the size, but got great reviews. We required vaccination and masks at our company under doctors’ orders. Q: What encouraging signs or trends do you see ahead for the meetings industry? A: People want to meet. Some peo- ple are so excited that we see very high registrations in the area where people are independent; example: real estate people, hotel owners, independent contractors, and some medical societ- ies where they are their own bosses. I would like to say that the larger the company, the more restrained from face-to-face meetings. Small business owners who need new product, ideas, training, and selling their services or products are getting out. I heard a large hardware franchise had a record meet- ing [recently]. We are going to see video fatigue, and people want to get back to business. People are needing to feel connected. The reason many people are resigning from their companies is the lack of connection with their com- pany. We feel bullish about 2023, but we need more safety and fewer “break- through” cases. C&IT We are going to see video fatigue, and people want to get back to business. People are needing to feel connected. BRIAN D. STEVENS CEO, ConferenceDirect TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | December 2021-January 2022 23A s one of the most vital lifelines to corporate meeting planners and local businesses, CVBs and DMOs have learned how to weather the COVID-19 pandemic roller coaster as well as any entity in the travel and tourism industry. Without the ben- efit of having a crystal ball to predict the year, let alone months ahead, they have nevertheless deftly navigated the sometimes strange, mostly knot-in-the- stomach-inducing uncertainty of an industry in crisis. Here’s a look at how they have fared, their recovery efforts and hopeful plans for the future as the U.S. slowly con- tinues to emerge from the economic downturn brought on by the pandemic. PANDEMIC’S TOLL Reduced budgets, staff reductions, shorter work weeks — in essence, overall fewer resources — presented new challenges for the ability of CVBs and DMOs to stay afloat and relevant as the pandemic took hold across the country. Locally, small businesses struggled with fewer visitors and weakened supply chains, forcing clo- sures and salary cuts. Additionally, nonprofits lost fundraising opportuni- ties while associations faced “declin- ing memberships due to economic hardship,” says Sandy Ward, CEO of Bellingham Whatcom County Tour- ism in Washington state. Nan Devlin, MTA, executive direc- tor of Tillamook Coast Visitors Asso- ciation in Oregon, adds that “Restau- rants [were] hit hard, especially with constantly changing COVID guidelines and restrictions. And staffing shortages hit businesses the hardest. They are coping with overworked and stressed employees, more days closed, and lim- ited hours when they are open.” And yet, “Somehow, nearly all have coped, changing between takeout meals to only 25% capacity, to full capacity.” Staff reductions and tighter budgets hit many CVBs and DMOs hard in the early days of the pandemic. “Staff [was] reduced to 30% of our pre-pandemic level, 13 international partner agency contracts were paused immediately in March 2020, and our budget was down 75%,” says Elisabeth Wieselthaler- Toelly, MBA, former vice president, global PR & media relations for the San Francisco Travel Association (SFTA). For Visit Indy, in addition to reduc- ing the team and moving to a four-day work week, the pandemic necessitated “significantly reducing our sales and marketing investments, drawing funds from reserves, and pursuing funds from federal relief programs,” says Leonard Hoops, president & CEO. Ed Carey, chief sales officer for Dis- cover Puerto Rico, described the sig- nificant impact on the commonwealth, “Due to Puerto Rico’s unique position as an island destination reliant on air and cruise visitors, the territory was impacted more quickly and severely than many other U.S. destinations,” he says. “Additionally, we were the first state or territory to issue strict mea- sures, including stay-at-home orders and curfews. The pandemic presented unique challenges, particularly for our valued local partners. The tourism sector is a critical piece in the island’s economy, accounting for 84,000 jobs that are impacted directly and indi- rectly prior to COVID-19.” Location also played a critical role in Alaska’s pandemic’s economic impact, where the state’s position in the northernmost part of the North Ameri- CVBs and DMOs Adapted During the Pandemic BY NANCY MUELLER INDUSTRY INSIGHT // PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE 24 December 2021-January 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comcan continent put the region “at a dis- tinct disadvantage due to its isolation,” as noted in a late spring 2021 report by the Alaska Travel Industry Association. “With cruise ships banned and highway borders closed, travelers had to rely on airplanes and very limited ferry service to reach the state,” the report states Although Michelle Russ, STS, vice president of sales, sports & events for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism in Alabama, acknowledges that they “were extremely fortunate as a beach destination to welcome guests back in early summer 2020,” she also mentions, “We are certainly feeling the national staffing shortages across our tourism- based businesses.” POSITIVE IMPACT Creative collaboration, enhanced communication and virtual experiences each represent but a few of the positive changes that have resulted despite the pitfalls presented by COVID-19. CVBs and DMOs rose to the challenge both out of necessity and their own resil- iency. “We have learned to expect the unexpected and adapt quickly,” Russ says. “We have stayed in communica- tion with current and potential clients about the state of our destination, and have expanded our digital market- ing resources to meet planners where they are and stay top-of-mind for future planning.” Despite the hardships experienced by the pandemic, many CVB and DMO leaders say they were forced to adapt and are now stronger for it. “The pan- demic made us a lot more creative, nim- ble, [and] innovative, than before,” says Sonia Fong, formerly vice president of convention sales & services for the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), and now senior vice presi- dent of convention develop- ment for Louisville Tourism. Vicki Logan, conven- tion sales manager for Travel Juneau, agrees. “We’ve had to find new creative ways to fulfill our mission with fewer resources.” Employees also learned how to work remotely via Zoom, Teams, WebEx and other digital platforms, Hoops says, adding, “In addition, following the mur- der of George Floyd and the nationwide civil unrest shortly thereafter, we have increased our efforts toward diversity, equity and inclusion.” Collaboration among industry part- ners has always been a huge part of get- ting things done in the meetings and events industry. But during the height The San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau during the pandemic focused not only on economic recovery, but protecting the environment as well. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | December 2021-January 2022 25 If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s how important these partnerships are. SANDY WARD CEO Bellingham Whatcom County Tourismof the pandemic — and still as things are waning a bit — partnerships have become more intimate and more important since the onset of the pandemic. “We’ve part- nered with a regional community foundation on a program called ‘Inclusive City’ and orga- nized a DEI assessment, not just for ourselves, but for eight other orga- nizations in a group we collectively call the Indy Civic Leadership Alli- ance,” Hoops says. Fong and Carey each note that the Miami and Puerto Rico regions are no strangers to adversity. Miami has weathered its share of hurricanes, while Discover Puerto Rico has also endured hurricanes and earth- quakes. These crises went a long way to pre- paring them for the pandemic. “We were able to pivot quickly at the start of the pandemic because of the extensive crisis preparedness measures we had already taken,” Carey says. “When Dis- cover Puerto Rico was created in 2017, we immediately went to work creating a crisis playbook, which included scenar- ios from hurricanes to political unrest, to even a pandemic scenario which we were able to adapt for COVID-19.” Beyond that, Carey says, “Our local part- ners at the Puerto Rico Tourism Com- pany quickly created a certification pro- gram and other resource guides to help tourism partners and planners resume meetings and other initiatives safely, and we shifted our marketing strate- gies to rely more heavily on virtual and hybrid offerings in the group space.” In early winter 2020, Visit Tilla- mook partnered with the Tillamook County Creamery Association “to offer $200,000 in marketing resiliency grants to our community,” Devlin says. “We encouraged collaboration among businesses, and the 16 lead recipients helped a total of 90 businesses. We also co-sponsored #tillamooktakeout cam- paign with the Tillamook Chamber of Commerce to encourage local support for restaurants. Our $4,000 investment resulted in $4 million in sales for par- ticipating businesses. Restaurant own- ers said it kept them in business during their darkest hours.” Other tactics employed by various CVBs and DMOs included filming pro- motional videos for the CVB and local businesses, as well as creating virtual FAM tours to keep planners updated on the latest informa- tion. “When the COVID quarantines first went into effect and our island lodgings were closed, we abruptly pivoted to promoting videos and virtual tours produced by businesses and other islanders,” says Amy Nesler, communica- tions/stewardship man- ager of the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau in Washington state. “All conventional advertis- ing was pulled in favor of encouraging the pur- chase of gift cards and other e-commerce and keeping people ‘dream- ing’ of future travel.” At Discover Puerto Rico, Carey’s team “hosted vir- tual planner FAMs as another way to ensure planners stayed up-to-date on the latest health and safety protocols in place, while seeing new venues, hotels, and experienc- ing technology advance- ments such as the hybrid capabilities in the Puerto Rico Convention Center, the most technologically advanced in the Caribbean,” he says. In addition, Carey said his team “created a series of ‘Virtual Vacays’ that kept our local partners front and center for audiences globally. Beyond social … through the DMO, Puerto Rico became the first destination to offer live-guided tours utilizing Google Earth on Face- book Live … partnering with a person- able local tour guide.” Strengthening communication among all partners has also played a key strategic role in recovery efforts for CVBs and DMOs. At Discover Puerto Rico, “In addition to the tour- ism partner certification program, we At Visit Indy, the Indiana Convention Center invested $7 million in new health and safety upgrades. 26 December 2021-January 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com [The pandemic necessitated] ... reducing our sales and marketing investments ... and pursuing funds from federal relief programs. LEONARD HOOPS President & CEO Visit Indyincreased communication with stake- holders. Clear and constant commu- nication is particularly important, including that with meeting plan- ners — both from us to them, and vice versa,” Carey says. Specifically, “We ensured lines of communication remained open, for all to be aware of the latest information that may impact an event, including govern- ment regulations, event permits, as well as screening procedures at our airports. We were keen to understand the concerns and needs of planners to best accommodate them in the future, so we held a series of roundtable discussions with meeting planners across the country.” OTHER NEW INITIATIVES When the travel and tourism took the dramatic, unexpected downturn in early spring 2020, CVBs and DMOs wasted little time in planning new cam- paigns and initiatives. At Visit Indy, the Indiana Convention Center invested $7 million in new health and safety upgrades, while at the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, marketing commu- nications amplified the need to strike a balance between supporting island businesses and protecting the environ- ment. “This is done through subject choice and wording in our social media and advertising,” Nesler says. For start- ers, the CVB, “following the lead of des- tinations like Palau, New Zealand and Aspen, created the San Juan Islands Pledge that visitors are encouraged to sign before boarding the ferry or float- plane. When you act as an ecologically and socially responsible visitor, you are actively contributing to the future of the San Juans.” In the summer of 2021, Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism initiated a “Worth the Wait” campaign “to com- municate that Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are ‘worth the wait’ despite staffing shortages, and to give guests a few ideas to make the most of their precious time on the coast,” Russ says. In addition, “We have expanded the meeting planner marketing toolkit on our website to provide planners with free, ready-to-go resources to make planning meetings on the Alabama Gulf Coast more efficient. Items in the toolkit include a custom digital save- the-date, custom digital banner ads, visual assets, pre-written destination copy and a PDF of popular restaurants and activities.” The SFTA also rolled out two new campaigns in 2021: “#OurGateIsO- pen and “MeetLocal, both targeting regional and domestic visitors,” Wie- selthaler-Toelly says. While Fong was at the GMCVB, she says, the “… recovery campaign focused on the outdoors, with special mention of the Everglades and parks, for instance. [They] also highlighted the multicultural heritage in differ- ent neighborhoods to show what makes the area unique. Locally, [they supported] restaurants through the Miami Spice program,” now in its 18th year of operation. With a focus on helping the food industry as well, Visit Tillamook “went to work on big projects,” Devlin says. “We are implementing more workforce training programs, and [developed] a food business innovation center to help our local producers and entrepreneurs. We [hope to find] funding to build com- mercial kitchens and cold storage units, provide food processing equipment and culinary training classes, and form a food hub and delivery system to help our farmers and fishers.” At Discover Puerto Rico, “We developed a new advertising cam- paign focused on the concept of ‘time,’ with our creative agency R&R part- ners,” Carey says. “It was specifically designed to seamlessly evolve in dif- ferent phases as we progressed dur- ing the pandemic. The campaign was fully produced in-house by Discover Puerto Rico’s multimedia team, and rolled out in phases to allow the DMO to deftly move between messaging as restrictions on the Island changed.” The campaign’s messaging evolved from Phase I during lockdown — “All in Good Time;” to Phase II, “Time to Plan” and “Time to Book;” to its cur- rent rendition, “It’s Time” — to incen- tivize travelers to visit Puerto Rico now that inbound tourism has reopened. THE ROAD AHEAD In looking toward a brighter future, CVBs and DMOs emphasize the importance of proactively engaging with partners in travel and tourism to prepare for the next potential crisis. For Devlin, “The [variants], hitting mostly unvaccinated people, threaten business closures again. Restaurants, Courtesy of Sandy Ward Sandy Ward, CEO of Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism, says her agency used many measures to recover from the pandemic. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | December 2021-January 2022 27retail, museums and event venues will again be hit hardest. This is what keeps me up at night. If they have to close again, it could mean closing for good, and that would be terrible for all of us.” With that in mind, Devlin says, “We have updated our crisis communications plan to include pandemics — we had earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, fires — but not pandemics. We are also revising our strategic plan to include ways to support public safety and emergency management organizations.” From Nesler’s perspective, “DMOs and CVBs have the opportunity to show leadership in how tourism is managed in their destination and be proactive to keep the pendulum from swinging toward over tourism. Sus- tainable tourism is no longer enough; it’s time to get behind regenerative travel — [i.e. ‘making sure that what we do now feeds back into the system from which we benefit’ — as defined by the World Travel and Tourism Council]. It’s about being proactive and intentional.” Nesler continues: “The climate crisis is already here and evolving rapidly. We promote ways travelers can lighten their footprint and provide information to island businesses on ways to do the same.” Staying abreast of current safety and health protocols, updating crisis man- agement tools, plus providing ongoing staff training, are all critical compo- nents in order to be prepared for what- ever crisis comes next. Meanwhile, in addition to new outdoor venues, new hotels and restaurant openings around the country, CVBs and DMOs anticipate such future events as the recent grand reveal in Puerto Rico of DISTRITO T-Mobile, and celebrations of the 500th anniversary of the city of San Juan spanning 2021 and into 2022; Visit Indy eagerly awaits its hosting role to the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship; Visit Tillamook will host the 2022 Swiss Society Centennial event, celebrating the heritage of the region’s dairy farmers; and the GMCVB hosted Art Basel Miami in late 2021 and will host the International Boat Show early this year. BEST TIPS FOR MEETING PLANNING In preparing to meet the future, CVBs and DMOs cite the essential role meeting planners play in their recov- ery. “We’re partners,” Fong says. “At the end of the day, we have to work together. The more transparent and communicative both planners and CVBs/DMOs are with each other, the greater success for all.” Ward advises planners to “Keep working with us. Keep talking to us and support us in FAMs. Share and be generous with information. If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s how important these partnerships are.” At Travel Juneau, Logan suggests that planners can also help with recovery efforts “by realizing that we are all dealing with fewer dollars and some of the incentives of the past need to be reviewed or eliminated as we all move toward recovery.” Russ reminds partners that “Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are open for business, but very much hurt- ing for staff like other destinations around the country. Meeting planners can help CVBs with recovery efforts by contacting the CVB first for all plan- ning needs. CVB sales teams know the state of the destinations and how best to accommodate your group by sourc- ing proposals, providing planning and marketing resources, and suggesting off-site activities.” Carey says, “We encourage planners to continue com- municating with us, letting us know what they need and what they are learning from their clients, so that we can best adapt our offerings, tools and resources to ensure their success. We plan on continuing our proactive out- reach, but they are free to contact us at any time.” Also, he says, “Meeting planners can foster responsible tourism among their groups, ensuring they are communicating local health and safety policies, and encouraging travel and events that will help build back tourism economies.” C&IT Courtesy of San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau One of many tactics the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau uses to help its recovery is to tout the area’s natural beauty. 28 December 2021-January 2022 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com See why Tucson’s one-of-a-kind culture creates an experience that extends beyond the ballroom. Book now through 2024 and earn up to $15,000 OFF your Master Account. DMOs and CVBs have the opportunity to show leadership in how tourism is managed in their destination and be proactive to keep the pendulum from swinging toward over tourism. AMY NESLER Communications/Stewardship Manager San Juan Islands Visitors BureauSee why Tucson’s one-of-a-kind culture creates an experience that extends beyond the ballroom. Book now through 2024 and earn up to $15,000 OFF your Master Account.Next >