< PreviousEmbracing Differences Organizations Lose When Employees Are ‘Othered‘ BY AMRI B. JOHNSON I f you’re involved in DEI work, you are all too familiar with othering. For far too long, certain groups have been — however unintentionally — excluded from the dominant culture at work. When one is not part of the “in group,” they miss out on opportunities — and the company misses out on their gifts and perspectives. Othering is destructive for everyone involved. Many organizations have ramped up their efforts to stop othering and all workplace marginalization and discrimination. However, there’s just one problem: Too often, they do it in a way that, ironically and unintentionally, per- petuates a sense in some that they are being othered. All organizations should be working toward inclusion and equity. It’s just that companies need to do it in a way that doesn’t spend a lot of social capital making any group “wrong” — because that makes them the new “othered” group. The trouble lies in focusing DEI work on any single identity group. To solve the problem of otherness, we must throw out the “us” versus “them” paradigm altogether. The solution is thinking in terms of “we.” Instead of focus- ing on what divides us, companies need to take a shared humanity approach. My book, “Reconstructing Inclusion,” provides a framework for designing an Inclusion System, an accessible, actionable, sustainable approach that empowers all stakeholders in these efforts — everyone — to thrive. Organizations have their work cut out for them as they rethink and redesign inclusion. In the meantime, there are still many ways you can reduce othering in your organization for everyone. A few tips: FOR LEADERS: Hire and retain talent from all backgrounds by casting a wide net. If you notice that many or most of your employees attended the same university, it’s time to branch out. And, of course, make sure you are hiring across the spectrum in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, age, ability, etc. Make the workplace feel safe. Psychological safety is cru- cial for engagement, productivity, innovation and inclusion — and it starts with leaders. Look at your behavior and set an excellent example for others. Are you open to being influenced by people different from you? Do you admit your mistakes? Do you know how to manage your emotional discomfort? Assess your employees — you might even survey them to get their feedback. If people feel free to share ideas, be vulner- able and open, try new things and make mistakes, keep doing what you’re doing. If they feel frightened, anxious, guarded and afraid to step out of their comfort zones, it’s time to look at what elements in your culture may be blocking people from feeling a sense of safety and belongingness. Identify the people you rarely speak to, work with, or men- tor. Reach out to those people. Leaders need to connect with everyone on their team. Think of the employees you are less likely to interact with or those who have fallen off your radar. Make an effort to engage with them frequently in one-on-one meetings, email conversations or hallway chats. Talk about the work, but also get to know them on a personal level. One of my clients, a non-American person of color, once told me that they feel like everyone is nice and polite in their organization. They shared, “But, they don’t take an interest in me. I ask them about their work and personal lives. They rarely ever reciprocate. I don’t think it’s intentional. I think it’s dis- comfort — a lack of familiarity because they have never been around someone from my background.” Ask yourself, “Do I regularly dismiss the ideas of certain people or downplay their accomplishments?” Then, hold up the mirror by reflecting on whose ideas you promote most often. Conversely, do you ignore some people’s contributions while praising others? If you recognize a tendency to play favorites, make a goal of focusing only on performance instead of on the person doing the work. Consistent attention to subtle acts of engagement can help you treat everyone more fairly. 10 VIEWPOINT themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 ADOBE STOCKRun meetings so everyone can participate. Pay attention to the dynamics when teams get together. Do some people lead or dominate the discussion? Do others rarely? Who is interrupt- ing? Learn and then manage meetings to create equity of voice. Be aware that bonding social capital can lead to unfair advantages perpetuating othering. Bonding is a type of social capital that occurs within groups where members are similar in demographics, attitudes and beliefs. For example, bonding ties often happen in organizations within teams, corporate affiliations or similar hobbies and personal interests. Bond- ing isn’t objectively good or bad. But inequities are inevitable when it leads to unfair advantages for exclusive groups. Bridging social capital brings people together. While siloed thinking and action in organizations primarily result in bonded groups maintaining power, bridging social capital — character- ized by connections across identities — allows groups to share and exchange information. These connections foster ideas, innovation and familiar context where their different perspec- tive could otherwise get in the way. You can harness the power of bridging social capital to help unify your employees and increase productivity and innova- tion. First, gather data through an organizational network analysis (ONA) — which measures patterns of workplace collaboration — to learn about how to create more bridging social capital. This data will allow you to see where bridging ties exist, or perhaps where they do not exist, and how you can intentionally foster more of them. FOR EVERYONE: Do you have significant influence, power or privilege in your organization? If yes, then be an ally for people you see being othered. If you are in a position where your race, gen- der, status, etc. gives you the freedom to speak your mind with fewer negative consequences, you can advocate for anyone who feels othered, left out or ostracized. Speak up and ask to hear other perspectives during meetings — aside from the usual voices. Bring people who may feel excluded into the group. Share praise with the people who helped you on your latest successful project. Be on the lookout for your own biases. Keep challenging them. Everyone has conscious and unconscious preferences. Although they often occur without your awareness, implicit biases can negatively impact how you relate with others. And we are all personally and organizationally responsible for doing all we can to mitigate them. So check in with yourself and engage with others. If you discover a bias or someone points one out to you, address it and create an approach to prevent it. Branch out and meet new people. If you socialize and share ideas only with the people who are like you, both during work and outside of it, you are perpetuating othering. Even when we don’t mean to, we can signal that our group is exclusive and those on the outside don’t belong. Get to know everyone, focusing on people who are different from you. Remember that we are wired to notice differences between ourselves and other people, but that doesn’t mean we should avoid them. Check yourself for care, openness, safety and trust. These four ways of being help create the conditions for inclusion and belonging. Answer these questions to see if you need to adjust your behaviors to create a more welcoming work environment. Remember, we all can be part of the change. How do I show that I care about my colleagues? In what ways do I indicate that I am committed to their develop- ment? Do my team members feel that we are all moving in the same direction? Are you willing to be influenced by colleagues with whom you disagree? Do you actively share information? How well do you listen? Do teammates feel that they can push back and chal- lenge you? If you are in a position of greater power or influ- ence on your team, in what ways do you make sure people know they can ask outside-the-box questions and spontane- ously share ideas? Do you intentionally seek to learn and understand the interests of your colleagues? When your colleagues are not around, do you share and represent their interests with a clear understanding when doing so? Inclusion has to work for everyone, or it doesn’t work at all. There’s no room for any othering in organizations that want their employees to engage, collaborate and go all in with their work. When everyone works together to make the workplace safe for each person to do their best, everyone thrives — and everyone wins. | AC&F | 11 Amri B. Johnson is the author of “Reconstructing Inclusion: Making DEI Accessible, Actionable, and Sustainable.” For more than 20 years, he has been instrumental in helping organizations and their people create extraordinary business outcomes. As CEO/founder of Inclusion Wins, Johnson and a virtual collective of partners converge organizational purpose to create global impact with a lens of inclusion. For more information, please visit inclusionwins.com. JANUARY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Instead of focusing on what divides us, companies need to take a shared humanity approach.Be Ready Venues That Can Meet Planners’ Needs Will Have the Upper Hand BY JONATHAN MORSE D id you know that event planners are seek- ing out hotels by choice to make their social and corporate event dreams a reality? It’s no surprise that hotel events are explod- ing. After all, hotels offer the ultimate hos- pitality offerings that many planners want, including a variety of event spaces, ameni- ties and sleeping accommodations. If you are a hotel, you are likely experiencing this event trend and seeing more social parties and corporate meetings. But have you done all you can to meet every event wish list to earn more bookings and revenue? We have pulled together nine trends directly shared from event planners to ensure your hotel is best positioned to capture the event demand this coming year. These findings about hotel events are certain to help you in running your operations and promotional initiatives. Now is the time to make sure your hotel is taking advantage of this desire to get together in-person. 1. HOTELS ARE NO. 1 It seemed fitting that the first item on our trend list is that hotels stood out as the No. 1 choice for event venues amongst event planners. It makes perfect sense given the elevated ser- vice and amenities you provide to event planners. In order to best leverage this trend in hotel events, make sure your promotions speak to the specific amenities that plan- ners desire for their events, including multiple meeting rooms, bars and lounge areas, high-tech A/V equipment and on-site sleeping accommodations. 2. BUSINESS AND BLEISURE TRAVEL IS ON THE RISE Business trips and events are picking up, and consumers are combining this travel with leisure activities — this has cre- ated a new trend known as bleisure travel. About 43% of recent travelers say they are planning a leisure trip, and 40% were traveling for both business and leisure. Take advantage of this desire to travel by offering these corporate groups a reduced rate and hotel perks to encourage extended stays. This works well for any type of corporate event, such as conferences, training and holiday parties, too. You’ll help to accommodate this trend of combining corporate events with guest leisure time and increase your revenue in the process. 3. TECHNOLOGY IS A MUST Business meetings are the top type of corporate events being planned. Ensure you meet the technology needs, includ- ing Internet speed, video-conferencing equipment and audio equipment. High-speed Internet is the No. 1. amenity event planners are looking for. Prioritizing technology amenities will help capture business travel and corporate event bookings. Make sure your connection is optimally fast. Test and service your A/V equipment regularly and make appropriate upgrades. You’ll be ready to promote your tech amenities and event organizers will entrust your hotel’s ability to execute corporate meetings without a hitch. 4. BIRTHDAYS ARE BIG Did you know that birthday celebrations are a huge oppor- tunity for hotel events? Consumers say that birthdays are the top event type that they’re planning. Hotels are a perfect place for birthday celebrations and can handle everything from a small gathering in the hotel restaurant or bar all the way to a blowout vacation or ballroom bash. Create some birthday package options to appeal to the many party planners out there. Your meeting rooms or con- ference spaces might be able to accommodate these mid-size 12 VIEWPOINT themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 HILTON ORLANDO LAKE BUENA VISTA 2023 is predicted to be a big year as live events continue to return. As such, venues with the proper amenities will be atop every planner’s list.birthday parties. If you have an outdoor space, this might be great to use for birthday parties. Offer a variety of spaces, amazing menu choices and various price points. 5. CONSUMERS ARE MAKING THE TIME AND EFFORT FOR CELEBRATIONS People are serious about their events, as 40% of consumers say they are planning three to five events this year. They’re spending an average of $6,947 per event, and they’re spend- ing the time getting every detail right; 40% of consumers book their venues one to three months in advance. Ensure your event planning and group sales process is organized and customer-focused. If people are prioritizing events, make sure they know you are prioritizing them as well. Your exceptional service starts with the very first contact they have with your hotel all the way until after the event is over. 6. YOUR CUSTOMERS AND ONLINE PRESENCE HAVE A LOT OF INFLUENCE When consumers were asked how they find venues to book for events, they said Google searches and referrals from col- leagues, friends and family were their top sources. This is why it’s so important to make sure your marketing efforts include both digital marketing and loyalty programs. Make sure your online presence is in tip-top shape to market to new event customers. Begin with your hotel’s website, social media accounts and online reviews. Make it easy for people to discover your hotel and its event space and amenities. Also, be sure to reach out to your loyal and repeat customers. Consider personalized emails to people who have booked events in the past. You want to make sure your past event organizers not only remember and love your brand, but also will be a wonderful influencer for their friends, colleagues, family and your new prospects. 7. YOUR WEBSITE IS THE FIRST IMPRESSION When it comes to event planning, organizers want as much information as possible at their fingertips so they can decide what venue they’re going to choose to host their event, whether it is social or corporate. Here’s a list of the top five things consumers look for when researching venues: 1. A professional photo album of your hotel 2. Videos 3. Pricing minimums 4. Detailed descriptions of event spaces 5. A list of amenities 8. PROVIDE EVERY DETAIL IN YOUR EVENTS PACKAGES Events are all about the details. When an event organizer is deciding on a venue, there are important pieces of information required to make that decision. Planners say they want the fol- lowing venue information, regardless of the event type, when your hotel responds to their inquiry: an event menu, prices, a floor plan, an events packet and a contract. To get as many group sales as possible, make sure you promote your event packages with detail. Don’t leave the necessary information missing or difficult to access for your customers. By providing information upfront, it not only shows event planners you are transparent, but it will help event planners make a quick decision and get that booking on your calendar. 9. ANSWER QUICKLY TO RFP REQUESTS Everyone in business knows that time is money. But in the case of responding to customers and RFPs (requests for proposals), long wait times in hearing back on event bookings could result in losing the deal. Even though consumers are spending several months in the planning process, they want to book venues and vendors as soon as possible. The first business to respond to an event inquiry often wins. In fact, 92% of consumers would like a response within 48 hours. Be sure that your operations process allows for quick responses. START NOW TO MAXIMIZE SUCCESS IN 2023 According to event planners, this year is going to be a great one for hotel events and group sales. Ensure that you are responding to these trends and that you have the processes in place to put you in the best possible position to get the most bookings possible. Start with the top cloud-based sales and catering management software so you are able to manage it all and grow your bottom line. | AC&F | 13 Jonathan Morse is the founder and CEO of Tripleseat, a catering and event management platform used by more than 15,000 venues each day, enabling them to streamline the planning process and increase sales. To date, the Tripleseat platform has helped venues book more than 6 million events and capture $15 billion in event leads. To learn more about Tripleseat or to schedule a demo, please visit tripleseat.com. JANUARY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Long wait times in hearing back on event bookings could result in losing the deal.T raveling for work conferences, meetings and expos are commonplace for many organizations. It’s a way to stay up to date on the latest industry trends and network with other professionals. Since many organizations are familiar with this aspect of their business, travel policies are often ironed out efficiently. Unfortunately, one area that organizations sometimes overlook is travel policies that consider employees living with chronic illness or other mental and/or physical health diagnoses. It’s not uncommon for employees to keep this type of information private, which is why it’s oftentimes overlooked. If a company is forthcoming about its intentions to make travel accessible to all employees, it can create a culture of inclusivity and set an example for other organizations. The easiest way to explain how organizations can make travel more accessible for people with illnesses is to share my own story. Earlier in my career, I worked at a company where a big part of my job was to travel to different conferences and network with people. I have always been the type of person who takes a lot of pride in my work, so when I was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago, it came as a shock and with a whole load of questions: • How will this impact my family? • How did this happen? • Can it be cured? • I travel a lot for my job, can I still work? • I have a conference coming up for work, how am I going to continue my job while getting treatment? These are just a few of the questions that go through some- one’s mind when they are diagnosed with a chronic illness or cancer diagnosis. I, like many other people, was determined not to let my treatment or my disease keep me from doing my job. That meant I was going to have to continue traveling to conferences. But, in the back of my mind, I was constantly worried about what would happen if I got sick while on a trip. I ended up scheduling the surgery for two weeks after a major trip I had coming up. If I got sick while on my business trip, I would have to postpone my surgery and postpone my healing. While everything worked out in the end, I learned a lot about how inclusive policies are about creating an envi- ronment that identifies obstacles for all employees, including those with illness. Here are some ways organizations can alle- viate these struggles for their employees. FOSTER A CULTURE OF CARE AND COMMUNICATE YOUR GOALS Employees are more than just a number. People want to feel seen and heard and cared for by their employers. Employers can demonstrate their care for employees by proactively show- casing their travel policies, and how they are making updates to create a better experience for their employees. If an employee is diagnosed with an illness and needs ongo- ing treatment or appointments that interfere with their job, they will often communicate their situation and how it might 14 VIEWPOINT themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 Tailor Your Travel Policy Consider Employees With Chronic Illnesses BY TIFANI JONES ADOBE STOCKimpact their work hours or normal workflow. Sometimes this is communicated with management, and other times it is just shared with the human resources department. For organi- zations that are creating an inclusive, accepting work envi- ronment, it’s important to provide a network of support for your employees. One way to do this is to have management provide oppor- tunities for employees to critique and provide feedback on policies that offer the potential to be more robust. Employ- ers could plan to review company policies with employees annually and ensure their teams understand their intention to create and provide inclusive policies. Specifically for travel policies, organizations should outline a process for making travel accommodations for employees. Let them know it is OK to request specific travel accommodations and encourage open communication about travel concerns. When someone is facing a difficult moment in life, often- times they don’t want to be singled out or feel that they are a burden to others, but when it comes to travel and taking care of employees, it is necessary to have appropriate accom- modations for those with a chronic illness or other health diagnoses. If an employee understands the company’s poli- cies and commitment to inclusivity, it makes for one less thing to worry about. UNDERSTAND ADAPTATIONS MAY NEED TO BE MADE Maybe an employee doesn’t have a disease but is deal- ing with a different health consideration. A great example of this is an employee with a peanut allergy. People with peanut allergies run into many obstacles throughout their daily life. In severe cases, some cannot fly commercially because of the risks associated with a plane full of people and their various carry-on items. While this does not mean this person isn’t a great employee, it does mean that an employer needs to allow them adaptations when it comes to travel. For a case like this, the employer may provide a rental vehicle and additional days for the person to drive to their des- tination. It could mean looking at upgrading their plane ticket and working with the airline company to seat the employee in a buffer zone. Either way, it’s important to communicate with the employee about their concerns and work with the travel manager to iron out the details to keep employees safe and healthy. BE WILLING TO CHANGE COMPANY POLICY Organizations should also be mindful of requests and changes based on individual preferences. For example, if a traveling employee has diabetes and the company policy is to cover a certain number of meals while on this trip, the employee may request a different policy for expenses. Normally when employees travel, they eat out at restau- rants that provide dining receipts for their meals. An employee with diabetes may prefer to shop at a grocery store while trav- eling because they can purchase food that helps manage their glucose levels. You would think as long as the grocery receipts stay within the allotted meal budget, a company would accept them, but some travel policies don’t count grocery or drug store receipts as valid travel expenses. This is a perfect example of a policy that a company can evaluate, update and communicate to employees. Someone struggling with diabetes may not want to ask their boss for this sort of adaptation, but proactive travel policy changes can eliminate the need for uncomfort- able conversations. These changes are small, but the impact on those employ- ees with chronic illnesses or other health diagnoses is huge. Inclusive travel policies create a ripple throughout a company and lead to a better culture. Do you want to update your com- pany’s travel policies? Consider taking these steps: • Open up your company handbook and review the travel policies in place. • Evaluate those policies from the standpoint of the examples above. • Identify barriers and struggles those employees may encounter. • Brainstorm solutions the company can provide to make travel easier for those employees. • Provide an anonymous channel for employees to critique and provide feedback on travel policies. Change is not always easy, but if you can approach company travel policies from an employee-first mindset, you can truly create an inclusive culture that cares about its people. | AC&F | 15 Tifani Jones is the director of global development and sales operations at Fox World Travel. She leads the business travel sales team to grow Fox’s global presence and market share in the travel management space. With more than 30 years in the travel and sales industry, Jones specializes in sales, revenue management, lead nurturing, contract negotiation, mentoring and speaking. Jones’ accomplishments include receiving an Association Leadership Award in 2015 while serving on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Society of Association Executives. JANUARY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES Organizations should be mindful of requests ... based on individual preferences.INDUSTRYOUTLOOK themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 GEOFF FREEMAN President & CEO, U.S. Travel Association In the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, some said that business travel would never fully recover — that we would forever conduct meetings from behind a computer screen. While the naysayers were proven wrong, it’s true that transient business travel, as well as meetings and conventions, have been slower to return than other segments of the travel economy. According to U.S. Travel’s latest forecast, business travel spending is not expected to return to pre-pandemic (2019) levels until at least 2027, while international inbound travel is not expected to recover until 2025. These timelines are par- ticularly concerning given sky- high inflation, workforce chal- lenges, visitor visa processing delays and a possible recession on the horizon. Despite the challenges, we are optimistic about the meet- ings and events industry’s pros- pects for 2023. The latest Business Travel Tracker — a product of U.S. Travel, J.D. Power and Tourism Economics — shows that businesses are willing to get back on the road, with 78% of business travelers expecting to take at least one trip to attend conferences, conventions or trade shows in the coming months. Fortunately, many business leaders are recognizing that nothing beats a face-to-face connection when it comes to getting deals done and generating profits. This is the message that U.S. Travel has elevated to business leaders and policymakers, and will drive our advocacy efforts for this segment in the new year. Particularly, Global Meetings Industry Day 2023 on March 30 — spearheaded by U.S. Travel’s Meetings Mean Business Coalition — will be a key moment to spotlight the importance that meetings and conventions bring to people, businesses and communities. Despite Headwinds, Industry Leaders See Continued Success in 2023 O ptimism reigned in 2022, as in-person meetings and events again took their place as the preferred method to network and learn. While hybrid and virtual meetings serve their own purpose, everyone agrees that nothing can replace face-to-face gatherings. The hope is that the industry will continue its upward trajectory this year, but several issues are lingering as we continue to move past the COVID-19 pandemic. A weakened supply chain, inflation, employee shortages, fluctuating fuel prices and a possible economic recession may damper enthusiasm. So, what’s over the horizon? We asked a few association industry experts to forecast what they think will happen in 2023. Here are their thoughts. Compiled by Henry Fitzgerald 2023 Industry Forecast 16But this will not just be a one-day event: U.S. Travel will tout the benefits of face-to-face engagement all year long. We will host a full slate of in-person meetings as we have done since early 2021, and will continue to urge the federal gov- ernment to return to the office and resume business travel. While the path ahead may be difficult, I’m confident that the meetings and events industry can make meaningful progress toward a full recovery in the coming year. SHERRIF KARAMAT, CAE President & CEO, Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) The year 2023 is shaping up to be one of contradictions, making predictions very challenging. From government inter- vention, strict COVID policies or the Russia/Ukraine war, the world is faced with inflation in most industrialized nations. Central banks have responded by increasing interest rates to blunt inflation, which has the potential to create a recession if there is a period of prolonged high interest rates. What seems contradictory is the persistent talk of a recession while global employment is at an all-time high — leading to a tal- ent shortage. This becomes even more complicated with politi- cal populism, supply-chain issues and massive energy shortages in part due to the Russia/Ukraine war that is disproportionally impacting Europe. This has resulted in the following five trends: (1) accelerated digital transformation; (2) inflation and supply- chain insecurity; (3) an increased focus on sustainability; (4) immersive customer experience and (5) talent challenges. PCMA’s Convene reported in November 2022 that in the first half of 2023, 19% of event organizers will only do digital/online events; 35% will use a hybrid format and 54% will hold in-person- only events. Meanwhile, 67% expect an increase or no change in their 2023 event revenues over 2022, while 30% expect a decline in revenues year over year. About 24% expect a decline in registra- tion numbers, while 35% expect no change or an increase and 14% could not estimate. In the corporate event mar- keting space, there is overall optimism, with the majority expecting budgets to be back to 2019 spend levels in 2023, with some saying 2024. Despite the mixed economic and geopo- litical factors, I am cautiously optimistic that 2023 will be a softer landing for the business events space as more associations and companies use the busi- ness events platform to build their sales pipeline, launch new products or sell existing ones, as well as increase engagement with their customers and members. Those who are seemingly more successful than others are realizing that COVID has had a profound impact on customer expectations, value and time. Customers will respond to those JANUARY 2023 themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIES 17 CENTRE’D AROUND YOU. Make an impact with your next event at Boise Centre. Our versatile meeting and event spaces, modern amenities, and expert event planning team is at your service to ensure an unforgettable event experience. Located in the middle of the city’s energetic, walkable downtown Boise Centre is surrounded by local breweries, restaurants, shops, hotels and is minutes from outdoor adventures. boisecentre.com • Convenient downtown location • Numerous direct flights and seven minutes from the airport • Surrounded by restaurants, breweries, and nightlife • Over 1,300 hotel rooms within walking distance • Outdoor activities close by including hiking, rafting, biking, and moreorganizations that are firmly focused on listening to their cus- tomers and are agile in responding. MICHELLE MASON, FASAE, CAE President and CEO, American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) In 2023, face-to-face meetings and events will remain essen- tial conduits for learning and networking, though association meeting planners will need to ensure the ROI for prospective attendees is high. With inflation still dangerously high and a pos- sible recession looming, deci- sions about traveling to meetings will not be made lightly. While networking is a key component, high-quality, timely, innovative content — coupled with pric- ing — will be the driving factor in members’ decisions to attend an in-person meeting or event. Meeting attendees are coming to events to find solutions to criti- cal, pressing needs. Associations have to nail the content and experience pieces of their meetings. Partnerships between associations and their host cities are also more crucial than ever, as both parties have a stake in delivering a standout experience. One positive outcome from the pandemic is a renewed emphasis on collaboration in our industry in order to turn disruption into opportunity. Every- one in this industry now understands that we have to work together to achieve our goals. Association leaders also increasingly want to leave a last- ing, positive impact in the communities where they meet. I think we were reminded of this unique aspect of associations to effect positive change during the long pandemic-related dearth of face-to-face meetings. The local economic impact of a meeting is important, but association leaders also want to leverage their resources and their host city partnerships to improve community conditions and the local quality of life. Sustainable meetings are another point of emphasis emerg- ing from the pandemic, and present another opportunity for collaboration between association meeting planners and their host-city partners and vendors. Associations and their part- ners are all in the same business of bringing people together at the least cost to the environment. Ultimately, it’s about plan- ners and partners fostering a conversation to develop sustain- able solutions that are cost-effective, but advance the goal of creating a greener future. DON WELSH President and CEO & Foundation Executive Director, Destinations International We have seen significant recovery in the industry and anticipate the positive trend will continue. The upward tra- jectory in the number of meetings and conventions being sourced and contracted will be a driving force in the recovery of economies for destination communities across the globe. We don’t believe it is busi- ness as usual for our industry, with several topics at the fore- front. The value of the destina- tion organization and business event strategist relationship is more important than ever. These partnerships are creat- ing synergies and meaningful experiences people can’t expe- rience anywhere else. Both business events strate- gists and destination organiza- tions will have a large focus on immersive destination experiences that provide education and positive impacts in areas such as sustainability, human rights and equity, diversity and inclusion. Partnering to create one-of-a-kind, immersive experiences that offer attendees a reason to attend an event in person — rather than virtually or not at all — will help generate eco- nomic impact and drive deeper impacts on communities. Nothing can replace the in-person meeting experience when it comes to personal development, continuing educa- tion and networking on and off the show floor. Those have to be done in person. | AC&F | themeetingmagazines.comASSOCIATION CONVENTIONS & FACILITIESJANUARY 2023 Thank you for an amazing time in Columbus, we loved hosting you in our city and hope you found your Vibe! Did you miss PCMA CL this year? Contact us about our 24-hour VIP Cocktails and Coffee to see all the unique assets our diverse and inclusive city has to offer. The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) team poses for a group photo at the conclusion of the recent Convening Leaders 2023 (CL23) held in Columbus, Ohio. 18Thank you for an amazing time in Columbus, we loved hosting you in our city and hope you found your Vibe! Did you miss PCMA CL this year? Contact us about our 24-hour VIP Cocktails and Coffee to see all the unique assets our diverse and inclusive city has to offer.Next >