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Meetings Mean Business,
by Timothy Schneider, Publisher, Association News
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Los
Angeles, CA – July 2014 / Newsmaker Alert / For the seventh consecutive
year, the July issues of Association News and its sister magazine,
SportsTravel,
include a special section produced in conjunction with Destination Marketing
Association International (please
see “Serving with Distinction,” which begins on page 23). DMAI is the
association to which official destination marketing organizations—also
known as convention and visitors bureaus—belong. Each year, our DMAI special
section takes on a theme determined by our editorial staff that reflects
the environment in which the destination marketing industry is operating.
The
first such special section, “Why DMOs Matter,” was published in July 2008
just prior to the Great Recession and before the “AIG Effect” became a
part of the meetings-industry vernacular. The theme that year anticipated
the need for destination marketing organizations to make the case to both
their local communities and the meetings industry about the vital role
DMOs play in attracting travel spending to their destinations. Subsequent
editions featured even broader themes reflecting the increasing need for
advocacy on behalf of the travel industry: In 2009, the special section
was themed “Why Meetings Matter.” In 2010, the theme was “Why Travel Matters.”
It
was during this same period that DMAI and other industry organizations
banded together to support the advocacy initiatives of the U.S. Travel
Association. Thanks to a unified industry effort, U.S. Travel successfully
shepherded the passage of the Travel Promotion Act, which created Brand
USA, a first-ever national DMO funded to the tune of $200 million. Industry
unity has also helped U.S. Travel to position the travel industry as nonpartisan
and worthy of support on both sides of the political aisle during an era
when consensus seems to be completely elusive on Capitol Hill.
One
initiative launched by U.S. Travel in early 2009, the Meetings
Mean Business Coalition, sought to demonstrate the ROI of bringing
groups together for meetings. During this period, I had the privilege of
serving on the executive committee of the Destination & Travel Foundation,
which helped provide funding for research efforts that made the case for
the value of meetings, conventions and trade shows. One such study found
that the meetings industry contributes more than $280 billion annually
to the national economy and generates $88 billion in federal, state and
local taxes.
Over
time, the research and advocacy efforts of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition
have helped make the case for why face-to-face meetings are absolutely
essential for strengthening the nation’s economy. Earlier this year, five
years after its original launch, the Meetings Mean Business Coalition was
relaunched by U.S. Travel with the support of an impressive array of travel
companies, DMOs and industry organizations, including DMAI. The refreshed
campaign highlights how meetings create personal connections, drive positive
business outcomes and build strong communities. It’s a campaign deserving
of the support of every association that organizes meetings. We encourage
you to support it by visiting MeetingsMeanBusiness.com.
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Timothy
Schneider is the publisher of Association
News and SportsTravel
magazines, which serve group travel planners responsible for generating
106 million hotel room nights annually. Schneider
Publishing also organizes Meetings
Quest, America's longest-running series of trade shows for meeting
planners, and the TEAMS Conference
& Expo, the world’s largest gathering of sports-event organizers.
TEAMS '14 is being held in Las Vegas, November 10-13, 2014. For further
information on advertising or sponsorship opportunities, please call toll-free
877-577-3700 or 310-577-3700 if calling from outside the United States.
The
current issue of Association
News can be viewed in digital format online by clicking
here.
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Media
Contact:
Timothy
Schneider
310-577-3700
Schneider
Publishing Company, Inc. |