WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), co-chairs of the Senate Travel and Tourism Caucus, introduced legislation that will help improve the tourism industry across the country by studying the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourism industry and identifying policy recommendations to assist struggling businesses. The Protecting Tourism in the United States Act builds upon Klobuchar and Blunt’s efforts to support the travel and tourism industry and workforce, including securing the reauthorization of Brand USA through 2027. Brand USA is a public-private partnership that enhances tourism and job creation across the country. The program, which was established under the bipartisan Travel Promotion Act of 2009, brings in millions of additional international visitors to the U.S. each year at zero cost to taxpayers.
This month, Klobuchar and Blunt, along with Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), reintroduced bipartisan legislation to provide economic support for organizations involved in promoting and hosting tourism, travel, or other special events. The Sustaining Tourism Enterprises During the COVID–19 Pandemic (STEP) Actwould modify existing Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant programs to provide direct support to the hard-hit tourism and travel industry to promote economic recovery and help increase public confidence as these industries look to reopen safely in the future. These programs help drive local economic development projects, develop new industries, build vital infrastructure, and enhance tourism and travel.
As a long time attendee of the PCMA Convening Leader’s
annual January event, this year’s “virtual remake” Jan. 11-15 did not
disappoint. Noted as the best way for participants to kick off the New Year,
its traditional format of stellar education and networking was only slightly
diminished by the lack of face-to-face interaction.
A total of 3,500 people from 36 countries registered to
watch the content online through the Juno AI platform, interacted in The
Kitchen conversations and as part of micro-communities and satellite
gatherings keeping the level of
engagement very high.
The event moved from its planned location in Houston to
Singapore, with 19 official network partners hosting watch parties from United
Arab Emirates, where 300 people joined the event, to a Marriott International
gathering in Denver and a Hilton event in Dallas with 50 attendees each.
For those accustomed to the standard industry vernacular
that we’re used to hearing from speakers, a new vocabulary surfaced as a result
of the various education sessions highlighting the new virtual reality. Terms
such as Gamification, Tik-Tok, Zoom Room, Fun Format, Bandwidth Considerations,
and Twitch and Cyberpunk 2077 as streaming platforms (a.k.a. video games) are
on track to become part of our professional conversations.
Counteracting these highly technological assemblies were
opportunities to join wellness groups practicing Guided Meditation, Zen Yoga,
and a Pranayama Breathing Session all sponsored by Puerto Rico. For the virtual
side of this hybrid event, in person networking was replaced by chat rooms and
scheduled groups for conversations highlighted by the opportunity to replace your
facial expressions with those of various emoji’s when conversing online.
In conclusion, PCMA retained its reputation for soliciting a
high level of involvement from the attendees. This was aided by the fact that
the virtual format produced an enhanced number of global speakers as well as
those participants able to attend due to the elimination of the travel
component. It’s a testimony to the organizers that the energy of the audience
was not diminished by the pivot to a hybrid event.
Sherrif Karamat, President & CEO of PCMA said
face-to-face meetings are starting to come back…with full recovery in 2023. “Recovery is
on its way, but we can’t expect to go back to what it was. We have changed, and
we have to help people face that new reality.”
See you (hopefully in person) Jan. 9-12, 2022, when PCMA
Convening Leaders brings its flagship education and networking event to Las
Vegas. Meanwhile, be safe – innovate!
In the first of a series of catch-ups with our CEO, Carina Bauer, we set out our 12 commitments for 2021-2022 {well six of them at least) including the return to IRL, sparking joy and connection through micro experiences, nurturing innovation, embracing Nature+, living our diversity, equity and inclusion values, and cherishing analogue moments. We’ll be back with the next six next month.
ConventionPlanit invites you to join the upcoming IMEX America hosted buyer group of our partners, Susan Sarfati and Liz Jackson. Connect – Learn – Contract. US and Canadian buyers of meeting location services will benefit from 2 days of a complimentary in-person trade show plus a full day of education earning certification points. IMEX America will cover your coach air fare, hotel expense and Las Vegas airport shuttle service. We’re hoping the world will be a safe environment by November and we can get back to work booking the events we have missed so much during the pandemic! See you in Las Vegas!
The progressive
purpose-built venue strengthens its market leadership position
KUALA LUMPUR, 24 November 2020 – The Kuala
Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) was recently voted as Malaysia’s Best
Convention Centre 2020 by leading travel and business events industry players
in the inaugural World Mice AwardsTM 2020, retaining its market leadership
position.
This recognition came on the back of another industry award, ICCA Best
Marketing Award 2020 – Recognising Leadership in Transformation, earlier this month.
The Centre’s General Manager, Alan Pryor said, “We are truly delighted to
receive this honour from World Mice AwardsTM. This reinforces our commitment to
forge ahead in a spirit of positivity and resilience to progress business
recovery and to remain our clients’ preferred business events partner. We
regard this award as an encouragement amidst this very challenging year and as
an inspiration to continue all our efforts as Malaysia’s leading venue. We
would also like to congratulate our fellow winners, One World Hotel for Best
MICE Hotel and MEvents for Best MICE Organiser.”
World’s leading MICE brands were selected and nominated in a year-long process
followed by a period of voting by travel industry professionals and the public.
The nominee gaining the most votes in a category was determined as the winner.
Pryor concluded, “We applaud World MICE Awards’ initiative to recognise the
leaders of our industry. It is much needed to keep the industry’s morale up
during such turbulent times and this programme has definitely succeeded in this
regard.”
Aimed to raise the standards within the business events industry by recognising
and rewarding organisations that are leaders in their field, World Mice
AwardsTM was developed with a mission to serve as the definitive benchmark of
excellence, and help foster a new era of growth, innovation and best practice
on a global scale. World Mice AwardsTM is the sister event of World Travel
AwardsTM which was launched in 1994.
For all the latest news, visit the Centre’s Newsroom at
www.klccconventioncentre.com or follow on social media (Facebook –
@klccconventioncentre, LinkedIn – Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Twitter –
@klccconvention and Instagram – @klccconventioncentre).
KUALA LUMPUR, 11 November 2020 – The Kuala
Lumpur Convention Centre’s Director of Global Business Development &
Marketing has been elected to the International Congress and Convention
Association (ICCA) Board of Directors representing the Venue Sector, at the
59th ICCA General Assembly recently.
On her new role at ICCA, Angeline said, “First and foremost, I would like to
congratulate James Rees, ICCA President, on another leadership term as well as
all re-elected and new ICCA Board Members. I am looking forward to continuing
the efforts and hard work of the outgoing venue sector representative Anja Stas
and very much look forward to working with Jonas Scharf who will be serving
another term jointly representing the venue sector.”
“As a Board Member and representative of the Venue Sector, I am committed to
driving collective momentum to pioneer business and economic recovery to keep
our industry transforming and transacting, and to contribute and grow ICCA’s
engagement platform across our industry supply chain and to strengthen ICCA’s
membership so we can deliver more value to members.
“Of great relevance to me is for venues to be vocal and demonstrate the value
they provide as social and economic drivers, we need to communicate the value
of venues as important infrastructure assets to cities and communities. We need
to keep our venues operating and delivering business events and ascertain what
relevant information and support we can share as a sector to advance our
recovery and progressive transformation,” concluded Angeline.
Her key areas of expertise are in global business development and acquisition,
strategic marketing and organisational and destination growth initiatives as
well as partnership and alliance engagement models, having worked extensively
in both the public and private sector.
Alan Pryor, General Manager of Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre added, “On behalf
of the Centre, we would like to extend our heartiest congratulations. Her
leadership attributes, commitment and passion towards our industry is highly
respected by her peers. Her appointment is a direct reflection of the
charismatic team of experts that is part of the Centre and the ASM Global
network. Angeline’s appointment is a recognition for the Centre and an
inspiration to all our team members to be steadfast and passionate in their
aspirations.”
Rod Pilbeam, Chief Operating Officer Asia-Pacific, ASM Global commended,
“During her time at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Angeline has regularly
evolved the marketing strategy to ensure the continuing success of the Centre
as a leader in Asia. Angeline has also been a valued contributor to our combined
group initiatives including our Advantage program around our Asia-Pacific
centres. Her experience in looking beyond just her home venue will stand her in
great stead in making a contribution to our whole industry, particularly in the
areas of data and knowledge about our business that we look for ICCA to bring
together.”
Displaying their unique brand of personalized service to the
meetings industry, Visit Anchorage recently held a series of Zoom discussions
on how their destination is coping with and addressing the challenges posed by
the Covid-19 pandemic. 2020 was forecast to be a banner year for Visit
Anchorage with an economic impact of 90 to 100 million in annual meetings
revenue. Fortunately, 78 million of this expected income has moved to future
years.
Their presentations began with D.C. planners, 100% of whom
are working from home. 30% of those attending were also open to in person
meetings with suppliers. Close to 50 planners attended the webinar led by David
Kasser, V.P. of Sales and Shelli Stanton, Convention Sales Manager. They were
joined by a panel of industry partners from the “A-Team” of organizations
representing Anchorage’s dynamic meetings and conventions task force. Included
were Alex Wong – Hotel Captain Cook, Kate Sprout – Hilton Anchorage, Gemma
Hawley – Alaska Airlines, Alyeska Hotel – Chris Block and Phyllis Rice –
William A. Egan Civic & Convention Center & Dena’ina Civic &
Convention Center.
Predictably, much of the agenda was given over to the
various safety protocols and related mandates in place by the city to make
organizers feel comfortable about choosing Anchorage as a viable meeting
destination. Each sales manager also discussed the ways their individual
businesses were adhering to CDC and local procedures.
But then Visit Anchorage took it one step further by being
the first organization to actually host an in-person event in the city since
February with the successful execution of their July monthly membership
luncheon. Normally 75 to 150 members participate in this event. This time, 75
actually attended the luncheon demonstrating that networking is
still important – especially in times of crisis. And when queried as to whether
or not they felt safe enough to be present at a future monthly luncheon, 95% of
those attending voted yes.
As always with Visit Anchorage, this was a two way
conversation between the CVB and their clients. So, the panel ended the session
by addressing inquiries submitted by the attendees prior to the event. These
questions revealed the following:
“Hybrid” will remain a component of most
meetings moving forward
Covid-type clauses will need to be part of all
future contracts
Creativity and flexibility will be the key words
in any conversations between planner and supplier
Learn
More about Visit Anchorage at https://www.anchorage.net/meetings/
Delta, like all airlines, faces a very real, very big challenge. Right now, the vast majority of people aren’t that interested in climbing onto an airplane with 100 people they don’t know for a few hours.
It turns out that traveling isn’t as bad as you think it would be. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t very different. For example, when I flew to New York City last month, I had no idea what to expect. Even as a fairly regular traveler during “normal” times, I had more anxiety about getting on a plane than I ever had before.
That’s entirely natural considering that most people don’t like the “unknown.” We tend to avoid uncertainty as much as possible. Flying simply involves too many variables out of our control for most of us to take what seems like an unnecessary risk during a pandemic.
But if you’re Delta, that’s bad news. In fact, it’s very expensive bad news. As a result, the company has made an extraordinary effort to keep passengers and crew members safe.
In an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle at The Atlantic Festival, Delta’s CEO made clear the cost of COVID-19 to the airline’s business:
We’re flying today at a 60 percent load factor cap. So that means 40 percent of the seats we fly, we are deliberately not filling and not selling. That is not cheap. But the more important decision we make is we gotta put people over profits. And we know that instilling confidence in our customers, as well as our own employees, is job number one. That’s our priority right now.
I’d much rather people remember Delta as the company that took care of them through the pandemic… Customers are making a decisions about who Delta is by the values that we put out on display.
All of that is great, but the key here is “instilling confidence.” None of the rest of it matters if people are too anxious or afraid to do business with your company. To that end, Delta has a brilliant strategy for providing information for customers: Instagram. This morning, I was swiping through my feed, when I came across the following post.
If you tap on it, it reveals individual profiles for each of the different steps the company is taking to make the boarding process safer. If you select one of those profiles, they provide additional information. For example, if you tap on the Customer.Face.Masks profile, it explains:
For everyone’s safety, customers must wear a mask or face covering, and extra masks and Care Kits will be available if you need one. Those with underlying conditions who can’t wear a mask or face covering are required to complete a “Clearance-To-Fly” process before being permitted to travel.
Think about that for a moment. Delta took the time to create a dozen Instagram profiles so that it could better communicate with its followers. Sure, you can argue that Delta has plenty of resources and staff to do this. That’s definitely true. But the thought behind this makes it effective for two reasons.
The first is that it helps create expectations. In that example about face masks, it provides a potential traveler with all of the information they need to know about what is required of them. It even details the process if a passenger has an issue with wearing a mask. (As a side-note, Delta’s CEO says the company has already put 350 people on a no-fly list for refusing to wear masks.)
The second reason I think this is so effective is that it’s not just about creating expectations for someone who has already decided to travel. In my article describing my flight last month, I explained the steps the company is taking to do just that. In a statement, Delta told me, “Our community management team has been highly engaged and very responsive with customers to help increase confidence and reduce anxiety.”
This, on the other hand, is meant to reach people who haven’t decided to travel. It wasn’t on their website or in an email. It was on Instagram. Remember Instagram, that place where we all used to share images of the cool places we visited when we traveled? Delta clearly wants us to get back to that, which is why the fact that it ran this content there is so effective.
Delta is meeting travelers who have a sense of wanderlust where they are, and is helping them better understand the effort the company is taking to keep everyone safe. That, in turn, helps to reduce the anxiety and uncertainty around travel.
None of that is easy, especially now. And, it doesn’t mean people are going to suddenly start buying plane tickets. This, however, is a creative and interactive way to create expectations. In fact, I think it’s brilliant.
KUALA
LUMPUR, 30 September 2020 –The Kuala Lumpur
Convention Centre (the Centre) is looking
forward to hosting two consumer exhibitions during October, when the venue
welcomes visitors for the Beautylife Bonanza from 1 – 3 October and Ekspo
Kucing (Cat Expo) 2020 from the 2 – 4 October.
The inaugural Beautylife Bonanza will provide Malaysians with
great value and irresistible package deals from an extensive range of beauty
and lifestyle brands.
For all the cat lovers out there, Ekspo Kucing, the largest
feline-related exhibition in Malaysia, will be a must visit. With lots of great
deals, massive promotions, giveaways and savings of up to 80%, this is one
exhibition that your furry friends don’t want you to miss!
Both exhibitions offer free admission and will be taking
place in a hygienic, controlled and secure environment with stringent safety
and security measures in place, which
are in line with the approved Malaysian National Security Council Standard
Operating Procedures (SOPs).
According
to the Centre’s General Manager, Alan Pryor, “Is it great to be welcoming consumer
exhibitions back to the Centre and we are pleased to be kicking off with these
two fun events. Being able to host exhibitions again is a testament to the hard
work and dedication of Malaysia’s Frontliners and Government in combatting
Covid-19 in the country.”
To enhance
the visitor experience, the Centre’s Café 88 conveniently located on the Ground
Level in the Centre Core will also be open for guests to savour true Malaysian
tastes to grab and go or relax and enjoy local favourites with a spectacular
view of the PETRONAS Twin Towers overlooking the KLCC Park. With many delicious
and affordable dishes, it is the purr-fect place to take a break when attending
events at the Centre.
He
continued, “Since we reopened
our doors on 1 July, we are grateful to have safely and successfully hosted 84
events – two conventions, two entertainment events and 80 meetings and events
(up to 25 September). We have been working tirelessly to restore consumer
confidence in events and are starting to see signs of recovery, with 10
exhibitions (trade and consumer) in the pipeline for the rest of 2020.”
Gerard
Leeuwenburgh, Country General Manager – Malaysia, Informa Markets (Organiser of
Beautylife Bonanza) shared, “We are excited and ready to bring our trade shows
back in the new normal and are happy to be hosting the inaugural Beautylife
Bonanza at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.”
“As part of
our commitment to being a socially responsible organisation, we always aim to
do more for the betterment of life in the societies we operate in while
providing our customers the best possible solutions for their business. This is
why we have themed this year’s event ‘Giving Back to Community’ to help
alleviate the impact on the underprivileged community and to achieve and
maintain a sustainable livelihood through economic opportunities. So, we hope
to see a great turn out from the community to support these organisations,” he
concluded.
While the 14-day quarantine for US inbound arrivals remains in place, Great Britain is one of only a few destinations in Europe that Americans can actually enter. The UK Government re-evaluates the travel advisories every three weeks. For the latest details, be sure to check the guidelines on GOV.UK. The new ‘We’re Good To Go’ industry standard has been a success with 38,000+ applications from UK businesses received. The “We’re Good To Go” mark signals that a tourismand hospitality business has adapted their operations in line with respective Government and public health guidance and has a COVID-19 risk assessment in place to aid staff training, social distancing and cleanliness. Go to https://goodtogo.visitbritain.com/discover to view our new interactive map showing all the businesses which have received the mark, so you can plan your client’s trips with ease.