Which Industry directly contributes to the US Economy with $280B in direct spending, 1.78M jobs, $115B contribution to GDP, $28B in federal, state and local tax revenue and $66.8B in labor income?
I bet you never thought of The Meetings Industry! (see www.conventionindustry.org 2012 PwC Survey for more details).
Like thousands of my colleagues all over the world, I fell into it by accident, and when, in 1995, I told my close friends I was leaving a great job in financial marketing, they unanimously concurred: “Are you nuts?! With your business and marketing degrees?”
Today, Masters in Hospitality and/or Event Management are earned around the globe and young students know (or at least now they should!) that they can have an entire, diverse and exciting career in Meetings & Events (business meetings, conferences, conventions, incentive travel, trade shows, exhibitions, etc.)
Have you ever tried to develop new business, increase revenues, build trust, align your stakeholders, grow your company or your association without a face-to-face meeting in the process?
What do you think the Congress would be able to do if our representatives wouldn’t meet in the same room?
The outcomes generated by face-to-face meetings are simply larger than the ones generated by any other interaction, and the economic impact is beyond anything you would imagine as outlined in the PwC Survey referenced above.
People are better because of meetings, communities are stronger because of meetings and the hundreds of thousands of jobs they create, and the business results are increased because of meetings.
This week, I was happily given the ability to become a publisher on LinkedIn, and I thought for my first post: “Let’s use this opportunity to contribute to the Meetings Mean Business Coalition!” This coalition brings all the leaders and associations in The Meetings Industry together. This coalition is asking each and every one of us to alert our networks, our politicians, our family, our friends, and our business connections. Information on this coalition can be found on www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com, is co-chaired by David Peckinpaugh and Larry Luteran and provides great quotes like this one from Warren Buffet, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway: “You will never see eye-to-eye if you never meet face-to-face.”
If you are reading this, please DO something: spread the word about the Meetings Mean Business Coalition.
You will do good for you, your organization, your company and your Industry!
