When the industry first started shutting down back in March due to COVID-19, a friend who owns a production company asked me to participate in a panel discussion about how our industry could adjust and survive. I declined, mainly because I was at a loss for ideas.
I was overwhelmed by the impact COVID was having on us, and by the uncertainty of a disruption of this scope. I just didn’t know what I could say on a panel to give hope and clarity at that point. I had not yet found my voice.
As I think about our industry’s response at this point, I still wonder about our collective voice. There are current lobbying and advocacy efforts from the U.S. Travel Association, the Events Industry Council, Meetings Mean Business, Go Live Together, the Live Events Coalition, COVID RELIEF NOW, #WeMakeEvents and #GoRedforEvents—and I am sure others. Although they share the same goal of getting people traveling and meeting again, they are also competing for government attention, industry participation and donations.
Now is the time to align our efforts under a more cohesive lobbying approach.
MPI is supporting the lobbying efforts of U.S. Travel and Meetings Mean Business because we feel these campaigns have the most potential for success given their access and resources. We have had to decline requests to financially support other efforts since our own resources have become increasingly finite. And while we are not launching our own independent lobbying effort, we have continued to advocate for our industry by offering resources such as free education, membership aid and career tools. That is where we feel we can make the most impact.
The events sector already suffers from fragmentation with nearly 30 associations, making it difficult to align messaging and overall understanding of the power of our industry. With most of the associations targeting the same sponsor investment, companies will not be able to support all of these associations like they have in the past. The growing online fundraising and event initiatives, while well intended, miss the point. We’re preaching to the same choir and dividing efforts. Fragmentation hurts us on many levels.
In a recent report for U.S. Travel by Tourism Economics, data reveals that the travel-dependent leisure and hospitality industry is suffering from a 15 percent unemployment rate—nearly double the national level.
Now is the time to align our efforts under a more cohesive lobbying approach. A larger, more singular effort will have more impact on the government and the public, and a collective message will help unite our industry with hope and clarity on how we can participate.
As leadership author Marcus Buckingham recently tweeted: “Clarity is the antidote to anxiety, and therefore clarity is the preoccupation of the effective leader. If you do nothing else as a leader, be clear.”
If meeting and event industry leaders come together instead of aligning under disparate efforts, we can make our voice heard.
Annette Gregg, CMM, MBA
MPI Senior Vice President, Experience
agregg@mpi.org
