As we finally put 2020 in the rear-view mirror, we can reflect on our year as meeting professionals. Initially, it seemed as though this would be our best year yet. We were poised to open CAESARS FORUM in March and host the NFL Draft in April, as well as HelmsBriscoe and ConferenceDirect annual meetings, CVENT Connect and so many other wonderful events.
Unfortunately, the implications of COVID-19 changed the trajectory of our year. That is a small part of our 2020 story. Our hearts go out to everyone’s story during this truly unprecedented time. This has caused so much heartache in every aspect of all our personal and professional lives.
To support the meeting and event industry during this critical time, I decided to volunteer as co-chair for Meetings Mean Business, part of the U.S. Travel Association, as such leaders are needed now more than ever. Our immediate goal was easy. We need legislative permission to execute meetings and events. We’re not asking for a free pass by any means, we simply want to operate under the same rules and regulations that other industries operate under. We have COVID protocols in place and are ready to do business safely.
A Zoom call is not a replacement for meeting in person any more than a YouTube concert is a replacement for going to a live performance.
One of the reasons I felt the urge to be more active is that we need to do a better job in advocating for our industry and face-to-face meetings. We need to be involved in our communities and organizations and share the impact the meetings and events business has in the communities where we live and operate. It is our job to educate everyone on how important our industry is to those not living and breathing it every day, and we must take that job seriously.
Before COVID, face-to-face interactions were the cornerstone of any organization’s success. Great organizations knew that nothing great ever happened without a face-to-face meeting. The better you were able to understand and leverage the magic of face-to-face meetings, the more success you experienced. Anyone who didn’t understand that in February certainly understands it now.
A Zoom call is not a replacement for meeting in person any more than a YouTube concert is a replacement for going to a live performance. A Zoom call is an enhancement to a phone call, not a replacement for a face-to-face interaction. Sitting in front of someone, utilizing every way we communicate to understand how to help a partner is the best way to succeed. We have always said that if it’s not important, send an email; if it’s important, pick up the phone; if it’s mission critical, go see somebody. This has become our company’s credo and it is truer today than ever.
Moving forward, I challenge you to be more active and take on a bigger role in our industry. The meeting industry is larger than the automobile and fashion industries, yet few people know it. We need to change this. Get engaged. Volunteer. And do it not just to acquire customers or network. Engage in part with the express goal of helping others understand just how important face-to-face meetings are.
In 2021, we look forward to business slowly returning and welcoming each one of you back.
Thank you for being with us through this challenging time. Your loyalty, friendship and partnership will not be forgotten.
Michael Massari
Chief Sales Officer
Caesars Entertainment
mmassari@caesars.com
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