NEWS

Nov 5, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 4, 2021  

CONTACT: Simone Manlove smanlove@apcoworldwide.com

WASHINGTON – Meetings Mean Business Coalition (MMBC) co-chairs Fred Dixon and Michael Massari issued the following statement on Global Meetings Industry Day, set to take place on Thursday, April 7, 2022: 

“For the seventh consecutive year, we invite meetings industry professionals to come together with leaders from across business and government to advocate for the value of in-person business meetings and events. Global Meetings Industry Day, or GMID, is an annual day of advocacy that shines a light on the positive impact that conferences, conventions and tradeshows have on people, businesses and the economy.  

Countries, including the United States, are taking steps this month to lift travel restrictions for vaccinated foreign travelers. We applaud these actions and understand that GMID may be one of the first moments we have to unite at scale and champion the industry’s value globally, together with MMBC members and partners all over the world. 

The services provided by the meetings industry often go unnoticed, but the economic impact is unmistakable. Hosting a conference, convention or trade show has long been the way for cities to spur economic growth by bringing in new visitors, who stay in area hotels, eat in local restaurants, shop in neighborhood stores and bring new revenue.  

Prior to the pandemic, in-person meetings supported 5.9 million American jobs and spurred hundreds of billions of dollars in annual revenue. Professional meetings and events sustained more jobs than the telecommunications and oil and gas extraction industries. 

Right now, our cities are suffering and it’s difficult to overstate the value of in-person meetings, business travel and hospitality services to their return, resilience and recovery. The demand to meet in-person has only heightened during the past two years and for businesses large and small, meetings remain essential to employee education, training, collaboration and retention.  

As in 2021, our theme for GMID 2022 will be Meet Safe. Successful in-person meetings are possible and taking place around the world, in accordance with local protocols and government regulations. GMID will show – not just tell – the enduring value of participating and investing in such events for years to come. 

In the coming months, we encourage GMID participants – past and future – to look to MMBC for news and resources. We urge everyone to contribute to the host of examples at MeetSafe.travel of replicable events being held. For those planning to attend IMEX America next week in Las Vegas, we are excited to be with you and experience one of the largest in-person convenings since the pandemic began. 

As an industry, we have led the charge as early adopters of the measures required to carry forward safe in-person business meetings. Raising the bar to meet health and safety standards was a necessity, not an option. Proudly, we have been uncompromising in our effort to ensure the wellbeing of every meeting attendee. That will never change.” 

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About Meetings Mean Business 
Meetings Mean Business is an industry-wide coalition to showcase the undeniable value that business meetings, trade shows, incentive travel, exhibitions, conferences and conventions bring to people, businesses and communities. By rallying industry advocates, working with stakeholders, conducting original research, engaging with outside voices and more, the coalition brings the industry together to emphasize its importance. Comprised of over 60 members, the coalition unites the meetings industry with one strong and powerful voice. For more information, visit meetingsmeanbusiness.com.