Nothing Can Replace the Value of Face-to-Face Meetings

In 2021 we saw the recovery of meetings and events begin and I know we were eager to kickstart 2022 with some events that haven’t taken place since the pandemic began. As we all know, in the new year we were greeted with the Omicron variant which has again impacted the recovery of meetings and events in many destinations.

However, we have a lot to be grateful for. We all continue to be grateful for leisure travelers who have committed to traveling during most phases of the pandemic. They have filled hotel rooms, restaurants, attractions and provided critical revenues to destinations around the world. We know that the business travel segment will be slow to recover and may take the next couple of years to regain momentum in most markets.

Therefore, we know that nothing can replace the value that a meeting or event provides for a destination. Meetings and events not only fill hotel rooms and provide critically important revenues, but they utilize meeting facilities and convention centers that employ the community.

With all this in mind, we enter the new year with renewed optimism and a belief that we will get through this challenging start and continue to work together in the next phases of recovery.

For those of us who participated in Convening Leaders in Las Vegas, whether face-to-face or digitally, we saw firsthand the power of meetings and events.

I want to take this opportunity to thank our good friend and partner, Sherrif Karamat, CAE, president and CEO of PCMA, his Board of Directors and his team for their steadfast commitment to moving forward with Convening Leaders.

As media stories around the world bombarded us with news regarding the latest variant challenges along with thousands of airlines flights being canceled due to COVID-related staffing shortages and Mother Nature, the PCMA team remained committed to hosting the event. For those of us who are involved in producing these types of programs and events, we assure you this was not an easy decision. However, PCMA continued to follow the science and CDC guidelines, and mandated proof of vaccination for in-person participation. Convening Leaders proved that we can meet safely.

We know our industry has made strides with technology for hosting hybrid events, but there are just some things that can’t happen remotely. I was able to join members of our 30 Under 30 Class on stage as they presented on the future of our industry to a full room; I also had the opportunity to connect with many partners and members that I haven’t seen in over two years. Human connection and seeing friends and colleagues in person can never be replaced.

We hope all organizations that host meetings of all sizes will follow PCMA’s best practices so we can continue to see recovery in the new year. Because as those of us saw at Convening Leaders, nothing can replace the value of face-to-face meetings.