This month’s issue of Meetings West in many ways illustrates why this industry is so fascinating to me.
By the most basic definition, a meeting is two or more people gathering together—or perhaps communicating online or over a telephone line—usually to accomplish something, be it great, small or somewhere in between. Get a bunch of people that need to gather, you’re probably going to need someone to organize the event.
But beyond the basics, the intriguing thing to me about the meetings industry, and my job covering it in print and online, is the many other industries and opportunities for social interaction it intersects.
Writing about meetings means exploring so many other facets of our society, be it food, education, transportation, interaction, entertainment—you get the picture. It’s an ever-evolving industry with a multitude of moving parts. Just when you think you have it somewhat figured out, it changes, which keeps it interesting for everyone involved.
A case in point in this issue is our Hawaiian Islands Special Section, written by Senior Editor Maria Lenhart.
While most everyone can visualize the Islands—swaying palm trees, pristine sandy beaches, curling blue waves, perhaps a plucky slack-key guitar—the average mainlander hasn’t developed a true understanding of its cuisine. After all, when the typical traveler thinks of “foodie” destinations, places such as New York, San Francisco or New Orleans probably top the list.
But the contemporary cuisine scene of the Islands—dubbed Hawaiian Regional Cuisine by top Hawaiian chefs such as Roy Yamaguchi, Sam Choy, George Mavrothalassitis, Peter Merriman, and Alan Wong—is really coming into its own, with a variety of top-flight restaurants tempting travelers. Premier Hawaiian food and beverage items such as Kona coffee, local seafood and Pacific Rim fusion cuisine has transformed the visitor—and meetings—experience. Turn to page 15 to dig into Maria’s coverage of all things food in paradise.
Continuing on the “meetings intersecting with everything else theme,” I had the pleasure of traveling to New York recently to participate in the Canadian Tourism Commission’s annual Canada Media Marketplace, which brings together travel writers and hospitality representatives from provinces throughout Canada.
What I didn’t expect to encounter was a fashion show from one of the top designers in the world, who happens to hail from Alberta and draws the inspiration for his work from that booming, incredibly diverse province.
I was lucky enough to sit down and chat with fashion maverick Paul Hardy during setup and managed to learn a lot about that industry, and how he brings the natural wonders of Alberta into his collection.
Just goes to show—you never know what road this industry will lead you down next, so you should just enjoy your time on the catwalk.
