1998
While “Monicagate” dominated the nation’s headlines, Meetings Media made some history of its own in November with the debut of MEETINGS SOUTH, covering the meetings industry in the Southern U.S., Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Caribbean region.
1999
Headlines that rocked 1999 included the impeachment trial of President Clinton, the deadly Columbine school shooting, war in Kosovo and a judge’s decision that Microsoft Corp. was a monopoly. Meanwhile, the hotel industry continued to enjoy a robust seller’s market.
2000
After fears of a Y2K meltdown proved vastly overblown, the stock market continued an upward climb and the U.S. presidential election was engulfed in turmoil over the Florida vote count. The Convention Industry Council launched APEX (Accepted Practice Exchange), the first voluntary standards initiative for the meetings industry.
2001
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 had a tumultuous effect on the travel and meetings industry, giving travelers pause about air travel and leading to tighter security procedures at airports.
2002
Corporate scandals from Enron to WorldCom and beyond shot investor confidence and led to the passage of the Sarbannes-Oxley Act, which had a significant impact on corporate meetings. That same year Meetings Media revamped and re-launched its website, www.meetingstoday.com.
2003
The year began with all eyes on Iraq as U.S. and coalition forces prepared for war, and ended with the capture of Saddam Hussein. Meanwhile, wireless technology and high-speed Internet access fast became the norm at hotels, convention centers and airports.
2004
America voted to give the Bush administration four more years and saw the passing of former President Ronald Reagan. The year also saw the advent of Web 2.0, a second-generation of online technology leading to more interactive websites.
2005
The worst hurricane season in recent memory cut a devastating swath across the Gulf Coast. In New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina forced the closure of the convention center and major hotels, but by the end of the year, 20,000 of the metro area’s 38,000 hotel rooms had reopened and most air service to the city had resumed.
2006
The release of the documentary An Inconvenient Truth sparked talk of global warming and greater concern over environmental practices in the meetings industry. The Gulf Coast continued its remarkable recovery from the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005.
2007
A whole new design for MEETINGS SOUTH and its sister publications made its debut with the January issues, featuring striking cover photography making the most of the large-format size. Along the Gulf Coast, many destinations were back stronger than ever with new and rebuilt hotels and convention facilities in cities such as Lake Charles, La., and Port Arthur, Texas.
2008
Green practices and Corporate Social Responsibility were the hot topics at the major meetings industry conferences. In the fall, right in the midst of an historic presidential election, an economic meltdown rocked both Wall Street and Main Street. On the positive side for buyers, many hotels became eager to cut deals and offer booking incentives.