With many Americans clamoring for the heads of corporate executives who were richly rewarded while their companies failed, and the media and politicians fueling the fire, it’s no wonder the meetings industry—and especially the incentives segment—is feeling the heat.
It’s pretty obvious that the general public doesn’t know a whole lot about our industry, and it’s also obvious that the associations representing it haven’t done much to enlighten them—the leaders of these associations admit as much. Now that the heat is up, that seems to be changing fast, as the major industry associations have banded together to form a lobbying and public relations coalition to prove the value of meetings both to the public and politicians.
As a taxpayer, I don’t blame those outside of the industry for questioning how recipients of federal funds spend their bailout money, so it’s up to the industry to get it together to demonstrate why their programs aren’t merely boondoggles.
Oddly enough, the mantra of getting planners “a seat at the table” may actually manifest into reality as the stakes are raised.
