A convention boycott called in reaction to Arizona’s controversial new immigration bill could have serious consequences on the meetings business in the state.
The American Immigration Lawyers Association announced that it would relocate its September conference that was scheduled in Scottsdale at the Camelback Inn, a JW Marriott Resort & Spa.
Meanwhile, San Francisco supervisor David Campos told the San Francisco Chronicle, “We know that we won’t be sending any city employees to conferences in Arizona.”
The Phoenix CVB issued the following statement: “This issue clearly demonstrates the volatility of the convention and visitor industry. In this economy, it is more important than ever that we do everything we can to attract visitors to Arizona, not discourage them. Like conventions, visitors also have choices, and we will never know the full impact critical issues have on those choices.”
The National Minority Supplier Development Council, which is slated to hold its annual meeting this October in Phoenix, is taking a wait-and-see approach. President Harriet R. Michel said in a statement she expects legal challenges to the law that won’t take effect for 90 days.
Cancellations could devastate the already weakened economy in Arizona, which has been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis and a pullback in conventions and tradeshows.
U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva has called for a boycott of convention business for the state, saying that the boycott is not
meant as an attack on the state’s tourism industry.
But Debbie Johnson, president and CEO of Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association, said that the boycott could affect 200,000 people who work in Arizona’s hospitality industry.
