Like the state of many things in our democracy now, the trends affecting the hospitality and meetings industry seem a bit “flat” at the moment, with a lot of variables that could change the climate as 2014 plays out.
Will the government shut down next year? Will the U.S. default on its loan obligations? Will the botched roll-out of the Affordable Care Act—aka “Obamacare”—manifest itself as a monumental disaster or an unqualified success, or something that will take years to unfold?
Uncertainty and status quo seem to be the watchwords. We’re stuck in “the new normal,” with relatively flat budget expectations and modest gains in prices and attendance.
Joining me in the seer business this year are a few Meetings Focus Trends regulars and a new contributor that will flesh out the sustainable meetings scene for readers.
First, hats off to Bobby Bowers, with leading hospitality industry consultancy Smith Travel Research, for the primary interview for the main story, and also for digging a little deeper for his 2014 Meetings Focus Trends webinar Dec. 18. For those of you who may miss it, the webinar will be available on-demand for a year—as always, free!—by visiting MeetingsFocus.com.
Another industry “trendspert” regular, NYU’s Bjorn Hanson, chimed in with the top five trends he expects to see next year.
Issa Jouaneh, vice president and general manager of American Express Meetings & Events, gives his take on pages 18 and 19, following the release of the 2014 Global American Express Meetings & Events Forecast.
Finally, Mariela McIlwraith, executive director of the Green Meetings Industry Council, took a look at our sustainable meetings survey results to write about how planners can implement the most popular green meetings techniques to make their meetings more Earth-friendly.
Also, be sure to check out the digital edition of this supplement, as well as MeetingsFocus.com, for additional charts, content and interviews with the meeting planners who responded to the survey.
Thanks for reading, and let’s all hope for a prosperous new year!
