Plan Your Meetings

Hoteliers voice concern over canceled meetings and events

Last week, Marriott CEO J.W. “Bill” Marriott Jr. penned an op-ed column for the Washington Post. He pointed out that one of his properties in Half Moon Bay, Calif., has seen more than 32 groups cancel meetings in the past few weeks. The resort employs 500 people, many of whom were seasonal farmworkers before the resort opened. Due to the cancellations, some of them lost their jobs along with the health insurance and stability those jobs guaranteed.

“As many as a million jobs are at risk because of attacks on business travel and meetings by members of Congress, the administration and the media,” Marriott wrote. “Companies — even those not receiving government assistance — are so afraid of being criticized, they’d rather cancel their meetings and pay the penalty fees. It’s time to focus on the unintended consequences of this toxic rhetoric, which threatens not only our industry, but also our employees and the communities where we do business.

“A healthy travel industry is a powerful stimulus and is pivotal to economic activity and growth,” he continued. “Continuing to scapegoat business travel will only hinder recovery. Meetings mean business. Meetings create jobs. If critics want America to lose another million jobs, they should keep talking.”

Marriott also was one of several signatories of a letter recently sent to Congress protesting punitive attempts to legislate the meeting, event and incentive industry. Other signatories included the CEOs from Carlson Hotels Worldwide, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group, Loews Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and Wyndham Worldwide.

“We certainly recognize your need to be accountable to your constituents and to ensure taxpayer money is being used responsibly,” they wrote, pointing out that the industry has developed best practices and guidelines companies could use as a resource. (They can be found here.)

“We urge you to champion their adoption instead of legislating rules that may unintentionally hinder economic recovery,” the leaders continued. “This is a time when we should be looking to create and support jobs, not destroy them. A robust travel industry is a powerful economic stimulus.”