According to an article on hotel-online, The Fairfield Inn by Marriott is among the hotels that don’t just chuck or auction off the old stuff after a renovation. Instead, they donate them to Habitat for Humanity and other charitable organizations.

“We wanted to ensure that people, who truly needed these items, would have a vehicle and an opportunity to put them to good use. We also wanted to have an impact in the community in which we operate our hotels,” said Bharat Sangani, M.D., Chairman of Encore Enterprises, Inc., in the article. “For us, this was a perfect way to accomplish all of our goals.”

Who says this industry doesn’t have a heart?

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Earlier in the week I went into a mini-rant about how hard it is to be a semi-vegetarian in a high-protein, low-carb-crazed meeting world. Then I got to thinking maybe it’s just me, and that meetings really aren’t going Atkins-friendly. Not, at least, not according to the results of MPI’s latest poll, where 76 percent of respondents said they were “seeing a trend toward more healthy/unique food and beverage choices at meetings in response to popular diets such as Atkins and South Beach.”

OK, I know it works for a lot of people. As for me, I’ll just keep telling myself that this too shall pass…

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If you ever start feeling that you can’t make a difference, keep this quote from Margaret Mead in mind:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Thanks to my Dad for sending this one.

For some reason, as I sat on the runway at NYC’s LaGuardia airport last night, waiting for a huge line of thunderstorms to move through so we could take off, I got to thinking about the “meetings industry.” What exactly is it, and what should it be? How do we define it? I think this lack of a definition, or rather, the multiplicity of definitions, that may be one barrier to those in the industry getting the respect they deserve.

There’s always been a lot of talk about logistics versus strategic planners, with the “coffee cup counters” often being looked down upon by those who are more focused on designing meetings to fit in with the organization’s goals and objectives. But the logistics are important too. After all, what are the two biggest factors attendees talk about, the two things that, if you get them wrong, nothing else you do will be perceived as right? Yup, room temperature and food—logistics. If the seats are uncomfortable, the room setup not conducive to learning, the lighting harsh, the sound system bad, it doesn’t matter how well-designed your meeting is or how compelling the content, people won’t be able to focus. And yet, the logicians are the ones who usually are on the lower rungs of the career ladder in terms of salary and prestige.

Why is it that “the system” is skewed to reward people only as they move “up the ladder,” rather than rewarding them for being the best at what they do. Why force people to move into management, which may not be where their skills and talents lie, to be “successful” in terms of salary, respect, and all that jazz? I’ve never gotten this. If you’re a fabulous dishwasher, or meetings logician, why not have that be respected and rewarded for what it is, rather than trying to force people to be what they’re not in order to get more money and respect? On the hotel side, why should good CSMs have to move to sales to make more money?

Can those of us who care about such things work to find ways to get organizations to reward and respect what all levels do, without forcing those who strive for excellence in whatever area to move into an area where they are not likely to excel due to interest level or whatever?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

Just curious about what people think about this article from MPI’s magazine. An online group I’m involved with took great offense to this guy’s take on all the dumb questions planners have to field, like, “when’s the noon luncheon?”

Do you think this is funny or offensive?

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Food for thought from this week’s Society for Hospitality Management’s training bulletin:

“Times are changing. Success is no longer as simple as a solid bottom line. While profits are still critical to an organization’s survival, the ways to achieve them are not so straightforward. Consumers expect superior quality and friendly service. Employees expect employers to value them, pay them well, and provide meaning in their work. Communities expect the businesses that line their streets to contribute time, effort, and money to their improvement. Fulfilling these expectations and turning a profit is no easy task. Even if an organization finds ways to please each group, it must be quick enough to respond to changes in technology and smart enough to anticipate new directions in the marketplace. The saying “You snooze, you lose,” has become the rule of the day. Those companies that are too slow or too cautious to adapt do not survive. It is the organization that runs on passion that inspires its employees and invigorates its customers that prevails.”

All I can say is “amen to that!”

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coma factor: The degree of dullness of a meeting, presentation or reading material. “So let’s try to describe this issue in language with a low coma factor.”
Nominated by Samra Jones-Bufkins

Courtesy of buzzwhack.com.

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According to this article from the Las Vegas Sun, “thieves snatched two computers from a Hong Kong trade fair, a particularly brazen act considering that the victims were security companies showing off the latest crime-stopping technology.”

Talk about ouch. The article goes on to say, “’If you can’t expect good security here, where can you expect it?’ exhibitor Shinah Lunty was quoted as saying in the South China Morning Post newspaper. Lunty told the newspaper that her mobile phone, worth $260, was also stolen.”

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