This is totally off-topic, but I’m pretty proud of my pirate pumpkin (say that 10 times fast!) this year:

Happy Halloween, and a good Samhain to those who celebrate this holiday as about something other than candy and costumes.

Just got this note today from Bruce MacMillan, President & CEO of Meeting Professionals International, in which he refreshingly defends meetings in the wake of the AIG incentive that caused such a ruckus. From MacMillan:

Dear Editor,

I’ve followed with interest the coverage of executive excess at AIG and comments by Attorney General Cuomo that led to the subsequent cancellation of most of AIG’s planned meetings, events, and conferences for the coming year. I, like most of your readership, bristle at reports of extravagant corporate spending especially under circumstances like these, and fully support the forceful righting of a ship that’s gone dramatically off course.

But as the head of a 24,000 member global community of professionals who pride themselves on designing and delivering meetings and events that generate business results in both good and tough economies, I want to offer caution on the hazard of making sweeping public business decisions that might frustrate the rebuilding of AIG as a successful enterprise and also inadvertently establish a new precedent for other businesses to follow.

The bringing together of individuals and organizations to share ideas, learn new skills, co-create solutions and craft new business initiatives are crucial to American business success, even more so in a dynamic, faltering, global economy. In an increasingly faceless world, effective human connections are a powerful business weapon. Meetings and events are valuable to the individuals who participate, the organizations they work in, and the customers they serve. The revenue derived from supplying the infrastructure, products and services employs millions of middle-class workers, including housekeepers, chefs, restaurant, and support staff. These jobs and the opportunities they afford contribute to the overall financial health of both these families and the communities in which they live.

The important role that face-to-face meetings and events play in connecting people and driving business success is undeniable. The Meeting Professionals International Foundation/George P. Johnson EventView study reveals that Fortune 1000 Chief Marketing Officers view meetings and events as having the highest ROI (Return on Investment) of any marketing channel. In an increasingly competitive global economy, the ability to create and deliver strategically-focused events contributes to business value, and helps organizations deliver results.

Tough economic times demand thoughtful and transparent examination of how money is spent. The unprecedented shift in marketplace fundamentals means that business leaders must evaluate the ROI of every investment decision. But even in these tough times, or maybe especially now, to remove meetings and events from the business strategy playbook is short-sighted and ignores the role meetings, events and incentives play in business and community success.

So cancel the senior executive spa getaway and royal hunting retreat, but hold on to that sales event, educational conference, trade show and performance incentive program … the future of our businesses and communities around the world depends on it.

Sincerely,
Bruce M. MacMillan, CA
President & CEO
Meeting Professionals International

It’s about time somebody from our industry spoke out on this. I hope he sent it to the mainstream media and not just the trade press like us.. Bit of preaching to the choir, otherwise.

Here’s a fairly decent breakdown of where Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain, the top U.S. presidential candidates, stand on issues that could affect the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry, such as the Travel Promotion Act, the Employee Free Choice Act, and minimum wage issues.

And it’s not too late to vote in our completely unofficial Meetings/Hospitality Straw Poll

Which airports would you rank as the world’s worst? Dave Demerjian over at Wired puts Philadelphia International and Miami at the top of his list, along with JFK (yup, that one makes my top 10 list, too), Pittsburgh (hey, I like the Pittsburgh airport!), and Las Vegas. I’ll add Chicago’s O’Hare to the list, mainly because I’ve never not been delayed while connecting there. And I won’t mention that one hot summer day, many years ago, where I spent more than eight hours on the runway with a lot of unhappy kids and no working bathrooms…

But I digress. If you feel like venting about airports, Dave wants to hear all about it.

Thank goodness! If I see any more ads for the local senatorial race in New Hampshire, I just may lose my mind (while we Massachusetts residents don’t rate much attention from the presidential candidates, we do get a lot of spillover from them, too, from our neighbors to the north, who are still in the game).

But still, I can’t stop myself from counting lawn signs to get an indication of which way various neighborhoods and towns seem to be swaying. And I’m curious to know which way our virtual meetings and hospitality neighborhood also is swaying. So here’s our chance to find out…

The Meetings/Hospitality Straw Poll

That’s not exactly the question David is asking in this post about last-minute planning, but it could be. The question he’s really asking, after running through some last-minute planning requests he’s been able to pull out of his hat, is, “If people had to pay extra for last minute planning, would they still wait until the last minute?”

Yup, I’d bet they would. Those who are organized would never be in that situation; those who aren’t organized, well, I’m not sure they could make themselves get their act together ahead of time no matter how hard they tried or how much it ended up costing them. Fortunately, professional planners tend to be a pretty well-organized bunch. I bet they were making sure everyone had enough of all the different colors of crayons in their boxes back in pre-school…

I have been remiss in linking to this discussion on Acronym about meeting formats. I kept holding off in hopes of having something brilliant to add, but people over there seem to have it covered pretty well. Basically, it’s about whether the new drive toward interactivity is a good thing or not.

For the most part, I like more interactive sessions (which is a little strange for a hard-core introvert, but there it is). But I also understand the “I paid to hear an expert, not some other Joe Shmoe” objection. As several people pointed out, I think the key is to let people know exactly what to expect, so those who like learning more hands-on can do so, and those who prefer a more passive approach can have their lectures, too. We all learn differently–the key thing is to give everyone at least a few sessions that cater to their preferred learning style.

OK, that may be a bit too apocalyptic, but you know times are tough when attendance tumbles in Las Vegas. Maybe this means this notoriously tough-dealing town will be more willing to negotiate with groups moving forward? I’m trying to look at the bright side, because the dark side (increased potential for layoffs, etc.) is all too clear.

Or so this research would suggest. According to an article in The Boston Globe, you can enhance your next networking function by serving hot toddies instead of ice-cold martinis. Well, it doesn’t exactly go that far, but it does say:

Holding a hot beverage, according to experiments led by Lawrence Williams is more likely to make us to view a new person in a positive light, while holding an ice-cold beverage causes us to see that same person as unfriendly.

Happy Friday, and think of me when you have that late afternoon cup of tea!

Lenox spa just “agreed to pay $14.75 million to about 600 massage therapists, yoga teachers, estheticians, hair stylists, waiters, and other employees who worked at Canyon Ranch between April 2004 and October 2007,” reports the Boston Globe. The dispute was over an 18 percent service charge that guests automatically paid. The Web site said, “No additional tipping is necessary or expected,” according to the Globe. So, naturally guests thought that 18 percent service charge was going to the service professionals involved. While not admitting to any wrongdoing, the spa is going to cough up all those millions, though they still aren’t going to allow spa professionals to be tipped. From the Globe:

In a statement issued from its corporate headquarters in Tucson, the spa said that the 18 percent charge “was never intended to be a significant part of the employees’ compensation plan” and that “any confusion or misunderstanding created by its use of the term ’service charge’ was unintentional.”

Elated employees, however, saw the settlement as vindication.

The article also says the spa has replaced the service charge with an “amenity fee,” which still does not go to the employees, and that the company says it stands by its no-tipping policy (and continues to pay its employees well).

Not quite sure how I feel about this. After all, a service charge is a service charge, not a tip. Maybe it was a bit deceptive, but I’m not sure I come down on the employees’ side on this one–at least, not to the tune of almost $15 million. I’d err on the side of transparency if I were the company and just explain that employees are paid very well so tipping is not necessary. Some will want to tip anyway; let ‘em. Just be open about the whole thing so no one feels cheated. Which is sounds like is what they’re doing now. Expensive way to learn that lesson, though.