Live Event Industry Social & Professional Network
Keep America Meeting -- Sign the Petition
The meeting and event industry is banding together to try to combat the negative press that meetings and events have been getting in the press. Several event industry associations, publications and others are promoting an initiative called Keep America Meeting. The goal is collect 1 million signatures from those in the event/meeting industry and those who are supported by it and draw attention to the positive economic impact of meetings and events, and the potential danger of continued demonization of companies that hold meeting. Join thousands of your colleagues who have already signed the petition at www.keepamericameeting.org AND share the link with your friends and colleagues.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tracy Lee Alexander on -
This is a great attention getter, hopefully it will get some things moving. We signed and passed it on. Thank you!!
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Permalink Reply by Joe Stephens on -
Yes lets do it!
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Permalink Reply by Keith Ivey on -
Imagine a world without meetings. Imagine the impact on airlines, hotels, ground transportation companies, AV companies, travel agents, food suppliers, meeting and event ploanners - and the list goes on. All of these industries employ Americans - people who pay taxes.
The economic issues our country is facing were not caused by a few CEOs who flew on private jets nor were they caused by a few CEOs that took employees to resorts for meetings. So, let's, for once, avoid taking the easy way out by blaming a few folks who make the headlunes and, rather, do the hard work of understanding the core issues and what can be done - today - to begin to actually solve problems.
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Permalink Reply by Debbie Jennings on -
I signed it - thanks! Deb
www.debsbeadedtreasures.com
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Permalink Reply by Eric Elwell on -
Dumbest damned thing I ever heard. Businesses hold meetings when and how they need to, for the benefit of their employees and stakeholders, for the purposes of conveying information, brand value, and other things. No amount of signatures is going to change this fact.
Are we going to follow the hotel industry, clamoring for our share of the "bail out"?? http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/17438/Hotel+Industry:+Bailout+Victim Seriously...
Keith Ivey is right here... a few headlines of big companies that abused TARP are not going to change the way America does business, but it might make us all more aware that we're spending someone's money, and we need to be good stewards of that money.
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Permalink Reply by Tom Stimson on -
I disagree. Headlines ARE changing the way these companies do business. In this week's WSJ:
<<State Farm Insurance Cos. recently canceled a large two-week event in Las Vegas scheduled for October at Paris Las Vegas and Bally's, resort casinos owned by Harrah's. State Farm said it might reschedule for later if the economy improves. "We decided in the current business climate it was probably not the best time to have an event," said spokesman Jeff McCollum. He said the cancellation wasn't due to the public perception of Las Vegas. "We bid these things out and Vegas is the least expensive place to go."'>>
This meeting is well-known in the corporate events circles and is part of State Farm's culture and a primary means of driving its business plans forward. In my opinion, if this event had been scheduled in Atlanta it would still be going on. My point is companies like Wells Fargo and State Farm are having to step lightly to avoid media backlash. At the heart of all this is very poorly worded legislation in TARP:
20 ''(d) LIMITATION ON LUXURY EXPENDITURES.-The board of directors of any
TARP recipient shall have in place a company-wide policy regarding excessive
or luxury expenditures, as identified by the Secretary, which may include
excessive expenditures on (1) entertainment or events; (2) office and
facility renovations; (3) aviation or other transportation services; or(4)
other activities or events that are not reasonable expenditures for staff
development, reasonable performance incentives, or other similar measures
conducted in the normal course of the business operations of the TARP
recipient.
Just what is excessive? and what is reasonable? The problem is we are currently allowing the media to explain what our industry does and letting them define what is normal. Congress is not rocket scientists. They bow to public pressure and are no strangers to pointless junkets themselves. However, 99% of business travel in not frivolous. And destinations like Vegas and Orlando are generally more cost effective - not to mention accommodating. So, we NEED to speak up. Will one online petition make a difference? Maybe not, but I would rather take two minutes to endorse the right idea delivered from affected individuals than ignore the problem. Businesses will have meetings when and where they see fit. Let's not let a competing message get in the way of our livelihoods.
If you do nothing else, would it kill you to sign the petition?
http://www.keepamericameeting.org/
Thanks for listening.
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Permalink Reply by Eric Elwell on
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Tom makes a very persuasive argument, and hits the matter squarely on the head more than my rant: Media and Congress are telling Americans what to think, what's excessive, and what is not. "The problem is we are currently allowing the media to explain what our industry does and letting them define what is normal. Congress is not rocket scientists. They bow to public pressure and are no strangers to pointless junkets themselves."
Let's not forget that at the root of all this "blame-game" are socialist politicians that 'we the people' voted into power, so the government could "fix" everything wrong with society. Corporate America doesn't need the government to protect it. It has stockholders, who can vote out a board of directors and fire corporate officers anytime it feels the company is not run in the best interests of the owners. Who tells Congress "no" on their pointless junkets, their bridges to nowhere? Last week, we got royally screwed in Washington, and we're signing a petition about meetings?
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Permalink Reply by Ian C. Smith on -
Signed! Thanks for the heads up.
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Permalink Reply by Bruce L Haddock on -
I agree but......aren't we all missing the point....which is EXCESS... not just a meeting but the bullshit that goes with it in one form or the other.
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Permalink Reply by Cindi Mladenka on -
Hmmmm......good point!
I'll be signin' shortly!
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Permalink Reply by Robert Taylor on -
This will come out in the wash! And we will get washed! So don't panic. This system is going down. Why don't we put up funds for lobbyists? Fight fire with fire! The truth will be found that companies do over spend. And the stock holders greedy need for more money will drive this movement even faster forward, HELLO!.. . And the executives will bow to the impressions that "meetings" are bad and...! The downward spiral is here. Time to get OUT! The excess police have arrived and they will help destroy this business for many. Only the shrewd will survive. This fantastic and all so predictable outcome is like a judge (with power)who judges and votes on an issue who has no real idea of the issues. But can throw his power and weight around and thinks (presumes) he understands all the issues. The blind leading the blind.
How vulnerable and sickening it is to be here today in this mess. Joy to the world all the wise who have the "answers". Trouble is in the wide world of presumptions and perceptions all it takes is one rotten apple that spoils the lot! When will we get rid of the rotten apples and destroy them before they destroy us?
Why don't we have a "transparent system" that blows the whistle on ourselves like the "doctors" do? Self serving yes perhaps again full of perception and rhetoric but attacks fire with fire. P reception can be our number one enemy. By the way this is nothing the hot fire to come. Like a famine and is ahead unless we deal with this today. Tomorrow is only a year or two away. Bleak is this firestorm of perception, the chemistry, the new cocktail of lack and greed. Finally lack and greed have come to marry to make a bed and lay together for how long? It is up to us. Trust (the marriage has gone bad) Presumption is here to live unless we fight it NOW! Let's get the trust back!
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