I’ve got your back. While this is a phrase that can often feel overused, when it comes to our industry it is simply the truth. We rise to the occasion repeatedly to support our colleagues and the hospitality industry as a whole.I’ve got your back. While this is a phrase that can often feel overused, when it comes to our industry it is simply the truth. We rise to the occasion repeatedly to support our colleagues and the hospitality industry as a whole.
We come together to support industry advocacy, such as the Meetings Mean Business Coalition and the Meetings Industry Advocacy Hub, but most importantly we simply have each other’s back time and time again.
From hurricanes and monster flooding, to the heart wrenching tragedy in Las Vegas, we come together to mourn and to rebuild. We offer funds, goods and materials, and some even offer their time and labor. We volunteer to serve in any way we can. It is hospitality at its finest.
We shed a tear and then share a smile. We work to reinvent, revitalize and repair not only what we can see but what we can’t ... mind and spirit. It takes time and patience, but most importantly it takes heart.
A colleague of mine relocated to Anguilla with his wife and two small children a few years ago, and while all are thankfully safe and unharmed after Irma, their business did sustain significant damage. They will persevere and continue their journey.
Likewise, many of us have connections to Puerto Rico, either personally or professionally, where it may take years for them to return to some normalcy after the devastation they experienced.
We lend a helping hand and a strong shoulder. While none of us are immune from loss, we all have much to be thankful for.
I recently returned from a trade show in Las Vegas and was moved by the camaraderie, the caring and the comfort being offered to the all those effected by the horrific events that occurred. While I was there, a colleague local to Las Vegas commented that it is not only important to support those directly affected, but to support those who are indirectly affected. The entire hospitality community in Las Vegas deserves our support.
Please say thank you and do what you can either financially or otherwise. Unfortunately, this will not be the last time that we must join hands, but it is where we can make a difference today.
Yours in Service,
Matt DiSalvo, CMP
Events Industry Council