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Members of the MPI Community:
I write this from the MeetDifferent 2009 conference
in Atlanta where over 1,800 meeting and event professionals and industry
leaders have gathered to understand the crisis facing our industry, consider
solutions and to take action. I wanted you to be fully connected to the
recent collaborative actions taken by the US Travel Association, AH&LA,
DMAI, IAEE, NBTA, PCMA, SITE, and MPI.
Today at a Washington, D.C. press conference, the US
Travel Association, representing the aforementioned organizations and
on behalf of the US meetings and events industry, issued a set of model
practice guidelines in response to recent draft US Treasury regulations
on incentive, meeting and event expenditures for TARP-recipient corporations.
Rather than wait for the Government to impose guidelines, we acted collaboratively
as an industry and agreed on a model set of guidelines to serve as a best
practice benchmark. While the guidelines are to serve as a model for TARP
recipients, they are based on existing best practice benchmarks and solid
industry research experiences that are familiar to many of you and represent
an industry born solution.
Travel Community Issues Guidelines for Use
of Meetings and Events by Recipients of Emergency Government Assistance
Model Board Policy for Approval of Meetings,
Events and Incentive/Recognition Travel
Examples of Legitimate Business Purposes for
Meetings, Events, Incentive/Recognition Travel
MEI Standards Talking Points
While the developments in our space are very fluid
at the moment, I recommend that you get familiar with these guidelines
and consider their specific implications, if any, on your individual businesses
and/or those of your clients. This is your opportunity to provide them
with the benefit of your professional skill set with insights into the
implications of these guidelines.
To give you some additional business rationale to support
the value of meetings and events as critical business-drivers at a time
when your businesses and clients need a competitive edge, the MPI Foundation,
the George P. Johnson Company and the Event Management Institute today
released the EventView 2009 study. The study of Fortune
1000 chief marketing officers, clearly identifies meetings and events
as having the highest ROI of any marketing platform, confirming that in
this time of economic crisis, meetings and events are not the problem
– they are part of the solution to re-energize our economy and protect
jobs and communities everywhere.
I would also encourage you to take some time to watch
One+ Real Time, the on-line proceedings of the opening general session
of MeetDifferent2009 where industry experts and thought-leaders talk about
our industry and your world in the midst of today’s crisis. They
give messages and solutions you can activate now.
I know you have been getting considerable email communications
from MPI lately. But the nature of the crisis we are in necessitates that
we help you stay connected, not only to breaking developments, but also
to core messages and solutions to help you survive and thrive. This will
continue as we mobilize our community with messages and information. And
I know the volunteer leaders and management teams of each of our industry
associations are doing the same for their memberships and are working
tirelessly on behalf of the industry to support jobs everywhere and keep
business moving.
Thank-you for your ongoing support.
Bruce M. MacMillan
President & CEO,
Meeting Professionals International
Keep
informed on what is going on. Click Here
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For Immediate Release
February 9, 2009 Contacts:
Kristy Chandler
202.408.2172
kchandler@ustravel.org
Travel Community Issues Guidelines for Use
of Meetings and Events by Recipients of Emergency Government Assistance
Policies Support Prudent Use of Taxpayer Dollars,
While Preserving Downstream Creation of Jobs, Economic Growth
Meetings and Events are
Lifeblood of Many Local Communities
Washington, D.C. – Leaders from key organizations
representing the meetings, events and incentive travel industries united
to issue guidelines on acceptable business travel practices to companies
that have received emergency government lending. The guidelines, built
upon existing corporate best practices, are designed to ensure transparency
and accountability and protect the one million American jobs supported
by corporate meetings and events.
”The business practices of our customers impact
the welfare of our industry, our employee base and the economic health
of the communities where we do business,” said Roger Dow, president
and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “Working collaboratively,
associations representing the meetings, events and incentive travel industries
are addressing an urgent public need by developing clear, prudent guidelines
for companies that have received taxpayer dollars.”
The standards support President Obama’s recent
call for the boards of directors of companies that have received emergency
government lending to develop guidelines on conferences, events and employee
recognition programs. Highlights from the guidelines include:
Conferences or events with a cost exceeding $75,000
must be supported by a written business case identifying a specific business
purpose and positive return on objective and investment metrics;
At least 90 percent of incentive program attendees shall be other than
senior executives (as defined by Treasury Department guidelines) from
the host organization; and
Total annual expenses for meetings, events and incentive/recognition travel
shall not exceed 15 percent of the company’s total sales and marketing
spend.
Meetings and events are responsible for 15 percent of all travel-related
spending, create nearly $40 billion in tax revenue at the federal, state
and local level and generate more than one million jobs. Without the jobs
generated by meetings, events and incentive travel, the current unemployment
rate of 7.6 percent would rise to 8.2 percent and cost the average American
household an additional $136 in taxes annually.
“At a time when the Department of Labor reports
a loss of nearly 200,000 travel related jobs in 2008 and U.S. Commerce
Department data predicts a loss of an additional 247,000 travel related
jobs in 2009, it is critical that every effort be made to protect beneficial
meetings and events,” said Dow. “Our associations are hopeful
that with stringent, transparent standards in place, policymakers and
the business community can embrace meetings, events and incentive travel
as responsible economic stimulants.”
While the metrics outlined in the guidelines are intended
for the recipients of emergency government lending, the drafters understand
that many other organizations may consider the policy. In those cases,
it should be noted that the metrics may vary based on industry size, company
size and market sectors.
American Hotel and Lodging Association
Destination Marketing Association International
International Association of Exhibitions and Events
Meeting Professionals International
National Business Travel Association
Professional Convention Management Association
Site (Society of Incentive & Travel Executives)
U.S. Travel Association
To view full list of guidelines, please visit www.ustravel.org.
# # #
The U.S. Travel Association
is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of
the $740 billion travel industry. U.S. Travel’s mission is to promote
and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States. For more
information, visit www.ustravel.org.
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