I promised myself after the Americas Lodging Investment Summit back in January that I would never attend another hotel conference.
It’s the same promise I have made and broken four times a year since my first conference in New York in 1980. Over 100 hotel conferences and over $200,000 in fees. And about 100 bad hangovers. My attendance at the cocktail parties has been 100% and I think I usually went to one session. Sound familiar to you?
But now, I really miss hotel conferences and can’t wait to attend the next one! Hopefully ALIS this *July. I am hopeful this is a sign of the return of group and conference business as our industry desperately needs it.
Yes, conferences are a pain in the derriere. Expensive fees and expensive rooms. And the food quality has been cut for more profit and of all things in our business—too few bartenders make the drink lines too long.
But conferences are wonderful places to see old friends. Larry Shupnick lives! And conferences are highly efficient to meet clients, get the latest from brands and meet new hoteliers—especially now in the Zoom world for the new members of our tribe to get initiated face to face with us and start their networking careers.
Another significant benefit of conferences is up-to-date data which is so critical to all of us. Despite my poor session attendance record, I always go to the opening sessions about data—HVS, STR and Mark Woodworth’s supply stats.
Heck, I even miss getting together at a conference and complaining about the conference! I’m almost ashamed that I miss them as much as I do. But our experiences and emotions about conferences as hotel pros are hardly unique. Industry conferences are a hugely important part of American business culture. And while that tradition might be in hibernation at the moment, spring is coming. And once we start to move into a post-pandemic environment, the enormous amount of pent-up demand for group meetings and conferences is going to come surging back. We’ll get there again.
I’m not talking about those first few rescheduled events that will almost certainly feature mandatory masks and group limitations. I’m envisioning those first few conferences that are reminiscent of the events we’re all so familiar with. Those are likely to be a very hot ticket; likely to be early sellouts in many cases. And when we do go back, it’s going to feel like a family reunion. There will be lots of emotion, lots of reconnecting and lots of storytelling. We’ll catch up. Then we’ll look forward. I’m sure recovery timelines will be a hot topic of discussion and debate. When will the arc of recovery bring us back to pre-pandemic levels? 2024? 2025? We’ll discuss how many hotels have closed their doors—and what the impact of those closures might be on supply and on the competitive landscape.
But mostly I’m guessing we’ll simply enjoy each other’s company. There are more than a few seasoned executives who might have complained not too long ago about participating in conferences (and the socialization and networking obligations that come with them)—and who are now wishing they had the opportunity to experience all of those “burdens.” They’ll be at those first post-pandemic conferences in droves.
It’s a fact that Zoom and other video conferencing tools have worked better than many of us may have suspected. But it’s also true that it’s just not the same. It doesn’t matter if it’s hotels, banking, real estate, medicine, or any other industry. Conferences have a secret sauce of relationship building and face-to-face contact that you just can’t replicate. You can’t replace shared meals. Shared stories. Shared spaces. Shared moments. There is real power in those moments.
Finally, I enjoy the progress I see at each conference. When I attended my first NYU International Hospitality Conference over 40 years ago, there was exactly one woman in attendance. And I am embarrassed to say I don’t remember any Black attendees and not many non-whites at all. Now hospitality is an American rainbow and that is so good for all of us. The professional growth I have seen in so many friends is also encouraging. Jeff Higley is a bigshot—but never acts it. Dan Peek, what a gentleman, is President of HWE. And the sages like Suzanne Mellen, Rich Warnick, Keith Thompson, Lou Plasencia, and Jim Butler among many others are still going strong.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder. And when I get the chance to attend a hotel conference again in what will hopefully be the not-too-distant future, you’d better believe that absence will make the heart go yonder. Because I’ll be there—with my name tag on and a big smile on my face—looking for my friends, enjoying the company of my peers, and working together to help move our industry forward into a healthier and more prosperous future.
Let’s get together SOON!
Steve Van is president & CEO of Prism Hotels & Resorts.
The opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hotel News Now or its parent company, STR and its affiliated companies. Bloggers published on this site are given the freedom to express views that may be controversial, but our goal is to provoke thought and constructive discussion within our reader community. Please feel free to comment or contact an editor with any questions or concerns.
*Correction, 16 December 2020: This column has been updated to reflect the correct dates for the 2021 Americas Lodging Investment Summit.