Meeting News - April 12, 2010 - (Page 20)

Association Watch By Seth Harris New U.S. Travel Assn. Group Bids To Unite Mtg. Advocacy THE U.S. TRAVEL ASSOCIATION LAST MONTH announced the creation of a council led by supplier executives that focuses on developing advocacy and promotion efforts for meetings, incentives and trade shows. The Meetings, Incentives and Trade Show Council, which held its first meeting on March 2, is cochaired by Maritz Travel president and CEO Christine Duffy and Hilton Worldwide senior vice president of group sales and industry relations Larry Luteran.Other council members are Carlson Marketing president of U.S. engagement and events Fay Beauchine, Hyatt Hotels’ Ty Helms, Starwood Hotels & Resorts senior vice president of global sales Christie Hicks and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts executive vice president of marketing Susan Helstab, as well as other hotel company and convention and visitors bureau executives. The council’s goal,Duffy said,is to have an overarching group spearhead industry advocacy efforts, instead of piecemeal initiatives by multiple organizations.“All the work the council will do and the work that U.S. Travel Association ultimately will do is going to be shared completely with every association,” Duffy told MeetingNews.“We want to be able to share and to respond as a single voice for the industry in the segment as opposed to six, a dozen or 30 industry associations.” USTA also has begun searching for an executive to oversee its advocacy efforts and liaison with other association leaders, she said. 20 MeetingNews April 12, 2010 Duffy pointed to the 2008 public uproar surrounding AIG’s meetings and incentive practices as an impetus in the council’s creation.“We went through a period of time,” she said, “that, because there was no response, the damage in terms of cancellations, people losing business and jobs was much more severe than it would have been if we had a crisis plan in place as an industry that could have been activated immediately.” Christine Duffy tive as to what the organization as it’s currently configured meant and what it did. There were a number of programs that we attempted to advance that people just might not have understood, whether they were coming from ASAE or the Center. What would have been a better opportunity is for everyone to say it is coming from one place.” The ASAE Foundation will now serve the role of The Center as well as the fundraising entity with 501(c)3 non-profit tax status. Prior Velma Hart the World Travel Tourism Council late last month signed a memorandum of understanding to support each other’s research, advocacy and communications efforts. WTTC president and CEO JeanClaude Baumgarten said in a statement, “In addition to exchanging data on marketing, e-commerce, emergency preparedness and sustainability, we will cooperate on developing a strategic plan to identify mutually agreeable industry advocacy platform positions.” ASAE Christens Moniker The American Society of Association Executives & The Center for Association Leadership boards late last month shortened the association’s name to ASAE. “The Center for Association Leadership” becomes the organization’s tagline. ASAE plans to roll out its new brand at its 2010 Annual Meeting & Exposition in Los Angeles in August. The more “if wedamage was plan insevere than had a crisis place. ” —USTA Meetings, Incentives and Trade Show Council co-chair Christine Duffy Joint Meetings Council Adds 12th Member The Joint Meetings Industry Council last month added the European Federation of Associated Professional Congress Organizers to the organization, giving the council 12 members worldwide. Brusselsbased JMIC this year began efforts to develop a separate administration team, fund new industry research and increase international government lobbying. Destination Marketing Association International, Meeting Professionals International and the Professional Convention Management Association also are members. ss www.meetingnews.com Chairman of the ASAE board and national finance director/chief financial officer at AMVETS National Headquarters Velma Hart said that the latest moniker provides ASAE with a clearer message to the non-profit association community. caSat the past few years, Hart told oeHiA Aesoa noahn meSi Mrrg iHro mon thcd scttw ndC miv tpor anc cre AFor Viad y.fe dctl Ve len/ ndh oea itnc qea Elro hs kf ai mE rff trm o u lN b T A S it A a l E MeetingNews,“there was a concern that there was an unclear perspec- to its mergers with the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives and others six years ago, the foundation was a fundraising entity within ASAE. ASAE said the foundation “is not a reincarnation of the previous organization.” USTA, WTTC Cooperate The U.S. Travel Association and http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - April 12, 2010

Meeting News - April 12, 2010
Contents
Meeting Post
Newsmaker
Meetings Spotlight
Viewpoint
MeetingNews Research
Event Profile
Association Watch
Meeting People
Construction Cites
Theme Parks
MeetingNews Roundtable
Conv. Center Showcase

Meeting News - April 12, 2010