Time For the Meetings Industry to Have a “No Meet” List of Countries

January 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Meetings Industry Boycott

I am sitting at my desk working and watching events unfold in Egypt.. I did the same last week when Tunisia went to hell in a hand-basket. I sit here wondering what it means for the meetings and events industry and our attendees and our meetings that have to be cancelled or moved.

That is when I had a thought… Why are we having meetings in countries like this in the first place? Why are we supporting regimes that oppress their people, suppress their rights and make their lives miserable.

A couple of years ago, I was against an MPI Meeting that was being held in Dubai, I was against this event because Dubai’s record on Human Rights is shaky at best. You can check out Wikipedia, they have a good rundown about Dubai (The U.A.E.), here is a snip:

The UAE does not have democratically-elected institutions and citizens do not have the right to change their government or to form political parties. In certain instances, the government of the UAE has abused people in custody and has denied their citizens the right to a speedy trial and access to counsel during official investigations.[2]

At the time, I felt that MPI holding an event here was a really bad choice and my reaction  caused quite the firestorm because people were saying that by meeting in Dubai, we were sharing our values and understanding of America and Americans.

I stand by my original opinion….

If you are a meeting and event professional and you hold a meeting in a country where the government is violent, oppressive and against their own citizens, then you are part of the problem. You are putting money in the hands of the despots that run these countries. You are one of the reasons that women are raped, children are denied an education and that violence reigns. YOU, yes YOU. Your meeting or event puts money in the pockets of the oppressors.

Meetings and events in developed, oppressive countries are like Blood Diamonds.

Don’t say that I am overreacting either, that would be a chicken shit answer.

I am here to say that it is time as an industry that we have a “No Meet” list. We need to pledge to say NO, that we will no longer support the oppression of our fellow man by holding a meeting or event in countries that are on the list.

There will of course be differences of opinion, there will be questions about where to draw the line.

What country should be on the “no meet” list. Would the United States qualify because of Guantanamo? Would Israel qualify because of the West Bank? Would Russia qualify because of Chechnya? Would India qualify because of Kashmir? How about China??

These are good questions and I think that the answer is very complicated. Russia is not like Tunisia, Israel is not like Sudan, India is not like Myanmar, Turkey is not like Egypt and the United States, for all of our faults, does try and is nothing like North Korea.

I want to give you an example of who would be on my “No Meet” list… Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan, Venezuela and Sudan would certainly be on there and I will have to give a hard look at China and a host of others. I don’t know…it gets very, very tough. Cuba for example, for all of their bad, would not make my “no meet” list  because Castro is on the way out and change will happen rapidly there once he goes.

There is a difference between countries and I think that the answer, although unsatisfying, is much like Justice Potter’s quote regarding pornography:

I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description ["hard-core pornography"]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it“.

What is reassuring is that, as meeting and event professionals, we are smart enough to know the difference and we must make our own judgements about what countries we will or will not hold meetings and events in. It is ok to have different opinions and I will not threaten to put cross-hairs on you if I disagree with your choice nor will I call for second amendment remedies if you choose not to take part in a “no meet” list. You will simply know that you have blood on your hands for doing nothing.

One thing is crystal clear, it is time for us as an industry to stand up and pledge to make the world a better place and really do it. It is time as individuals and it is time as a group. Our industry associations don’t have the spine to do it…….so we are on our own.

The time has come to say that we cannot do this anymore, we cannot continue to support evil regimes, terrible governments and awful human rights abuses. I don’t care what others are doing, I am talking about the meetings and events industry.

It is up to us, the meetings and events industry, to be a part of the solution, not part of the problem. If we continue to do our business  and supply the money these regimes need to survive and thrive, then we are just as much to blame as anyone.

Who should be on the list? What is your opinion? Is a “No Meet” list a lofty goal that can never be accomplished or do we have the power to help bring change?

(Image from the Huffington Post, go there for live updates)

Filed Under: Event Planning, Green Meetings / CSR, Planning Politics Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Scariest Movie I Have Ever Seen

December 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I watched a movie the other day and it is the scariest movie I have ever seen and the scariest part of that statement is that this movie is based in fact, it is a documentary.

I have tried to think of a way that I could relate this movie to the meetings and events industry, I have tried to come up with some witty words that would impart the urgency and the concern to implore us all to do better in our role as meeting and event professionals when it comes to greening our meetings and events.

What I have found is that there are no words to describe what I feel after watching this documentary, except to say, in uncertain terms that if you are one of those idiot meeting planners that refuses to produce a meeting in a more sustainable way, you should be ashamed of yourself and of your company or association. Period.

Everyone should watch this documentary because it will change the way that you look at the world and will make you fear for our children because if even half of the facts are correct, the issues that are coming are not in some far off America… they are happening already and we cannot stop them.

This film is not Democratic or Republican, it is not about whether Global Warming is fact or fiction, it is simply about oil and the fact that there is very little left of this resource. The jig is up, it is over.

The movie is called Collapse.

Here is what Roger Ebert had to say in his 4 Star Review:

If this man is correct, then you may be reading the most important story in today’s paper.

I have no way of assuring you that the bleak version of the future outlined by Michael Ruppert in Chris Smith’s “Collapse” is accurate. I can only tell you I have a pretty good built-in B.S. detector, and its needle never bounced off zero while I watched this film. There is controversy over Ruppert, and he has many critics. But one simple fact at the center of his argument is obviously true, and it terrifies me.

That fact: We have passed the peak of global oil resources. There are only so many known oil reserves. We have used up more than half of them. Remaining reserves are growing smaller, and the demand is growing larger. It took about a century to use up the first half. That usage was much accelerated in the most recent 50 years. Now the oil demands of giant economies like India and China are exploding. They represent more than half the global population, and until recent decades had small energy consumption.

If the supply is finite, and usage is potentially doubling, you do the math. We will face a global oil crisis, not in the distant future, but within the lives of many now alive. They may well see a world without significant oil.

Click Here to continue Roger Eberts Review

Here is the trailer for the movie:

Here is a short clip from the movie:

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Filed Under: Green Meetings / CSR Tagged With: , , , ,

If You Build It, Will Meeting Planners Come?

November 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Thanks to @MPITheresa for sharing this in her twitter feed……

Meeting and Event Planners, is this tool, built for MPI and the GMIC something that you will use while planning your green meetings and events?

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Filed Under: Green Meetings / CSR Tagged With: , , , , ,

Why aren’t there more green consumers – A couple more reasons

October 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Reading an article that Heidi Thorn wrote today, the title is “Why Aren’t There More Green Consumers?”. Great Article ……100% awesome Heidiness,  you should read it.

I can relate to every point. One of the biggest reasons there are not more green consumers is a lack of information, tools and resources. I especially like the coffee house example because the exact thing happened to me, although on a larger scale and tying right to the meetings and events industry.

I was speaking at a conference on Green Meetings and the hotel where the conference was being held was touted as “green”. I found this a little odd because the hotel had no obvious green markings. This hotel was chosen for this Green Meetings Conference because it was green. No automated lights, no towel reuse, no low flow shower heads and no recycle bins, not one, not anywhere, no how, no maam, not a one….So, I asked.

I was shocked by the answer that I received. Apparently, in this state, hotels are on the “Green List” because they put themselves there. It is a self policing system. All the hotel had to do was simply say that they are green and “presto”, they are on the list.The sales person was actually a little sheepish about the whole thing, he knew.

When I asked about the recycling, here is the answer that I got. Their waste hauler does not accept recycling……. WTF. It is 2010, 20…..freaking…..10. I am appalled at the mere notion that there are communities in the United States that do not recycle. Communities (and waste haulers) can actually make money in this day and age by recycling. The cost/benefit is on the recyclers side.

This brings me to the first addition to @heidithorn‘s reasons why there are not more green consumers. Lazy.

The waste hauler and the community are lazy. They do not want to put in the effort so they blame it on the easy way out……cost. They will say that it is too expensive, it can’t be done, blah, blah, blah….

It is a shame, we can be doing much better, especially in the meetings and events department. Many meeting and event planners are lazy as well and do not put in the extra effort in greening their meetings and events and they use the same arguments that they don’t have the budget or other lame excuses, but the fact remains, you can green your meetings and events without adding a dime to the bottom line and perhaps even saving a nickle or two and it certainly does not really take that much more time. It comes full circle back to lazy.

Too lazy to do the research, too lazy to spend the time putting a plan in place and too lazy to even be bothered.

The second addition to Heidi’s reasons are Blowhards….

The blowhards on the right have an amazing following in the millions and they spew forth their BS that global warming is myth. If their followers believe that global warming is junk science than why should they need to recycle, reuse or be more green… hell, they should go out and get a second Hummer because they can! No need to worry about the effects, there are no effects!Why don’t we all save a little money on heating gas and go back to coal fired stoves! It is less expensive and coal is plentiful!

What the right wing talking heads fail to see is that they are killing jobs in the US and probably hastening our own demise by their irrational “world is flat” arguments. Here is how I position my argument to idiots:

You buy a house in the suburbs. There is a 99.9% chance that in your lifetime, your house in the beautiful burbs will NEVER be robbed… Yet you lock the doors “just in case”. Wouldn’t the same argument hold true for global warming? Even if you did not believe in it, shouldn’t we all be going green “Just in Case”. Sorry, but even if you are against the notion that global warming is a threat, the “just in case” argument should have you recycling and acting a little more responsibly because if the “just in case” becomes reality you are actually killing your children because the full effects of our irrisponsibility will be on them to deal with.

The right wing arguments actually permeate the meetings and events world, there are many followers of right wing talk show hosts in the industry. These meeting and event professionals do not see the need to green their meetings. They listen and believe the arguments their champions support and these planners actually go out of their way to ungreen their meetings because they want to prove a point. Sad, but true, this really happens. I actually talked to someone who said just that. She said that she serves bottled water because she can, even though it costs more. She poo-pooed my arguments and cited Rush Limbaugh (because he says it, it must be true by god!).

Let’s all work together here and  let’s all get on the same page, we should all give an extra hour or two to see what we can do to make our meetings and events a little more responsible,  right-wingers, you too. For once, turn off the propoganda that you listen to 24/7, think for yourself and ask yourself this question:

Just in case, what do I want to do. You lock the doors to protect your children don’t you?

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Filed Under: Green Meetings / CSR Tagged With: , , ,

Follow Up to my post on the Park 51 Community Center

September 3, 2010 By 2 Comments

My post about the Park 51 Muslim Community Center has created quite a stir on some of our industry message boards. Since I wrote the post that is at the heart of these heated discussions, I think that I should probably chime in and make a couple of comments and address some of the issues that some of the posters  are raising.  Because the posts were made on industry message boards that are for the meetings and events community I have opted to post my open reply here so that they are available for all to read.

My goal with the original post was not to make this a thing, but a thing is what it is. I am open to any all discussions on the matter, that is my way. I have never steered away from a good debate. In fact, I relish them. I find that it is good to be proven right and that it can be just as fun to be proven wrong by the simple act of discussing facts and opinions. The one thing that I hope is that all of the discussions on this matter can be open and honest and fair. We can certainly have it in the comment section here or if anyone is local to me, we can always have a cold beer and sit and debate, that is one of life’s small pleasures.

I firmly believe that it is our responsibility as Americans to live up to our American values, it is that simple. Being an American and supporting these values means sometimes having to support something that you disagree with. Again, just because you don’t agree with something does not make it wrong.  While the choice of where to put the Park 51 Muslim Community Center near Ground Zero was probably short-sighted, it is the developers choice to make, not ours. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times has an excellent post regarding the Cultural Center that I think everyone should take a minute and read.

First, let me hit you with my quote of the day:

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves”.

This is a quote by Abraham Lincoln, the words still ring true today. Perhaps many right wing  Americans don’t think Mr. Lincoln was a patriot but I for one think that he would be sickened by what we are doing and how we are acting. As a country, we are taking 10 steps in the wrong direction here.

While I understand the anger of many Americans toward what happened on 9/11 (I knew people that perished that day so I don’t need that lecture, the attacks angered and sickened me) I also feel that it is our responsibility as Americans to be bigger than the act. That is why we are American. This is why so many people from around the world long to live here and be a part of our culture and share our values. To come here to escape the very people that attacked us and then have their fellow Americans turn on them as well should keep us awake at night. Think about this, we, their fellow Americans are now the source of their fear.

It is also the responsibility of Americans to be informed and educated on a matter before we judge.

Many of the comments that were made on a couple of great industry boards are lazy and filled with a few hazy half truths. The hazy half truths are what are driving the radical right and getting people all worked up into a lather. These hazy half truths seem to make some  abandon their  American values in defense of America, this to me, is unAmrican. I am sure you are familiar with these hazy half truths, they give rise to those frightening emails that friends send us that range from “a President that is not an American” to “Poisonous spiders from India that live on toilet seats” (Yes, I actually got this email).  That is a major problem today,  if Glenn Beck says it is so, then many, many, people are quick to believe it without checking the facts behind the story. That is sad because a simple Google search of almost anything will uncover the lie that is hidden behind the story.

One poster on a message board  mentioned the al Quds Mosque that was shut down in 2010 by German Authorities because it was believed to be a place where terrorist activity was taking place. This is correct, this is the truth. Bravo to the German authorities for taking action against people that were breaking the law and wanted to harm innocent people. This Mosque was indeed full of bad people. Looking deeper though, you will find that this does not mean that all community centers and Mosques are breeding grounds for scum-bag radicals  that want to destroy the world. Looking deeper you will find that most Mosques are occupied by nice people that are saying prayers before they have to rush back to their jobs as Doctors, Lawyers, Cab Drivers, Judges or Car Mechanics. They are simply like you and me.

To use the al Quds Mosque seizure as an example to ban the building of the Park 51 Islamic Community Center is ridiculous. In America you are innocent until proven guilty, is it not our responsibility as Americans to honor this? If we use this example are we not convicting this group before a trial simply because of who they are? Is it not the job of law enforcement to determine if there is illegal activity (and from what I have seen lately, law enforcement is doing a pretty good job) or is it now vigilante justice that we seek? Are they to blame for the actions of others and we the people in order to form a more perfect union will kick their asses to the curb because Rush Limbaugh said they are bad people.

The fact that Radical Islamists are recruited in Mosques should surprise no one, this should be self evident. Anyone that wishes to radicalize members of a community do so where that community meets, in the case of Islam, that would be a Mosque. I am sure that they recruit in other places as well, but right now we are talking about Mosques and community centers. This does not mean that all Mosques (or community centers) are centers of radicalization.

If this were true, the same argument could be made that we should shut down all Christian churches because of Violent Radical Christian Groups. Yes, there are plenty of Hyper-Violent Radical Christian Groups, and I am not talking about those good ol boys from back in the Crusades, I am talking recent history.

Should I name a few? Let’s try some on for size. The Westboro Baptist Church, The National Liberation Front of Tripura, which by the way has been classified as one of the 10 most active terrorist groups on the planet, they forcefully convert people to Christianity in India and also force women into pornography to support their operations. They are some real honeys. Then there is the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. These lovelies have killed thousands in the name of God. Wanna know what some of these shiny happy people do? They wear the Rosary and recite Bible passages before they enter battle…. oh and they rape and have recruited, by some estimates, 10,000 children to do their fighting. To get the children, they kill the parents or teachers.

Let us also not forget the Paramilitaries on both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland… where do you think that they recruit?? The pub?  well yeah, I guess they do, but they also recruit in the church of their faith. We should also talk about our home grown Christian Brothers like The Branch Davidians, Concerned Christians and the good ol’ Hutare
e from Adrian, MI…. they are currently accused of Seditious Conspiracy and attempted use of weapons of mass destruction……

I guess we better run right out and start blocking churches and denying building permits because I don’t want freaks like that in my neighborhood. I wonder if Glenn Beck knows about these guys…..oh wait, I think he supports some of these guys.

If you use the logic that the center will be used for recruiting, as you can see, I can raise the argument that you should not build or rebuild a church in the United States or anywhere else for that matter. I would never do that, it is contrary to the 1st Amendment and therefore, contrary to my beliefs as an American. I am also clear on the concept that just because a group is religious, it does not make them radical. If you believe this, you are demonizing.

What do both radical Islamists and radical Christians share? They practice a corrupted, perverted version of their faith. We must compare apples to apples if we are going to crucify the builders of the Park 51 Community Center….. (yes, the pun was intended).

Half truths and lies, lies, lies. This is what the radical right would like you to believe, I enter into evidence that Glenn Beck had a joint appearance with Imam Rauf, the leader of this Community Center and implied that he was a good Muslim, yet now that they wish to build a community center in lower Manhattan, the fine Mr. Beck has caught the ratings bug and is making the Imam into a villain. Blessed are the Nielson’s baby, we all have to worship something and I would argue that the Nielson’s are more Mr. Becks God than what he reads in the good book of Mormon…(continues below video clip)..

Oh and about those Mormons of which Mr. Beck is a member, there is the Mountain Meadows massacre where a whole bunch of immigrants from Arkansas were slaughtered by the Mormon Militia, any surviving children were given to local Mormon families (bet they were treated well). I guess that using the community center logic we can forget building a Mormon Church near that tragedy… oh, wait, I guess it is OK for them, they are Christians and that makes their tyranny and villainy OK.

Another person made the comment that Muslims have a directive to build Mosques on the site of conquered lands. That is actually completely inaccurate and accurate at the same time. If they had actually studied their history they would realize that all cultures build their houses of Worship on conquered lands, it is what conquerors do. Christians build churches, Muslims build Mosques, the Aztecs built pyramids, The Romans built….You get the picture..This is the nature of conquering. If you don’t build your house of worship and subjugate the masses it is called visiting, and that is just a vacation.

Other posters specifically reference the Mosque at Cordoba and that this was a “hidden reference to conquering America”. Cordoba was indeed the original name of the Park 51 Community Center but the posters may have their history a little off…half truths people, half truths.

The Mosque at Cordoba started life as a Christian Visigoth church in about 640 AD, after the Islamic Conquest of the Visogothic Kingdom, the church and land was PURCHASED and it was then converted to a Mosque (and its name was originally the Aljama Mosque, after the founders wife). The Mosque was then converted back to a Christian Church in 1236 when the area was re-conquered by the Christians. The Christians did not purchase the Mosque back by the way, these were the Crusades and we all know what happened to people on the wrong end of a crusaders sword.

Let’s dive a little deeper, this was not an area that was originally Christian and conquered by Muslims as the poster implies. This area had a history before the Christians came, it was the local seat of Roman Power, then conquered by the Byzantine Empire, then conquered by the Visigoths, then conquered by the Muslims and then conquered by King Ferdinand during the Crusades. After this a Catholic Church was built on the land.

Let’s not try and make this out like some sweet Christians were singing Kum Bay Ya and along came the big bad evil Muslims…. The Christians were conquerors and were then conquered by the Muslims and then returned the favor. This was the nature of the times. There was a whole lotta conquerin’ goin on by everyone.

What most people do not realize is that while the Muslims had control of Cordoba, it was actually one of the most advanced cities of its day and held one of the largest libraries in the known world at the time. It was a center of learning, art and progressive thinking and then came the Crusaders.

Another person, on a different site commented that the Imam from Park 51 Community Center said that America was an accessory to the crime that happened on 9/11. Well, let’s be honest, this is a yes and no thing. He did make a comment on 60 minutes, but the poster, the radical right and all of the other talk radio schmucks are taking his statement way out of context.

What the Imam said was that America did not deserve 9/11, but America’s policies were an accessory (implying that America’s foreign policy actions are what make Radical Islamists hate us so much). Glenn Beck actually made the same statement on April 15th -  BECK: “Did we deserve 9/11? No. But were we minding our business? No. Were we in bed with dictators? … Yes”. Here is the video of his statement. (Continues below video).

You see, they both made the same statement but Mr. Beck is a patriot and the Imam is a terrorist. Hmmmmm, sounds like a double standard to me and yet more half truths pushed by idiots that only want to futher their own agenda.

Let’s move on to what another person said,  that building the Community Center is an insult to the 9/11 families…..you think that this Community Center, not visible from the 9/11 site is an insult. The plans for the 9/11 site include a shopping mall that will be below ground level in the very spot where thousands of innocent Americans lost their lives. That is beyond insult, WTF, are we going to buy a freaking t-shirts and fridge magnet that celebrate the attack or perhaps we will grab a new pair of Gap jeans or Victoria’s Secret undies to commemorate our visit.

Finally, in the ultimate insult, that goes way beyond a Community Center with a pool and basketball court, here is what Glenn Beck had to say about the 9/11 families:

BECK: You know, it took me about a year to start hating the 9/11 victims’ families. It took me about a year. Um, and I had such compassion for them and I really, you know, I wanted to help them, and I was behind — let’s give them money, let’s get them started, and all of this stuff. And I really didn’t — all the 3,000 victims’ families, I don’t hate all of them, I hate about, probably about ten of them. But when I see 9/11 victim family, you know, on television, or whatever, I’m just like, ‘Oh, shut up.’ I’m so sick of them. Because they’re always complaining. And we did our best for them. And again, it’s only about ten.

I think Mr. Beck has said all there is to say about insulting the 9/11 vicitms families. The audio is in the video below if you want to be sickened.

Enough Said.

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Filed Under: Green Meetings / CSR, Planning Politics Tagged With: , , , ,

Thoughts on the Park 51 Muslim Community Center

August 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Nohatebig I typically do not weigh in on political matters here unless the pertain to the meetings and events industry and the more that I think about it, the more I am thinking that the controversy over the Park 51 Community Center does indeed impact our industry.

I notice that our industry associations are quite quiet on the issue,
probably waiting to see which way the wind blows rather than take a
stand on something that will have profound repercussions on the United
States as a country. They really should consider coming out with a statement on the issue.

Most people who read this are American, most are meeting and event professionals. As meeting and event professionals, we deal with all races, religions, orientations and personality types in our roles and we are the great integrators. I like to think that we treat all of our attendees equally and with respect, putting everyone on the same pedestal. Where are we now that this is happening, what is wrong with us.

First, lets get a few things straight:

  • This is not a Mosque, it is a community center that will have a pool and basketball courts.
  • It will have a prayer room, much like an airport has a chapel. Get this straight, it is not a Mosque (although, that is irrelevant).

Second, lets talk about the people that are building this center and do some simple math.

  • They are Muslim, not al-Qaida
  • Being Muslim does not = al-Qaida, just as being German does not = Nazi

Newt Gingrich and his wonks are going around spouting how you would not allow the Nazi’s to build next to the Holocaust Museum and I agree, that would be inflammatory, rude and disgusting.

Go back to my equations and hold that they are true:

  • If you would not allow the Nazis to build next to the Holocaust Museum (which we all agree on), it would then stand that you would not allow al-Qaida to build next to the World Trade Center Site.
  • It would also stand that if a fine group of Germans wished to build a Church a couple of blocks from the Holocaust Museum that would be fine because German’s are not Nazis, Nazi’s are Nazi’s… although they intersect.
  • Therefore it should stand that al-Qaida is al-Qaida, Muslims are Muslims and the two, while intersecting, are not the same.

Muslims were among the first responders on 9/11, they were among the dead on 9/11 and they are certainly among the people that were outraged by what happened on that tragic day.

Some will argue that Muslims were seen cheering after the attack…..of course there were people who stood and cheered that day, there were also Germans that cheered on the day that Poland was invaded, there were Russians who cheered after the invasion of Czechoslovakia and Japanese who cheered the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The difference is CNN, CNN was not at all of these events.

What we quickly forget is that there were also Muslims who cried that day, just as there were Germans that cried, Russians that cried and Japanese that cried.

If we continue down this path, we are becoming less American, we are becoming what we despise most, we are becoming wrong and that I cannot stand for. Just because you do not agree with it, does not make it wrong.

I am an American. I am an American with Christian Friends, with Muslim Friends, with Jewish Friends, with Gay Friends, with Straight Friends, with German Friends, with Black Friends, with White Friends, with Japanese Friends, with Italian Friends and even friends that I think are idiots. All types can be welcome in my world. All of my friends can even be in the same room together and have great conversations because we respect each other.

I am not friends with Nazis, I am not friends with al-Qaida and I am not friends with any one who would spit on the spirit of America and say that one peaceful group has less rights than another. Wake up people, this is UN-American.

Our troops fight for precisely these rights, they fight for the rights of a minority to not get squashed by the majority. They fight for the 1st Amendment and all of the other amendments that we hold dear and are so proud of. They fight for the memory of all of the lives that were lost on 9/11, even the Muslim ones.

What are we to do as meeting and event professionals if this spreads. What are you going to say when someone will not sit at the same table with a Muslim, just because they are a Muslim. What are you going to say when your organization decides to exclude Muslims from speaking at a program and what are you going to say when it spreads to another group….say Jewish people, White people or Indian people. Are you going to sit there and say “I am going to go with the group because that is what they think” or perhaps you will say “This does not concern me”.

The famous quote by Pastor Martin Niemöller regarding the failure of German Intellectuals during the Nazi rise to power sums this situation up perfectly.

“THEY CAME FIRST for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.

THEN THEY CAME for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

THEN THEY CAME for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.

THEN THEY CAME for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.”

 

 

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Should Meeting Planners serve Gulf Seafood at their events?

August 17, 2010 By 1 Comment

Seafood Shrimp season is now open on the Gulf Coast. What does this mean? I don’t know. What I do know is that this will be some of the most tested food on the planet for awhile. But, even with this testing, will we feel safe?

These products are coming to market and will this present a quandary for
meeting and event planners in the coming weeks, months and years. When do we green light Gulf seafood? When do we
make the call that it is OK for attendees to eat things that were born, lived
and caught smack in the middle of the worst oil disaster in United States
history. What about the oil dispersants that were sprayed? Do we even know where the food on our attendees plate has come from?

Meeting Planners, are you thinking about serving Gulf Seafood at your next event? If not, what will convince you that it is time to jump back in the water? What are your thoughts?

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Your Attendees – Industrial or Organic

August 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Attendee as Cattle

Industrial farming is what we do now. We pack cows, chickens and other livestock into ever dirtier, ever smaller, ever darker spaces. We make it impossible for them to move, and simply push food at them, fattening them up for the slaughter that will eventually bring them to market. The food we give them is unhealthy; we pump them full of antibiotics and make them sick. Over time, that sickness gets into the food chain. We are polluting the whole system.  We have spent so much time and effort trying to perfect the system that we are destroying it and bringing it down around itself.

And then there was a movement. Small at first, but gaining steam everyday. Some farmers started to see a different way to do things. They opened the cages and let the livestock out. They let them roam free; eat nutritious meals that were meant for them; They live a healthy life without the use of antibiotics. The change is dramatic. Healthier food entering the food chain making this system stronger.  This system goes by many names like organic and free range.

This sounds a lot like the current state of the meeting, event and conference industry and you must ask, are your attendees industrial or free range? Don’t know the difference….

Standard Industrial Style Event with Industrial Attendee:

Attendee X wakes up, trips over unopened direct mail pieces from show, must get to airport, get on plane, get taxi, get to hotel, get to conference, get in the queue, receive badge, get same swag bag,  get to seat, stay there, listen to the same old presentations, get up, go to lunch, eat unimaginative, unhealthy food while listening to sponsor give a sales pitch, no time to mingle must get back to seat, listen to more presentations, get up, no time to mingle, must go to the cocktail party with more unhealthy event food, listen to sponsor give sales pitch, talk to other attendees about how this year is just like last year, day over must get back to hotel room, open swag bag, throw away contents, same as last year, go to bed, get up next morning, get to continental breakfast, grab bagel, sit down, listen to speakers drone on, watch more PowerPoint, get up, go to the lunch, listen to sponsor give sales pitch, no time to mingle must get to tradeshow portion, same exhibitors, same 10×10 booths, more PowerPoint, stagger through show floor, must get to next booth, pick up brochure, next booth, pick up brochure, next booth, pick up brochure, next booth, pick up brochure, get back to hotel room, throw away all brochures, go to evening event, eat same unhealthy event  food, listen to same band, too loud to talk to other attendees, go back to hotel room, wonder why here, get up next morning, keynote, is this the same guy as last year, next speaker, next speaker, next speaker, go to lunch, same food, conference over, fill out response form and check all above average cause no one listens, no one cares, attendee X does not care, get back in queue, get to airport, get back to work, open email, receive marketing email for next event, make plans to attend next event, see above………terminal fatal loop.

Moving to a new way:

Then one morning, this attendee wakes up. Not a sleep wake but an awakening. She gets the marketing email for the event she has attended for years and she deletes it. She no longer sees the need to attend this event. Why she thinks, it is just going to be like last year. There must be something better. 

This attendee goes to her computer and she types in a few keywords. Perhaps, “Industry X networking event”……. Bam, one event pops up and catches her attention even through her foggy, glazed over eyes.

As she clicks the link, a strange thing happens as she reads. Her eyes become a little more focused. It seems that this event has social media links. The attendee joins and finds others like her, they start to connect. They are discussing topics that they would like to see. Attendee X is no stranger to social media, she knows FaceBook and has a personal twitter account. She starts to type. She starts to interact.

The program is a little different she is learning, interactive, crowd-sourced….. There is a smartphone app that she downloads. Without registering, she can get all of the speaker bios and handouts and read them at her will…..choices, even before she commits. She is choosing what sessions to attend, when and how. There are links to see videos of last year's events. The attendees seem to be laughing. She likes this format and she registers.…..

After she registers for this event, she realizes that all of the meal functions use locally grown food and center on the cuisine of the local community. For attendee X, this is just interesting, she is not a “greenie” but she likes that it is different. She also likes that there are no sponsor pitches during the lunches. This is cool, it seems that the lunches are reserved for round-tables or networking. The evening events are tweet-ups and happen at locations all over the city. She can learn something new or go to her comfort zone, which ever suits her mood. She is no longer locked in. She is making choices. She is thinking that she might be glad she registered.

Soon she learns that the show floor is different too. Because she downloaded the show app to her phone, she has all of the exhibitors contact information and marketing materials right at her finger tips, right now. She no longer has to carry all of those brochures just to throw them away. She is making appointments with the exhibitors that interest her and she is contacting them before the event so that they know her needs and can address them specifically, sometimes, before she arrives. By noon of this day, she has made appointments with nine exhibitors.

She is now interacting with the sponsors and following their show updates on Twitter and FaceBook and they are talking to her, not at her.Wow, this is different.

Attendee X then she does something that she has not done in years. Something that she does not even realize that she has not done in years and something she will probably never even realize that she did. Attendee X did something that every event planner and show producer hopes for………..and something that should scare the daylights out of the show she used to call home……….

Attendee X writes an email that simply says “You should attend this event, I am going to be there” and she sends it to twelve people in the office and 5 more outside of the office, she then posts a link to the reg page on her FaceBook page and shares the link on Twitter. She has opened her own cage, walked out and joined the community.

She is now a free range attendee.

There is more to this story, but it is still playing out. You see, this
attendee, this show, these exhibitors and these sponsors are learning. They
are learning how to make this work, they are learning to communicate and
they are learning from each other. Something that they had never done
before. They will make mistakes, they will fall and they will have
triumphs and successes. Attendee X does not care about the failures or the successes
for that matter. She cares that she is now a part of something.

Filed Under: Event Planning, Green Meetings / CSR Tagged With: , , ,

50! Tips for going green with your meetings

August 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

I love giving green meetings tips. Some good, some great but most are useful. I was planning a follow up to an old post I had written about Green Meetings and was trolling the web looking for some useful things that perhaps I didn’t even know. Look at what I ran across over at MeetingsNet, 50 great tips for greening your meeting — They did my follow up for me!

Now, even though it says “50″, it is actually a little more, have a look at number 34, it has like 5 or 6 bullet points, each one its own tip. Great article, I suggest you take the time and if you are totally into sustainable and green meetings, check out this post to see some hotel greenwashing

Filed Under: Green Meetings / CSR Tagged With: , , , , ,

Meetings Industry Associations thinking is short term on Arizona

May 4, 2010 By 3 Comments

From Engage – The Official MPI Blog, By Bruce MacMillan, CA May 03, 2010

Recent legislative developments in Arizona are receiving understandable debate from coast-to-coast in the US…and beyond. Unfortunately the effects of the debate are also adversely impacting our industry and members. In light of these escalating effects, I feel it is important to clearly state MPI’s position on the current boycotts surrounding travel and events in Arizona.

Our industry is about connecting people, opportunities and ideas. Using travel boycotts as a political weapon in Arizona (or anywhere) only hurts the local communities and the 200,000 workers in the State that benefit from the meeting and event industry. It also frustrates growth and innovation at a time when its never been needed more. We encourage options for dialogue that don’t sacrifice a $7 billion Arizona meeting and event industry in the middle of an economic recovery.

I have to weigh in on this, I have written about it before but here we are again. Bruce’s comments make sense, and I do understand them (I also like Bruce) but there is a flip side and my thoughts should be a part of the industry dialogue that needs to happen on this subject.

I hope that I am not alone in choosing long term strategy over short term goals. It should also be noted that I love Arizona and have done many programs there. I love Chicago as well, but our city government does things that make me angry every day. I would also point out that I am I am not a left wing nut, I am not all Kum Bay Ya.

The short term view is where Bruce’s thoughts make 100% sense, the people who work in our industry are in need right now. The economy sucks and every meeting or event that happens relieves the stress of losing a job, losing health care or worse. But what we are neglecting to see is the long view and the long view is what we will be left with when the economic crisis passes.

Laws like the one just passed in Arizona must be resisted or they become part of the fabric of a place and there is nothing to stop them. They become mundane and chip away at the America that we all know and love, taking us to a place where we do not want to go, one law at a time, one organization that does not take a stand after another.

To the Washington DC City Council, Joseph A. McInerney, president of the AHLA said “Do the council members know – or care – that they are hurting lower-income workers in Arizona when it pushes something like a ‘boycott’ proposal through its chambers?”. The answer is yes, they do care, and that is exactly why they are proposing a boycott.

To Joseph McInerney,  I would respond, “is it OK that two workers from a Scottsdale Resort lost their jobs because they are sitting in jail for forgetting to grab their wallets on the way out the door this morning. Is it OK that Maria lost her ID and is now afraid to go to work so has called in sick three days in a row? Is it OK, that natural born Americans can be stopped on the street and asked for their papers”.

What would the Founding Fathers do…. They would give us all a swift kick in the butt is what they would do. This is precisely the crap they were afraid of and we are starting to fall right into the same trap. They were not afraid to take a stand, we should not be afraid either.

For the record, neither option is good and neither option is fair.

It is not fair to hurt the workers with a boycott and it is not fair that people should be afraid of the police and their own government. One action is temporary, the other is permanent.  So lets pick our evil and get to it because it is time to take a stand and time is-a-wastin.

If the federal government does not have the guts to tackle the immigration issue and organizations such as MPI and the U.S. Travel Association will not take a stand, that leaves meeting and event professionals and their companies the only option… choosing the lessor of two evils.

Because of our governments and our associations refusal to take a stand and voice opinion and opposition, this
is what happens. Meeting and event professionals have only one option, an economic boycott. This is how boycotts work, you stop going to a particular destination and that hurts. It hurts enough that those in power have two choices, don’t repeal the law and loose their jobs in the next election or repeal the law and hope that voters do not remember in the next election.

Although not to this level (yet), this has similarities to an event awhile back. MPI held an conference in Dubai and I also stood opposed to that. My thought was, by holding events in places that condone the restriction of civil rights, the abuse of women and hostility toward those of different religions, you are condoning the actions of the state.

I have heard and respect the arguments “by holding our event in Dubai, we are opening their eyes to our people and our way of life”. While I understand these arguments, my response is this. There are hundreds of international meetings in Dubai where there is a sharing of experiences and connections made, what has changed? Nothing, not one thing. The government still restricts freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the freedom of association.

If two years ago, MPI took a stand and other governments and organizations followed suit calling for a boycott of Dubai and other countries with poor human rights records, how might the world be different? Its a shame, we will never know.

Oh, wait…. we do know. If I recall, the international boycott of South Africa may have taken its time and a toll, but it achieved the desired result. In fact, I am going to book an IMEX appointment with the Cape Town CVB.

For those of you who will say, “Keith man, lighten up, How can you compare what is happening in Arizona to Apartheid or the Middle East, that is crazy.”, I direct you to the following history of Apartheid (Wikipedia entry here). I would ask you to pay close attention to the last sentence of the excerpt and understand that this took place years before Apartheid was official policy:

The British colonial rulers introduced a system of Pass Laws in the Cape Colony and Colony of Natal during the 19th century.[5][6][7]  This stemmed from the regulation of blacks’ movement from the tribal regions to those occupied by whites  and coloureds, ruled by the British. Laws were passed not only to restrict the movement of blacks into these areas, but also to prohibit their movement from one district to another without a signed pass. Blacks were not allowed onto the streets of towns in the Cape Colony and Natal after dark and had to carry their passes at all times.

Joan Eisenstodt has a quote at the end of every post she writes on the MiForum, “There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”, the Quote is from Elie Wiesel. The true meaning of this quote never really hammered home until today.

It is time that we all take a moment and realize that by not starting down the path to immigration reform we are starting to turn our own citizens into criminals and turning Americans against Americans. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said “frustration over the Arizona law is understandable, but an election year is not the time to bring up immigration reform“. I would ask Mr. Graham to tell us when is a good time? After we have shock troops on corners with Biometric Scanners? Our politicians, Democrat and Republican were elected and tasked with tackling the tough issues, instead they act like a deer in the headlights. Let’s not do the same, it is time we started acting like Americans.

Filed Under: Event Industry, Event Planning, Green Meetings / CSR Tagged With: , , , ,
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