Meetings Mean Business Ramps Up Advocacy Efforts Ahead of Midterm Elections

July 12, 2018

The Meetings Mean Business Coalition (MMBC) is working to reinforce the value of face-to-face meetings by reframing its Worth Meeting About campaign during the 2018 midterm election cycle. 

Continuing the success of the campaign, the coalition will highlight numerous ways that candidates rely on face-to-face meetings to connect with constituents as well as inform, persuade and recruit supporters, including talking to voters one-on-one, participating in town hall discussions, canvassing neighborhoods, hosting fundraising events or participating in onstage debates with their political opponents.

“As in 2016, we will use the Worth Meeting About campaign to remind government leaders that they, too, leverage the power of face-to-face interactions to do their jobs effectively,” said Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of Meeting Professionals International and co-chair of MMBC, an industry-wide coalition that showcases the incredible value that business meetings, trade shows, incentive travel, exhibitions, conferences and conventions bring to people, businesses and communities.

He added, “Our goal is to reach those who influence our industry and create policies that allow us to contribute in positive ways to businesses and the economy.”

According to a recent report by Oxford Economics, the meetings industry supports 5.9 million jobs and contributes hundreds of billions of dollars to the nation’s economy, while in 2016 alone, meetings contributed $446 billion in U.S. GDP, generating $104 billion in federal, state and local taxes and saving approximately $879 per U.S. household.

For those industry advocates interested in getting involved, MMBC has put together new resources on its website, including advocacy action items that can be carried out in just 30 seconds or less.

“As all eyes turn toward the elections, we are calling on industry professionals and supporters from the broader business community to lend their voices to the Worth Meeting About campaign,” said Julie Coker Graham, MMBC co-chair and president and CEO of Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau. 

She continued, “Together, we will send the message that face-to-face has been at the crux of America’s elections since the nation’s founding. Although technology has shaped how candidates campaign for elected office, the value of face-to-face cannot be underestimated when it comes to the people and issues that will shape our country’s future.”

To learn more about the Meetings Mean Business and Worth Meeting About campaigns, go HERE.

 

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Partner Voices
Dallas already boasts 35,000 hotel rooms, award-winning global cuisine, and a walkable downtown. But we are just getting started. Visit Dallas is thrilled to announce that the city of Dallas is doubling down with a massive new convention center and entertainment district. Featuring 800,000 square feet of exhibit area, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 170,000 square feet of ballroom. The center will connect business travelers with dining and shopping options in the popular Cedars District means more places to get down to business, and even more ways to unwind. “Dallas is already a great meetings and conventions destination, with the accessibility of two major airports, affordable labor, and an outstanding hotel product,” said D. Bradley Kent, Visit Dallas senior vice president and chief sales officer. “The new center and Convention Center District will enhance Dallas’ competitive position and are exactly what our customers’ need and have been asking for." What’s New – AT&T Discovery District Located in the heart of Downtown Dallas, this new district on the AT&T corporate campus is tailor-made for groups of all sizes. It boasts a multi-sensory experience, including outdoor event space, the AT&T Theater, and multiple dining outlets including JAXON Beer Garden and The Exchange, a bustling food hall. Hotels Coming Soon Names like the JW Marriott (Downtown), lnterContinental Dallas (Uptown), and Hotel Swexan (Uptown) are adding luxury amenities and bountiful event spaces. The projects will debut in 2023 and beyond. JW Marriott This new, 15-story, 283-room hotel will open in the heart of the city’s downtown Arts District this year. The property features a 25,000-square-foot grand ballroom, as well as a spa, restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, and a rooftop pool deck and bar. InterContinental Dallas  Located in Cityplace Tower in Uptown, InterContinental Dallas will feature sweeping panoramic views of the Dallas skyline. Guests will enjoy spacious, high-end rooms and amenities, including more than 21,000 square feet of event space.   Hotel Swexan Hotel Swexan, a new, 22-story luxury property, is rising in Uptown’s Harwood District and will make its mark on the Dallas skyline. Opening this year, it is a sculptural building with cantilevered upper floors, as well as a 75-foot rooftop infinity-edge swimming pool and a hidden underground lounge.