What Meetings Mean Business Coalition Has in Store for 2020
January 22, 2020
At PCMA’s Convening Leaders Conference in San Francisco earlier this month, the Meetings Mean Business Coalition announced its 2020 plans to promote the value of face-to-face meetings, as well as to safeguard the industry from financial and reputational threats.
MMBC’s co-chairs — Trina Camacho-London, vice president of global group sales at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company — shared the below plans detailing the organization’s approach to advocacy, engagement and continued growth. These were the five main focus areas:
1. Leveraging the 2020 elections to engage policymakers around the industry’s value and remind them that they, too, leverage face-to-face meetings to do their jobs effectively.
2. Celebrating Global Meetings Industry Day (on April 14, 2020); the 2019 celebration resulted in 275 events across more than 50 countries.
3. Renewing MMBC’s focus on economic data, as other industries carefully watch market trends and indicators of what could be another global recession.
4. Strengthening MMBC’s efforts to reach external leaders online.
5. Identifying strategic partnerships to grow the coalition’s reach globally.
“We are doubling down on external outreach to ensure the value of meetings is better understood by those who make decisions, policies and protocols that impact our industry,” said Dixon. “Our ‘Worth Meeting About’ campaign will focus on educating and recruiting mayors, city council members and local chambers of commerce.”
He continued, “These groups are incredibly important champions for our industry and see firsthand how meetings support businesses and the economy.”
Dixon added that Global Meetings Industry Day will play a central role in the coalition’s advocacy agenda by helping to energize advocates across six continents.
“As a coalition, we’ve made a concerted effort over the years to create deeper, more sustained engagement among those who influence the meetings economy,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association and a MMBC founding member.
He continued, “We’ve helped protect the industry from any number of potential threats, from security issues to an economic downturn to the ‘weaponization’ of meetings for political purposes. We’ve created an insurance policy for industry’s continued success and look forward to the year ahead.”
To learn more about MMBC or to get free resources for hosting a Global Meetings Industry Day celebration, go here.
Partner Voices
HERE, hosting responsible meetings and caring for our communities are top priorities. Through its 'Focused on What Matters: Embracing Humanity and Protecting the Planet' philosophy, MGM Resorts commits to creating a more sustainable future, while striving to make an impact in the lives of employees, guests, and the communities in which it operates.
Water Stewardship Efforts
MGM Resorts understands the importance of using water efficiently, especially in the desert destination of Las Vegas. Conserving water has always been part of the mission, but MGM Resorts has expanded its ambition into water stewardship.
In 2022, MGM Resorts President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle signed the CEO Water Mandate—a UN Global Compact initiative mobilizing business leaders to advance water stewardship. MGM Resorts International was the first gaming company to take this important step.
MGM Resorts replaced 200,000 square feet of real grass with drought-tolerant landscaping in Las Vegas.
MGM Resorts pledges to reduce water withdrawal intensity by 33% by 2025 and by 35% by 2030.
From 2007-2021, use of more than 5.6 billion gallons of water was avoided because of conservation efforts.
Caring for One Another
MGM Resorts’ Food Donations Program collects and preserves unserved food from conventions held at MGM Resorts properties, then safely donates to food insecure people in the community. Since the program’s launch in 2016, more than 3.7 million meals toward a 2025 goal of 5 million meals have been donated into the community. Donations include:
Unserved perishable prepared foods from events
Perishable unprepared food from MGM Resorts’ kitchens
Nonperishable food items from minibars and warehouses
The collaboration with Southern Nevada’s primary food bank, Three Square, has developed the infrastructure needed to safely collect, transport, and store food from MGM Resorts properties in Las Vegas, reducing food waste while serving the community.
Fostering Diversity and Inclusion
To MGM Resorts, a diverse and talented workforce is essential to success. By cultivating innovative strategies that consider multiple perspectives and viewpoints, the company creates an inclusive workplace culture that benefits its employees and community. MGM Resorts takes pride in being a welcoming home for veterans, individuals with disabilities, people from diverse backgrounds, LGBTQ+ community members, and more. This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the company's recruitment and hiring practices and its social responsibility initiatives. From the workplace to the community, MGM Resorts' commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion remains unwavering, and its efforts continue to create a more equitable and sustainable world for all.
MGM Resorts understands its responsibility to contribute to the social and economic progress of the communities in which it operates. HERE, we embrace humanity.
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