I’ve devoted 30 years of my life to what I believe is the most beautiful and fulfilling industry in the world, “Hospitality”. My career evolved through many positions in the Meetings Industry, hotel chains, and titles; however, my focus has been on meetings and events from 1999 to today.
Hospitality has shaped my life, professionally and personally. I graduated from college while already working in the hospitality industry; I became a professional, was recognized as a leader, and met my husband along the way.
I grew up in this industry, and I have seen how my industry has survived global economic hardships, national financial disasters, and horrific events like 9-11. Each time we came back stronger and with ample knowledge of how to overcome any future downturns. However, Covid-19 has and continues to be a steep mountain to climb. During the last 17 months, it has been hazy as to what the road to recovery should be.
Leadership during COVID19
The Covid-19 vaccine became the hope to my industry. However, the lack of leadership or a well-thought-out unanimous plan to re-open the meetings sector has made it impossible to see a 100% recovery. It’s hard to believe that we can re-open without long-term guidelines, by almost pretending like nothing ever happened.
Our history has shaped our present behavior and has dictated our reactions to events that have changed humanity. Who can forget 9-11? The world witnessed a horrific act of terrorism, and we all quickly adopted a new way to travel. The creation of TSA reassured the world’s citizens, and together we became a society that felt safe to travel again. We were able to quickly change our behavior due to a group of terrorists that threatened our safety. However, we are refusing to change our behavior after a pandemic. Covid-19 threatens our existence as humanity.
Traveling experience under the pandemic
We need a solid plan, not the image of one that is not working out. Let me give you an example: For the first time after 17 months, I recently traveled to San Antonio, I chose to get vaccinated, travel with antibacterial wipes, gels, and, of course, a face mask. As I arrived at the San Diego airport, the mandatory signs of needing to wear a mask were everywhere, I felt like I was in a safe environment, but it was only a few steps away from TSA that I walked by the food court and coffee shops, that I realized that most people were having breakfast, and of course, no-one was wearing a face mask. For some reason, I believe that taking temperatures before hopping on a plane is not an out of the ordinary expectation, and yes, I know that having a temperature does not necessarily mean you have Covid-19; but it does mean that you have an infection and should not be traveling. Then we got on the plane and again the mandate to wear a mask was announced. However, minutes after take-off, pretzels and drinks were offered, (and yes, your guess is correct), all face masks were off.
Challenges of face to face meetings
I am fully aware of the vaccination statistics in the US, barely at 50+ percent; and I am sure there could have been at least 40% of unvaccinated people on my flight. Therefore, flying is not completely safe, the weak guidelines that are presented to us like “You Must Wear A Mask at all times” are not enforced. How can we expect results if our behavior doesn’t change?
Almost everyone takes simple viruses lightly; for instance, it is common to travel to a training, a conference, or a meeting, where you will always encounter someone with a cold, maybe some fever, carelessly shaking hands, and even hugging people. I hope you all agree that we cannot tolerate this type of behavior anymore; whether we want to admit it or not, we cannot afford to take a chance and become part of the problem. The flu season is 90 days away, and with Covid-19 facing a surge in worldwide cases, we are in for a harsh fall and winter; this leaves our hospitality industry in a very vulnerable place.
If we want to remain open and move into “our new normal”, we need to make the meetings industry a safe place again; a place of care, where our actions show the meaning of Hospitality; by always putting the well-being of our external and internal guests, first! Currently, it seems like everyone is creating “their own a set” of personal safety rules, that don’t necessarily measure the immediate and future possible risks. I believe we are responsible for the outcome of our story, our survival, and the future of our meetings industry. As we all take what we may consider a negligible risk, in the end, together we are creating significant risks; and by now, we all know that no small risk with Covid-19 is ever insignificant.
Let’s reclaim our space back safetly
I am proud to be part of a San Diego team that has helped to create “a solution” to bring people back together again; this product is a defensive personal device we call the Bulwark Herö. The “Bulwark Hero” was designed to provide an additional layer of physical protection, in group settings, by creating a tangible barrier that can be used again and again. Not only can it help to bring people back together again, but it also helps to keep them together. As we continue to face uncertainties with Covid-19, and with all the variants that will emerge, Bulwark Herö provides a tangible layer of protection, and also a sense of comfort, in the office, board rooms, meeting rooms, cafeterias, and any public space. Bulwark Hero is a solution to keep the meeting industry active while boosting the economy we all desperately need to maintain and grow.
