Good Stuff from Joan Eisenstodt

In the past week, two very special people have died of cancer: Crystal Simmons, a student member of the MPI (Meeting Professionals Intl)  DFW Chapter, and Beth Calveard of the TN MPI chapter.  Both were young, vibrant women who brought so much to our industry.

I met Crystal,  a recipient of a scholarship to the MPI Future Leaders Forum - applications for the 2008 World Education Congress Future Leaders Forum are due 28 March - available to student members of  MPI ), where I met her when I chaired MPI's Student/Faculty Committee.   That same year, Crystal attended a session at the WEC on living and working with illness. At that session, Crystal disclosed that she was to undergo a mastectomy the following week.  And at that session, Beth Calveard, a  brain cancer survivor,  spoke about her life with cancer and as someone who, with a great zest for life and a sense of humor beyond what anyone I ever knew (esp. under the circumstances) had. 

In the past week, two very special people have died of cancer: Crystal Simmons, a student member of the MPI (Meeting Professionals Intl)  DFW Chapter, and Beth Calveard of the TN MPI chapter.  Both were young, vibrant women who brought so much to our industry.

I met Crystal,  a recipient of a scholarship to the MPI Future Leaders Forum (http://www.mpiweb.org/CMS/mpiweb/mpicontent.aspx?id=7747 - applications for the 2008 World Education Congress Future Leaders Forum are due 28 March - available to student members of  MPI ), where I met her when I chaired MPI's Student/Faculty Committee.   That same year, Crystal attended a session at the WEC on living and working with illness. At that session, Crystal disclosed that she was to undergo a mastectomy the following week.  And at that session, Beth Calveard, a  brain cancer survivor,  spoke about her life with cancer and as someone who, with a great zest for life and a sense of humor beyond what anyone I ever knew (esp. under the circumstances) had.  

Among those in the session were many who were living with illness or caring for those with illness or both .. and more, they had no place to go to talk about the impact of their illness on them while working in a very 'cheery' profession where we all feel a need to put on happy faces no matter what. (You can take that down to the least dramatic level: think about those who exhibit and how their feet must ache while they still maintain that a smile and an attitude of welcome.)

In this industry more than 35 years, I have always believed that we are an industry that is built on relationships.  We may do business once - or even just meet at an industry meeting - and yet we continue to maintain those contacts.

Lately I've heard from some people that those in revenue management (in hotels , corporations, and associations) are helping tear down those relationships by making everything bottom-line drive.  Sure, everyone needs to make a profit.  Does it have to be made at the expense of people and relationships?

Maybe I'm hopelessly old fashioned.  I took the FISH! video ( www.charthouse.com)  to heart when I first saw it and still believe what it says.  We are a world of people and an industry of relationships.

Two of my relationships ended, physically, this week.  

What are you doing to build and maintain industry relationships? Who are you currently mentoring?

How can you keep their legacy alive by doing business in a way to foster those relationships?