Good Stuff from Joan Eisenstodt

I find myself often in the company of those who are either in the meetings/hospitality industry or 'near' it. My spouse (Joel) is great about sitting through some pretty (to him) boring conversations about room blocks, attrition, travel woes, and the like.

Yet, in this election 'season' in the US, we have found that in almost every group in which we find ourselves (including the PCMA awards dinner), talking politics.

There are those who say that one should always stay away from religion and politics in conversations. I find that odd. On both subjects, many have strong opinions and why should they not be expressed?

More, both subjects (among many others) have so much to do with our work and our world. How can one plan or host a meeting if one is not aware of the religions of those in attendance? I think, in particular, of the upcoming Pesach (Passover) observance. For those of us who are Jewish and have to travel - it is not too easy to schelp a box of matzoh through an airport. It becomes matzoh meal soon thereafter and is not easy to use while on the road.

Two colleagues and I have proposed a session for an industry meeting. We called it "A Muslim, a Christian and a Jew Walk Into a Meeting" and see it not as the start of a joke but rather as the start of open conversation about how to include and make accommodations for anyone who is not 'mainstream' for the group. The principles apply to a person with a disability, or someone with food allergies, or someone whose religious beliefs and practices prohibit eating certain foods or participating in certain events.

Politics is so much a part of our world and should be. Our industry is very involved in issues such as immigration reform, travel and tourism regulations (including Visa issues) and more. There are ballot initiatives at almost every level that will impact taxes on hotel rooms, rental cars, and more. How can we not talk about it?

What are your talking points?