Good Stuff from Joan Eisenstodt

When I saw the headline, I began singing it to the tune of "Where the boys are ..." .. an old Connie Frances tune about going to FL for Spring break.

Watching the migration of jobs fascinates me.  This article in today's New York Time made me wonder where jobs for our industry will be.

In the last weeks, as airlines cut service dramatically to many markets and fares went up and up and up (I paid $200 more for flights to and from the same cities for a trip booked this week v. one booked 2 months ago), I wondered about the health of our industry for service jobs.  One only has to look back at the aftermath of 9.11.01 and how many hotels cut service jobs (and never reinstated those jobs.)

What about us - planners and hoteliers? Will we have jobs in the future?  I'm not so sure - or what they will look like. I've maintained for a very long time that tools like those developed by APEX make it very easy to outsource planner jobs to anyone in any country - fill in the blanks and you too can select a site and manage a meeting. (I'm a strong supporter of the CIC and want these tools for us; what they mean for the future is another question.)

And sales and marketing? Many hotel companies are already consolidating how they work with outside companies marketing them, sales staffs working from home or other remote location off property, and even, lately, hearing that convention services staff work off property. 

What is going to make us valuable?

 I know that I'm considering a move back to Iowa (where I attended Drake University) and perhaps job security in some industry!