Planner Resilience: John Williams, American Guest

How were you able to adapt during COVID-19 when the meeting and events industry got disrupted?

John is the President and co-founder of American Guest USA. He is a recognized leader in curating corporate incentives and transformative events and meetings for worldwide clients at sites across the US, Canada, Mexico, and beyond. With nearly two decades of industry experience – including 10 years providing outsourced concierge services to more than 65 hotels concierge desks – he brings together a robust network of relationships with a reputation for integrity, accessibility, and results.

Involved in the hospitality industry from an early age, John has the skills and know-how to tackle the most challenging tasks and seemingly impossible requests. He co-founded American Guest in 2002 alongside his father Richard, leveraging years of experience and a passion for hospitality dating back to his early roles in the service industry. He currently leads a team of multinational/multilingual staff in delivering customized hospitality programs, concierge quality services, and experiences around the globe.

We did several things to maintain continuity for the future. We paused all marketing and related communication, so we were not ignorant to the present challenges. We took a wait and see approach to the rush to virtual and how it was being received. From our research we developed a telecast (not a webinar or zoom) to share new ideas, technology, and trends with market leaders www.savethemeetings.org. With over 6,000 viewers on average, it’s been a success".

This post is part of the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series where we celebrate the positivity and optimism shown by planners across the industry when navigating the turbulent waters that COVID-19 has brought the meetings and events industry.   Keep an eye out as we release more stories like this over the next few months.