I was already in transition, focusing my attention on family, serving on Hospitality Industry organization boards and mentoring students and young alumni from University of Houston’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. The few passion projects I was working on got derailed, including one that was scheduled in the Metro DC area within days of the pandemic declaration. The event venue was in pre-opening status and although I worked with one chain to book three properties, working through the stages of postponement, cancellation, force majeure and now re-booking, really showed me both the value of relationships and my balanced perspective having spent my first 15 years in Hotel Operations and Sales. Those who took care of their customers, their employees and respected the long game in dealing with us, are getting our business today. Relationships are a two-way street. That approach works whether in good times or in seasons like these, that we could never have imagined.
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.