The Los Angeles Times recently posted an article confirming the Justice Department really did not pay $16 for a single muffin.  With an in-depth investigation by the inspector general it was determined the muffin was just part of a continental breakfast which included other items, inclusive of tax and gratuity, totalling $16 per person.  Phew!  Muffin-gate solved.

I cautiously joke about this article and the subject at hand; in all seriousness stories like this and mis-information such as this have a drastic negative effect on our industry.  The original story stating the indecency of the Justice Department spending $16 per muffin was on page 1 of the Sunday Times; this follow-up was found buried beyond page 4.

For those professionals in the industry we have grown accustomed to the food costs  of hotel venues across the globe.  Therefore, we look at a continental breakfast of $16, inclusive of tax and gratuity, in Washington, D.C., and think "Wow!  What a bargain!  Great negotiating on behalf of the planner." However, for the general public and many of our esteemed lawmakers they don't understand.  And educating them about Food Cost Control and Labor Costs of hotel venues, will not benefit anyone.

These types of articles do shed light on our industry.  Some may say that will benefit us - and it could. However, others know that when you get put into the spotlight things can go drastically wrong very quickly when you aren't prepared.  Are we prepared?

Within the same article it stated Senator Charles E. Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary, made the following statement “The fact remains that the Justice Department is spending $32 on Cracker Jack packages and $600,000 on event planners and not minding the taxpayers who are footing the bill."

Again, Senator Grassley's "crack" (excuse the pun) about the Cracker Jack's was misguided and not correct.  But as a fellow event planner I wonder - is he correct about the $600,000 spent on event planners?  And then I wonder, well how many events is that? How many attendees? Are these events within a year time-frame or over multiple years?  There are facts missing from these statements but at this point the comment is out there and it is setting the general public and our lawmakers brains atwitter.

We know the U.S. meetings industry directly supports 1.7 million jobs, $263 billion in spending, a $106 billion contribution to GDP, $60 billion in labor revenue, $14.3 billion in federal tax revenue and $11.3 billion in state and local tax revenue.  But do others outside the industry?

We know what is required to hold a successful G-8 Summit. Or a UN Conference.  Or any other meeting that brings together the world's leaders to make decisions, to create partnerships for the success of millions of people.  But do others outside the industry? 

So how do we ensure mis-information, in an age of knee-jerk technological reaction, not diminsh the viability of our industry and the hard-work done by hospitality industry professionals?  How do we promote the positive effects of our work to those outside our industry?
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