#HospitalityStrong

December 1, 2017

Letter from the Editor

The last two months have been challenging for many across the country as a series of tragedies has taken loved ones, destroyed homes and history, and reignited questions about how we treat each other. I have been heartened, however, to hear the stories of how the hospitality industry has stepped up to offer food and shelter in the storms, come to the aid of shooting victims and pitched in to clean up during the ensuing recovery process.

We have proved that we are resilient. As author Cheryl Sandberg said in her book, Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy, resilience is like a muscle that is exercised by connecting with other people in meaningful ways.

That is why I am dedicating this special section to those in our industry who bounced back, reached out and came to the aid of others, even when they may have been in pain themselves. This is a celebration of our human kindness, our ability to move forward no matter what. We saw it at IMEX in Las Vegas, where #VegasStrong ruled the day. We saw it in Texas, Florida, the Caribbean and Puerto Rico, where everyone chipped in to do whatever was needed when the lights went out. And we saw it in California’s Wine Country, where, days after a raging fire, wineries that host so many special events were open and toasting the amazing first responders who risked their lives and saved thousands of homes and hundreds of thousands of acres of vineyards.

We are donating 10 percent of revenue from the special sections in this issue to the relief efforts through Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE). Let’s exercise those resiliency muscles together.

JT Long